When she pulled away, he looked surprised but was smiling.
“I have an idea,” she said.
“Not another one. I think you’ve had enough good ideas for one day, don’t you?”
“How about a swim?”
Thomas looked at the water, then at Rose. “Actually, that’s an idea I can get on board with.”
A few hours later, after swimming fully clothed in the pool beneath the waterfall, Thomas and Rose sat beside one another, huddled under a blanket.
They’d changed into fresh clothes from their backpacks. Pyjamas. Which Rose found both odd and lovely at the same time. And now they were eating toasted marshmallows and watching the flames of their campfire flicker up into the air.
“Thank you for an exhilarating day,” Thomas said, nudging Rose’s arm.
Rose hung her head and tutted at herself. “I still can’t believe I was so reckless.”
“Be honest – the whole thing was planned wasn’t it? You wanted to see me leap into action and rescue you like a damsel in distress.”
“I don’t think anyone has ever called me a damsel before. But, as much as I probably shouldn’t admit it…” She wriggled closer to Thomas and tucked herself under his arm. “It was pretty nice being rescued.”
Thomas laughed, lifted a marshmallow from the fire and handed it to her. Rose took the stick it was attached to and started to pick at it, enjoying the way it was both soft and crispy at the same time.
She was still licking marshmallow goo from her fingers when Thomas abruptly stood up. Holding out his hand as if they were at a high school dance, he said, very formally, “Rose, would you care to dance?”
Rose looked around, half-expecting to see a band jump out from behind the trees. “Thomas, we don’t have any music.”
“Ah.” He raised a finger at her then went over to the tent. When he returned, he was holding a small Bluetooth speaker and his phone. “Any requests?” he asked, smiling.
“Surprise me.”
Rose got up and stood with her hands behind her back, swaying on the balls of her feet, waiting for Thomas to press play. When he did, she laughed. It was a song that used to play at the end of their school dances. A cheesy slow-dance with horrible lyrics. But when Thomas reached for her hand a second time, she took it.
Thomas twirled her into the middle of the clearing and pulled her close, wrapping both arms around her waist while she looped hers around his neck.
As they swayed together, the sun finally disappeared and the clearing darkened. Above, stars decorated the sky. Beside them, the fire flickered and crackled. And Rose felt as if she was quite possibly the happiest she’d ever been in her life.
“Thomas,” she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder.
“Rose?”
“I don’t want to go home. I don’t want this to end.”
Thomas was stroking her back. He kissed her head and whispered back, “Neither do I.”
“Maybe it doesn’t have to,” she said, softly. “Maybe we could make it work. Figure out how to tell Katie. I know long distance isn’t great but–”
Thomas stopped and leaned back so that he was looking at her. “If we want it to work, Rose. It will work.”
Rose smiled. A big, elated smile. “You really mean that?”
“I’m not going to let you slip away, Rose.” Thomas tightened his grip on her and nuzzled into her neck. “You’re too remarkable to let go of.”
22
Arriving back at the ranch late the following afternoon, after spending the morning lounging by their tent and swimming beneath the waterfall, Rose almost expected a fan fare; it felt as if they’d been gone for weeks. But no one at the stables really even noticed them. Chris said a quick, “Hi,” as he crossed the yard. Mike waved. And everyone else just carried on as normal.
Climbing out of Massimo’s saddle and handing him over to Allison, who offered to see to both him and Stella, Rose was struck by the sudden realisation that this could be the last time she actually rode. Until she returned, of course.
“Will there be time to ride tomorrow morning?” she asked, sliding her arm through Thomas’ as they walked up towards the ranch house.
Thomas didn’t smile, like he usually did, but swallowed hard and bit his lower lip. “What time’s your flight? I’d been trying to forget about it.”
“Mid-day.”
“It’ll be pushing it. I’ll get your cab to come at eight so we’d need to ride at six thirty. Probably just a quick turn around the paddock.”
