Did he read her mind?’
‘What? Is the dress okay?’Maddy smoothed down her dress, giving herself a final once over. Didn’t the dress suit her? Was it too much?
‘More than OK. You look … great.’
***
Like the perfect gentleman, Harry opened the passenger door of his pickup for Maddy. His mother used to say chivalry went a long way. He’d watched Maddy’s petite figure climb up into the seat in as ladylike a manner as she could and at that moment he wished he owned a car. Once in, she tucked the light-olive floral summer dress around her slim legs. The dress complemented her creamy skin tone and hair colouring. She looked stunning. But he had been too afraid to tell her this. All he could say was great. At least it wasn’t as bad as nice or fine.
Harry walked around the other side of the vehicle and slid into the driver’s seat. Maddy clutched her small handbag on her lap. He smiled at her hoping it would take away some of the anxiety between them. Why were they both nervous? Just two friends having dinner, wasn’t it?
No, it’s more than that.
It had been a long time since Harry had wined and dined a woman. Was he ready for this? Harry hadn’t bumped into Roy Trewyn in Padstow – he’d deliberately called in at the restaurant after he’d finished a couple of regular jobs he had in the town. A couple of holiday homes needing their lawns mowed and flowerbeds tidied and watered weekly. He had wanted to talk money with regards to the cottage because he still wasn’t seeing any from Simon.
‘Ah, so you’re my landscaper?’ Roy had shaken Harry’s hand warmly. Harry had expected some animosity, but Roy was very apologetic. Harry aired his grievances to the older man, who nodded and listened.
‘It’s my fault, I took on the house, but didn’t realise I needed to pour so much money into the restaurant. We were retired, you see, we’d sold up and gone travelling, but my wife wanted to open another restaurant.’ Roy had rolled his eyes, but the gesture was meant endearingly towards his wife. ‘With our history, I was dubious about going with Simon’s firm, but they came in with the best quote for the job.’
‘You know him?’
‘Yes, he was seeing my youngest daughter – a long time ago now, although he broke her heart. I thought we could keep this professional – which we have. But I still don’t completely trust him. It’s why I asked Maddy to live at the house.’
Harry had wanted to reply that Roy could have asked him to do that, rather than let Maddy live on a building site, but kept silent.
‘I was unaware you were having problems with Simon and required more money up front, so from now on please deal directly with me.’ Harry and Roy had shaken hands again as they parted and, feeling happier about his new client, Harry had been the one to ask about table availability – although he wasn’t going to tell Maddy this piece of information. Roy had been only too happy to oblige and had made room for them as long as they could come early.
Harry enjoyed Maddy’s company, and since she’d moved out to the cottage, he even missed it. He knew Simon was interested in Maddy as he would drop hints to Harry about how he felt about her, trying to get a rise out of him. He’d boasted about finding Maddy a proper bed, hinting that the mattress needed testing. He’d even bragged about saving Maddy from a guy called Connor in the gallery a few days ago. Something Maddy hadn’t mentioned and he’d wait to see if she would. Going to see Roy had given him the perfect opportunity to take Maddy out for an evening, maybe get to know each other better, make his feelings known.
They caught the water taxi at Rock. Due to her heels, Harry offered to carry Maddy over the small bit of beach they had to walk on.
‘No thank you, I know your kind of carry,’ Maddy said, with a giggle, and slipped off her shoes, rubbing the sand off her feet once she was on the boat.
The short ferry crossing from Rock to Padstow was calm; the sun warm on their faces even with the breeze off the sea. They had a short walk from the harbour to the restaurant which was tucked away in one of the narrow backstreets.
Roy greeted them both as they entered the restaurant, and was cheerful and accommodating. Harry clasped his hand and shook it.
‘I’ve had a word with Simon,’ Roy said to Harry, as he showed them to their table. ‘Told him I’ll manage your payments from now on.’ Harry nodded.
‘I’d like to run through my plans for the garden with you one day.’
‘Yes, we can arrange that. Maybe Maddy might have some design ideas, too?’
‘Oh, I’m not so sure,’ Maddy said, chuckling nervously. ‘Harry’s the expert when it comes to gardens.’
