Page 14 of All Wrapped Up

I ended the call before either of them asked what I was going to do now to fill my time and Pixie and I happily whiled away the rest of the day at the cottage.

Knowing that the full harvest moon was set to rise that evening and the sky had finally cleared again, I arranged cushions, blankets and snacks in the garden so we could be snugly settled in time to admire it as it crept golden, vast and glorious over the edge of the Fenland horizon.

The appearance of the full moon was a spectacle I had regularly come to admire, with the dates noted on my phone calendar, and I was thrilled the weather hadn’t scuppered my plan to view the glowing harvest spectacle as it had the previous September.

‘Would you look at that, Pixie?’ I gasped as the size and colour intensified with every passing second. ‘Isn’t she magnificent?’

I took a few photos with a camera my parents had given me, but just like in the past when I went to concerts with Callum, I didn’t allow myself to become preoccupied with snapping away and filming.

It never ceased to amaze me that so many people viewed so much of their lives second-hand, through the screen on their phone, rather than with their own eyes.

It was lovely to have a record, but I preferred to stay in the moment as much as possible, even though I ran a successful online account where images were the focus.

As far as I was concerned, the secret to successful and comfortable stargazing, and indeed moon-watching, was entirely down to getting in the right position and I was in a semi-recumbent state when I heard Ash’s truck pull up and Pixie started to bark.

My thoughts, as the moon rose, had drifted again to the autumn festival and I wondered if, rather than give up on it entirely, it might actually be worth considering running just an event or two over a couple of weekends, like I had originally suggested.

It would be better than doing nothing at all and might inspire people to want to get further involved next year.

And if that was the case, we could make it the spectacular then that Lizzie had been so certain it could be this first time around.

I sat up and stretched my neck from side to side, thinking I would run it by Ash now he was here.

See if he thought that might be a feasible, rather than defeatist, option.

Now the initial sting of the meeting had dulled a bit, and being preoccupied with Pixie had given me some distance from it, I found I really didn’t want to give up on it completely after all.

Like I’d earlier said to Dad, autumn really was my everything and it would be a shame to miss out on celebrating it in such a meaningful way.

‘I was hoping you’d seen,’ Ash nodded at the moon, as he climbed stiffly out of his truck and rolled his shoulders, while Pixie leapt up and down for his attention on my side of the gate. ‘I’ve been watching it come up on the drive back.’

‘That sounds safe.’ I smiled wryly and then had to look away because the sight of him stretching his arms above his head and exposing a bit of his tummy made me feel a bit… funny.

‘How could I not watch it?’ he laughed.

He was right, of course. It must have been the ultimate distraction, just like Pixie had been for my parents earlier.

‘She hasn’t missed you at all, you know,’ I pointedly said as he opened the gate and she ecstatically launched herself at him. ‘To be honest, she hadn’t even noticed you’d gone.’

‘She’s probably just relieved that I’ve come back,’ he said, scooping her up.

‘Oh yes,’ I said, feeling chastened. ‘I didn’t think of that. How were things with your family when you set off? Is your nan really okay?’

He put Pixie down again and turned his full attention to me. I could see then how tired he looked and wondered how he was going to manage to be up in time for his stint in the practice the next day.

‘As okay as she can be,’ he said, sounding relieved. ‘And I’m very grateful for that.’

‘I can imagine,’ I said, as I rubbed my hands together because the evening had turned chilly. ‘Can I get you a drink or something to eat? You must be done in.’

‘Thanks,’ he said, picking Pixie, who was practically sitting on his feet, back up again. ‘As appealing as that sounds, I’m going to pass. I’m afraid that if I stop for more than a minute, I’ll be asleep on my feet and I really need to get back to the barn.’

‘Of course.’

I had been about to offer to keep Pixie for another night, but seeing the way she nuzzled into his neck and the way some of the tension in his shoulders disappeared as a result, I decided he needed her company more than I did.

Though it would be a wrench to say goodbye.

Pixie had bought an extra something to Rowan Cottage and even if she didn’t turn out to be the dog for me, I wondered if there would be another who might.

‘I’ll just get her stuff.’

Ash followed me inside, after commenting on how lovely my moon-watching set up looked. Had it been any other evening, I would have insisted he stayed and tried it out.

‘Have you heard from Lizzie today?’ he asked, as I bundled everything Pixie’s visit had required back into its bag.

It felt like she had been with me for far longer than one night.

‘To be honest,’ I said, ‘I haven’t looked at my phone since calling my parents earlier, so I’m not sure.’

‘I bet you haven’t changed your mind about the festival, have you? As I mentioned before, Lizzie told me all about what happened at the meeting, because I was worried when I couldn’t get hold of you, so I can understand why you went to ground.’

‘Non meeting,’ I muttered, feeling a little mortified that my withdrawal from the town had been so noticed.

‘Oh, Clemmie.’

‘I’m not feeling quite so bad about it now,’ I sighed.

‘Well, that’s something. Do you maybe have an alternative idea in mind?’

When Ash had pulled up, I’d had every intention of discussing with him what I was now considering, but he looked so worn out, I put off telling him.

‘I might, but it’s the last thing you need to be thinking about right now,’ I told him as he tried and failed to stifle a well-timed yawn. ‘Are you sure you’re going to be okay to drive back to the barn?’

‘I daresay you’re right,’ he agreed. ‘But we’ll talk about it all soon. And yes, I’ll be fine. It’s not far. You’ll have to come and visit. There’s this magnificent hare who has practically made its home in the garden. I think you’d like to see that.’

‘I’d love to see that,’ I enthused. ‘I often see them bounding across the fields and boxing in the spring, but I’ve never seen one up close. Can you get close?’

‘If Pixie doesn’t yap,’ he smiled. ‘Right, come on. Home and bed.’

‘Yes,’ I said. ‘Time for bed for all of us.’

‘Did Pixie make it into yours last night?’ he asked, looking right at me.

‘What do you think?’ I smiled.