by T A Williams
‘Pretty much. Poor old Paul. So he’s feeling a bit sorry for himself now, is he?’
‘I think he’s feeling a bit annoyed, to be honest. He set off up the hill on his bike like a steam train… if a bike can be like a steam train. I hope he doesn’t give himself a heart attack.’
Just then the pizza arrived and it was enormous. They had asked for it to be cut into slices and they helped themselves eagerly, eating it with their hands. It was fresh, hot, thin-based and excellent. As they ate, Sarah told Polly about the text message she had received from James and how it had annoyed her. Polly was intrigued.
‘So, do you think he was trying to tell you he still loves you? How do you feel about that?’
Sarah shook her head decisively. She set down her fork and looked across the table. ‘It’s over, Pol. No question. I’m fed up of being under his thumb. Even now, after dumping me, he’s trying to creep back into my affections and I’m not having it.’ As she spoke, she realised it felt good to be standing up to miserable, selfish, controlling James for a change.
Polly nodded. ‘You know you’re better off without him. Now you can start living life to the full yourself. Why not let your hair down and fool around with a whole bunch of men just to spite him?’
‘Become a tart, you mean?’
Polly shook her head. ‘I’d better qualify that. I shouldn’t have said a whole bunch of men. I just meant that you could maybe play the field a bit, see how other men match up to James.’ She grinned. ‘After all, Sarah, there are a few real hunks on this bike ride, like a certain tall, handsome chap whose name begins with an “M”, for instance?’
Sarah did her best not to blush as she shook her head, deciding this was a good moment to divert the attention away from herself.
‘Talking of hunks, there’s always Dan, with his poor, sore knee, for example?’ She couldn’t miss the colour that rushed to Polly’s cheeks. ‘He managed the climb up here today without any trouble.’
‘Er, yes, he seems to have recovered well.’
Sarah didn’t torment her friend any further, but filed away in her brain the confirmation that Polly rather liked the quiet American.
***
Sarah spent an hour walking round the old town, enjoying the meticulously preserved medieval feel of the place. She even summoned the courage to climb up onto the old stone walls that circled the very top, but the old familiar feeling of vertigo assailed her as she peered out from the battlements. She had always been afraid of heights and, as her eyes looked out into the void, down to the rocky slopes far below, she took a hasty step backwards and rested her shoulder against the comfortingly solid rock walls until she regained her balance. After a while, she felt well enough to walk round a bit further until she found a spot well away from the edge, from where she could see all the way out across the surrounding countryside to the east, as far as the sea in the distance. It was a stunning view, the yellow of the fields interspersed with the darker green of trees creating a patchwork effect that finally disintegrated into the hazy blue line that marked the sea. Beyond that was a sinister grey layer of what was in all probability pollution and, above that, the lighter blue of the now completely cloudless sky. Above her, off to her left, was the castle, sitting on the very top of the mountain, a winding path along the battlements leading up towards it.
She decided to have a try at the path, but had to give up halfway, her head spinning, and she sat down gratefully on a bench. She was still trying to recover her equilibrium when she heard a familiar voice.
‘Hi, Sarah, you all right?’ It was Miles and he sounded concerned.
‘Oh, hi, Miles. I’m afraid I was just feeling a bit giddy. I’ve got no head for heights at all, I’m afraid, and I made the mistake of looking over the edge.’
He sat down on the bench beside her, still looking and sounding concerned. ‘Are you sure? It’s not some kind of delayed reaction to the big climb today?’
‘No, Miles, I’m sure it’s nothing like that. I came up the hill so slowly, after all.’ A thought occurred to her. ‘What about Paul? Did he get in safe and well?’
Miles nodded. ‘Yes, I saw him arrive just as I was going out for lunch.’ Sarah wondered just when the two brothers would make peace with one another. ‘I’m sorry I lost my temper with him this morning in front of you.’
‘You’re sorry you lost your temper, or you’re sorry you did it in front of me?’
