Page 44 of The Wishing Tree Beside the Shor
‘I was never good enough for Fee,’ Ryan says before I can answer.
‘What? You were the best thing in my life.’ The surprise of hearing him say that makes me speak without thinking first.
‘I was?’ His head twitches like he’s taken aback.
‘Of course you were. Ry, I loved …’ My breath catches and I cut the sentence off in averyinconvenient place when he meets my eyes again.
Everything goes so still that I’m not sure he’s breathing, and I’m definitely not. My hand moves automatically like if I reached out, I could touch him, and it would be okay, like he was somehow mine to touch.
His Adam’s apple bobs again, and I need to swallow but my mouth has gone too dry to even consider it. Neither of us blinks as we hold each other’s gaze for a long, long moment. He wets his lips again and my eyes are drawn to his tongue as it slides across full lips, and …
Baaabra Streisand lets out a long, foghorn-esque fart.
‘… Working with you,’ I finish, more limply than a wet kipper, glad of the excuse to look away because I have to stop watching his mouth. Between that and my earlier comment, I couldn’t make myself sound any more smitten if I’d tried.
‘Well, there’s a way to ruin the moment,’ Godfrey says, thankfully easing the tension and making all three of us laugh.
Baaabra Streisand’s perfect comedy timing certainly comes in handy.
‘I’d best get back for my unimaginative, boring supper. Porridge, again.’ Godfrey makes a noise of distaste. ‘Maybe when we’ve saved the tree, you can put your skills to use in campaigning for a better menu at Seaview Heights. They’d definitely listen to a chef.’ He nods to me. ‘You know how to stir up a whole generation, Felicity.’
‘Fee always did know how to shake up a life.’ Ryan’s eyes meet mine again and I try a smile. It’s so strained that it probably looks like I’m going to bite him.
He hands his stack of the old strawberry leaflets up to me and undoes the chain around his waist and passes that up too, before turning to offer his arm to Godfrey. ‘I’ll walk you back.’
That weird mid-twilight is still hanging over us from the surrounding, almost-purple storm clouds over the ocean, and I watch as Godfrey slots his arm through Ryan’s and they make their way slowly back towards Seaview Heights.
What is it about a man who’s kind to animals and old people? Ryan was always the most respectful person, and that clearly hasn’t changed. He’s a real gentleman, something that’s seriously missing in my life lately.
Chapter 10
I have to tell him. It’s not right that I’m pretending to do a job that’s the opposite of what I actually do, but it’s even worse that he trusts me and doesn’t have seem to have an inclination of who I really am. What would he say if he knew I’m the person who was sent to bribe him?
I’m still thinking of the best way to broach the subject as he makes his way back towards the tree, covering the ground sure-footedly despite being sans torch, having safely returned Godfrey to his porridge and evening of board games in the living room.
He lifts a hand in greeting as he approaches, giving me a bright smile and a flash of flexing forearms that gives me something else entirely to be distracted by. He pats the trunk as he walks around the tree and pushes himself up again, once more making his bare forearms flex in the most delicious way.
‘Are youalwaysworking?’ He takes the couple of steps nearer to me in the space we’ve got between the branches.
I hadn’t bothered to fasten the chain this time and I hand it back to him and watch as he loops it around his waist and does up the catch. ‘We have to grab ideas as and when we can. We don’t have much time.’
‘Why not?’ He sits down cross-legged opposite me. ‘I’m in this for the long haul. My assistant can run the campsite for as long as needed, and I can do admin remotely. I’m quite happy to stay here indefinitely.’
‘It’s August, Ryan. Next month, the first frosts will start coming in. Winter comes sharply from September onwards. You can’t stay out here forever.’ I shake my head. ‘It’s not about that anyway. This isn’t your land …’
‘I know. I can’t afford to make an offer on it. I tried.’
‘You did?’ I can’t hide how much that surprises me. I think about his expansion plans for self-contained holiday lets. Maybe I wasn’t that far off base if he’s already tried to buy this land.
‘I thought it might be the only way. It’s not about the money or the space. I’d do anything to save this tree and the garden for the residents, but I can’t compete with multinational companies.’
‘So what are you trying to do with this protest – drive down the price? Keep the tree, but park some tents around it? Free wish with every booking?’
‘You really don’t like me, do you?’ He quirks an eyebrow.
I know he’s joking, but the words make me go cold. Imorethan like him, even after so many years. ‘I didn’t mean it like that. Steffan has already delayed because of the protest, but the longer this goes on the more likely he is towantto get rid of it. And the more attention we gain, the more likely he is to gethigheroffers frommorebusinesses.’
‘Maybe ones who would be on our side. Ones who would reach a compromise and see the value in this land as it is. We need you around to help us vet any offers that come in. You were always good at knowing who to trust when I wasn’t. How soon do you need to get back?’
