Page 57 of All Wrapped Up

‘No, you’re not,’ she laughed. ‘You’re Clemmie, aren’t you?’

‘Yes,’ I confirmed, looking briefly at her. ‘Yes, I am.’

She was very pretty.

‘I’m Lottie,’ she then told me. ‘Will’s partner.’

I looked at her again, more sharply that time.

‘You know, Ash’s boss?’ She frowned, probably thinking I didn’t know who Will was.

‘You’re Will’s partner?’ I asked, feeling even more confused, but her next words explained everything.

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘We’re in the process of having the bathroom at Cuckoo Cottage remodelled and it’s a total nightmare, so we’ve been showering here while it’s being sorted.’

I felt my face flush crimson. ‘Oh, right.’ I swallowed. ‘I see.’

‘You’ve just finished a renovation, haven’t you?

’ she carried on. ‘So, you know what it’s like.

Builders, plumbers and electricians, they promise it’ll be a five-day job and five months later you’re still living in a building site!

We could use the glamping facilities, but it’s a bit chilly at this time of year. ’

I knew she had vintage caravans to rent on her land and some railway carriages, too, so there were obviously camping style facilities available but as she said, hardly warm to wash in now the summer had long since passed.

‘Come on, Lottie!’ I heard Will shout and I realised he was in the driving seat of his truck. ‘Otherwise, we’ll miss our reservation in town.’

‘I’d better go,’ Lottie smiled. ‘We’ve got dinner plans and I need to drop my truck at the garage first. It’s nice to meet you at last.’

‘Likewise,’ I said, feeling like an utter fool.

‘Do try and talk Ash out of leaving, won’t you?’ she said, as a parting shot.

‘Leaving?’ I gasped and Will honked the truck horn, making us both jump.

‘Yes, he’s on about moving back to Bakewell. Will is devastated.’

I waited until Will, who waved as he went by, and then Lottie had gone, then unclipped Pixie from her harness and climbed out. Ash was still in the open doorway and I felt awkward crossing the drive and walking up the path with him watching me.

‘You met Lottie, then?’ he asked, when I was close enough to hear him.

‘Yes,’ I said. ‘I’d seen her before, but not to talk to.’

‘What, here?’

‘It doesn’t matter now.’ I gulped as I reached him.

‘Did you get my note?’ he asked, croakily. ‘Hello, Pixie.’

‘Note?’ I frowned, as he let us into the barn ahead of him and then closed the door.

‘The one I put through the cottage door.’

‘I’ve just come from the cottage, but I didn’t see a note,’ I told him, my heart hammering as I looked up into his handsome and familiar face. ‘I was with Molly.’

‘What, at your place? I didn’t realise you knew her well enough to warrant a visit.’

He hadn’t looked at me properly since I’d crossed the threshold and I hoped with the whole of my heart, now I knew it had been Lottie and Will in the barn bathroom and not another woman Ash had got cosy with, that he wasn’t regretting telling me that he loved me or worse still, had a change of heart and no longer thought he did.

Though if Lottie was right, and he was planning to leave, then it was feeling likely that he had.

‘Well, I didn’t, but I do now,’ I rushed to say, all inner poise and former determination to stay calm taking flight. ‘Ash, there are things I need to say to you.’

‘And there are things I need to say to you, too,’ he said, still looking over the top of my head and not giving me a chance to get my words in first. ‘To start with, I’m sorry I put you in a difficult position earlier by telling you that I’m in… well, you know what I said.’

And clearly, he wasn’t about to say it again.

‘And secondly, I don’t want you worrying about running into me and feeling awkward, because I’m moving back to Bakewell.

I can see now, this was the reason why I never found a place of my own and it will be easier for me to go as a result.

Will isn’t happy, obviously, but you’re settled here, Clemmie.

You love Rowan Cottage and so I’m leaving to save you further upset.

You’ve had more than enough of that in your life, though upset is hardly the right word, and I don’t want to add to it. ’

‘Right,’ I said, standing on tiptoe, so he had no choice but to notice me. ‘Finished?’

‘I suppose,’ he said, looking at me, but only briefly.

‘Good.’ I nodded. ‘Okay, so let’s get this straight. You’re actually going nowhere, because… because I can’t bear the thought of losing you now that I’ve realised I’ve fallen in love with you, too.’

He looked at me properly then. ‘What?’ He blinked.

‘I’m in love with you, Ash,’ I said again and I thought my drumming, but finally properly listened to, heart was going to fly out of my chest.

‘You’re in love with me?’

‘Yes,’ I answered, and my knees began to tremble. ‘I’m completely and utterly in love with you.’

His gaze flicked to my lips for a fleeting moment and then I didn’t have to worry about my knees giving way, because he swept me into his arms and held me close.

‘But are you still in love with me?’ I asked, wanting to be completely certain before things went any further.

‘Of course I am!’ he said, twirling me around.

‘Oh well, in that case,’ I smiled as his mouth dipped tantalisingly close to mine, ‘you really had better stay, hadn’t you?’

‘Yes,’ he whispered back, with a smile, ‘I think it would be best if I did.’

Our first kiss was long and lingering, seductive and sweet. We were a perfect match, just the right fit and when we eventually drew apart, my heart and my head were as one and I felt both excited and relieved to finally have our love for one another declared and out in the open!