‘Both.’ She raised her head and saw him looking at her, the cobalt eyes as hypnotic as ever. ‘Paul just drives me crazy.’ He shook his head and sighed. ‘He’s really bright, much brighter than me, I’m sure. He passed out top of his class at Harvard, and that takes some doing. The trouble is, everything’s just a joke to him. What he doesn’t seem capable of realising is that he’s got responsibilities now. I told you he’s supposed to be taking over the US operation from me? It’s a really tough market over there and I’ve been working my butt off for the past few years. If he goes in there with his lackadaisical attitude, he won’t last long, and if he goes down, Hall’s Tours USA goes down with him, and maybe Hall’s UK as well.’ Miles ran his fingers through his hair in frustration and Sarah couldn’t help noticing the muscles in his arms ripple as he did so. She hastily returned her attention to what he had been saying and added her own observation.
‘Passing out top of the class at Harvard doesn’t sound too lackadaisical to me. Clearly, when he wants to, he can turn it on.’ She caught Miles’s eye. ‘Maybe he’s just doing it to wind you up?’
‘What, you mean he deliberately forgot his passport?’
‘Well… no. I must admit that was a bit daft.’ Sarah nodded her head. ‘But we all make mistakes, Miles.’
‘You don’t make mistakes, Sarah. I was just telling Paul the other day that he should be more like you.’
Sarah was suddenly reminded of James. He had to be her biggest mistake ever. She shook her head ruefully. ‘I’m not sure I’m the best role model for him to follow. Some of my choices have been pretty poor.’ She saw interest in Miles’s eyes, but immediately changed the subject, raising her arm and pointing out towards the southwest. The view in this direction was very different. They were looking down on the red-tiled roofs of the town as it sloped more gently away to the valley below. Beyond that was another range of hills, and beyond that another and then another, gradually rising until they disappeared into the haze on the distant horizon. ‘Anyway, have you seen where we’re going tomorrow and the next few days?’
‘Looks absolutely great, doesn’t it?’ He grinned at her. ‘A bit hilly, but after today’s climb, I reckon they’ll all be up for it. As for you, Sarah, I still haven’t got over the way you suddenly accelerated up the hill when you thought Mike and Dan had a problem. You left me for dead. It’s all in the legs.’
Sarah had a shrewd idea that he could easily have followed her as she sprinted up the hill, but she accepted the compliment anyway. She then made the mistake of glancing down at his strong, hard, muscular legs and almost felt another attack of giddiness coming on again. She reached down with her hands to steady herself and only increased her discomfort as one hand landed on his warm, hairy thigh. She whipped it away instantly and heard his voice.
‘Are you sure you’re okay, Sarah?’ The note of concern was back again.
She took a deep breath and did her best to concentrate on the distant view ahead of her, rather than the man beside her. ‘I’m fine, thanks, Miles. Just fine.’ Fortunately, at that moment, Chuck and Mike appeared and prevented her from having to delve any deeper into her already confused emotions.
Chapter 7
‘Is it all going to be downhill today?’ Jo, Glynis and Naomi were looking far less apprehensive than the previous day.
Gianluca answered with a straight face. ‘Absolutely – apart from the uphill bits.’
It didn’t seem to matter. As Sarah looked round the group, she saw only positive expressions. Making it up to San Marino had been a massive boost to everybody’s conf
idence. The weather was still amazing, the hotel had been fine and, unusually for Italy, breakfast this morning had included bacon and eggs for those that wanted them.
The route did indeed start off downhill, but that didn’t last long and they soon found themselves in the jumble of hills and valleys making up this part of the foothills of the Apennines. There were steep descents, followed by equally steep climbs, none anything like as long as the previous day, but hard enough to reduce most of the riders to puffed silence. Although the distance to be covered to Urbino was little more than fifty kilometres as the crow flies, Gianluca and Polly had come up with a wiggly route, taking in as much of the beautiful countryside as possible, and that extended the day quite considerably.
