Page 30 of Sunny Skies and Summer Kisses

‘No worries, I understand.’ Crestfallen, he still managed to muster up a smile.

As guilty as she felt, Anoushka was determined to stick to her resolution and resist his charms.

‘So, what are your plans for the afternoon?’ he asked.

Uh-oh. He doesn’t give up easily.‘I want to have a thorough check round, make sure everything’s perfect, then get all the final bits and bobs finished, and I’ve got a load of pictures to hang, t-shirts to put away. That sort of thing.’

‘Okay, well, will you at least let me give you a hand with the pictures? I can hold them while you decide where they’re best placed… you know, left a bit, right a bit, higher, lower. I’m told I’m very good at that kind of thing.’ He chuckled good-naturedly, his disappointment apparently forgotten.

There was something about his smile that made her soften and she found herself saying, ‘That’d be great, thanks; shouldn’t take long.’

‘Cool.’ His smile spread, making his eyes crinkle at the corners. Her wayward heart gave a little flip.

* * *

With Gabe’s help,the pair got the job done in no time, the black and white photos of dancers adding the perfect finishing touch to the rooms.

‘There, all done,’ he said, screwing the lid on the jar of picture hooks. ‘I think we’ve earnt ourselves a mineral, wouldn’t you agree?’

‘A mineral?’ Anoushka asked, her brow crinkling at the unfamiliar expression.

‘It’s what we call a soft drink back in Ireland.’ He grinned at her. ‘I’ve got a few cans in my car, might not be as chilled as we’d like, but they’ll at least wet your whistle.’

‘Mmm. Sounds good.’ A thud from outside followed by the crunch of footsteps walking over gravel stole her attention. ‘What was that?’ she said, her face falling. She rushed over to the window to find whoever, or whatever, it had been was gone. A feeling of unease crept over her skin. Several times that afternoon she’d had the uncomfortable feeling that they were being watched but she’d pushed the notion out of her mind, telling herself her imagination was playing tricks on her. But now that uneasy feeling had returned. Was it Damon? Was it a fan of Gabe’s who’d been following him? Or was she simply just blowing things out of proportion? She rubbed her hands up and down her arms and fixed a smile to her face before turning back to Gabe. ‘There’s no one there.’

‘It was probably just something to do with one of the other tenants,’ he said, giving her a reassuring smile.

‘Yeah, I reckon you’re right.’ She smiled back, trying hard to ignore the little niggle that told her otherwise.

Five minutes later, they were sitting on the wall at the side of the studio, soaking up the sunshine and sipping from their cans as they gazed out over the view. The battlements of Danskelfe Castle, perched precipitously on its crag, were visible through a gap in the trees, its flag waving in the breeze. The sound of a woodpecker drumming away, echoing around the dale, triggered a laugh from Gabe. ‘That’s such an amazing sound. Poor bird must have a hell of a headache by the end of the day.’

Anoushka looked across at him and smiled. Much as she was reluctant to admit it to herself, she’d found herself glad that he’d turned up; she’d enjoyed these last few hours with him. And with his down-to-earth outlook on life, it was so easy to forget his celebrity status. She took a surreptitious glance at his arm that was inches away from her own, the sudden urge to run her finger over his sun-kissed skin taking her by surprise. She swallowed, quickly averting her gaze.

Oblivious, Gabe gave a contented sigh. ‘Being a townie, I hadn’t actually realised how noisy the countryside could be until I first came to stay up here with Sim and Caro. When I saynoisy, I don’t mean I think it’s a bad noise. What I mean is, I was expecting the moors to be deathly quiet, which is exactly what it isn’t.’

Anoushka turned to him, listening intently as he went on.

‘The air’s just brimming with the most joyful sounds, from lambs bleating, stags barking, birds calling in a whole host of fabulously different ways, to the gentle hum of a tractor in the distance. It’s quite the cacophony.’ He laughed again, his expression animated. ‘I’ve grown to love all the sounds that make up the moors. I’ve never felt so inspired; I write my best music here. Just makes me want to keep on coming back. Well,’ he said, his eyes dropping to the can in his hand, ‘maybe it’s not the only reason.’

As if on cue, a magpie flew by, the sun picking out the iridescent blue flash on its wings. It landed in a nearby rowan tree, its piercing squawk shattering the peace. ‘And where do you stand on the racket our friend over there’s making?’ asked Anoushka, thankful of its sudden presence.

‘Hmm, I think I’d have to say, it’s a little harsh on the ears.’ Gabe chuckled, changing position, causing his arm to brush against Anoushka’s, the warmth of his skin sending a charge through her. He turned to her; he’d clearly felt it too.

The weight of his gaze made her feel suddenly self-conscious. Hurriedly searching for an escape from the situation, she looked at her watch. ‘Oh… er, heck, is that the time? I really should be heading home; I’ve still got loads to do. Still need to update my social media pages; they’re on today’s to-do list.’ Even to her own ears, her reason sounded flimsy.

‘Oh, right, yeah, okay.’ He smiled, giving a small shrug. ‘I’d offer to give you a hand with that, but I’m afraid I’m pants at anything to do with social media.’

‘No worries, but thanks anyway.’ She flashed him a smile before jumping down from the wall. ‘I need to make sure all my pupils and their parents know about the dance school’s opening party. I’ve already sent a note out but a post or two on the dance school’s social media pages are great for acting as a reminder; notes can have a nasty habit of getting lost, and emails unopened.’

‘True. And it’s always good to be organised.’ He jumped down beside her, dusting lichen from his hands.

Feeling mean spirited at turning down his invitation to the Sunne, Anoushka found herself saying, ‘You’d be very welcome to join us, if you’re in the area again, that is. It’s a week on Friday at the village hall; starts at six o’clock. I appreciate it’s probably not your thing, but Caro’s going to be there – she’s offered to do a little bit of a speech, which is really kind of her. Sim’s welcome too if he’s back. My family, Vi and Jimby, Molly and Camm are going, and I dare say some of us will be finishing off at the Sunne then – though I won’t be having a late night since I’ve got a dance class at nine the following morning. And it won’t be anything like your showbiz kind of parties; it’ll be very tame by comparison, so don’t go building your hopes up.’ She smiled at him, aware she was starting to gabble.

Hope flickered across his face. ‘I’m in Nottingham the night before and after, but I’ll see what I can do. Oh, and I should probably say, I hate showbiz parties. They’re so not my thing, all that posing and preening. Ughh!’ He gave a mock shudder, making Anoushka giggle. ‘Right then, I’d best go and see what my wee fella Bob’s been up to.’ He bent and kissed her cheek, his skin soft against hers, the smell of his cologne triggering a quickening of her pulse. ‘Been good to see you, Noushka.’

Their eyes locked and for a moment Anoushka found herself wishing he would kiss her.

21

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