Chapter 20
Throwing her head back, Ellie laughed. ‘No, it was you! I remember vividly that it was you who stuck your head out of your stepdad’s car window and threw up all down the side of the door. Not me.’
‘Ah, you might be right.’ Rubbing his hand across his face, Murray chuckled. ‘I think that’s the last time I really went out clubbing. All those years ago before I…’
As his voice trailed off, Ellie nodded, the atmosphere between them suddenly shifting.
They must have been out in the garden for well over an hour now.
The sun had almost set and the little solar-powered fairy lights she’d strewn up along the fence beside the metal table and chair set flickered to life. ‘Is there any more of that wine?’
Picking up the bottle sitting on the table between them, Murray gave it a little shake. ‘Enough for one last one each, I think.’
‘Well, that’s not hard being as you’re sipping out of that egg cup, is it?’ Holding her empty mug across to him, she grinned. She might just be a bit tipsy, but he must be too judging by the number of wine shots he’d been throwing back.
‘Haha, it would be fine if every time I took a sip, I didn’t end up with the chicken’s bottom feathers sticking up my nostril.’ Wrapping his fingers around her mug, he steadied it as he poured, his fingers brushing with hers.
‘Thanks.’ She watched as he lowered the bottle to the table again, his fingers still holding her mug, his skin still against hers.
Looking her in the eye, he lowered his voice, barely above a whisper. ‘Do you ever wonder what life would have been like if I hadn’t left?’
Blinking, she searched his face. Had he just said what she’d thought he had or was she just imagining things? This was the first time she’d drunk in months, was she imagining this conversation?
‘Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked that.’ Letting go of her mug, he picked up his egg cup and took a quick drink.
As she lowered her wine to the table, she kept her eyes focused on him. His cheeks were pinking. ‘Ask me again.’
Leaning forward in his chair, he sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck before leaning back again and meeting her gaze. ‘I asked you if you ever wondered what life would have been like if I hadn’t left for the States.’
Every single day. And more so since Rick had left. That’s what she wanted to say, but she couldn’t. She could hardly force enough breath into her lungs in order to keep her heart beating, let alone talk. After seconds had turned to a minute or two, she managed to squeak back, ‘Do you?’
‘I do.’ Murray nodded slowly and placed his hand on the table between them, turning his palm up, waiting.
‘I do as well.’ Her voice sounded hoarse as she tried not to think what this might mean, what those few short words might lead to.
Gingerly, she reached across and laid her hand in his palm, watching as he laced his fingers through hers, feeling the warmth and strength from his hand against her skin.
As they sat there, looking at each other, their fingers interlaced on the tabletop between them, Ellie hardly dared to move.
She didn’t want this moment to end, whatever it was, whatever it meant.
She just wanted to stay like this forever, the wave of warmth emanating from her chest told her this wasn’t just a bit of hand-holding.
This meant something and she didn’t want the spell to break.
‘Do you…?’ Just as soon as Murray had begun speaking, a rush of flapping wings and the whoosh of air was quickly followed by a huge pigeon flailing towards them.
Snatching his hand away, Murray pushed his chair back and stood up a second before the pigeon crash-landed on the table, knocking the wine bottle which skidded across the metal surface before crashing to the floor.
Ellie froze for a second, stunned by Purdy’s ungainly interruption before she reached forward towards the bird, who then sprang back to life and flew back over the fence into Mrs Jedd’s garden.
Standing up, she spun around. She’d never had one of the pigeons dive-bomb her before and they’d lived here long before she had.
Yes, they came up to her and weren’t shy to beg for food, but they’d never dive-bombed at her. ‘Purdy, are you okay?’
‘Purdy?’ Murray raised his eyebrow.
Walking across towards the fence, Ellie ducked as Purdy returned, again, seemingly in as much of a fluster as she’d been the first time.
She watched in stunned silence as the pigeon once again circled back and dove down into Mrs Jedd’s garden.
‘Yes, Purdy the pigeon.’ She frowned as she walked gingerly over to the fence between the gardens.
‘But she and Pedro never normally leave each other’s side. ’
Joining her, Murray peered into Mrs Jedd’s garden before pointing. ‘Well, I think we’ve just found Pedro.’
Following Murray’s gaze, Ellie watched in amazement as Purdy, who had now landed, hopped across towards a sheet of netting covering both the pond and Mrs Jedd’s precious gnomes.
