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Barefoot

Page 15

by Daisy Burton


  “Lightweight,” he grinned, leaning over and bouncing on the mattress to rouse her. “Come on, there’s a whole town to see! It’s fantastic here, and I think we’re close to the best places to eat. Aren’t you hungry?”

  They’d had breakfast and lunch on the plane, then scones and jam just before they landed, so no, she wasn’t particularly hungry. She groaned and lifted herself off the bed as if she were made of lead.

  “You’re used to this stuff, you’ve done it much more than I have,” she moaned to Marsh. “You know I get horrible jet lag wherever we go. I want to sleep!”

  She really did want to see the town, but it was 11.00pm in Britain and she’d been up for 18 hours already.

  “Yeah.” Marsh sighed. “I’m also twenty years older than you, so get your sweet arse in gear, lady!” He leaned down and kissed the top of her head fondly. “Come on, let’s be ‘avin’ you.”

  She knew that to beat the jet-lag she had to keep moving until at least 10.00pm, so she reluctantly hauled herself up and they set off to explore.

  They wandered the streets, looking in shop windows and listening to the buskers who were seemingly playing on every street corner. Sal instantly felt better and was energised by the musical atmosphere. They strolled for ages until they came across an interesting-looking restaurant, called The Lasso Bar.

  As they went in, she could see it was stuffed to the ceiling with what looked like movie props and in the corner was a mechanical bull surrounded by thick foam, which tickled Sal. She couldn’t help but wonder whether people really wanted to eat and then get thrown around on that thing.

  They were shown to a table on the other side of the restaurant from the bull. After the long stroll from the hotel, she decided she was quite peckish after all and she was pleased to see that they did burgers, ribs and wings. Proper American food. She ordered a basket of buffalo wings, and a locally brewed beer. Marsh decided on the same, but added ribs with fries and a house salad. The man could pack it away and she could see why his mother used to say he had hollow legs.

  They perched on the hard, wooden chairs and waited for their food. Sal was impressed that she’d managed to get the whole way across the Atlantic and more than half of this continent without bringing up the subject of Maire. She was overtired and feeling on edge, though, and she couldn’t stop herself. There were some things that had resurfaced through tiredness and she wanted to get rid of the feeling of mild panic that was always only a breath away. Now seemed like the best time and place to do it, given that she knew that Marsh would never argue properly in such a public place.

  “So,” she began, with purpose. “While we’re waiting, can I ask you something?”

  “Of course,” he said, smiling gently and taking her hand. “You know you can. I want this holiday to be the best time you’ve ever had. What’s up?”

  She took a deep breath. “Have you heard from her since New Year?”

  A shadow fell over Marsh’s face. He looked at her ruefully, and sat up straight, still keeping hold of her hand. Sal hoped he realised that biting the bullet and helping her over this bit would mean she could fully relax. If he reacted badly to this, it would affect their whole time away.

  Then he seemed to visibly relax, and squeezed her hand. Sal hoped that meant he was going to tell the truth. “Well, she tried to call me every day ‘til we left, but I ignored her. I promised you I wouldn’t speak to her and I haven’t. You can check my mobile when we get home if you like. I didn’t bring it with me, obviously.”

  Yes! He’s owned up to it! Sal smiled inwardly. “Thank you,” she said. “I’m not surprised she hasn’t given up. I couldn’t believe she’d let go of you so easily and let me ‘win’. She’s not that type, from what I’ve seen.”

  “Trust me, Sal, I don’t want to lose you,” he said earnestly. “I’ve been thinking about it, and I know now that she targeted me because I was taken. It’s what she does. I was a challenge. She’s a game-player and I won’t have anything to do with her again, I promise. I can see now what a total idiot I’ve been. I lost my head for a while but I only want you.”

  He took her other hand and clasped them both as he spoke. It hadn’t occurred to her that he might have been targeted by Maire, but it made some sense. As long as he wasn’t blaming Maire for everything because she couldn’t have made him do what he did. He’s a grown man who was perfectly able to make his own decisions.

  When she thought about it, though, it was quite a revolting idea; that a woman would go all out to try to make men sleep with her just because they’re on stage and in a relationship. As if somehow it was a victory – a triumph – to lure someone away from their partner. Sal didn’t feel naïve because she knew only too well that affairs happened all the time, but she felt sick thinking about the sort of person who’d do that simply to cause chaos and give themselves an ego boost.

  Sal couldn’t resist searching Marsh’s eyes for any sign of dishonesty but she couldn’t see any. All she could see was the face she’d fallen in love with, and the way he was looking at her hit her in the chest in the best way. He was staring directly into her eyes with a gentle but open expression and she was convinced he was being honest. Plus, he looked as if he wanted to eat her whole. She blushed.

