Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
As we emerged onto the street, I turned to Jack and spontaneously kissed his cheek, swept up in the emotion of the moment.
‘Thank you. I don’t know what I would have done without you over the last few days,’ I said.
He put his hand up to the place I had kissed, as if he couldn’t believe that it had really happened.
‘It was what anyone would have done,’ he said.
I shook my head. ‘No. You went above and beyond that. Having you by my side was about the only thing that kept me going.’
Jack’s expression softened, then he reached across and brushed a loose tendril of hair away from my face, carefully tucking it behind my ear. His gentle touch sent a quiver of awareness through my skin.
‘I’m glad I could be there for you,’ he said simply.
We started walking down the street together, heading back towards the canal.
Our strides matched each other’s exactly, Hilda lolloping happily between us, two tall people with a matching rangy dog.
It felt so right, and I realised it wasn’t just because Hilda was back where she belonged.
A big part of this feeling of contentment was because of the man at my side, who had been a pillar of support through the darkest of days.
As we turned the corner into the little community garden by one of the footbridges over the canal, I paused.
‘Jack there’s something I really need to get off my chest.’
‘You don’t—’ he started to say.
‘I always tell people not to judge a book by its cover, but that’s exactly what I did with you.
I judged you on appearances, dismissing you as overprivileged and entitled, and my prejudice meant that I was all too willing to believe the worst of you when Liam was gossiping and putting his own spin on your joint history.
’ I cringed internally as I thought about how foolish I’d been.
‘But despite me doing my best to act as the worst neighbour you could imagine, you were always straightforward in your dealings with me. I’m not going to lie; you gave as good as you got, being difficult and winding me up no end.
And somewhere along the way, I started to enjoy our interactions, to look forward to them, infuriating as you can be at times.
Basically, what I’m trying to say is that as it happens, despite a lot of my behaviour towards you suggesting the contrary, the truth is, I really like you, Jack Siddall. ’
Jack chuckled. ‘That was a speech worthy of Darcy’s clumsy first proposal to Elizabeth,’ he said.
I pulled a face. ‘Sorry, was it that bad?’
His expression grew serious. ‘I think we’re both as inept as each other when it comes to trying to convey what we really mean.’
‘I’ll try again.’ Or at least, that was what I had intended to say, but the words didn’t emerge properly because Jack had closed the distance between us, his mouth a mere breath away from mine.
‘May I?’ he asked.
I decided action rather than words was the best way of responding.
I pressed my lips against his and rejoiced in the rightness of the sensation of his mouth joining with mine.
Perhaps my heightened emotions were a result of the stress of Hilda’s disappearance followed by the overwhelming relief of her return, but at that moment, I didn’t care.
The man had been discombobulating me for weeks, and now he was sending my senses awry in the best possible way.
I pressed myself against him and shivered with delight as he cupped the back of my head, his fingers teasing their way through my hair, sending my curls into even wilder disarray than normal.
I responded by tracing my hand down his spine towards his narrow hips trying to pull him closer still, until a cold wet nose shoved itself between us, forcing us apart.
Jack grinned ruefully. ‘I think Hilda’s objecting to being a third wheel. Perhaps we should head somewhere less public.’
There was nothing I wanted more at that moment.
He interlaced his fingers with mine and we continued our walk back towards the boats.
‘Hang on a minute,’ I said as a thought belatedly occurred to me. ‘What made you think of Darcy’s cringy proposal anyway? Have you been watching the film again?’
Jack gave a sharp intake of breath.
‘How very dare you? I happen to have read the book now,’ he said in a proud tone.
‘You finally decided to see what all the fuss was about?’ I teased him.
‘You seemed so passionate about it, that I couldn’t resist,’ he responded, sending an instant glow through my veins. ‘I can confirm I’ll definitely be tapping you up for all my book recommendations in the future.’
‘You do know the way to a girl’s heart,’ I said, immensely touched by his words. ‘I shall take great delight in initiating you to the wonders of my book collection.’ I giggled. ‘That sounded a bit suggestive.’
‘When it comes to you, I am very open to suggestions,’ replied Jack.