Harry tried to relax as he took his seat. The cottage’s garden was the least of his worries at the moment. His thoughts were distracted by Maddy and how stunning she looked. They were seated near where one of Maddy’s paintings hung – the reason they were here. Harry noticed Maddy’s delight at seeing her canvas in its place.
‘How is business going so far?’ Maddy asked Roy as he held out her chair.
‘Great, thanks, and it feels good to be doing it all over again. As I told Harry earlier, my wife, Anne, wanted to open another restaurant, even though we’d sold up a few years ago to go travelling.’ Roy shrugged, but it was clear he’d do anything to make his wife happy. Wasn’t that what love was about? All Harry wanted to do was make Maddy happy.
But he didn’t love her.
Harry tried to focus back onto what Roy was saying. He mentioned his younger daughter, Sophie, who had visited last weekend with her husband and young family – two grandsons! – and how she had loved Maddy’s paintings.
‘I might have to commission you to paint another,’ Roy said, chuckling as he handed each of them a menu. ‘And then there’s Tara, my other daughter, her restaurant is up the road – From Under The Sea. She would like one of your paintings, too.’
‘Looks like I could be busy until Christmas,’ Maddy said with a chuckle, catching Harry’s eye.
Harry perused the wine list as Roy ran through the evening’s menu. They agreed to share a bottle of Prosecco between them. Harry had already decided he’d leave his truck at Rock, and they could get a taxi home from there.
After a waiter had arrived with their Prosecco, pouring each of them a glass, then placing the bottle in an ice bucket beside the table, Harry raised his glass to Maddy. ‘Cheers. We should celebrate.’
‘Celebrate what?’ Maddy frowned.
‘That you’re not guilty of arson.’ Harry chuckled, then sipped the Prosecco.
‘Yes, that’s true. The worrying thing is, though, who did it?’
Maddy’s grim expression made Harry realise he’d made a mistake mentioning the fire. ‘Sorry, I was supposed to be cheering you up and giving us an excuse to celebrate.’
Maddy raised her glass towards him. ‘How about … to Harry, and his incredible helpfulness?’
‘Not so sure about the incredible.’
‘You’ve been my hero. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to thank you enough.’
‘To neighbours, then,’ Harry said, clinking his glass against Maddy’s.
‘Yes, to neighbours.’
***
‘No more Prosecco for me.’ Maddy shook her head. She had a little left in her glass, but Harry had finished his.
‘Yes, we’ve both got work in the morning.’ Harry closed the drinks menu. However much she fancied a second bottle of Prosecco, after the other week’s incident with the red wine, Maddy was determined to be on better behaviour and be able to remember the night’s events. The food had been delicious. Sunday evening had been a set three-course dinner menu. Fine dining meant perfectly presented small portions, delicately served up on the plate, and eating all three delectable courses had left her full and content. She’d eaten more than enough but didn’t feel bloated as if she’d eaten too much.
‘Although you are a lightweight,’ Harry said, teasing her.
‘I think I’ll save room for the coffee, thanks,’ Maddy said. ‘Plus, you’re bigger
than me. You can handle more alcohol. You have more body mass to soak it up.’
‘Are you saying I’m fat?’
Maddy laughed at Harry’s surprised expression. ‘You are far from fat! But you’re a good foot taller, and you do have a lot more muscle than me.’ She pumped her arm to show her bicep and Harry leaned over and gave it a squeeze. ‘See?’
‘Okay, point taken.’ Harry let her grip his bicep – hard and firm underneath his light blue shirt. He was even wearing a tie. And she had checked out his bum earlier – it was hard not to. Seriously, this man scrubbed up well. Not that he didn’t look hot in shorts and a T-shirt … But it was good to know he wasn’t afraid to wear a tie. Why was it good to know that? Stop looking at him as future dating material. Maddy knew what lay beneath his shirt. Solid, honed flesh, and all tanned. She’d seen enough of it when he’d returned home from work each evening, or even when working at the cottage, stripping off his T-shirt.
