Chapter 15 #2
‘It’s a chestnut,’ he said. The words were practical, but in combination with the press of his thumb over her knuckle, they made Ginny light-headed anyway.
‘That was silly of me,’ she replied through her teeth, not daring to look at him.
She felt so wobbly and out of her depth, and it was somehow all his fault that her instincts were off-kilter.
Nothing else could explain why she was struggling to find her usual enthusiasm for weddings and why Rhys, of all people, suddenly made her heart race.
‘It doesn’t hurt any more.’ She pulled her hand back and he immediately shoved his into his pockets.
He stomped on the ground, before crouching down to remove two small nuts from the case he’d opened with his boot. He held them out to her. They were pretty, shiny and dark and shaped to fit together in their little casing. She took them from him, moving them around in her hand.
‘There are lots here,’ he said, opening another case with his feet. ‘I used to collect these from Pontypool Park as a kid.’
He looked around for somewhere to put the nuts, finding nothing. Ginny held out her hand for them, stowing them in her pocket. Using the edges of her shoes, she jimmied another case open and gathered the nuts inside.
‘Do you think we’ll be able to roast them back at the hotel?’ she asked.
His only response was a shrug, but he opened another case, handing her the nuts.
‘I don’t think I’ve ever eaten them before,’ she commented.
That earned an eyebrow-raise. ‘You should try them.’
After another few minutes of gathering nuts in silence, Ginny could breathe normally again. ‘Did you get what you needed from the church? Do you want to look around for a location for the photos after the service?’
He nodded, peering up at the tree. ‘Aside from recreating that old shot, I think the meadow down the road will be good for the formal photos.’ He paused, giving her a curious glance. ‘Are you sure you’re okay?’
Ginny sighed and slumped against the stone wall again. ‘That photo of Petra and Oswald just reminded me of my dad’s wedding – the second one, after my mum died.’
‘Ah.’ She suspected he regretted asking. He slipped a few chestnuts into his own pocket. She’d preferred it when he was handing them to her.
‘Sometimes I feel like I’m the only one carrying Mum’s memory.
’ She blinked, surprised herself at what had come tumbling out of her mouth this time.
‘Vivienne – my stepmum – even wants us to call her “Mum”. I was so young when she married my dad that I do call her that, but it’s never felt like the same word I use when I talk about my real mum.
Like, if I knew another person called Rhys, it wouldn’t feel like your name, you know? ’
His lips twisted in a way she interpreted as an understanding smile, although she was a little lost when it came to other people’s emotions right now. She opened another case and turned the smooth nuts over in her fingers before adding them to her pocket. It was nearly full.
‘My dad remarried just over a year after my mum died. Don’t you think that’s quick?’
‘You obviously do.’
Another slippery answer, but he unfortunately had a point. Apparently she was still bothered by how quickly her dad had remarried, nearly twenty-three years later.
‘This stupid dating ban is making me question everything,’ she grumbled.
‘What does this have to do with your own life?’
‘Not nothing,’ she replied as she concentrated on opening another spiky burr. ‘I’m terrified the real love of my dad’s life is Vivienne and not my mum, but what does that mean for me? I’m not Vivienne’s daughter. I’m not going to get married in the same church they did.’
She scrunched her mouth shut before more uncomfortable truths made their way out into the light. But this time what broke the silence was something she hadn’t expected. Staring at his boots, Rhys said, ‘I don’t remember my dad. He ran off when I was two. He wasn’t married to my mam anyway.’
‘Oh, I’m—’
He shook his head. ‘You don’t need to say you’re sorry, Ginny.’ His tone was faintly amused. ‘I’m just pointing out neither of us will repeat history.’
‘Is that why you aren’t looking for a long-term relationship? Because you’re worried about history repeating?’
That was definitely a smile on his lips this time. He might prefer to keep himself apart from others, but she couldn’t help imagining the bunch of women out there who knew first-hand what a kiss from those lips felt like, including his mysterious ex-girlfriend.
‘What do you mean by history repeating? That people will leave me or I’ll leave them?’
‘The first, of course,’ she insisted.
‘The second is far more likely,’ he said with a sigh, pushing off the wall and taking several steps away. ‘Now stay there so I can take a few test shots.’
Feeling wobbly – in her legs and her insides – she ducked under the low branches to stand in front of the great chestnut, the pockets of her jacket sagging under the weight of all the nuts. Placing her hands on her hips, she tipped her head up and posed, showing her good side.
That smile on his face endured as he lifted his camera and captured her.