Sure enough, Murray was right, Pedro was jumping up and down flapping his wings in panic and trying to free his little foot, which had somehow got caught in the netting.
Ellie turned to Murray, her heart beating hard in her chest. ‘What do we do? If Mrs Jedd catches him, there’s no guessing what she might do to him. I need to free him before she sees. They’ve been coming into my garden forever, I can’t just leave him.’
Narrowing his eyes, Murray looked across at Mrs Jedd’s cottage. ‘If she’s a danger to a pigeon, what do you think she’d do to a human if she caught them skulking around in her garden?’
‘You’re thinking what I’m thinking?’ She bit down on her bottom lip as she watched him drag a chair across towards the fence.
‘Yep, I’m going over.’ As he clambered up onto the chair, Ellie shot out her arm to steady him. Yep, he’d clearly had as much to drink as her. ‘You keep a lookout.’
Before she had the chance to protest and tell him she’d go instead, she watched as he dropped to the other side, narrowly missing flattening the yellow marigolds growing in the flower bed.
‘It’s okay, little one. I’m here to help you.’ As he approached Pedro, Murray sank to his knees and gently untangled the petrified pigeon.
As soon as he was free from the netting, Pedro launched himself into the air to join Purdy and they both settled into their usual position on the ridge of the fence.
Hearing a clattering from Mrs Jedd’s cottage, Ellie glanced across and watched as the kitchen light was switched on. Waving at Murray, she whispered loudly, ‘Quick, she’s coming out!’
Pausing, Murray looked towards the cottage as Mrs Jedd’s figure emerged in the window. Dropping to his knees behind a large pot brimming with herbs, Murray took a sharp intake of breath.
Ellie glanced wildly from Murray to Mrs Jedd and back again. If she noticed him, she’d ring the police and have him charged with… what? Trespassing to save a life? Or worse, attempting to encourage the defacing of Norman’s nose?
After what felt like ten hours but was likely ten seconds, the figure in the window disappeared from view and the kitchen was plunged back into darkness. ‘Quick, she’s gone. Jump back over.’
‘Jump?’ Hurrying the few short steps towards the fence, Murray knitted his eyebrows together. ‘I might be tall, and the fence might be relatively short, but I still don’t think I can get my lanky legs over it.’
After checking the kitchen light was still out in her neighbour’s cottage, Ellie dragged the other chair across the patio and lifted it over the fence towards him. ‘Quick, grab it, it’s heavy.’
‘Thanks.’ Lowering the chair to his side, Murray climbed up before stepping back over the fence onto the other chair.
Leaning over, he hoisted the chair he’d used to hop across back into Ellie’s garden just as Mrs Jedd’s outside light flicked on.
Thankfully, the weak glow barely illuminated the pond and surrounding patio.
‘Yikes, she must have seen something.’ Dropping to the ground, Ellie dragged Murray down with her, barely able to contain her laughter at the absurdity of the situation.
Stumbling, Murray half-fell, half-knelt, saving himself at the last moment so he was propped over her, an arm on either side of her.
With their faces centimetres apart, Ellie held her breath as he looked into her eyes. She listened as Mrs Jedd’s back door clicked open and footsteps approached them. She could feel Murray’s biceps twitch against the top of her arms as he held his position, not once breaking eye contact.
As soon as they heard her neighbour’s footsteps retreat again and the kitchen door click shut behind her, they both burst out laughing.
‘That was close!’ She grinned. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever held my breath for so long. I was sure she was going to peer over the fence and spot us.’
‘Same here.’ Murray chuckled before his expression grew serious again. He made no sign to move.
She could feel his heart beating against her chest, his breath warming her cheeks, and she tentatively reached up, laying her hands against the nape of his neck.
She wanted to kiss him so much. No, she wanted him to kiss her, to show her he wanted her back.
She watched as he lowered his gaze to her lips and leaned down a millimetre before pausing.
‘Do you want this too?’ His voice was choked with emotion.
Nodding, she lifted her head, her lips gently touching his. As she felt the rush of electricity between them, he lowered himself to his side before stroking her cheek, their lips still locked together.
So this was what it felt like to kiss the one who had got away. She remembered him, she remembered this feeling of utter, pure connection.
As he leaned back slightly, she cupped his cheeks with her hands as they looked deep into each other’s eyes. ‘What does this mean?’
Murray opened his mouth to answer just as a beam of light shone across the fence.
