Chapter 29
I woke first, and once I had pulled on my dressing gown, I sat on the edge of the bed and watched the steady rise and fall of Erik’s chest. The ache in my body was an indicator of a night thrillingly spent.
The best night I’d ever spent in fact, but one that I had known had been a mistake the second I opened my eyes.
What a lust-led fool I had been to think that I would be able to friend-zone Erik again after hours of such pleasure and connection.
He had fulfilled me in ways I had never before dreamed of and I knew he’d been satisfied, too, but now I had to somehow flick a switch and pick up where my head had been aiming for twenty-four hours ago.
Rather than wait for Erik to wake, I made us both a coffee and took a long, hot shower.
As I lathered and rinsed, I imagined the water washing away my feelings and I wondered how Mum managed to breeze through life with nothing more than the briefest bedroom encounters.
I could only suppose she’d never had the same experience that I’d just had.
One that had felt meaningful on every level and threw what I had once thought had been a Big Love with Reuben right out of the window.
‘Good morning,’ I smiled brightly when I went back into the bedroom and found Erik sitting up and drinking his coffee. ‘How’s your knee?’
‘It’s good,’ he said. Bending and straightening it under the duvet. ‘The rest of me is a bit—’
I didn’t need to know that what we’d intimately shared had physically impacted on him in the same way that it had me.
‘So, you’ll be okay to drive?’ I cut in.
‘Yes, but—’
‘Great.’
I turned the hairdryer on before he had a chance to say thanks for the memories or something similar. It was going to be hard enough being just friends again, so I certainly didn’t want to talk about our night of passion. Or anything really.
‘Sorry,’ I mouthed, because of the noise.
‘I’ll go and get showered,’ he said loudly. ‘We’ve got to be out of here soon.’
There was just enough time for the cooked breakfast Bella had supplied the components of, so I busied myself making that while Erik used the bathroom.
Rafe’s ‘third time being a charm’ prediction came to mind again and I almost wished I could tell him that he couldn’t have been more wrong, but I wouldn’t be confiding in him. Or anyone.
‘This looks good,’ Erik said in a similar cheery tone to the one I’d previously treated him to. ‘I’m famished.’
I couldn’t look at him then and shoved more bread in the toaster.
‘What time do we need to leave by?’ I asked.
‘Twelve. And Bella would like us to put the towels we’ve used in the shower.’
‘I’ll strip the bed, too,’ I said, as I added a poached egg to my plate along with the grilled bacon and tomatoes.
I’d just started to eat when the toast popped up.
‘I’ll get it,’ Erik insisted when I went to retrieve it.
‘Thanks.’
‘Bugger,’ he winced when he was on his feet. ‘My knee is much better than yesterday but I’m not sure it’s up to walking around that nature trail. Would you mind doing it alone?’
‘It’s fine,’ I told him. ‘I’m happy to miss it, but I would still like to go and pick a pumpkin or two. I don’t think it will take us too far out of our way, and you can wait in the truck if you don’t want to risk walking around a slippery, muddy field.’
‘And lunch?’
‘I don’t think we’ll need it after this, will we?’ I smiled.
‘Skylar,’ he began and I felt myself go hot. ‘Can I just say—’
‘If it’s anything about last night,’ I pretended to tell him off, ‘then no, you may not. We had a rule, remember, and now we need to stick to it. No further words necessary.’
‘Right,’ he sighed. ‘Well, I was just going to say that I spent the night with the most amazing woman and had the best time.’
‘I see,’ I said, ‘well funnily enough, as you’re my friend, I suppose I can share with you that I spent the night with a gorgeous guy, and I had a phenomenal time, too.’
I did look at him then but not for long.
‘How lucky are we?’ he smiled falteringly.
‘So lucky,’ I nodded vigorously. ‘And even luckier to have such a fabulous friend to be able to say that to. And not only that, they’re also the perfect PPO. Double prizes!’
Double prizes? I’d never said that before in my life! I was really going overboard with the enthusiasm.
‘You’re right,’ Erik said. ‘We’re both very lucky indeed.’
The rest of the day didn’t pan out as I had previously imagined.
There was no nature walk or Sunday lunch, but I did pick some pumpkins from the huge flat field that must have looked spectacular when it was full.
I considered the possibility of returning ahead of the harvest the following year but wasn’t sure I’d want to.
Wynbridge was idyllic but given what had occurred after the perfect autumn adventure the day before, I wasn’t sure I would want to relive the memory, and given that it had touched me so deeply I knew I wouldn’t be able to not recall it.
