Page 13 of Welcome to Pennycress Inn

After rubbing her eyes, Laura slowly inched towards the top of the ladder as Jackson’s face appeared, his hand stretching out to her.

‘Here, take my hand.’

Reluctantly, she reached out to him, his skin warm against hers as she made her way across the tiles.

‘Here, mind yourself.’ Gripping Laura’s hand tighter, Jackson guided her until her feet were on the rungs of the ladder, his body shielding hers from the rain as they made their way down to solid ground.

With her feet back on solid ground, she looked at him, wanting nothing more than to be the receiver of one of his famous bear hugs, for him to tell her that everything was going to be okay, just as he had when she’d caught her stupid teenage boyfriend kissing her best friend behind the bike sheds at school. But that wasn’t going to happen. She needed to show him that she was an independent adult now. That she didn’t need hishelp. Apart from being rescued from the roof, that was. She needed to show him she was capable.

She stood a little straighter and rolled her shoulders back, putting on what she hoped was a show of strength. ‘Thank you.’

Shaking his head, Jackson blinked. ‘What happened? What were you doing up there? You’re terrified of heights.’

‘No, I’m not.’ Each time she tucked her sodden hair behind her eyes, she missed a strand clinging to her nose. She stood still as Jackson gently took it between his finger and thumb and curled it behind her ear. She looked across at him. There was a slight tinge of red on his cheeks and he locked eyes with her. Swallowing, she looked away.

‘You’re telling me it was always mine, Richie or Jenny’s job to clamber up the old oak tree in your parents’ garden to knock the football from the shed roof because you found it funny to watch us fall and scrape our knees?’

‘Yes… no.’ Taking her eyes from the garden gate, she looked back at him, his eyes still on hers. ‘The gutter clip had come off and then I saw a loose tile.’

‘Why didn’t you just ask me to pop round? I’d have sorted it in no time.’ He indicated the front door. ‘Let’s get inside out of this rain. You’ll catch pneumonia if you’re not careful.’

‘Okay.’ Bending down, she retrieved her mobile from the ground and realised that by some small miracle the screen hadn’t cracked after all.

Once inside, she stepped out of her wet trainers and took the towel Jackson had run through to the cloakroom to give to her.

‘Thanks for helping me down and for this.’ She held the towel up.

‘Any time.’ Jackson glanced down at the floor before looking back up at her. ‘Not that I hope you’ll need rescuing down from a roof again. Not any time soon, anyway.’

She gave him a quick smile before towelling her wet hair into a damp mess.

‘But, seriously, any time you need anything, just shout. I’m only next door and more than happy to pop round to help. In fact, the weather is supposed to be drier tomorrow, so I’ll pop by before work and sort out that loose tile you mentioned.’

‘No!’ The word came out harsher than she’d meant.

‘No?’

‘I don’t need your help.’ Again, she could hear her tone was harsh, and looking across at Jackson, he’d noticed the way she’d spoken to him too.

‘Okay.’ His voice was quiet, his expression sullen.

‘Sorry, I don’t mean to sound so rude. Or horrible. Or…’ She sounded as though she was twelve again, annoyed at the way Richie and Jackson had barged into her bedroom whilst she practised make-up on the plastic head her parents had bought her for Christmas. She hadn’t meant to come across so young, so brattish. But she had. Without warning, tears began streaming down her cheeks and she buried her face in the damp towel.

Without saying a word, Jackson stepped towards her, drawing her into one of his bear hugs, the ones in which the world melted away. Only it didn’t, not this time. Jackson had come to her rescue and all she’d done to repay him was shout at him.

‘I’m sorry. I really am. I’m just… I’m just tired.’ And overwhelmed and not coping. Just as everyone had predicted.

But she couldn’t say any of that. She couldn’t tell him in case he then went and told Richie, who would tell Jenny, who would tell her parents and then, before she knew it, they’d all arrive and take over. Or else utter the words she knew they were itching to say,I told youso.

‘I bet you are. I can’t imagine you’ve had much sleep, what with the rain and the broken guttering.’ Jackson’s words were soft, his breath warm on her damp hair.

She closed her eyes, letting the pent-up tears continue. She knew it was just that she didn’t have anyone to talk to about it all, about her problems at the inn. No one to vent or rant to about the way she’d felt shunned in the village. She’d bottled it all up and now… now Jackson was here and bearing the brunt of it. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘Hey, no need to apologise.’ Jackson held her by the elbows, leaning back to look her in the eyes. ‘Moving is stressful. I should know, I’ve done it enough times.’

‘Yes, yes, it is.’ She looked up at him, his blue eyes dark with concern. Drawing the towel roughly over her face, she dried her eyes. ‘I shouldn’t be taking it out on you, though. You don’t deserve me yelling at you. Or crying on you.’

‘I don’t think I’d have called it yelling.’ Jackson tilted his head and grinned. ‘It was more like a reprimand.’

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