Page 131 of All Wrapped Up
‘Oh, Joanne,’ said Lizzie, sounding choked.
I felt moved by her kind words, too, but a deafening squeak from a loudhailer cut the emotional moment off and started a couple of children crying. Jake’s voice then boomed out, telling us it was time to light the bonfire and the sobs quickly turned to cheers. As the flames rapidly rose to the top of the stack, Lizzie and Joanne went to help with the food and I spotted Ash making his way towards me with two onion packed hotdogs.
‘So,’ he smiled. ‘Did you miss me?’
‘Of course I did,’ I grinned. ‘Is one of those for me?’
‘They’re both for you if you’ll tell me you love me again.’
‘I love you, again,’ I laughed and he handed both over.
‘Idiot!’ I giggled, handing one back.
He took a huge bite out of his to claim it and I followed suit and tucked into mine.
‘How come,’ I said, once I’d swallowed a few mouthfuls and wiped most of the ketchup from my chin, ‘they taste so much better outdoors?’
‘I dunno,’ Ash shrugged. ‘Everything does though, doesn’t it?’
I stood on tiptoe and kissed him, ketchup and all.
‘Oh yeah,’ I said. ‘You’re right. It does.’
I looked beyond the bonfire and spotted Molly watching us and smiling serenely. Given the number of people at the party, I was surprised she was there, but it was definitely her. I waved and she inclined her head and raised what looked like a silver chalice, rather than the recyclable paper cups the rest of us were drinking from.
‘Who are you waving at?’ Ash asked.
‘Molly,’ I said, with a nod, but when I looked again, she’d gone. ‘Oh, she’s disappeared.’
‘Oh, well,’ said Ash. ‘I’m sure she’ll pop up again when you least expect her to.’ I knew he was right. ‘Now, toffee apple first or a sparkler?’
‘Um,’ I said, screwing up the paper napkin my hotdog had been served in. ‘Sparkler, I think.’
We wrote each other’s names and drew love hearts in the dark as the full moon came into view. It was an incredibly romantic evening and the loving feeling continued when Ash drove us back to Rowan Cottage and accepted my offer to stay the night again.
‘Don’t go,’ I said, reaching across where Pixie was asleep between us, very early the next morning and as he made a move to get up. ‘I don’t want you to leave.’
‘I was just going to make us breakfast in bed,’ he said, as he softly brushed my hair away from my face, ‘but if you’d rather I—’
‘No, no,’ I said, then pushed him out. ‘You carry on. Breakfast in bed would be wonderful.’
‘That’s what I thought,’ he laughed. ‘Come on, Pixie,’ he added as he pulled on a pair of boxers. ‘You can help.’
She opened her eyes, stretched and reluctantly jumped off the bed and followed him.
‘There’s smoked salmon in the fridge if you fancy going fancy!’ I called after him.
I must have dozed off again and it was just a few minutes later, that I was startlingly woken by what sounded like my father’s voice. I sat bolt upright and stock still and cocked an ear. With Pixie yapping, it was hard to make anything out clearly and I was just about to snuggle back down on the assumption that I must have been dreaming, when I heardMum shouting a greeting up the stairs. Her voice was followed by the sound of footsteps and Ash burst back into the bedroom still in his boxers, looking red faced and sounding out of breath.
‘Your parents are here,’ he puffed, reaching for his jeans and pulling the hoodie he had taken to keeping at the cottage over his head.
‘But they’re not coming until tomorrow!’ I protested, as I flung back the duvet.
‘Oh well, in that case,’ he laughed, as he rushed out again, ‘would you like me to tell them they’re a figment of my imagination, or would you rather do it?’
By the time I had pulled on my dressing gown and descended, Dad and Ash had ferried in a multitude of bags and were chatting as if they’d known each other forever and Mum was making a pot of tea with Pixie neatly tucked under one arm. Had I not been feeling so shocked, it would have been a charming scene.
‘Clemmie!’ Dad shouted, when he spotted me in the doorway. ‘At last!’
