Page 73 of Hope and Happiness in Bluebell Wood
‘So. . . what have you heard?’ I ask, brandishing a soapcovered wooden spoon at him.
‘That Lonan has eyes for another fair lady of this village.’
‘Who?’ I ask, my spoon dropping.
‘What’s it worth?’ Callum says, grinning.
‘I told you: you not getting soaked!’
‘How about something else?’ Callum says, suddenly looping his tea towel around the back of my neck and gently pulling me closer to him.
‘Like what?’ I whisper, unable to look anywhere other than into Callum’s pale blue eyes.
‘Like this,’ Callum murmurs, pulling me so close to him that our faces are barely millimetres apart.
I feel his warm breath on my lips just before he kisses me. Iclose my eyes and allow myself to become lost in him. His soft lips on mine, his smell, his touch. It all feels so right.
His kisses become more eager, and I feel the tea towel drop away as it’s replaced by one of his hands on the back of my neck, and the other around my waist, all the time pulling my body closer to his.
My body and mind are now in total surrender, and any previous reservations I may have had about allowing a priest to make me feel like this are long gone.
Suddenly I become aware that Callum’s hold on me has loosened, and he isn’t quite as close as he had been a few moments ago.
I open my eyes to see him staring at me. I’d like to have described it as gazing, but it was very definitely a stare.
‘What’s wrong?’ I ask, slightly breathless.
‘I’m sorry,’ Callum says, shaking his head. ‘I . . . I shouldn’t have.’
‘You shouldn’t have what?’ I say lightly. ‘I was enjoying that.’ I smile at him, but he doesn’t return my amusement.
‘I got carried away,’ he says, his head down.
‘I’m not complaining.’
‘Stop making a joke of this,’ he snaps. ‘I’m being serious.’
‘Sorry,’ I say, surprised by his tone.
‘No, I’m sorry,’ Callum says. ‘Sorry about everything. I should go.’
‘What do you mean?’ I ask, as he suddenly makes his way towards the kitchen door. ‘We haven’t done anything wrong, have we?’
I follow him into the hall and watch as he grabs his jacket from the coat stand.
‘No,youhaven’t done anything wrong, Ava,’ he says, turning back towards me. ‘But I have.’
He opens the door, and jumps as he finds Hannah and Lonan on the step about to come back in.
‘I have to go,’ he says to them. ‘Thank you for a lovely meal, Hannah.’
‘Do you have to?’ Hannah says, looking surprised by his haste.
‘Yes, I’m afraid I do.’ He glances back at me. ‘Thank you for your hospitality, Ava. It was most . . . neighbourly of you.’
Hannah and Lonan stand back to let him pass, and Callum wastes no time in speeding away along the path.
‘What was all that about?’ Hannah asks, closing the door behind her as she and Lonan step back into the cottage.
