‘I said thrilled, but that was an understatement. He’s elated!’
Jack undid the lock then opened the gate, and Gabe came rushing out. He leapt at Eve and his paws landed on her shoulders. She staggered with the impact but Jack supported her as Gabe proceeded to lick her chin, her cheeks and her forehead, giving her a thorough wash. ‘Gabe! You’re tickling me!’ she laughed.
‘Let’s take him to the assessment room. We can sit with him while we talk.’
The three of them went to the end of the stable block and entered the small homely room.
Eve sat in the middle of one of the sofas and Gabe immediately jumped up next to her. He circled, then landed at the end where he’d sat before.
‘He knows his place,’ Jack said, grinning.
Gabe let out a long grunt of contentment and Eve giggled. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever heard a better noise than the greyhound grunt.’
‘It’s pretty cool, huh?’
Jack squashed onto the other end of the sofa then wriggled around to face Eve. ‘So, about those messages you left me.’
Eve winced. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘Don’t be. Unless you didn’t mean what you said, of course.’
‘Jack … don’t take this the wrong way, but I was a bit drunk.’
He nodded. ‘I guessed that. But don’t they say that your true self emerges then, when you let your guard down?’
‘I guess so.’
‘Eve, the things you said. They got to me. Here.’ He placed a hand over his heart. ‘You know, after my wife left, I swore that I’d never take a risk again; that I’d never fall for another woman. I was doing really well … until you came along. I’m afraid to say the L word, yet I can’t really describe how I feel without using it. This isn’t some passing fancy or foolish crush. It’s physical, I can’t deny that, but it’s also so much more. For me, anyway.’
‘Oh God … did I say the L word?’
He laughed. ‘Kind of … in a roundabout way. It was the things you told me about never feeling this way before and never feeling this way again that got to me. You said that you feared not seeing me again, that the idea of going back to your old life terrified you and that you wished you knew how I felt about you.’
The way he was gazing at her made Eve tingle all over.
‘So … do you want to know how I feel?’
Eve reached out and ran her hand gently over Gabe’s head, stroking him from ear to ear then back again. He smacked his lips and she smiled as his long tongue lolled out of the corner of his mouth.
‘Yes, Jack, I want to know.’
‘Before you came to Conwenna, I’d heard things about you from Mary and I was expecting a stuck-up, snooty, arrogant person. Not that Mary ever said a bad word about you, mind, but I read between the lines. I was already annoyed at you for the way you neglected your aunt when I’d spent most of my adulthood wishing for someone like Mary in my life.’
‘I’ve apologized to Aunt Mary. How I treated her was wrong.’
‘But she’s so happy now, I think she’s forgiven you everything. Not that she’d ever have held it against you.’
‘I’m lucky.’
He smiled. ‘When you arrived, I wanted to dislike you, but you made it so hard. With your cute haircut and your big green eyes; that air of innocence and vulnerability you try to hide but that emerges when you’re unaware of it. Your beautiful smile, the way you treat animals, your kindness and your fabulous mind. I couldn’t stay mad at you, Eve. Most of all, the thing about you that affected me was your heart. I love the way you care about others, the way you feel guilty over everything, because let’s face it, not everything can possibly be your fault yet you’re willing to accept responsibility for it. I love the way you feel in my arms and how your head feels pressed against my chest. I’m overwhelmed by you, Eve, and the thought of never seeing you again when you left Conwenna nearly broke me. I tried to forget you, to carry on with other things, but the hope that you’d return – as you said you would – never left me. I couldn’t let go of it because I would have gone mad.’ He laughed. ‘I’m serious.’ He rubbed a hand through his hair then down over his face. ‘Tell me I’m an idiot.’
Eve shook her head. ‘I can’t, because you’re not. There’s so much I love about you too, Jack.’
‘But there’s so much we don’t know about each other. What if we’re wrong?’
‘Are you afraid of that?’
‘Yes, I’m terrified, but the alternative, the thought of a future where I don’t have you, is unbearable.’
‘Same here,’ she whispered. ‘Which is why … I’ve handed in my notice. I’m not going back to Bristol.’
He closed his eyes for a moment and she watched his Adam’s apple bob. When he finally spoke, his voice was clogged with emotion.
‘Eve?’
‘Yes?’
‘I would kiss you, but there’s a greyhound watching me.’
They started to giggle, and Eve felt happier than she had done in what felt like a lifetime.
‘Jack, I want to adopt Gabe.’
‘I’d be horrified if you didn’t. Look at him. He clearly loves you; he hasn’t taken his eyes off you.’
‘But I don’t have anywhere to live.’
Jack chewed his lip. ‘How long are you planning on staying with Mary?’
‘For a few weeks, but I’m going to look for somewhere in the village.’
‘Well let’s see how that goes, shall we?’ he said, his eyes bright.
‘Okay.’ Eve suspected she knew what he meant but decided to leave it unexplored for now. One thing at a time.
* * *
Eve’s stomach flipped as Jack let them into his cottage then locked the front door behind them. They’d spent an hour with Gabe, talking and laughing and trying to figure out how to deal with their feelings, but they’d both known what would happen when they went back to the cottage.