* * *
‘You certainly are,’ I said a while later as I rested my head on Jack’s chest. I’d always doubted whether the bed in my cabin would be comfortable enough for two people and I was delighted to have been proved wrong.
Admittedly the logistics of two six-foot individuals fitting into the confined space had been a bit interesting to start with, but with a lot of laughter and some most enjoyable experiments we’d found we fitted together there just right.
‘I am what?’ he asked, idly sketching a pattern on my inner wrist before lifting it to his mouth and pressing a kiss on its sensitive skin.
‘Open to suggestions,’ I said, responding with a teasing exploration of my own.
It felt so right to be curled up together like this, prejudice and misunderstandings in the past, Hilda safely home, fed, watered and catching up on sleep in the bookshop cabin.
There was no way of knowing what the future might hold for Jack and me, but I was excited to find out.
‘Always happy to oblige, Ms Bramble,’ he said, his voice rumbling against my ear. ‘May I make one of my own?’
I propped myself up on one elbow and looked down at him, enjoying his expression of pleasure as my hair tumbled around his face, tickling his neck. ‘I’m all ears.’
He responded by pulling me down for another kiss.
‘I like this suggestion,’ I whispered against his lips.
‘Me too. I’m afraid what I was actually going to suggest was rather more prosaic,’ he said.
‘Intriguing. Fire away, Mr Siddall.’
‘What I was wondering was whether I might make us some dinner, Ms Bramble? It’s a long time since lunch, and a lot has happened since then.’
As if it had heard the suggestion, my stomach grumbled, and I laughed.
‘That sounds like an offer I can’t refuse. After all, it’s important we keep our strength up for any future suggestions we might like to indulge in.’
In deference to any passing ducks, Jack pulled on some clothes before he left to start setting up a romantic dinner for two in the towpath garden.
Remembering the sparse contents of his fridge, I suggested I take charge of the food after all, while he happily agreed to pick out a special bottle of something from the Jericho Wine Barge to toast Hilda’s safe return.
I put a couple of portions of the lasagne which had been intended for the Food and Fiction event into the oven, and while I waited for it to reheat, I gave Hilda her extra treats as recommended by the vet.
‘Don’t get too used to this, Hildy-girl,’ I said, as she practically inhaled the food. ‘You’ll be back to normal rations tomorrow.’ She thumped her tail happily, enjoying the moment in the way that dogs are so good at doing.
‘Dinner is served,’ I said, emerging from the Oxford Bookship a short while later, a plate of steaming lasagne in each hand. Hilda trailed me closely, no doubt hoping that I might be about to accidentally drop some of it. ‘Oh Jack, that’s beautiful.’
Twilight had fallen, but the table awaiting me was bathed in the warm buttery glow of a candle lantern. The soft scent of flowers from the small vase at the centre of the table filled the air, while two glass flutes stood ready by a silver bucket full of ice.
I set the plates down and stroked Hilda, as Jack gently eased the cork out of the bottle of Prosecco. The way he did it with such care so as not to startle my dog made me like him even more.
He poured the bubbling liquid into the glasses and then passed one across to me.
‘Here’s to Hilda’s safe return,’ he said as we clinked our glasses together.
‘And here’s to the best neighbour I could have hoped for.’
‘I thought the best neighbour was no neighbour?’ he said with a twinkle.
I took a sip of Prosecco, pretending to consider my answer. ‘Well, you’re here now. Better the devil you know, and all that. I guess I’d miss you if you went. Just maybe.’ The warmth of the smile I gave him left him in no doubt that my feelings were stronger than my words would suggest.
‘I shall endeavour to prove my worth still further,’ he responded. ‘Once we’ve eaten, of course.’
‘I’ll look forward to that,’ I said.
We tucked into the meal, although I couldn’t have told you what it tasted like because my attention was solely on the man sitting opposite me.
At some point my phone pinged but I didn’t bother to check the screen.
I wanted to relish every moment with Jack.
The morning would be soon enough to see if Liam had taken my bait.
And then once the final bite of achingly sweet baklava had been consumed, we retreated indoors, where Jack demonstrated that he was as good as his word.