They had laughed, joked and teased the whole night, slowly finding out more about one another. Well, Maddy had done most of the talking, Harry seemed content to listen and ask her questions, so that she couldn’t ask him anything. He’d divulged some childhood stories, and a few anecdotes about firefighter antics, but he’d pretty much kept the focus on Maddy throughout the evening. Men weren’t so open at the best of times, compared to most women. But would Harry eventually open up to her? It was too early to think these things. Why did she always steamroller ahead in her mind? ‘Take each day as it comes and worry less,’ Valerie’s advice floated to the forefront of her mind. Val would always say, ‘You young-uns will look back and realise your mistakes. I know I did.’ Besides, it wasn’t as if she and Harry were an item … Was this even a date?
‘I tell you what, as the night is still young, shall we check out the nightlife in Padstow?’ Harry said.
‘On a Sunday?’ Maddy scoffed.
‘Okay, so it may not be rocking …’ Harry rolled his eyes. ‘But we could take a look.’
‘Coffee first, though. I need the caffeine to keep me awake.’
‘The sea air will wake you up when you get outside.’ But Harry summoned the waiter and ordered the coffees.
When the bill arrived, Maddy hadn’t quite finished her coffee. Harry snatched away the little black wallet and inserted his credit card inside before Maddy could take a look. ‘My treat,’ he said to Maddy, who was about to argue.
She frowned. ‘Are you sure? I was supposed to be treating you, as you drove me over here to drop off the paintings.’
‘Yeah, but it was my idea to go out tonight.’
After saying brief goodbyes to Roy, who was rushed off his feet, and to his wife Anne, who’d come out of the kitchen to see them, Maddy and Harry took the short walk through the quaint narrow streets towards the harbour. Harry wanted to check out the night sky.
Harry turned and looked over the harbour, back towards the town. ‘I love watching the sun set.’
Maddy loved this time of year with its long evenings. It was nearly nine o’clock, and the sky was suffused with a slight pinkish-red glow where the sun was setting. The rigging and sails of the boats in the harbour gently creaked in the breeze. The sound was soothing. As they leaned against the wall and looked across the Camel Estuary towards Rock, the sea breeze picked up and Maddy shivered, rubbing the goosebumps on her arms. ‘I think I should have brought a thicker cardigan.’ She hadn’t even thought about later in the evening and how chilly it could get once the sun had lost its power. She’d brought nothing apart from a cream bolero, purchased with the dress, which was made of light cotton material and only covered the tops of her arms. It didn’t quite do the job of keeping her warm.
Harry moved closer, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, cocooning her. ‘Better?’
‘Thanks.’ For a moment, she stiffened, then with the help of the wine in her veins, gradually relaxed into his body, savouring his warmth. He was like a radiator. He smelled fantastic, too.
‘Come on, let’s get inside a pub,’ Harry said, giving her a hug. Then, and much to Maddy’s surprise, he grabbed her hand. His hand, gently holding hers, was so much warmer than hers, sending a jolt of electric heat up her arm, and into her lungs, making her gasp.
He let go of her hand to open the pub door, and as they entered they were engulfed by the summer heat trapped inside. The pub was busy, busier than expected for a Sunday night, and as they eased through the crowd towards the bar, Maddy could feel contact with Harry again, the tender gesture of his hand at the small of her back. Protective, reassuring, sending a tingle up her spine. Maybe the Prosecco had gone to her head — should she be feeling like this? About Harry?
Once they’d got their drinks, they found a corner to huddle in, forced to stand close to one another. There were no tables free to sit at, but Maddy didn’t mind being this close to Harry. It didn’t feel uncomfortable with him standing within her personal space. There was nothing invading about this man.
‘So why’s a good-looking guy like you single?’ The vodka helped Maddy start this conversation. Definitely the vodka.
‘I could ask the same about you.’
‘You could, but I’m not a guy.’ She raised her eyebrows.
‘But you’re good-looking.’
‘You find me attractive, huh?’ Maddy chewed her bottom lip.
‘I do.’ Harry lowered his head, his eyes not leaving hers.
Maddy placed her hand on his chest to stop him coming closer, which was hard as her heart pounded under her breastbone with the thrill of him being so close. ‘But you’re doing it again, avoiding the question. Come on, tell me, how long have you been single?’