It was a fait accompli. There was no turning back now, and she wouldn’t want to.
As Jack took her hand and led her up the narrow staircase, the tension seeped out of her body. He stood back to let her enter his bedroom first and she quickly absorbed all the details, capturing them in her heart and mind as if to store them there forever. The furniture was old and eclectic, from the large oak wardrobe to the mirror that hung from a hook above a tall pine chest of drawers. The window overlooked the back garden, which meant that his room was adjacent to hers, with only the internal wall separating them. All the nights she’d lain in bed there, Jack had been just here. Had he been thinking of her too?
He drew the curtains then turned to her. With the late-afternoon sun glowing through the thick material, the room was warm and cosy. Homely. Safe. And right now, filled with anticipation.
Eve took a deep breath, then released it slowly, determined to stay calm, even though this was all so new and so special. She’d been with other men before Darryl, yet this felt like her first time. Was it because she loved Jack? Was this how it felt when you made love to someone you really, truly loved?
‘Eve?’ Jack’s voice was soft and low. ‘I’m … nervous.’
She took his hands and gazed into his dark eyes. He cupped her face, sending shivers of delight through her entire body, and ran his thumbs over her cheeks.
‘I’m nervous too. But this feels so right.’
‘This is right. I want you, Eve.’
‘And I want you, Jack.’
When he lowered his head and covered her mouth with his, Eve slid her hands around his neck to pull him even closer. She could feel his heart thudding against her chest and his burgeoning desire, which made her own passion even more intense.
When he gently released her, she knew why.
She stepped back and lifted her T-shirt over her head, then slipped out of her jeans. The hunger in Jack’s gaze made her bold, so she helped him out of his clothes too. As she slowly revealed his body, love rushed through her. He was beautiful, from his muscular chest and arm
s to his toned stomach to his strong, shapely thighs. She lowered to her knees to help him step out of his jeans, then touched his scars and kissed every inch of damaged skin, needing him to know that she loved every part of him; to understand that she saw him as a warrior, a survivor and a whole man. They both had scars, inside and out, but those scars were what made them who they were and what made them perfect for each other.
When they were both finally naked, bared to each other, body, heart and mind, Jack scooped her up and carried her to the bed, laying her down on his cool white cotton sheets.
Then he lay down beside her and stroked her entire body, from the tips of her toes to the top of her head, following each caress with a kiss that sealed the bond between them. All of Eve’s doubts and fears drifted away and she accepted that this was how it should be. Every one of her nerve endings stirred and tingled, as if being woken after a long time asleep, and the protective cage that had been around her heart for as long as she could remember finally opened and set her free.
Then Jack covered her body with his, and showed her how it felt to be loved.
* * *
The next day, Eve and Jack tried to act nonchalantly around each other as they helped Mary to make lunch. Edward ate with them, cracking jokes about the news and the weather and appearing oblivious to the change in the atmosphere.
Because something most certainly had changed, and Eve was amazed that her aunt and Edward didn’t remark upon it. How could they not see it, feel it, know it? Or were they being too polite to mention the tension that crackled in the air and the intensity of the glances that passed between Eve and Jack.
She was struggling to fight the distraction that Jack represented. She spilled water everywhere when she tried to pour it into his glass. She dropped a spoon and it clattered on the tiled floor, making her jump. She tripped over one of the cats as it wound around her legs asking for some of the salmon she was dressing.
Her mind was not on her tasks. Her mind was elsewhere.
Her body still ached deliciously after their passionate night and her skin tingled where he’d kissed and caressed her. It was so hard not to take his hand, and to avoid kissing the back of his neck between his T-shirt and his hairline, where she knew he smelt of citrus and ginger. She wanted to dance around the kitchen, to sing as they did in Disney films, to fling her arms wide and proclaim her feelings for this man.
Now that her heart had been freed, she just wanted to be alone with him to continue to explore him and to be as close as they could be. She never wanted this feeling of elation to end.
She had sneaked back into Mary’s around eleven the previous night. It was ridiculous really, but she wanted to keep things as normal as possible until she’d had time to adjust to their circumstances herself. Jack had agreed with her, although he’d also told her that he didn’t want to spend another night away from her. Eve had reassured him that she was just the other side of the wall and that she would be thinking of him all night.
After lunch, Jack went up to the farm and Eve took the dogs for a walk along the beach, needing some time to clear her head. So much had happened in the space of a few weeks, yet she felt freer than she had done in months. Everything looked different now, clearer, sharper, more in focus, as if she’d been underwater or behind a screen, and now she was seeing it all properly for the first time.
After she’d walked the dogs up and down a few times, she went along the main street to pick up some groceries that Mary wanted for the next day. Eve was looking forward to attending the village fair with Jack; it would be their first official outing as a couple. She had agreed to help out with the dogs for some of the events, and to support Mary in the cake-off, although she had no idea what her aunt planned to make in the annual culinary competition. Still, it was all in the name of fun, and all proceeds would go to the dog sanctuary, so whatever the fair brought, Eve intended to enjoy it.
