There was a subtle shift in the air, a delicate scent that cut through the fresh hay and horse feed, and the bay mare shifted her body slightly as a shadow fell across her.
‘You’re up early.’ James glanced briefly over towards the stable door as he finished securing the hay net.
She grinned self-consciously as though she half expected him to tell her off and a brief tang of guilt threaded its way through him.
‘The sun wakes me up.’ She shrugged as though he might think it was a stupid thing to say.
The sun always woke him up too. He didn’t understand people who blocked out all daylight, confused the natural rhythm of their bodies and then relied on the jarring noise of an alarm. Well, he didn’t understand it these days. Once he had been one of those people; one of the crowd who dodged nature in the search for something better.
‘Did you sleep okay?’
Something flickered across her face that could have been guilt or embarrassment and she traced her finger along the top of the door, avoiding his gaze. ‘Quite well.’
The mare gave him a nudge and he grinned. ‘You want me to move out of the way of your breakfast, you bossy mare?’
‘Who are you to call anyone bossy?’ She’d got one dark eyebrow raised and a cheeky grin on her impish face.
Leaning against the stable wall, away from the shower of hay that the horse was creating with each greedy tug, he took a proper look at his interloper.
Last night he’d not been quite sure what had landed on his doorstep, apart from the fact that it was tired, angry and determined. Her shapely thighs had been on show when she’d been perched on the gate, along with slim bronzed arms and delicate wrists that looked like they would snap under the weight of her rucksack, but he could take or leave a good body. He’d seen and touched more naked skin in the last few years than was good for him.
But he’d not been able to ignore the heart-shaped face that was pale with something more than tiredness. And the overall image had left him wondering whether he should lock her out or take her in. And then she’d fallen into his arms like a spitting kitten and made his mind up for him.
Now, her dark hair hung straight around her face, big hazel eyes stared at him openly without rancour, eyes that last night had flashed tawny before darkening to the colour of moss. She was small, slim and yesterday’s clinging blue dress had been replaced by faded worn denim shorts, heavy doc martens that he knew hid slender ankles, and a bright-green, skimpy vest that shouldn’t have been allowed to be worn.
And he still didn’t know what he was supposed to do with her for the five weeks before everyone else got back and the business re-opened. He didn’t want company; he especially didn’t want female company. He one hundred and one per cent didn’t want female company that ‘needed help’. What the hell had Marie been thinking when she’d sent the girl?
‘You’ll scare the horses wearing that.’ The outline of small, perfectly round breasts drew his eye, her nipples hardening as he watched.
‘Really? Will I?’ Her eyes had widened, for a moment the doubt creeping back.
‘Well they are part-way to colour blind, but I don’t think even a horse could miss that.’
She laughed, genuine humour flooding a face of innocence and hope, which for a moment made him feel jaded. ‘I could take it off.’
‘You could.’
She coloured slightly, just enough to make her seem a tease, but not a temptress. ‘So you’ve spoken to Marie?’
There was a note of challenge in her voice and he tried to stop the curve of his lips. Nothing like a direct approach, attack mode. ‘I have.’ He unlatched the stable door and she backed off, a nervous filly, unsure whether flight or fight was the preferred option.
‘And?’ It was slightly belligerent, like she was building herself up for a fight if he said the wrong thing.
‘She forgot to tell me you were coming.’ He gave a wry smile. Marie was a great boss, brilliant at her job and loving and giving, but she was scatter-brained. Except this time, he had a feeling she’d forgotten on purpose. She’d just been a touch evasive when he’d rung her last night. And when he’d put the phone down all he could hear was the soft strum of Kezia’s guitar; a haunting, melancholy sound that pricked at the conscience he didn’t want to have and made him wonder if his summer solitude was about to get well and truly gate-crashed. ‘So you met at the yoga place?’ Marie had told him the story, but he wanted to hear the other side of it to see if he could persuade her to change her mind. Or at least go away and come back in five weeks.
She seemed a nice enough girl, although he wouldn’t say harmless. But this summer was about time on his own. He liked time on his own. There was always an air of peace and other worldliness here, even when the business was up and running, but it wasn’t enough.
They’d all agreed that closing for the summer was the best tactic. Business was slack. No one needed lessons in sex in the summer, they were too busy doing it. Sun-drenched bodies on beaches, booze by the bucket-load, inhibitions thrown out along with long work days and stress. When you’re feeling good about your newly toned, slimmed, buffed and tanned body you don’t need a helping hand to orgasm. So Marie and Dan had buggered off to Barcelona, or wherever it was they hid out, and even Saul and Roisin had hung up their boots. And he was happy to be stuck here. Alone. With a big sign on the gate saying ‘No entry’.
Until someone decided to ignore it.
Someone who could talk for Britain.
Kezia was waiting for him to look at her again. He moved along to the next stable and flung open the door. He’d already fed and turned out the horse, and now he was looking forward to the physical side, building up a sweat as he mucked out. In peace. ‘Yoga? Italy?’
‘Yes.’ It was hesitant. ‘You don’t like me, do you?’
‘Nothing personal, I expected to be here on my own, that’s all.’
‘Diplomatic.’ She stood in the doorway, watching as he picked up a pitchfork. ‘She was in Capri a couple of months ago, at the retreat and I was working there. We got on, that’s all. I didn’t ask for a job you know.’ She sounded defensive.
‘Nothing wrong in asking.’
‘But I didn’t. She asked how long I was working there, and I told her that they were about to shut down for their holidays. So she said had I thought about coming back to the UK.’ She paused, not filling in the gap that he knew existed. Marie had said the girl needed a base, was upset and needed friends who cared. ‘She told me to come here and work the summer, then if I liked it I might be able to make it more permanent. I’m not really used to permanent.’ She gnawed at her lip and he dumped a fork-load of muck in the barrow and paused.
‘You get sacked a lot?’
She grinned and her whole face lifted and lightened, including the large sad eyes. ‘Don’t be daft. No, we-I’ve, always travelled, done different things
