Page 29 of Starting Over at Halesmere House
‘To go cycling, of course.’
‘I can probably be more flexible with my hours than you at the moment. The weekend maybe, seeing as it’s dark so early now?’
Zac was checking his phone. ‘How about Wednesday afternoon? I was planning to take a look at the rest of the trees in your garden then and if I come earlier, we could take the bikes out first.’
‘Are you sure you have the time?’
‘I am.’ He was tapping something on the screen, and she presumed it was their new plans. She liked that they were in each other’s phones, linked by their messages, the banter they’d shared. She hoped there would be more.
‘So, I’ll see you Wednesday, then, about half one? It’s a… No, it’s not a date.’ Alice corrected her mistake, loving that she could make him laugh. ‘We don’t do that, remember?’
‘So what is it, then?’ he asked, and she was also coming to really like how much he could say with so few words.
‘A meeting.’ She turned away, one hand on the railing. ‘Just remember to go easy on me; I’m a novice.’
‘I can’t do that, Harvey,’ Zac called. ‘It’s official, you’re in training now.’
The food hygiene training was fine on Tuesday and Sandy was also one of the online participants who received a certificate at the end. Her aunt had mentioned to Alice that Ella and Max had offered the use of the barn for monthly community lunches, seeing as the church hall was out of action because of the state of the roof, and its survival wasn’t guaranteed.
Other than the pub, which perfectly reasonably charged people for eating, there wasn’t another suitable place for locals to gather except inside the church, which was large and expensive to heat with outdated and few facilities. The eight guests currently staying in Halesmere House on retreat were enjoying all the studios had to offer and Alice was thrilled when two of them signed up for a Valentine’s Day flower-arranging course she was planning in February.
Lizzie had already suggested tying in the course to a romantic retreat package for couples in the house, and Alice loved the idea. Her new table for the Flower Shed was ready and Stan was putting it together in her studio as it was too big to manoeuvre in just one piece.
Later that evening, she caught up with Kelly online, purposefully not mentioning the planned cycle ride with Zac. Quite a lot had happened between them since Kelly’s visit, and Alice didn’t want to give her friend any more reason to badger her about dating him. Thankfully Kelly was too loved up with her new partner to remember that Alice had promised to review her online dating status in a month, which was creeping closer.
On a visit to town, Alice picked up a couple of books with local cycle trails and downloaded some maps, but other than that first ride after she’d built the bike, this was as far as her current cycling experience went. She was looking forward to going out with Zac, even if thoughts of the triathlon and all the training she needed to do were making her apprehensive. But as long as she could raise a decent amount of money for the charity, then every moment would be worth it. Her trepidation about the ride was tempered by the knowledge that she did actually trust him to take care of her, and she was ready when they met outside her studio on Wednesday afternoon, the bike propped against the wall.
‘Hey. Time to get that thing dirty – it’s far too shiny.’ Zac had changed out of work clothes into all-black cycling kit, shorts over leggings with a tight-fitting T-shirt.
‘Should I be worried?’ Alice wheeled the bike across the cobbles, a small rucksack she’d packed over one shoulder. ‘You’re wearing a base layer as well as a T-shirt, which, knowing you, implies extreme weather and it does look like rain.’
‘So? You won’t actually melt if it does rain, I promise.’ He opened the doors to his van and her bike did look decidedly different from his own mud-spattered one. ‘You’ll just get wet. That seems to happen a lot when you’re around but even you can’t ride in those waterproof trousers.’
‘At least I have the sense to wear them.’ She bit her lip. ‘You will be gentle with me, won’t you?’
‘We’ll take it slow, I promise.’ He was the first to look away as he picked up her bike. ‘Nice and light, carbon frame.’
‘Does that matter? I know there’s lots of different bikes, but they all need pedalling, which is the bit I’m not so keen on.’
‘All the more reason to get started so you can smash that triathlon.’ Zac followed her into the van once he’d loaded her bike and slammed his door. ‘Yours is a gravel bike and it’s a good choice, unless you’re planning to ride some hard-core mountain trails.’
‘Do I look like I’m crazy?’ she retorted, and Zac laughed as the electric engine purred into life and he left the car park. ‘A gentle pedal is all I require today. I’ve been on YouTube; you’re not going to find me thundering downhill at thirty miles an hour on two wheels any time soon.’
‘Good job I’ve planned some nice forest tracks that’ll ease you in, then.’
‘Will there be hills?’ Nothing was level around here except the lakes, and she was seriously out of practice at any exercise other than walking and a bit of yoga right now.
‘Alice, you’re in Cumbria – take a look around you! We’re not going up the side of a fell, but you can expect some climbing.’
Thirty minutes later, he pulled into a Forestry Commission car park and Alice insisted on paying as Zac unloaded the bikes. Her new helmet still felt strange as she adjusted the straps to make sure it was secure. She ignored a flare of anxiety when she noticed Zac packing a first aid kit and some biking essentials into a rucksack.
Even basic cycling technique seemed tricky when they set off, as though the simple rhythm of pedalling and keeping the handlebars steady had suddenly deserted her. They reached a courtyard with a café, which was surprisingly busy for a midweek afternoon in late autumn. They rode slowly past a grassy picnic area and onto a quiet lane beside a busy, narrow stream.
‘Okay?’ Zac, riding with one hand, angled his upper body to look at Alice and she envied him his ease.
‘Fine,’ she muttered grimly. ‘How many months until August? I’m thinking maybe I should sign up for a 10k run instead? Less cycling involved.’
‘Just think of how you’ll feel when you cross that finish line next summer. It’s the best thing. Do you want to go in front and set the pace?’
