Page 100 of Take the Plunge

Jett rests his hand on my knee. “Do you want to talk about your field trip proposal?”

I click my fingers. “Damn. I thought I’d distracted you.”

He laughs. “Good try, but no.”

“I’ve got a shortlist. I need to narrow it down.” I nibble a bit of my burrito. “They’re all in Yorkshire and the Humber.”

“That’s—”

“Great?”

The corner of Jett’s mouth twitches. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”

“I thought it was, but it’s not going to be much better than being in Spain.”

He frowns. “I don’t understand.”

“I don’t have a car. I can’t afford to run a car, let alone buy or rent one. So the nature reserves might all be within seventy miles of Leeds, but they might as well be a thousand miles away. It’ll be hard enough to get home for the weekend. I wouldn’t be able to come home at the end of every day.”

“Where would you stay?”

“In a field station, or one of the ecologists who work there would put me up for the six weeks.”

“That’s good of them.”

“I’d be doing free research for them.”

“Good point.”

I pick at the foil around my burrito. “The closest is Humberhead Peatlands near Doncaster. It’s a forty-or-so-minute drive if there’s no traffic, but it would take anywhere between two and three hours by public transport. Forge Valley Woods is at least three hours away too. And the cost of making those round trips every weekend—” My shoulders sag. “I’m sorry.”

“What for?”

“Being a downer. I’m supposed to be happy and upbeat.”

“You mean peppy.”

I knock my head against his softly. “Thank you.”

“Not even you can be peppy all the time.” Jett clears his throat. “What about Spain?”

“There wouldn’t be any trips home if I went to Andalucia. The upside would be that I’d be with a group of about six others from my course.”

“It’s a popular spot.”

“Yeah.”

“Would you…rather be with friends?”

“It would be nice, but it’s not essential.” I grin. “It’s not like I’ll be alone wherever I go. I’m a people person. I’ll get along with whoever I end up working alongside.”

“I know you will.” Jett stares at his lunch for a few moments. “Could I make a suggestion?”

“Of course.”

“I have a car. I could pick you up if you wanted to come home at the weekend. Not from Spain, obviously.”

“Obviously.” I rest my cheek on his shoulder. “That’s—Wow. Thank you. I’d contribute to petrol.”