Page 26 of Love and Lattes at Pumpkin Hollow
‘That’s the pact we made, right?’ He raised an eyebrow and I couldn’t argue with that but that pact had been impulsive, born out of anger and desperation. Now I knew Dylan better and we’d spent this week together, it didn’t seem like such a good idea as it had in that moment.
I changed the subject back to safer ground and as we finished our hearty meal and drinks, I asked him about his grandmother, the one family member he seemed to be genuinely fond of.
‘I think I said me and my brother would stay at her house every summer when we were growing up. She lives on the coast in this lovely house that steps right out onto the beach. It’s a bit like you said about growing up on the farm – it was an idyllic way to spend the summer. And she is like my mother – calm and kind, and she loves to bake. After my mum died, I stayed with her. She provided a sanctuary, I guess, during that difficult time. I always felt safe there.’
‘That’s how I feel about the farm,’ I said softly. When he spoke about things he liked, his blue eyes lit up and I could see there was a spark in him that seemed to diminish when he put his suit back on and got behind his laptop. I wondered if he realised that was the case.
We both ordered the apple pie for dessert. Two bowls arrived with big slices of shortcrust-pastry-topped apple pie with a generous dollop of whipped cream on the side.
‘This looks just like what my gran used to make and we’d eat it on her balcony and look out at the sea. It was pretty perfect,’ he said with a wistful smile.
I glanced behind Dylan then and saw lights outside. ‘Come on.’ I stood up and picked up my bowl and spoon, grabbing my coat and draping it around my shoulders.
‘What?’
‘Follow me,’ I said, walking behind where Dylan sat and opening up the door that led to the inn’s garden. They had LED lanterns strung across the sheltered area. The tables looked out to the river which glowed under the moonlight. It was chilly but they had heaters under the tables so when we sat down, it was actually quite cosy. ‘Thought this might be the second-best thing,’ I told Dylan as he joined me, gazing out at the water. I was pleased to see a smile on his face.
As I put my bowl on the table, I put my finger into the whipped cream. ‘Oops,’ I said as I sat down. I put my finger in my mouth to lick off the cream. ‘Vanilla flavour,’ I said when I tasted the sweetness.
Dylan cleared his throat. ‘Good?’ he asked in a gruff tone. I realised he’d stopped looking out at the river and was now watching me.
‘Delicious,’ I replied. ‘What?’ I added when he didn’t stop looking at me.
‘You missed a bit.’ Dylan leaned over the table and reached out with his fingertip, wiping cream off of the corner of my lip. His eyes tracked the movement of his fingertips. I found myself holding my breath as his finger touched me and when he put it in his mouth and licked off the cream, I found myself staring at him in turn.
‘You’re right – it’s good,’ he said with a smile.
21
I was so stunned at what Dylan had done, I froze. He started to eat his dessert and I wondered if what happened had affected him at all or not. I realised I was feeling something else other than surprise – I was ever so slightly turned on. God. This was bad. With a capital B.
‘Try it, Willow,’ he encouraged me then.
I snapped out of my trance. ‘Oh, right, yeah,’ I said, looking quickly down at my bowl. The apple pie and cream were delicious but I was now thoroughly distracted.
‘Fancy a little walk down there?’ Dylan asked once we’d finished the dessert. He pointed to a jetty, which had a gazebo draped with the same lanterns stretching out onto the dark, still river. I agreed and we strolled to the spot.
The moon was right above us, like a guiding light in the dark sky. There wasn’t a sound around. The inn with its warmth and merriment felt very far away. ‘It’s beautiful here,’ I said, looking at the river moving slowly on the calm night.
‘It feels like it’s just the two of us in the world,’ Dylan murmured as he paused beside me. ‘Do you ever get lonely on the farm?’
I glanced at him in surprise. ‘Yeah, sometimes,’ I admitted. ‘Do you feel lonely where you live?’
‘I do,’ he replied.
We were quiet for a moment. I had the strange feeling that neither of us felt lonely tonight.
‘Look.’ Dylan pointed behind me and I could see the silhouette of a willow tree leaning over the dark water. ‘I think maybe every time I see one, I’ll be reminded of you now,’ he said with a smile.
‘Fuck,’ I blurted out before I could stop myself.
Dylan looked amused. ‘You okay?’
‘Nope,’ I said, realising how close we were standing to each other. I looked up at him, his eyes catching the moonlight. I shook my head. ‘You say these things and I forget for a moment that we’re enemies.’
‘All I can think about is you asking me if I feel passionate about anything,’ Dylan said, taking a step towards me so we were almost touching.
A shiver ran down my spine.
