Page 50 of All Wrapped Up
‘Absolutely,’ he said seriously, taking me by surprise. ‘She is and yes, I do. Don’t you?’
‘I can’t say I’ve ever given it much thought,’ I said, as we left the town behind. The view was soon a windswept expanseof fields which stretched as far as the horizon. ‘Has she ever said anything to you to make the colour drain from your face?’
‘Me?’ Ash laughed.
‘Yes.’
‘No,’ he said, with a chuckle. ‘I’m not interesting enough.’
‘Of course you are.’
‘I’m really not.’
I looked at the mirror and then immediately away, because he was staring at me again.
‘I wish you’d watch the road,’ I rather tersely snapped.
‘Are you telling me off?’ he grinned.
‘A bit,’ I said, trying not to smile back.
‘Thinking back,’ he then ponderously said, ‘Molly did say something when we first met.’
‘Oh? Go on.’
‘She said that I’m an open book,’ he shrugged. ‘What you see is what you get. I’ve got no baggage, nothing to hide and no skeletons in my cupboard.’
‘I don’t believe that,’ I protested. ‘Everyone has baggage of some sort or another.’
‘Not me,’ he said and I could tell he was still smiling. ‘Do you?’
‘Like I said, we all have something.’
‘In that case,’ he said teasingly, ‘my guess is that Molly’s winkled yours out of you already.’
‘She has not,’ I hotly protested.
‘But there is… something?’ he more gently asked.
‘Nope,’ I said, blinking hard. ‘Just like you, I’m an open book, too.’
Chapter 13
The trip to the library had gone well, but it had given me a lot to think about and it had got me wondering whether I had perhaps taken rather too much on in too short a time. In my eagerness to rejoin the real world, had I rushed in, been swept along and bitten off more than I could reasonably chew? Was I trying to run before I’d mastered the art of walking again?
As I pondered over that, I knew I wasn’t referring to the festival, because after the initial hiccup, the event had come wonderfully together. I was also enjoying getting to know more of the local area and I was delighted with how well Pixie was settling in. Those aspects of my life were fine, it was other niggles that were now popping up which I couldn’t ignore.
Having got over (and hopefully completely cleared) the hurdle of Joanne’s misguided desire to matchmake, I had thought Ash and I, and our freshly-minted friendship, were going to be okay, but Molly’s hint about mewantingrather thanneedinghim in a capacity that didn’t involve our working together on the festival had got me in something of a spin.
Ash was kind, generous, clever and handsome. Perfect partner material, but I wasn’t looking for a partner and that had to bewhat Molly had meant. After everything I’d been through, I knew I’d never have a romantic relationship again, but the so-called Wynthorpe Witch had hinted that in the future, my thoughts about Ash had the potential to change. I knew she was wrong, completely wrong, because my heart had been obliterated once and I would never put myself in a position where it could be destroyed again, but her prediction was still unsettling.
Therefore, in spite of my vehement resolution that I was right and Molly was wrong, I still took action, just to be on the safe side. In the days that followed, I put some distance between myself and Ash and made the trip to see Fliss at Fenview Farm to check out the setting for the Autumn Feasting and Family Food events alone, and I also opted to fly solo when it came to calling in to see Jack at Brambles Distillery.
As well as avoiding Ash, I also stayed out of town and immersed myself in things I could carry out at the cottage. That wasn’t so much to do with what Molly had said, but rather the result of me still having plenty to organise and do.
I spent lots of time getting to know Pixie better, many hours promoting, organising and refining the festival’s finer details online and via email and of course, posting on AutumnEverything. The account had attracted a flurry of new followers as the season switched from late summer to early autumn and I was back to sharing regularly again after my post-Lizzie recognition hiatus.
With the walls of Rowan Cottage wrapped comfortingly around me, it was a relief to find that I began to feel settled and content again. It had been the right decision to do whatneeded to be done in the way that worked best for me – I tried not to think how Molly had also pointed out that I had a talent for that – and towards the end of the week I was keen to head back to town and see everyone again, which was just as well as the festival launch and first autumn-themed market was then just a couple of days away!