“Sounds great.” Rose tried to look excited. But now they were back and her departure was a reality, she felt suddenly and overwhelmingly sad.
“I’ll come get you at six and we’ll walk down together.” Thomas smiled, hugging her in closer to his waist.
“Maybe this evening we can think about when I might be able to come back?” Rose asked tentatively. “I won’t have many vacation days left this year but if you came to England in a few months, I could probably make it for a weekend closer to Christmas and...” She trailed off because Thomas was chewing his lip as if he didn’t really want to talk about it.
“Let’s see how it goes, yeah? We don’t need to plan it right now, do we?”
Rose blinked hard and tried to force a smile. Last night, Thomas had talked as if they were now ‘official’. As if he couldn’t wait for her to come back. As if they’d talk every night and do video chats and tell Katie about it and it would all be fine. But now he seemed like he didn’t want to discuss it.
Sighing, because he was probably finding it hard too, Rose slipped her hand into his and asked if he fancied a swim to cool down from the ride. “You know, you never did show me the before and after photos of the pool,” she said, nudging him playfully.
“Ah, well there we go then.” Thomas brightened and smiled at her. “That’s our last night all planned out. Dinner and a slide show.”
“Perfect.”
Later, however, after they ate dinner in the hall with the others and walked slowly back towards Rose’s cabin, Thomas did not offer to show her pictures of the renovation. He didn’t even offer to stay and talk and spend just a few last, precious hours together.
“Sorry, Rose. I need to go make some calls. Things that weren’t sorted while I was gone.”
Rose was standing on her side of the wall and Thomas on the other. Her heart tugged and her stomach lurched, as if she’d just gone over the peak of a rollercoaster and was tumbling downwards. Where had the affectionate, sparkly Thomas from last night disappeared to?
“Oh. I thought...” She looked behind her at the chairs and the fire pit. “Will you come back after?”
“Probably best we get an early night. I’ll see you in the morning though, for our last ride?”
Rose flinched. He’d said ‘last’. Did this mean there wouldn’t ever be another one? Almost shaking her head, she tried to wriggle free from her paranoia. Last night, Thomas had told her she was the best thing that had ever happened to him. So, maybe he was feeling just as sad as she was and this was simply his way of processing it. Smiling gently, trying to make him see that she was feeling the same, Rose took his hand and leaned over to kiss him.
Thomas kissed her back. A slow, different kind of kiss that she didn’t quite understand. “Goodnight, Rose.”
“Goodnight.”
That night, Rose barely slept. After packing her case, she waited outside just in case Thomas changed his mind and returned. Then she texted him. Three times. But he didn’t reply.
Something was going on. She could feel it. But she had no idea what it was.
At five a.m., she decided enough was enough. Enough moping. And enough expecting Thomas to always be the one making romantic gestures. On their last morning together, she decided she would bring him coffee for a change.
So, leaving her packed bags and her hand luggage behind in the cabin, Rose ventured up to the ranch house, slipped into the dining hall and filled two takeaway cups with stro
ng black coffee.
They weren’t the jolly blue flasks that Thomas usually carried, but it was the thought that counted.
Glancing at her reflection, she smiled. Thomas would be surprised, she knew he would. And then she’d see him twinkle at her again and they would enjoy a few more blissful hours together before she had to get in the cab and leave.
Leaving through the doors to the terrace, Rose headed around to the back of the ranch house. She’d never seen inside Thomas’ living quarters but she knew the stairs to his apartment were down near the kitchen gardens.
She rounded the corner, smiling and holding her coffee cups, and then stopped dead in her tracks.
At the bottom of the steps that led up to Thomas’ rooms, two figures were embracing. Two figures she recognised.
Thomas and Fleur.
Rose stepped back into the shadow of the building. Her throat was constricting so hard that she felt she might hyperventilate.