The scenery was delightful. Green fields were carpeted in places with bright red patches of poppies, copses of trees dotted the hilltops, and lonely farms and cottages were tucked into the folds of the landscape. They passed through gorgeous little villages of stone houses with faded, pink-tiled roofs, clustered around medieval churches. From time to time, they came upon old castles and villas, some little more than ruins, others fully restored into highly desirable residences with electric gates and Beware of the Dog signs. It was a truly beautiful ride along twisty, narrow and very quiet roads.
Inevitably, as she brought up the rear of the group, minding her own business and enjoying the spectacle, Sarah’s mind began to roam. After her few minutes with Miles on the castle walls of San Marino, they hadn’t had any more time alone the previous day and she wasn’t sure whether she was relieved or disappointed. For her part, there was no getting away from the fact that she found him very appealing, both physically and as a person. As for him, it was impossible to judge just what he thought. He still could have his grumpy moments, like his attitude towards his brother, but he had also demonstrated a very caring side to his nature, clearly concerned for her well-being and happiness. At the same time, she told herself, he had exhibited exactly this same caring side in getting Gianluca to talk about his problems. A sympathetic air didn’t necessarily signify any special feelings towards her. So, she wondered to herself, were her feelings towards him deepening and, if so, how did he feel about her?
The road began to drop down into a wooded valley and she pulled hard on the brakes, happy to carry on a moderate pace, lost in her thoughts. The rest of the group in front of her sped off downhill and soon disappeared from sight, but she knew she would easily catch up with them again on the next climb. Briefly, she found herself thinking of James. She had finally replied to his text last night, just keeping it short. Leave me alone, James. She didn’t sign it and she most certainly didn’t insert a pesky little X.
So, what about her now? She was thirty, pretty much in her prime, and fate had suddenly thrown her a blank canvas on which to paint the next stage of her life. She had started out believing men were very definitely off her agenda, but now she found herself having to come to terms with just why it should be that her future boss should be having such an unexpected effect on her, not least as he exhibited no special interest in her. Yes, he was a very good-looking man, but so was James, and look where that had got her. Relegating any further consideration of Miles to the back of her mind, she reflected on her job. Should she, maybe, really give up her desk job and return to what Melissa referred to as the sharp end of the travel business? She knew she was good at organising events and shepherding people and, apart from the whole James thing hanging over her, she had enjoyed the last few days out on the open road. A lot. Like she had said to Miles, maybe it was time for a change.
Her thoughts were interrupted as she reached the bottom of the hill and found Jo and Naomi waiting there, looking flustered. ‘Sarah, it’s Glynis. We’ve lost her.’
Sarah jumped back into tour leader mode. ‘Oh, blast. When’s the last time you saw her?’
‘She was a hundred yards or so behind us coming down that last long descent and when we reached the bottom she’d disappeared.’
Sarah reached for her phone and called Gianluca to stop the group while Glynis’s whereabouts were investigated. As she was doing so, Miles came back to see what was going on. She pulled her map out of her back pocket and checked the way they had just come, aware that Miles had come across to peer at the map over her shoulder. He was so close that his bare arm touched hers and she felt that same tingling sensation she had noted before. Doing her best to relegate the possible significance of this to the back of her mind, she concentrated on where they were now and just how Glynis might have managed to get separated from the group. She vaguely remembered a side turning about halfway down the hill and decided to go back that way, in case this might be where Glynis had gone. Beside her, Miles had just come to the same conclusion.
‘There was a bend in the road as we came down the steepest part, with a minor road going off to the left, bang on the apex. I bet that’s where she went.’ He pointed to the same road Sarah had spotted. ‘If you guys hang on here, I’ll go back and check if you like.’
At that moment Paul appeared and Sarah made a decision. ‘Paul, would you accompany these guys to where Gianluca’s waiting while Miles and I go and look for Glynis? Then you all head on a couple of kilometres to the next village, Castel San Something, find a café and wait for us there.’ She saw him nod. ‘And could you call Polly, please? We might need her to go and fetch Glynis with the van.’