On the drive back to Norwich, Erik and I didn’t talk all that much and as I stared out of the window at the subtly shifting landscape I struggled to stop going over what had occurred, despite my best efforts. Truth be told, it was a relief to arrive back in the square.
‘We’ve come back with a lot more than we took,’ I commented, once we’d unloaded my things from the truck.
In the spirit of a speedy farewell, on my part at least, I asked Erik to drop me off right at the house.
So much had happened during our brief time away that the photos in the paper, which were the things that sent us away in the first place, along with the risk of more appearing should we be seen together again, had been pushed right to the back of my mind.
‘It was a good trip, wasn’t it?’ Erik asked.
‘It was fantastic,’ I enthused, because he didn’t sound sure. ‘I’ve got loads of suggestions for Kate and Luke and I really enjoyed seeing the whole town dressed up for autumn. It was brilliant.’
‘I’m sorry we weren’t there for the canine fancy dress competition,’ he smiled. It was his first in a while. ‘Maybe next year.’
‘Maybe,’ I echoed evasively as the house door opened behind me.
I felt immensely grateful for my father’s timely arrival.
‘What’s all this?’ he laughed when he caught sight of the pumpkins and bags. ‘Did you have a good time?’
‘A super time,’ I said.
‘Brilliant,’ Erik chipped in.
‘Are you coming in, Erik?’ Rafe asked. ‘I’ve got a lovely joint of pork crackling nicely in the oven.’
‘As tempting as that sounds,’ Erik said, ‘I’d better head off. Finn will be wanting his truck back.’
I put a hand on my father’s arm and gave it a light squeeze, hoping it would indicate that he should resist asking Erik to walk back over later.
‘Another time then,’ he said, thankfully. ‘Are all these pumpkins for us? I like that white one.’
I thanked Erik again, avoiding eye contact, and picked up a pumpkin to put paid to the possibility of a goodbye hug.
‘I’ll see you next week,’ I smiled.
‘Yes,’ Erik said as he climbed back into the truck. ‘See you next week.’
I didn’t watch him drive away and when Rafe started firing questions I handed over the pumpkin and told him I was bursting for the loo.
Shut in the bathroom, I pulled out my phone and decided to send Erik a message, just to reiterate that I had no qualms about putting us back on a friendly footing.
I was too slow though because he’d already messaged me.
‘You don’t think we made a mistake, do you?’ I read aloud and felt my stomach twist.
I most certainly did because the night had left me aching for more, but I was determined that I would continue with the cheery attitude I’d displayed right from the moment I’d greeted Erik that morning.
I wasn’t going to let anything ruin our friendship or our potential future working relationship.
There was too much at stake for us to let any doubts about whether we’d made the wrong decision linger. I took a deep breath and then replied.
‘Absolutely not!’ I read as I typed. ‘I had the best time. Itch scratched!’
I pressed send before I had time to overthink it and watched the screen, waiting for Erik’s response. He immediately read what I’d sent but didn’t reply. In fact, it looked like he’d gone offline.
‘Dinner will be in about an hour,’ Rafe said, when I joined him again. ‘So, you’ve got time for a nap if you need one. You do look a bit tired.’
‘We had a jam-packed itinerary,’ I told him. ‘There was so much to see.’
‘Yet you’re back quite early,’ he commented with a nod to the clock.
I explained about Erik’s knee playing him up because of the change of vehicle, so we’d cut the day a little short to make sure he didn’t have too much pain on the drive back.
‘You know, I think I will have a nap,’ I yawned. ‘Unless there’s anything I can do?’
‘No,’ Rafe said. ‘I’m all set down here. And I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve invited Hugh for dinner. Is that all right?’
‘Of course, it is,’ I smiled. ‘It’s about time we met.’
I really wasn’t in the right frame of mind to meet my father’s partner that evening, but I’d rise to the occasion, and at least having someone else in the house might distract Rafe from asking me more about my weekend in Wynbridge.
Hugh was a total tonic. I had hung back as he and Rafe greeted one another in the hallway, and when they walked into the kitchen together, I could see straightaway that the new man in my father’s life was the perfect fit.
‘Skylar,’ Hugh beamed as he unwound the voluminous knitted scarf he was wearing and handed it to Rafe, ‘I’m so pleased to meet you at last.’
‘Likewise,’ I smiled back. I was grateful to feel my mood lift thanks to his warm words. ‘Rafe’s told me nothing about you, so I’m looking forward to getting to know you. I think my father’s been wanting to keep you to himself.’
I didn’t mention that Grandad George had told me a couple of things.
‘And who can blame me?’ my father laughed.
‘Me,’ I said. ‘We’re living together now, so you must learn to share secrets.’