‘Drat, she’s got the torch out. She must know someone’s been in her garden.’ Shifting from her position, Ellie held out her hand to Murray, signalling for him to copy her.
As he pushed himself to standing, Murray stubbed his toe on the leg of one of the chairs they’d used in their pursuit to rescue Pedro, which in turn knocked against the fence.
Grimacing, Ellie held her breath.
‘Ellie? Is that you, Ellie?’ Mrs Jedd called, her voice becoming louder as she made her way around her pond towards the fence.
Holding her breath, she watched as Murray did the same.
‘Ellie? If that’s not you, I’m going to call the police.
’ Mrs Jedd’s voice rose an octave but didn’t seem to get any louder.
She’d clearly stopped in the middle of her garden, seemingly unsure whether to continue in her quest to find the culprit of the noise or to retreat into the safety of her cottage.
Slumping her shoulders, Ellie shook her head slightly.
She’d have to show herself. As much as Mrs Jedd grated on her, she couldn’t have her neighbour feeling scared in her own home.
Putting her forefinger to her lips, Ellie used her other hand to wave Murray inside.
After watching him disappear into her kitchen, Ellie stood up and peered over the fence, a feeling of guilt washing over her as she watched Mrs Jedd turn and relief flood across her face.
‘Hi, Mrs Jedd. Sorry if I disturbed you, I was just trying to…’ She glanced down, waiting for inspiration to strike.
‘Trying to what? You almost scared the living daylights out of me,’ Mrs Jedd chided as she held her palm against her chest.
‘I didn’t mean to… I thought I saw a hedgehog.’ As soon as the words escaped her lips, Ellie realised how poor an excuse that was. Heck, a two-year-old could have come up with a better lie.
‘A hedgehog?’ Joining her at the fence, Mrs Jedd held her torch up, shining it into Ellie’s garden. ‘Where is the little blighter? Something’s been messing with my netting, I bet that was the hedgehog.’
‘Maybe.’ Ellie swallowed, hoping Mrs Jedd wouldn’t question her further. She needed to turn this conversation around to her neighbour. ‘Why have you put netting up over your pond? Is the heron which visited last year back for your fish?’
Mrs Jedd shook her head with such force the bright pink curlers holding her white hair in place threatened to dislodge. ‘No. I’ve not seen that bird again, thank goodness. The netting is to deter your flying rats from coming anywhere near my Norman again.’
‘Oh.’ Ellie opened her mouth, about to ask how a piece of netting would stop a pigeon from flying over and decorating her gnome again before she thought better of it and gave a large dramatic yawn instead. ‘I’d better get to bed.’
‘At this hour? It’s only half past eight. I would have thought someone young like you would be burning the midnight oil.’ Mrs Jedd shifted position and crossed her arms, clearly signally she was settling in for one of her extended chats. ‘When I was your age…’
Hearing her mobile ping from her pocket, Ellie pulled it out and glanced down to read the message:
Thank you for a lovely evening. Have left the van at yours and will walk home. Hope that’s okay? Murray x
He’d gone already. Ellie blinked as she felt her heart drop.
It was still early. Why had he left so suddenly?
Maybe he’d assumed she’d be chatting to Mrs Jedd for ages or maybe he had to get up early tomorrow.
Slipping her mobile back into her pocket, she ran the pad of her forefinger across her lips.
They’d kissed. That must have meant something, mustn’t it?
‘…and that’s what we enjoyed doing, going to the Winter Gardens and dancing until the early hours.’ Mrs Jedd frowned. ‘You’ve not been listening to a word I’ve said, have you?’
Snapping her head up, Ellie looked at Mrs Jedd as she felt the sear of embarrassment flash across her cheeks. She’d been caught out. ‘Sorry, I…’
‘I know. You’re tired. I can see it on your face. I don’t suppose you’ve slept much since Rick moved out.’ Mrs Jedd’s voice softened. ‘You’ll find someone else, Ellie. You’re young, you’ve got your whole future ahead of you.’
Ellie nodded slightly. Perhaps she already had. She just wished she could be sure whether the kiss she’d shared with Murray had meant as much to him as it had to her.
‘Go on, get yourself off to bed.’ Mrs Jedd dismissed her with a flick of her hand before turning away. ‘Night, love.’
‘Night,’ Ellie repeated back. She wasn’t sure she’d ever heard her neighbour be so understanding before.