‘I haven’t been with anyone since my last girlfriend, Karin. I’ve had a lot to work through.’ Harry lifted his head and took a sip of his drink, not meeting Maddy’s gaze.
‘Did she end the relationship then?’ Maddy still had her hand on his chest, toying with a button. He’d removed his tie upon entering the pub, and had the top couple of buttons undone, revealing a glimpse of his tanned skin.
‘Yes, you could say that.’ He closed his eyes and said, ‘Maddy, please …’
Maddy knew to stop the questions. Cornering Harry on something he wasn’t ready to tell her about was not going to work.
A couple of blokes entered the already busy pub, pushing past Maddy, and Harry reached a protective arm around her waist, pulling her in towards him, pressing her against his hard torso. So close, she could smell the hints of spice in his aftershave. As she met his gaze, Harry dipped his head and gently touched his lips to hers, kissing her.
Chapter 19
‘Sorry, I’ve been wanting to do that all night,’ Harry said, after he’d pulled out of the kiss. He hadn’t deepened it, kept it light, but he had tasted the sweetness of the orange juice on her lips from her drink. The kiss had still sent blood rushing to his groin.
‘Really?’ Maddy’s green eyes were fixed on his, her pupils large and dilated in the dim light of the pub. Her hand rested on his chest. Could she feel the rate his heart was beating? He hadn’t had an intimate relationship since Karin. He’d missed it so much. His attraction to Maddy was unstoppable. Each day he’d wanted to get nearer to her, finding himself daydreaming about her even when he was busy at work. However hard he tried, he couldn’t get her out of his head.
‘Yes, in fact, I think I will do it again.’
This time Harry deepened the kiss, his tongue in search of hers, his hand gently supporting the back of her head as he turned her round to place his back to the room, his fingers entwined in her hair. And Maddy allowed it, now shielded from the eyes in the room, pressing her body against his, and curling her arms around his neck. He wrapped both arms around her. The problem Harry warred with was he didn’t want to just kiss her, he wanted her whole body. While one hand caressed her upper back and neck, searching for her bare flesh, the other strayed down to curve around her bottom – and thankfully, there was no objection from her.
Harry let out a growl of longing into Maddy’s ear.
‘I think we should get the water taxi home.’ He mouthed the words over her lips, not wanting to separate from her.
‘I agree,’ Maddy said, kissing him back.
‘Did you want to go back to the cottage, or stay at mine tonight?’
‘I do have a double bed at the cottage.’ Maddy grabbed Harry’s hand and pulled him towards the pub’s front door.
And Simon did say something about it needing testing. But Harry kept that thought to himself.
Because the tide was low, they had to catch the ferry from a different point in Padstow, which meant going on the beach. This time, Harry lifted Maddy up into his arms, not in the fireman-carry, and carried her onto the boat, setting her down gently.
Once the water taxi started the crossing, Maddy got straight on her phone to call a taxi as Harry kept her close.’Yes, a pick up from the ferry point in Rock, please. We’ll be arriving in ten minutes.’ She ended the call and slipped the phone into her bag. With the sun down, the night air was much chillier on the short estuary crossing. She shivered, and Harry pulled her even closer, warming her up. She curled into his embrace.
It was dark now, and above them in the clear sky, stars brightened like tiny fairy lights. Harry stole another kiss, covering Maddy’s arms with his own to keep her warm.
When the ferry docked, there was a taxi waiting for them. The car journey was laborious. Warming up, they both sat in the back, holding hands, Harry’s thumb rubbing Maddy’s palm while they made light conversation with the chatty taxi driver. He was only being polite, asking about their evening, intrigued to hear their opinion about the new restaurant in Padstow, but it didn’t make the journey go any quicker for Harry, who wanted Maddy – all to himself.
At last, Harry closed the front door to the cottage and Maddy slung her bag at the bottom of the stairs and sighed as she removed her shoes. For a moment, there was an awkward silence. Did they continue what they’d started in the pub? He was out of practice at this. It had been two years since Karin. He hadn’t felt like doing anything like this with anyone in all that time. It had seemed wrong, a betrayal of her memory.
Meet Me at Wisteria Cottage Page 17