Rafe gave me a look which inferred that I was the pot and he was the kettle.
‘I have met your grandfather,’ Hugh then said. ‘My mother, Ottilie, knows him and I’m convinced they contrived our first meeting, but no matter. I’m just very grateful that we met, however it came about.’
‘As am I,’ Rafe agreed sincerely.
The two of them were clearly very much attached, and I felt happy for my father. It suited him, being in a relationship, and I wondered if his writing output was as much related to being content in his love life as it was connected to the return of his muse…
‘Now,’ Hugh said. ‘Where are these cats I’ve heard so much about?’
With the introductions over, I sat on the sofa and watched the two men work around one another in the kitchen.
Hugh organised the drinks while Rafe continued to perfect the roast dinner that had filled the house with the most delicious smell and made my tummy rumble.
The eggs and bacon Erik and I had eaten felt a long way off.
Not that I was thinking about the start of our day or anything else that had happened ahead of it.
‘Now,’ Rafe said, once the dinner was served and we’d enjoyed enough of it to satisfy the first pangs of hunger, ‘tell us about your trip Skylar. What did you make of Wynbridge?’
I should have known I wouldn’t get away with it completely.
I immersed us in the plethora of glorious autumn details that the visit had bestowed upon Erik and me and I was quite proud of the facade I managed to present when all the while my head was wondering if there was a response to my message waiting on my phone.
I’d had to take it right out of the room to stop the itch in my fingers which was tempting me to keep checking.
‘So, Kate’s description of The Cherry Tree Café was accurate,’ Rafe said when I’d finished telling them how perfect it was.
‘Entirely accurate,’ I confirmed.
‘I wish you’d come back with a bake or two,’ Hugh said.
‘I did think of that,’ I told him. ‘But Erik was mindful of putting our friend Mark’s nose out of joint. He’s a baker at Blossom’s, you see.’
‘In that case, I’ll let you off,’ Hugh smiled. ‘I’m sure I’ve gained at least half a stone since I started seeing your father and have become more acquainted with the area.’
‘You don’t have to call in at Blossom’s every time we meet,’ Rafe teased.
‘Like you can resist!’ Hugh batted back and we all laughed.
‘It is tempting,’ I agreed.
‘Can I hear a phone?’ Rafe frowned and cocked his head.
I jumped up and shot out of the kitchen, which probably looked a little suss but given what happened next, my sprint from the room was forgotten.
‘It’s yours,’ I said to my father as I rushed back in again with it in my hand. ‘It’s the Cavell Care number.’
Rafe quickly answered and I listened in concern to his side of the conversation.
‘No,’ he finally finished up. ‘You were right to call. Thank you. I’ll be with you as soon as I can.’
Hugh pulled his phone out of his shirt pocket.
‘Uber?’ he asked as my father said goodbye to whoever had rung from the care home.
‘Yes, please,’ he said. ‘It’s nothing to panic about,’ he added for my benefit. ‘Dad’s just a bit under the weather. He’s got a cold that’s taken a bit of a hold.’
‘That could turn to pneumonia,’ I panicked.
‘It could,’ he said calmly, ‘but I don’t think it will.
A doctor has been to see him and said he’s happy for him to stay at the Cavell and another GP will check on him in the morning.
Any change overnight and the staff will call someone again but I’m going over now to tell him to behave while he’s bed-bound. ’
‘I’ll come with you,’ I said.
‘The Uber will be seven minutes,’ Hugh said softly.
‘I’d rather you went tomorrow, Skylar, if that’s all right? Dad might worry if the two of us go piling in.’
I wanted to see Grandad George, but knew what Rafe said made sense.
‘All right,’ I agreed. ‘I’ll go first thing in the morning.’
‘What would you like me to do?’ Hugh asked. ‘I can stay here, come with you as far as the Cavell or leave you both to it? I don’t mind what I do as long as I won’t be in the way.’
I noticed my father looked a little pale despite his calm response to the situation.
‘I think Rafe would appreciate the company on the drive over,’ I took charge and said. ‘As long as it won’t take you too far out of your way.’
We all knew that walking was quicker, but the weather had turned to rain and hopefully this time on a Sunday evening, the roads wouldn’t be too busy.
‘Not at all,’ Hugh agreed. ‘I’ll pop to Mum’s apartment and then I can be around for the drive back, if I’m needed. Come on then, Rafe. Grab your coat and we’ll be ready at the door. I’ll see you very soon, Skylar.’
Rafe did as he was directed and Hugh gave me a kiss on the cheek before they left. I felt soothed that my father had such comforting company. I had warmed to Hugh immediately and hoped that their relationship was going to last. I had a feeling it might.