She turned round and set off back up the hill again, accompanied by Miles. It was late morning by now and the sun was high in the sky, the temperature soaring. As they climbed, she glanced across at him. He had taken off his sunglasses and tucked them into the neck of his shirt and his whole face was revealed in profile – and it was a very handsome profile. The dark rings below the eyes had now gone and he looked fit and happy. He must have sensed her eyes on him as he suddenly turned towards her. The cobalt eyes met hers and held them for a few seconds.
‘You know what I’ve been thinking, Sarah?’
‘How bloody steep this hill is? What a wonderful thing the force of gravity is? How you wish we’d got motors on these things?’ She grinned at him and saw those amazing eyes twinkle in response.
‘Apart from all that, I’ve just been thinking what an idyllic day this is. I love the countryside, the scenery, the weather, the cycling and the company.’ He gave her a wink. ‘By company, I’m talking about you, Sarah.’ She felt herself blush. ‘It’s been a long time since I’ve felt so comfortable with somebody as I do with you. You know that’s a thing when you can just walk, or in this case ride, alongside somebody for a good while without talking, without feeling the need for words, but knowing you are somehow communicating all the same.’ He hesitated, as if unsure where this was leading. ‘Like I say, I enjoy your company.’
‘And I enjoy yours, Miles.’ And she did. ‘And I’m really pleased to see you looking more and more relaxed. This bike ride’s doing us both good. I can feel it.’ For a moment she thought about going further and telling him how close she felt she was getting to him but two things stopped her: that nagging fear that she was on the rebound after James and likely to make some awful mistake, and, of course, the fact that he was her boss.
Just then, they came to the curve in the road, both of them sweating profusely. As Sarah stopped to consult the map again, Miles gave her a grin. ‘You certainly weren’t hanging about, coming up that climb, Sarah. It was all I could do to stay with you.’
She noticed he didn’t sound particularly puffed, and wondered whether what he said was true, but she had other things on her mind. ‘Well, here’s the side turning. I can’t see any other possibility, so shall we…?’
Together, they turned off and immediately found themselves swooping back downhill. The incline was even steeper here and Sarah found herself having to lean on the brakes to check her speed. It was very exhilarating, as was the sight of Miles right in front of her, the V-shaped muscles in his back flexing as he threw his bike into the corners. But then, little more than a minute later,
they reached the bottom of the hill and found a forlorn-looking Glynis, sitting on the stone parapet of an ancient, hump-backed bridge over a river, fiddling with her phone. When she saw them, she straightened up, her expression a mixture of relief and embarrassment.
‘Hi, Sarah. Hi, Miles. I’m very sorry. I must have taken a wrong turn.’ She sounded as if she was about to start crying so Sarah hastened to calm her fears.
‘It’s all right, Glynis, we worked out that you’d be here.’ Secretly, Sarah was delighted her guess had been right. It wouldn’t have looked good if she had lost one of her charges. ‘Let me take another look at the map. You never know, there may be a way of getting back to the others without having to climb back up the steep slope.’ Out of the corner of her eye, Sarah saw Miles get off his bike and lean it against the wall. He came across to where she and Glynis were standing and stretched out his hand.
‘You look as though you could do with one of these; a bit of energy.’ To Sarah’s surprise she saw that he was holding a packet of jelly babies. She hadn’t seen these since she was a little girl. She helped herself to a yellow one and turned her attention to the map, where she was pleased to find a wiggly little road running alongside the river that should hopefully take them back to the others. She chewed her sweet, took a big swig of water and gave the others the good news.
‘No need to climb back up there. Follow me across the bridge and, if this map’s right, there’s a road running alongside the river.’ Leading the other two over the amazingly narrow bridge, its sides scarred by scrapes and scratches where vehicles had misjudged the width, she was delighted to find the turning just where it was marked on the map. She turned towards Glynis. ‘Straight along here for a couple of kilometres and then we should get to the village where we meet the others for a coffee break.’ She slowed, allowing Glynis to overtake her and head off along the road. As she started pedalling lazily behind her, she saw Miles come up alongside her.