Page 66 of A Brambleberry Manor Christmas
He holds a thumb up at me, and I give him a shy little wavebefore ducking out with Flo.
‘He likes you, you know. Noah,’ says Flo, making my heartbeat faster. ‘I had an inkling before but I thought you were too cut up aboutHarvey to be interested. But now that I know the full story, I think it’s hightime you moved on.’
The heat in my face intensifies. But to hide my delight, Ilaugh and say, ‘Kettle calling the pot black, I think, don’t you?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Hard Hat Man? He seemed rather attractive to me, and heclearly likes you, yet you claim you’re not interested. I think you’re just scared,like I am.’
‘Well, that’s rubbish.’ She turns away to stir thevegetarian version of the chilli, subject closed, but I can’t help noticing thehint of a smile playing on her lips.
*****
We’ve been back in the kitchen just ten minutes when thedoor opens – and in comes Noah.
‘Hi, there.’ He stands by the door, looking a little bitawkward, and Flo smiles and says, ‘How’s the dancing?’
He walks a little way into the room. ‘I’m not great.’ Helooks at me and smiles. ‘But thanks to Rhoda, I can just about get round thefloor without totally embarrassing myself.’
‘You’ve been dancing with Rhoda?’
‘Not tonight. Not yet. But she…well, she and Bob gave us aballroom dancing lesson a few nights ago. Eh, Jenny?’
‘Did they?’ She turns to me, laughing. ‘You never told meabout this.’
‘She’s good,’ says Noah.
I make a face in protest, but he nods. ‘You are. I waswatching you.’
‘Oh.’ My heart flips over.
Jenny looks from me to Noah and back again, and I can almostguess what she’s going to say before she says it. ‘Excuse me, you two, but Ijust need to…’ She points vaguely at the door and goes out, managing a quickwink in my direction before she disappears.
‘Jenny.’ Noah walks straight over to me, his eyes burningwith intensity, and my heart lurches. ‘I don’t know if you’ve felt theattraction between us. Maybe it’s just me. But ever since I knocked you overthat day at the zip wire, I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind. Iwanted to tell you. Before we left.’
He’s looking down into my eyes and my head is spinningcrazily. I can hardly believe what I’m hearing. He’s been feeling the same wayas me! He’s waiting for a reply but when I try to speak, my throat is so dry,the words get stuck.
He gazes at me uncertainly, and at last I manage to blurtout, ‘I feel the same. The attraction, I mean.’
I look at him, my face aglow, wondering if this is themoment when he gathers me into his arms and kisses me. Like he’s done a hundredtimes in my dreams.
But although he’s smiling back at me, his face seems tenseand there’s a muscle working in his jaw.
‘I want you to know that I totally understand yourposition,’ he says. ‘It’s only been a year since your bereavement and everyonedeals with that sort of tragedy differently. People have to be allowed torecover at their own speed.’
I stare up at him, bewildered by the sudden turn in theconversation.
‘You need time to grieve. I suppose I just wanted you toknow how I was feeling. Because maybe being told what a gorgeous person youare, inside and out, might be what you need in order to feel confident movingforward…when you feel ready to move forward, that is.’
I clear my throat. ‘You’re right, Noah. Dealing with Harvey’sdeathhasbeen hard. But it’s been tough in ways you can’t even begin toimagine because I never talked about it to anyone…’
‘Exactly, Jenny.’ He takes my hands and squeezes gently.‘And that’s why you need time to come to terms with it. I’m glad Tavie told me,otherwise I’d never have known.’
‘Tavie?’ I stare at him in alarm. ‘Tavie told youabout Harvey?’
He nods. ‘In the café the other day. She explained thatyou’d lost the love of your life. And she told me you’d never consider beingwith anyone else because they’d always feel like a poor second to her dad.’
My head is reeling at this.
