‘How about tomorrow, if you’re not working?’
‘No work on the weekend. I’m free. I’m always free.’
‘How about I take you to my favourite beach.’
‘Sounds amazing.’
‘I’ll pick you up at nine.’
‘Perfect.’
His lips brushed hers again, his beard tickling as he pulled away. He opened the car door, letting cool air in. The door slamming shut was loud in the darkness. She watched him walk up the path. The security light switched on, bathing him in light, accentuating his broad shoulders beneath his pale T-shirt, and his muscly legs in jeans that hugged him in all the right places. He turned, waved and closed the door behind him. The security light switched off, returning the cul-de-sac to darkness. Jenna sighed and did a three-point turn, her headlights cutting through the night as she drove away.
She wished he’d asked her in; it didn’t bother her that his parents were there. Was it so strange that at twenty-eight, only a year older than her, Finn was still living with his parents? He worked for the family business after all, and buying your own home must be crazy expensive in this part of Cornwall. It was probably the easier and most sensible option. She’d only moved out from her parents’ because of work, to be closer to London and jobs, otherwise wouldn’t she still be there? And maybe she should have gone back when she’d moved out of the apartment with Heidi – she was spending a fortune on rent for a tiny place with no outside space.
Her head hurt from concentrating on the dark narrow roads, difficult to navigate even with full beams on. She was relieved when she pulled into the drive and switched off the engine. She got out of the car and shivered – it was so much cooler this late at night. A bat flew between the trees, its dark shape silhouetted against the moonlit sky. She shivered again, but this time more from the eerie stillness of the night rather than the cold.
She power-walked to the door, trying not to think about the beady eyes of an owl watching her from the treetops. It would feel quite different with Finn’s strong arm around her waist. Once again she regretted not having the nerve to invite him back.
She closed the cottage door firmly and locked it. At least she’d see him tomorrow. Deep down she knew that this evening was enough, to know they felt the same way about each other. More could wait; she had enough going on without jumping into bed with him and into a new relationship. That was the last thing she’d expected when coming to Cornwall, but like everything over the last couple of weeks, life had a way of surprising her.
After bumping into Finn, she realised just how much she looked forward to seeing him. It was a good start to the day if he arrived before she headed off to work. She hadn’t been able to get him out of her head from the moment they shared that kiss in the garden.
It was late and she was sober but tired. It had been a long week filming mainly outdoors in stifling heat. The cottage was cool, although warmer upstairs and she stripped down to a vest and knickers, leaving the curtains drawn and the windows wedged open as far as they would go. She closed her eyes and fell asleep thinking about Finn.
~
It was difficult to sleep much past dawn with birdsong and daylight streaming through the windows. Jenna didn’t fight it and got up. She had a shower and put on a bikini beneath her denim shorts and T-shirt. The sun shone across the lawn promising another beautiful day; so far it had been a charmed summer and Jenna wondered how long it would last.
She made coffee and toast and ate it outside. A peacock butterfly fluttered around the purple flowers of a hebe. Jenna still hadn’t got used to how peaceful it was with no traffic, only the rustle of leaves, the sway of branches in the breeze and the buzz of a lazy bee. There were no man-made sounds, not even the rumble of a lawnmower, which was so reminiscent of summer when Jenna was growing up. She loved being able to potter out in the garden whenever she wanted to.
There was still plenty to do outside and loads of weeds to remove. Bare patches of soil needed replanting, while other areas were overgrown and threaded with brambles. It was the best time of day to work on the one border that always got the sun. Jenna retrieved her gardening gloves and secateurs from the lean-to, and started cutting her way through the brambles making a spiky pile next to her. There were already a few deep red juicy berries and she picked those and ate them. She was still hacking away when she heard an engine and crunch of tyres on the drive.
Jenna dropped the secateurs and gloves on the grass, wiped her brow with the back of her hand and walked across the grass to the driveway.
Finn emerged from his van and grinned. His hair was windswept, his T-shirt sleeves rolled up to his shoulders showing off his muscles and tattoos; he was in board shorts and grey Converse trainers.
‘Morning.’ He slammed the door closed.
‘Morning.’ Jenna wondered if it’d be inappropriate to kiss him... daytime felt very different to the end of last night.
His hand found the small of her back as they walked to the cottage together. He didn’t attempt to kiss her so she restrained herself too.
‘Is it strange being here and not having to work?’
‘It’s nice not working and even better spending the day with you.’
Warmth flooded through her at his words. ‘Fancy a coffee? I’ve made a pot.’
‘Love one.’
~
They sat outside in the same spot Jenna had sat on her own an