As they broke apart, Thomas smiled. And then Fleur reached up on her tip-toes, stroked his cheek, and kissed him.
Rose almost let out a muffled cry. But, slamming her hand over her mouth and dropping the coffee to the ground, she stopped herself.
She turned, biting her lower lip and pleading with herself not to cry. Then she ran back to the front of the building.
She was on the terrace, panting and trying to slow down her thoughts, trying to think of some way - any way - that what she saw could be interpreted as something else, when a hand touched her shoulder.
She whirled around, ready to shout at Thomas, What was that?! But it wasn’t Thomas.
“Rossi?” Rose’s cheeks were flushed and her voice came out much louder than she’d intended.
Rossi smiled at her casually and in his soft Italian accent said, “Rose. Is everything all right?”
“What are you doing here?” she asked, looking behind him as if she might see Thomas and Fleur emerging sheepishly from behind the building.
“Just delivering some medicines to the stables.” Rossi frowned at her. “Are you okay, Rose?”
“Rossi, are you leaving?”
Rossi frowned some more. “I am.”
“Now?”
“I’m on my way back to my truck.”
“Can you give me a lift into town?”
“A lift?”
“I need to leave. My flight’s at midday but I want to leave now.”
Rossi’s eyes widened as if he finally understood what she was saying. “Of course. I can take you to Diamo. There’s a train that goes straight to the airport from there.”
“Thank you,” Rose smiled, nodding, finding her breath again. “Thank you. I’ll go grab my things.”
“I’ll meet you at the truck,” Rossi said, still watching her as if he knew there was something she wasn’t saying but had decided not to pry.
And so Rose ran back to her cabin, grabbed her bags, and without taking a second glance at the patio or the fire pit or the chairs where she and Thomas had talked until the early hours of the morning, she left.
23
When Rose got to the airport and through the baggage check into the departure lounge, she finally turned on her phone. Thomas had called her twenty-five times but, looking at the notifications, she felt completely numb.
As Rossi had driven her away from the ranch, it was as if everything had slowly come into focus. Katie had been right. Everything Thomas said was a lie. He’d used her and she’d fallen for it. But she wasn’t going to give him the chance to win her round. She was done.
After queueing for fifteen minutes to buy a coffee, Rose found somewhere to sit down. Rather than Thomas, all she could think about was Katie.
She’d risked their friendship for nothing.
And now she was going to have to find a way to tell her.
Quickly, before she had a chance to back out, Rose scrolled to Katie’s name and pressed ‘call’.
“Katie?”
“Rose! Where are you?”
Katie sounded worried. “I’m at the airport. Katie, there’s something I–”
“You’re at the airport? How? Katie, Thomas is worried sick – he said you just disappeared.”
“You spoke to him?”
Katie paused, then said, “Listen, Rose. Thomas told me about the two of you.”
Rose felt a lump form in her throat. “Katie,” she breathed, putting her head in her hands. “I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry. You were right. About all of it. I fell for him. I thought he liked me. I thought I was different from the other girls he’d dated. He told me I was. But then this morning I–”
“Rose – stop. Slow down.” Katie didn’t sound angry. Her voice was soft, almost as if she was smiling. “I’m not mad.”
“You’re not?”
“Don’t get me wrong. I was. When Tommy told me I was furious at the pair of you. I couldn’t believe he had gone after you and I couldn’t believe you hadn’t told me.”
Rose began to reply but Katie interrupted her.
“But then he texted me last night and explained. And now I get it.”
Rose frowned. Her brain was struggling to make sense of what Katie was saying. “Get what?”
“I get that it’s serious between you.”
Rose shook her head. “Katie, I don’t know what he said to you but–”
“Rose. I’m sorry. I’m at work and I have to go. But I’m going to send you the text he sent to me last night. Clearly something’s happened between you but, for once, I think I’m on Tommy’s side. I’ll send it now. I love you. Bye.”
