Page 87 of All Wrapped Up
‘That’s fair enough,’ I breezily said, taking the high ground. ‘In the interests of the festival and the safety of its attendees, I think that’s a great idea.’
‘Me too,’ said Ash, but he didn’t sound as convinced as I did.
‘Right then, let’s go,’ I said, and tried to get Pixie to move, but she was still so preoccupied with tugging at her coat that she missed my cue for her to budge and I nearly tripped over her.
‘What on earth is she wearing?’ Ash frowned.
She then realised he was there and gave him a welcome that pierced my heart. I bet she wouldn’t have bothered with him had she known he’d hidden from the pair of us just the day before.
‘A coat,’ I bluntly said. ‘It’s cold.’
‘It is cold,’ Jake then said. ‘So, why don’t you two head straight off and then we’ll have a bite and something to drink when you’re done?’
I didn’t much like the thought of walking the trail with just Ash for company and I was certain he wasn’t going to want to be alone with me, either.
‘You two aren’t coming?’ he asked, with a nod to Amber and Jake, confirming that thought.
‘No,’ said Amber, ‘we need to check on the kids and if we come around, we might influence you. You need to experience it for yourselves, really.’
‘In that case,’ I said, ‘Ash needn’t come at all because he’s walked it already.’
‘Not in the dark,’ Jake pointed out.
‘Right,’ I tightly said. ‘Let’s go then.’
‘See you in a bit,’ said Amber as she and Jake headed over to the farmhouse and I followed Ash down the yard, through a gate a little way into a field and then to the start of the trail.
We didn’t speak until we were at the start, when it became obvious that you could take the path in either direction.
‘Right, I think I’ll go around this way,’ I pointed, when I could see he was going to head the other way. ‘We can meet back in the yard when we’re done.’
‘You don’t want to go around together?’ He frowned and I shook my head.
‘Given your behaviour in the vets, on the back of the frosty welcome I received in the pumpkin field, I hardly think you’re going to want us spending any more time together than we have to, are you?’ I huffed.
‘Oh god, Clemmie,’ he groaned. ‘I’m so sorry about what happened in the practice. You must think I’m a total idiot.’
‘To tell you the truth,’ I sniffed, ‘I’ve been far too busy feeling embarrassed for myself to consider what my thoughts are about you. Apart from the fact that I keep wishing that I hadn’t ever got to know you in the first place, of course.’
Apparently, my sharp tongue wasn’t exclusively reserved for challenging conversations with Joanne. Though I hoped, nowshe’d bared her soul and we’d got to the bottom of her frustrating behaviour, I’d had the last of those.
‘I suppose I deserved that.’ Ash swallowed and he looked so heartbreakingly upset that I almost forgave him. Almost. ‘Will you let me explain?’
‘Another time, perhaps—’
‘I wish you would,’ he pleaded. ‘Please walk with me, Clemmie, because I really want to tell you why I’ve been such an idiot.’
He began to walk away and my head told me it was time to cut my losses, apologise to Amber and Jake and head home. I could still see where my Land Rover was parked in the yard and it would be easy enough to leave, but my heart was having none of it. There was some internal conflict playing off inside me and it kept me rooted to the spot until my heart finally won out and I followed Ash on to the path.
We walked some of the way in silence, and in single file, each of us focused on keeping our feet, especially along the stretches that weren’t specifically lit and where the brightness of the moon didn’t pierce the tree canopy. It might have been autumn, but there were still plenty of leaves on the trees and I couldn’t help thinking that even though it was doubtless a beautiful walk, it wasn’t a particularly practical, or safe one in the dark.
‘There’s some seating among the trees about halfway round,’ Ash said, over his shoulder, ‘we can talk properly there.’
‘Rather than walk and talk?’
‘If you don’t mind.’
I didn’t reply and a short while later, the path opened out and we found ourselves in a clearing which was lit by fairylights and looked to be the prettiest part of the trail so far. In the dark, anyway.
