Page 111 of All Wrapped Up
‘What?’ I hissed.
‘You don’t know, do you?’ he then asked in amazement. ‘Youreallydon’t know.’
‘Know what?’
He shook his head and blew out a breath. ‘Your vet chum, of course.’
‘Ash.’ I frowned. ‘What about him?’
‘No wonder the world’s in trouble!’ Jason grumbled loudly, sounding more like his former rather than his latter self. ‘How can you not know?’
‘Know what?’ I demanded.
‘That he’s in love with you, you fool.’
I didn’t say anything for a moment. I just looked at him and blinked. ‘What?’ I eventually, and rudely, croaked. My good manners were now completely forgotten.
‘He’s head over heels in love with you!’ Jason said again, as loudly as he dared, without incurring the wrath of the librarian who had moved out from behind the desk and was taking more of an interest in our huddle.
‘Don’t be so absurd,’ I whispered loudly back. ‘Of course he’s isn’t. He’s my friend. The best one here that I’ve got.’
Jason let out another frustrated breath. ‘Think about it,’ he urged. ‘Go on.’
‘Well,’ I eventually said. ‘We did almost kiss once, but—’
‘There you are then.’
‘But,’ I repeated, that time more fiercely, ‘that was just the result of some dancing and us getting caught up in the moment. It was nothing to do with love, Jason!’
‘Of course it wasn’t,’ he smiled infuriatingly.
‘You’re wrong,’ I said. ‘Completely, utterly and totally wrong.’
‘No,’ he said mildly. ‘I’m not. Tell me, what did he do after this almost kiss the pair of you nearly had?’
I cast my mind back. ‘He… left,’ I said, and Jason raised his eyebrows.
‘He ran away, you mean?’
‘No,’ I said tersely. ‘He went to help his family. His nan’s had a stroke and he went to help settle her into his mum and dad’s place.’
‘Of course he did.’
I took a step away. ‘I can’t listen to you anymore,’ I said, feeling a lump forming in my throat as my vision blurred withcross tears. ‘You’re talking absolute rubbish and by the end of the week, I’ll have proved it.’
I stayed angry with Jason and holed up in and around the cottage for the next two days. I took Pixie for her promised walk. In fact, we took a few. They were all long, brisk and furiously paced, and even though they tired Pixie out, they did nothing for me.
However, I did turn my continued bad mood to good use where AutumnEverything was concerned. My irritation made me business-like and helped me to properly draw a line under my pinned post. I felt no guilt about neither reading nor replying to what people had written and normal service on the account was swiftly resumed. I supposed that was the one positive to come from Jason’s absurd declaration.
I still couldn’t see the wood for the trees where that was concerned and therefore invited Ash, via text, to supper Wednesday evening – the promise of a pasty proved too tempting to resist – and I had a speech rehearsed in which I would tell him what Jason had said and then feel immediately soothed when he laughed and denied it straight after.
The weather on Wednesday took a dreadful downturn and it rained from the moment I opened the cottage curtains and didn’t let up for a minute, the entire day. I looked out at it during the rapidly darkening afternoon and hoped it would improve by the weekend. The pumpkin carving competition was happening in the square on Saturday so a dry day would be much appreciated.
When Ash hadn’t arrived half an hour after the time we had arranged, and the pasties were rapidly cooling, I calledhis mobile. I knew he wasn’t on call for work, so wouldn’t be attending an emergency. Perhaps, I mused, as I rang his number, he’d forgotten our plan. That would be something to tell Jason! If Ash was in love with me – and my pasties – he would have hardly forgotten our arranged evening together, would he?
‘Hi,’ I said swiftly, when the call connected and went straight to voicemail. ‘Just checking in. This pasty is still warm, but it won’t be for much longer. Hope you’re on your way.’
I hung up and looked at Pixie.
