Chapter 41
41
JOE
Joe busied himself in the top field a few days later while Skye weighed and bagged the vegetables she had harvested that morning to refill the honesty box at the roadside. He was wondering how she was getting on, relieved earlier that week had ended up going well, when his phone rang.
‘Lettie! How’s motherhood treating you?’
‘I’m exhausted and think I’ve aged a hundred years.’ He was about to commiserate when she added, ‘But I’m loving every single second of it. Apart from the lack of sleep.’
It was good to hear her so happy although the tiredness in her voice was unmistakable. ‘I’m glad you’re enjoying it. What can I do for you?’
‘I just wanted to let you know Brodie and I will be moving back into the farmhouse tomorrow. I’m loving it at the cottage but can’t help feeling badly that I’ve left you both to just get on with things.’
Tomorrow? Joe felt a pang of misery to hear her say as much. ‘We don’t mind,’ he said honestly.
‘I’m sure you don’t, but Brodie is also missing Derek, although I imagine the dog is perfectly happy being with you two and Spud.’
She was right. ‘He’s having a great time. I’m sure he’ll be delighted to see Brodie though.’
‘Is that OK with you and Skye, do you think? I still won’t be able to do very much, I’m afraid, but I felt that I should get back to the farm and some semblance of normality before I get too used to just being with this little one all the time.’
He adored Lettie, and as much as he was aware she and Brodie would be returning soon, he had somehow succeeded in pushing the matter to the back of his mind. Tomorrow seemed far too soon. He wasn’t anywhere near ready to burst the happy bubble he and Skye were inhabiting.
Reminding himself that this wasn’t his farm and forcing himself to sound positive, Joe said, ‘Of course that’s fine. It’s your farm and you can come back here whenever you want.’
‘I’ll soon be back to full strength and when Mum returns she’s insisted she’ll be only too happy to take care of Isla while I’m out of the house working.’
‘That’s good.’ Joe hoped his replies didn’t sound too robotic. He realised Lettie was still speaking.
‘You and Skye will soon be able to go back to living your own lives. You’ve both been brilliant stepping in and taking on the farm as capably as you have done, and I’m very grateful.’
‘We’ve loved every minute,’ he said, realising that more with each passing second just how precious a memory living with Skye on this beautiful farm had been.
‘Every single one?’ Lettie teased.
He laughed. ‘Well, maybe not initially,’ he admitted. ‘But once we got to know each other better we both began to enjoy it far more. Skye really is an amazing woman.’
Lettie didn’t speak and he realised what he had said. ‘Er, Joe?’
‘Yes?’ He cringed. Why hadn’t he thought before speaking? Lettie knew him well enough to pick up on what he had said.
‘Am I right to suspect there might something between the pair of you then?’
There was but he wanted so much more. Not that he had any intention of sharing that nugget of information with his friend. ‘She’s fun and we do get along well.’
‘Hmm, I see.’
‘You don’t,’ he said, trying to deflect. ‘Right, I don’t know about you but I have hungry mouths to feed here and not just one of them either,’ he said, stroking the nose of the nearest alpaca who had come over to the fence to see what he was doing.
‘I get the message.’ She giggled. ‘We’ll see you both sometime tomorrow morning.’
‘Great. See you then.’
He ended the call and looked in the direction of the driveway. Now he needed to share this latest news with Skye. He was fairly sure she was going to be as miserable as he was about it.
‘What?’ Skye said after Joe finished telling her the news. She sat on the grass in the meadow where he had come to meet her. ‘I’m not ready for this to end though.’
Joe shook his head, feeling her pain. ‘Neither am I, but there isn’t much we can do about it.’
Skye got to her feet. Joe looked up at her, wondering where she was going. ‘What is it?’
She had a mysterious look on her face as she held her hand out for him to take. Joe took her hand in his and stood. ‘What are you thinking?’
‘We might not be able to do anything much about Lettie and Brodie returning to their home, but we can make the most of the time we have left alone together.’
Was she thinking what he hoped she was? he wondered, his mood lifting dramatically ‘Go on.’
Skye began leading the way to the house, through the hall to the stairs and ascended them, still holding on to his hand.
‘Skye Sellers, where are you taking me?’
‘If you haven’t worked that out yet, Joe, then I’m surprised.’ They reached the attic floor. ‘Your room or mine?’
‘I don’t care. You choose.’
Seeing her face light up in a smile, Joe felt her hand grab his belt before she pulled him towards his bedroom door. ‘Then we’ll go to yours,’ she said as she led him inside and closed the door. ‘I haven’t really been in here before. Not properly.’
Joe saw the look in Skye’s eyes as she led him to the bed. He wanted this, very much, but was confused about her concern not to become too involved with him because of his work. Should he say something?
She gazed up at him. ‘I know what I said about us,’ she said as if she had read his thoughts. ‘But I’ve decided that with Lettie and Brodie coming back tomorrow and us having no idea what will happen next, I don’t want to miss this opportunity to be with you.’
‘I’m glad,’ he said, hearing the huskiness in his own voice. ‘Do you mind if I kiss you?’ he asked, desperate to take her in his arms.
‘No,’ she whispered, moving closer to him and slipping her arms around his neck.
He stared at her perfect mouth, waiting for his to press against it, and took her in his arms, his excitement intensifying as she gave a gentle groan.
Kissing Skye seemed like the most natural thing in the world. They seemed to know exactly how to react to each other, almost as if they had been intimate with each other for months.
She moved away and for a moment Joe presumed Skye wanted to stop what they were doing, until she took off her T-shirt and unclipped her bra, dropping it to the floor. He stared transfixed as she pushed down her shorts, then her pants and stepped out of them.
‘Well? Aren’t you going to join me?’ she asked, grinning at him.
‘Yes.’ He unbuttoned his jeans, letting them drop to the floor before kicking them to the far corner.
Skye laughed, obviously enjoying his awkward fumbling as he struggled to remove his briefs. ‘Let me help you with those,’ she said, her amusement making him aware that this was a scenario neither of them would be forgetting for a very long time.
Finally free of their clothes, she pushed him onto his bed and climbed on next to him. The next thing he knew she was moving one leg over his thighs, sitting astride him.
She beamed at him. ‘That’s better,’ she said quietly in a low voice that made him wonder why he hadn’t fallen in love with her the first second he set eyes on her. Or maybe he had and had been too stubborn and wrapped up in his own exhaustion to realise it. ‘Now, where were we?’
Joe didn’t allow himself to think, he just put his arms around her and pulled her against him as they began kissing again. His breath caught in his throat as she moved lower and kissed his chest.
He had been intimate with other women, but none of those experiences felt nearly as good as being with Skye. Any further thoughts vanished as he gave in to the sensations.