Page 56 of Winter at Wishington Bay
‘Might be worth a try.’
‘I need to wait until everything is settled with the divorce first. Just so I know for sure where I stand financially.’
‘Oh, about that. I’m afraid your letter didn’t go in the post. I was more concerned about getting you home and cleaned up.’
I glanced at the clock. The post office would be shut by now. ‘It’s OK. He can wait an extra day. God knows he’s dragged it out as much as he can when it suited him.’ I thought for a moment. ‘Did you go and get your present posted though?’
‘No,’ he looked at me. ‘I was worried. I didn’t want to leave you.’
I swallowed, suddenly full of emotions I wasn’t quite ready for. It had felt a very long time since anyone – especially a man – had said anything as caring to me. The fact that it had come from Nate made it all the more special. Not to mention complicated.
He’s only here temporarily, Sophia. Don’t get attached.
My head knew this was the case. Unfortunately, my heart seemed too busy skipping ahead to listen to anything I tried to tell it. I gave myself a mental shake and sat up a little more.
‘Why don’t you leave your parcel here, and I can take it to the post office first thing tomorrow before my shift at Ned’s?’
‘You don’t have to do that.’
‘You scraped me up off the pavement, brought me home, and patched me up. I think it’s the least I can do in return.’
‘You don’t need to do anything in return. Anyone would have done the same.’
I pondered whether my ex-husband would have done the same and came to the conclusion he just would have blustered a bit, got angry and probably stepped right over me on the way to his next meeting. Or next affair.
‘No,’ I said simply. ‘They wouldn’t. So thank you. And I’ve got to go to the post office anyway so it’s not like I’m going out of my way.’
Nate read my determination to do something to repay him and held up his hands. ‘OK. If you’re sure you don’t mind. I’ll leave you some cash,’ he said, making to stand and, I assumed, retrieve his wallet from his coat. I stretched my legs out and did a very poor job of pinning him to the sofa. He looked down at my feet, then at me, then back at my feet.
‘It’s symbolic.’
He grinned. ‘Good, because the fact I could sling you over my shoulder earlier means I’m pretty sure I can move a pair of dainty feet.’
I pulled my feet up towards me. ‘You slung me over your shoulder?’ I cried, my voice pitching in what probably wasn’t the most attractive way, but I had other things on my mind. Like the fact my backside had been on show to the entire village as Nate had strolled back to my flat with me tossed over his shoulder like a caveman.
Nate shrugged. ‘What’s wrong with that?’
I threw the blanket back and stood up, felt the blood rush to my head and sat down again.
‘You might want to take it easy for a bit.’ I looked up and met his concerned gaze. Even that face wasn’t quite enough to still the churning in my stomach. I’d been brought up not to make a scene, to blend in, once my mother had informed me that neither my looks nor figure, the only things that mattered in her opinion, were good enough to enable me to stand out. Although stepping out into the world on my own and moving here had helped me build some of the confidence I’d been lacking, making a scene and drawing attention to myself was still anathema to me. It was bad enough to have fainted in front of Nate – in front of anyone. But the thought that I’d been brought home caveman-style somehow was even more embarrassing than I had already pictured things to be.
‘What are you worried about?’ His voice was calm and reasonable which only made it worse.
‘You slung me over your shoulder and then paraded me through the village, bottom first. That’s what I’m worried about.’ I stood up again.
Nate began to smile.
‘I’m glad you find it funny!’ I snapped.
‘Come here,’ Nate reached up and gently took my hand. I pulled away but he caught it again and gave the tiniest tug. I followed his hint and sat down again. He didn’t let go of my hand and I made no attempt to remove mine. Somehow it felt right to let it remain there.
‘I’m sorry. I was just teasing you.’
I looked up, meeting his eyes. He smiled as he reached his other hand to push the hair back from my eyes. ‘In the interest of full disclosure, I carried you in my arms, and had tipped you in a little so your face was close to my chest, rather than on display for everyone to see. Not many people know who I am so if they’d seen me, they wouldn’t automatically assume it was you I was carrying so I think we’re still under the radar so far as most of the village is concerned.’
‘Thank you,’ I returned his smile, his thoughtfulness swimming round in my head. And my heart. ‘I know it sounds silly to get worked up about it, but…’ I drifted off. I didn’t really have an excuse.
Nate gave a small shrug, apparently not requiring one. We sat in silence for a moment and I tried not to think how comfortable it all felt.