Chapter 25
The morning was bright and breezy, and although the weather forecast had predicted showers, the clouds were currently being swept along so quickly that Eve hoped the rain would hold off. It was typical that after weeks of fine weather, it seemed possible that it might change on the day of the Conwenna fair.
‘I really hope it doesn’t rain,’ she said to Mary as they unloaded her car boot. It was full of cakes, ingredients, cake tins and mixing bowls, as well as other items including a picnic blanket and several pairs of wellies.
Mary raised her head and sniffed the air. ‘It will stay fine … at least until after five.’
Eve took a deep breath, trying to work out what it was that her aunt could smell, but apart from salt, manure and the freshly cut grass of the field, she couldn’t smell anything else.
‘How’d you know that?’ she asked Mary. ‘What can you smell?’
‘Oh nothing really, apart from cow poo, but the farmers’ forecast on the radio said so this morning.’
Eve smiled. ‘So that’s your secret, eh?’
‘Goodness me, how are we going to get all this across to the tents?’ Mary asked as she eyed the pile behind the car.
‘I’ll do a few trips. You stay here and I’ll go back and forth.’
‘Okay, dear, but be careful not to drop anything.’
Eve picked up several bowls and a bag containing wooden spoons and a weighing scales, then set off towards the largest tent, which had a sign hanging from the opening that said Conwenna Cake-Off. She ducked slightly to enter the tent and looked around. There were six long counters that reminded her of painting tables, each with a portable gas oven and a fridge at the end of it. The scene was not unlike that featured in several popular TV shows. She was glad that she herself wouldn’t be under any pressure, and that her experienced aunt would be the one taking part in the baking competition.
After several trips between the car and the tent, Eve returned to find Mary chatting to some of the locals. She stood next to her aunt and smiled as they nodded at her in silent greeting. Mary was in full flow, telling them all about her wedding, and Eve’s heart swelled with love and pride as her aunt spoke about the service they’d planned and about how they didn’t want wedding gifts but instead were going to ask guests to make a donation to the dog sanctuary.
When Mary had finished and the villagers wandered off, Eve gestured at the boot. ‘Do we need the wellies?’
Mary shook her head. ‘I don’t think so. Though the rain is meant to hold off, it can sometimes get boggy here, especially if the cows have been grazing in the field, but I think we’ll be okay today.’
Eve nodded. ‘It’s starting to get busy.’
They looked around at the field cordoned off for parking and Mary smiled. ‘Yes, our fairs are quite popular. There’ll be visitors from surrounding towns and villages, as well as tourists. The dog show is a particular favourite, as is the cake-off.’
She adjusted the lavender silk scarf around her neck and buttoned her cardigan. ‘It’s a bit cooler than I’d have liked, and perhaps I should have worn shoes rather than sandals, but I do like to make an effort for these events.’
Eve glanced down at her aunt’s footwear: a pair of strappy silver sandals with a thin heel. Perhaps not the best choice of shoe for walking across a field. Eve herself had walking sandals on with jeans and an emerald-green blouse with capped sleeves. Practical yet pretty, she hoped. Pretty enough for Jack? Heat flooded her as memories of the previous night rushed in. Since her return to Conwenna, they’d been virtually inseparable.
‘Eve, are you blushing?’ Mary asked.
‘No … no!’ Eve shook her head. ‘I just felt a bit warm.’
‘Best take your cardie, though, as it can get nippy when you’re standing still.’
Eve grabbed her black cardigan from the driver’s seat then locked the car.
‘Come on, let’s head on over to where they’ll hold the dog show.’
They approached the area of the field where a square had been marked out with temporary fencing. The rails were dec
orated with ribbons and balloons in different colours that danced and waved in the breeze, and there was a speaker system set up on a trailer next to a table. People were already milling around the arena; some were getting their dogs accustomed to the route that they’d have to follow when they were shown, and a few children ran around excitedly, trailing balloons behind them as they played with new friends.
It looked to be a proper family day out and Eve’s tummy fizzed with anticipation. She could be a part of this every year if she settled in Conwenna; it could be something that she looked forward to and that one day she’d bring her own family to. She shivered. Could she ever hope to achieve that? Did she deserve to feel that form of domestic contentment?
‘Aargh!’
She turned to see her aunt flat on her face on the grass.
‘Aunt Mary!’ She dropped to her knees and placed a hand on the older woman’s back. ‘Are you all right?’
Mary lifted her head and spat out a tuft of grass. ‘I think so. I don’t know what happened. One minute I was walking next to you, then …’ She gestured at the ground.
‘Can you get up?’ Eve asked. She helped her aunt to a sitting position then checked her over.
‘I think I’m okay,’ Mary said. ‘Just a bit shaken.’ She pushed her skirt over her knees, then winced. ‘Ouch.’
‘What is it?’ Eve gently took her left hand.
‘My wrist. Oooh!’ Mary gasped as Eve carefully examined her.
‘I don’t think it’s broken, but it could be sprained.’
‘Oh no!’ Mary rolled her eyes. ‘What about the cake-off? Me and my damned vanity.’
‘Aunt Mary, you’re the least vain person I know.’
Summer at Conwenna Cove Page 25