Chapter 3 #2
Thank God, she thought, releasing her breath and simultaneously relaxing her glutes.
That would have been mortifying – being caught gawking like some voyeuristic city girl on her first country walk!
Hardly how she wanted to start her time in Farmington.
Then as she turned around, she yelped ‘Oh!’ nearly stumbling backwards as she walked straight into him.
He was fully dressed now, thank God, though his hair was still damp and tousled.
Up close, she found he was even more devastatingly handsome.
He had green eyes that crinkled slightly at the corners, stubble that looked a little forgotten, and a mouth that seemed to curve into an easy smile.
She suddenly realised it was the same hunk of a man that had walked into Stanley’s.
It had to be. There was no way on earth there could be two men like this.
‘Sorry,’ he said, with an amused smile. ‘I didn’t mean to startle you.’
‘No, no, I . . .’ Eliza’s brain scrambled desperately for words that weren’t I just saw you naked and instead said, ‘I was just lost in thought,’ hoping as she said it that he hadn’t spotted her earlier. ‘I’m just exploring.’
‘Just exploring, I see. Are you new around here?’ He raised one eyebrow slightly as he studied her pink wellies.
‘Is it that obvious?’ Eliza laughed, trying to regain her composure, feeling her cheeks begin to burn. ‘Yes. I’m very new. Like yesterday new.’
‘That is new,’ he said, his smile widening. ‘The wellies gave you away if I’m being honest. Most locals have theirs caked in mud from last season’s ploughing competition. And I’m not sure I’ve seen pink ones round here.’
Something about his easy confidence intrigued her.
‘Well, in that case, I suppose I should introduce myself. Hello, I’m Eliza Fox. It’s nice to meet you.’ She held out her hand.
‘Nice to meet you, too, Eliza Fox. Luke Stanley,’ he replied, his hand engulfing hers in a firm grip. ‘Welcome to Farmington.’
Stanley. The name clicked immediately. Rose’s husband. ‘Stanley’s – the coffee bar! Is that yours?’
‘Guilty as charged.’
‘It’s so cool!’ Eliza exclaimed, trying desperately to sound normal while her inner voice screamed, I’ve seen you naked, and this morning I was drinking your creamy flat white, and oh my God, those abs!
Why do you need to be married? ‘I just had coffee there this morning with my sister. It’s brilliant.
Absolutely not what I was expecting to find around here, I have to admit. ’
Luke seemed pleased. ‘That’s kind of the idea – a bit of urban sophistication in the middle of a field.’
‘Well, it seems to be working – the coffee was delicious and your barista is so lovely, I nearly asked her to be my new friend.’
‘That’ll be Mia – she’s a gem. I live in fear of her leaving – it’s not easy to find good baristas out here.’
An awkward silence fell between them. Eliza couldn’t clear her head of the vivid memory of the water droplets sliding down his rippling chest. She cleared her throat.
‘So . . . are you a regular wild swimmer, then?’ Shit shit shit – she’d just given away that she’d seen him swimming.
He was going to think she was some sort of stalker.
Convinced she was blushing from top to toe, she coughed and wafted an arm at his damp hair.
‘I mean, I assume that’s why you’re out here with wet hair, but in these chilly March temperatures? You’re a braver man than most!’
His eyebrow quirked, a small ghost of a smirk dancing around his mouth.
‘Ah, you’ve heard of wild swimming, have you?
’ He let that question dangle there for a moment, so long that Eliza wondered if she should just confess everything.
God, it was mortifying. Then he smiled knowingly and continued, ‘Every morning, rain or shine, I can honestly say it’s the best way to start the day. Don’t you agree?’
She nearly swallowed her tongue. He must have seen her. ‘Ah, well, I’ve never tried it myself. I can’t get behind getting in cold water in the winter; it must be bloody Baltic! All feels a bit dangerous to me.’
‘Oh, but isn’t that half the fun.’ He grinned, tucking his hands into his jeans pockets.
Did he wink at her? No, that was definitely her imagination, but damn he looked like a model from an old Levi’s 501 advert.
After a beat, Luke continued, ‘It clears the head and gets the blood pumping. The perfect combination.’
She was going to end up either embarrassing herself or throwing herself on him at this rate; her heart was pounding out of her chest just looking at him.
‘Good to know! Well, it was nice to meet you, Luke Stanley,’ she said, aiming to sound casual, not to give away that she was actually undressing him in her mind, imagining what it would be like to run her hands over that sculpted torso.
‘I have no doubt I’ll see you around, though my morning ritual generally involves a coffee, not a cold swim. ’
‘Likewise, Eliza Fox,’ Luke replied, his voice carrying a warmth that seemed to cut through the crisp air between them. ‘And the coffee’s on the house next time.’
He held her gaze a little longer than was necessary, and Eliza felt a flutter in her stomach that had nothing to do with her desire for the Victoria sponge waiting for her at home.
‘Oh, and Eliza?’ He was already a few paces away when he glanced back over his shoulder. ‘If you get lost again, just follow the river. It loops right back to the village.’
And with that, he continued down the path, leaving Eliza standing there feeling flustered and oddly energised. She watched him go, the confident swagger in his step making it impossible not to stare. He knew she’d seen him, and he didn’t seem to care.
‘Well, Farmington,’ she whispered to herself, ‘you really are full of surprises.’