Rose stared at the phone. Katie had hung up. She’d been totally fine with it and then she’d just hung up. Rose felt as if she was in some kind of twisted, parallel universe.
A few seconds later, Katie’s text pinged through. Rose opened it. It was long. Way longer than a normal text. And she almost felt as if she shouldn’t be reading it. But she needed an explanation. She needed to understand why Thomas would have bothered teling his sister about them if he wasn’t serious about it. If, the whole time, he’d been seeing Fleur behind her back. Or if he was going to be so easily swayed that he’d end up kissing someone else before Rose had even left the ranch.
So, taking a deep breath, she made herself read.
K, I know you’re mad and don’t want to talk to me. But I need to explain.
Firstly, please don’t be angry with Rose. It’s eaten her up that she hasn’t been open with you. She’s hated every second of it and I never, ever want to come between you two.
But, secondly, I promise – seriously, like, the most serious I’ve ever been about anything – that I really, really like her.
I always kind of liked her when we were kids. But, you know, we didn’t really know each other that well. And then when I saw her get out of the cab with you. I don’t know, my heart just did this somersault and I was hooked. I couldn’t stay away from her even when I tried.
I know you think I’m a total commitment-phobe. And, yeah, you’re right, I’ve never had a real relationship. But that’s because no one has ever got me the way Rose does.
She’s amazing, Katie. So amazing that I want to ask her to stay with me. Here on the ranch. She’s leaving tomorrow morning and she might say no and break my heart, but I need to ask her.
And I can’t do that until I know it’s okay with you. Until I know you won’t be mad at her. I need to be able to tell her that you’re happy for us. Then maybe, just maybe, she’ll stay.
I know I’m a pain. And I know we don’t really do ‘feelings’ – you and me – but I’m your big brother, K. And I’m telling you the truth.
I think Rose is ‘The One’.
Call me.
Tommy xxx
“Please, I need to get out of the airport.”
“Ma’am. I’m sorry. You cannot go back once you’re in the departure lounge.”
“It’s an emergency!” Rose was pleading with a tall, thick-set security guard. But he was not giving in.
Clutching her phone in her hand, the words in Thomas’ text were burned into her brain. He was going to ask her to stay. He’d called her ‘The One’. So, whatever had happened with Fleur she at least needed to ask him face-to-face for an explanation. She couldn’t just leave and never see him again. Not now.
“What kind of emergency? Are you sick?” The security guard folded and unfolded his arms.
“No, I’m not sick. I–”
“Rose?!”
She turned. She’d know his voice anywhere. “Thomas?”
And, like something from a Hollywood movie, there he was – striding through the crowd in the departure hall in his cowboy boots and ridiculous hat.
Rose was rooted to the spot. Her entire body stiffened, despite the voice in her head that was screaming, Thomas, oh thank goodness, you came! You really came!
“Rose!” He was out of breath, smiling, putting his hands on her arms. “I didn’t know if I’d catch you. I had to buy a ticket... Pisa... three hundred Euro…”
Rose searched his face. She couldn’t find the words she needed. She wanted to throw herself at him and never let go but at the same time all she could see was the way he’d embraced Fleur on the steps.
“What happened?” Thomas was shaking his head. “You didn’t say goodbye? You just disappeared. Is it Katie? Because I spoke to her, Rose. I told her–”
“It’s not Katie.” Rose folded her arms in front of her chest, trying not to just instantly give in to him.
Thomas took off his hat. “Then... what?”
Rose exhaled slowly, trying to keep her voice calm, aware that they were surrounded by people who could hear them. “I saw you.”
“Saw me..?”
“I saw you with Fleur. I saw you with your arms around her. I saw her...” Rose swallowed hard. “I saw her kiss you, Thomas.” As she said it, and her eyes met his, she began to waver. She was determined not to cry but remembering what she saw, and how she felt in that moment, was making it extremely hard.
The True Love Travels Series Box Set Page 52