She peeked her head back above the table. ‘Oh, no. It’s fine. We can be merry enough on our own.’
Of course, it was always a merry hoot discussing funerals.
Arthur gave a broad smirk as he shuffled his chair a few inches closer to Elsa’s. ‘So, the next thing to decide is shoes…’
I was more than glad to be leaving them to it.
* * *
‘I know my dating experience is limited, but did you suggest chucking flowers everywhere and that corny playlist?’ Elliot said as we climbed the footpath along the edge of the field behind the cottage, Penny whuffling ahead of us, tail wagging in ecstasy. ‘If so, I might have to redact your rent discount.’
‘The only advice he took from me was to take off the hat.’
‘I presume Elsa wasn’t finding it excruciating, given that we left them to it? I’d have happily played up on my poor social intelligence and hung around, however much it annoyed Arthur.’
I shrugged. ‘She seemed more comfortable with Arthur than she does talking to me.’
We paused to take in the view over the ridge of the hill – the oilseed rape fields gleaming gold, the emerald meadows dotted with livestock. To one side, treetops blended into a hazy kaleidoscope of greens and browns in the distance. The clouds were wispy streaks against a pale-blue canopy. I sucked in a deep breath of sweet, spring air and felt my heart expand. Living by the beach had been great, but I had missed the rolling hills and bountiful woods of home.
Once over the crest, the path veered off towards the forest, and as we wound our way through the trees, we talked for a while about the Harriers. Once again, something about Elliot’s company seemed to nudge my angst about our relationship to one side. I couldn’t resist indulging in these few, uncomplicated minutes with an old friend, even knowing that it betrayed his trust. If Elliot knew the part I’d played in his accident, we would not be going on companiable walks together, and I would not be staying in his house.
Ugh.This was such a mess. I was a mess.
If I kept my distance, acted aloof with no explanation, it would only make Elliot feel like I was rejecting his friendship because of his disability.
So, what then, Jessie? Are you hanging out with him out of pity?
I stumbled over a tree root, hidden in the shadows, and as Elliot turned to grab my hand – as his fingers remained wrapped around mine while he guided me along the path he knew better than the lines on his own palm – I knew full well that pity had nothing to do with it.
* * *
It took a long, stunned second for my brain to process the sight that greeted us as we stepped through the back door. Usually, upon two people walking in on a couple kissing, the couple would automatically break apart. By the time Elliot and I had hurried past the table and into the hallway, I wasn’t sure Elsa and Arthur had noticed we were there.
Like a pair of school kids, we jostled our way into the living room, only bursting into shocked laughter once the door was firmly shut behind us.
‘It beats his kiss with Casey Cunningham in year eight,’ Elliot said, shaking his head in wonder. ‘Looks like you’re a better relationship coach than any of us would have guessed.’
‘Oh no, apart from the food, that hadnothingto do with me.’
‘Don’t sell yourself short,’ Elliot said, eyes glinting with mirth. ‘If you’d not shown him how to cook, he might never have plucked up the gumption to invite her round.’
‘Oh, I really hope this is going somewhere and not a one-time thing.’ In lieu of a cushion to squeeze, I tucked my legs up onto the gaming chair and wrapped my arms around my knees. ‘Then again, Elsa’s a curate. Surely they aren’t supposed to go around having one-night stands, even if it is just a kiss?’
‘In my extremely limited experience, there’s nojustabout that kind of kiss,’ Elliot said.
Woah.
It was as though his words were a spell, sucking every molecule of oxygen from the room instantly.
We both froze.
Our eyes locked as the memory of those kind of kisses – so fervent and tender – skittered like electricity across every inch of my skin.
Crap.
Penny, possibly suspecting something untoward was going on, gave a muted bark, causing Elliot to hastily turn his attention to her.
‘Hey girl, you’re right. We’re not supposed to come in here after going in the woods, are we?’