  He’d told her about the calls, and that was the most important thing. It was a starting point, at least, and she was beginning to feel that maybe she could start to trust him. Perhaps he had learned a lesson from all this? At least some of the tension started to ooze away, but her shoulders ached so deeply, it felt as if she’d been holding them in a partial shrug for weeks.

  “Thanks for being honest, Marshy,” she murmured, squeezing his hands back. “I know I was to blame as well. Affairs are never only one person’s fault, are they?”

  “Yes, they are. You aren’t to blame, Sal. I screwed up in the worst possible way, and being honest is the least I can do. It wasn’t your fault; you did nothing wrong. I really don’t know what happened to me. I’m so happy with you and our life, there was no reason for it. I’m sorry. Please can I call you Pumpkin again?”

  She thought for a minute. It made her squirm that he’d used it with Maire, but it was her nickname. Hers. She wasn’t going to let some tart take that away from her, so she was going to claim it back.

  “Yes, okay,” she conceded. “But promise me you won’t ever call anyone else that again.”

  “I promise I won’t. I didn’t use it much at all, and only ever out of habit. It didn’t mean anything, but I know it hurt you. I’m sorry.”

  “Just one more question,” Sal was feeling bold now.

  “Shoot.”

  “Did you have sex with her for real?”

  Although she was reluctant to ask, for fear of him owning up to lying before, Sal watched his face like a hawk. He didn’t miss a beat.

  “No, I didn’t,” he said, holding her gaze. “I had plenty of opportunity, but it was only online and on text. I swear on the girls’ lives. In any case, I don’t think I would have been able to do it physically. It would’ve felt wrong. There’s a big leap between online chat and full sex.”

  Sal examined his expression again, but she could only see openness. She breathed out, and she was overtaken by a feeling of light-headedness before she realised that she’d been holding her breath while he answered. She was certain he wouldn’t swear on his daughter’s lives if he was lying. It was awful of him to have done anything sexual at all, but if it was genuinely only online, she could start to forgive that more easily than if he’d actually slept with Maire.

  Their food arrived, and she found she was suddenly ravenous. It looked amazing, and as Marsh had such a gargantuan pile of fries in front of him, she took a handful for her plate. It made absolutely no impact on the mountain Marsh had to get through.

  “Oi! Mitts off, you.” Marsh was usually protective of his food, but he was smiling as he playfully prodded at her hand with his fork.

  She shoved a couple in her mouth and smiled as
she chewed. Maybe they really could get back what they’d had? This felt so right.

  14

  Boulder had a fantastically relaxed and independent vibe to it. Sal wandered with Marsh around Pearl Street Mall, which was full of vibrant art galleries, cafes and shops and drank in the culture of the place. Although they were only there for a couple of days after they’d arrived in the USA, she wanted to see as much as she could. They both wanted to experience the Flatirons, too. Sal was powerfully drawn to them from the first time she saw them, but jet-lag had hit hard and she hadn’t been able to face hiking.

  Their last day there was Valentine’s Day. Although Marsh had never been the romantic type, he seemed to be making an effort this year.

  “Reckon we need to do the Flatirons today, Pumpkin,” Marsh suggested. “How about we get a picnic and have a wander? We don’t have to do a full hike. There’s a café down the road that does picnics and snacks ‘specially for day trippers and hikers, and they look great.”

  She eagerly agreed, and they went to the café. They loaded a packed lunch, energy bars and water bottles into a backpack, together with a bag of raw peanuts for the native squirrels. Soon they were on their way to catch the shuttle to Chautauqua Trailhead.

  Once they got there, Sal was tempted to stay and relax on a bench in Chautauqua Park to eat their picnic, but it was quite chilly. She reminded herself that they’d come to walk, and walk she must. After grabbing some maps and useful information from a Trail shop, they set off on the Loop Trail, which was both the shortest and the easiest trail to walk. Marsh was always a fast walker with his long legs, but he knew she’d have trouble keeping up, so he tempered his enthusiasm.

  “Come on, let me carry the backpack, please.” Marsh asked, although it sounded more like an order than a request.

  Sal was touched by this. Marsh was hardly the gentlemanly type and she always wanted to pull her weight, but she was tired and gratefully handed over the bag. As they walked through the forest, she swore she could smell something sweet, like chocolate or ice cream. At first, she decided that it must be jet-lag playing tricks on her olfactory system, until Marsh remarked that he could smell vanilla. She checked the guide.

  “See? It says here, that these trees are Ponderosa Pines and that they can give off a sweet smell, like chocolate or vanilla.”

  The trail was only two miles long, which would usually be no problem for Sal, but she was definitely not feeling herself. With the freezing cold, a headache and the tiredness she hadn’t been able to kick since she arrived in Boulder, she was feeling pretty rotten. She’d been relieved when a hotel receptionist she’d got chatting to had said it was likely to be the altitude affecting her. Altitude sickness, she was told, caused headaches, tiredness and nausea, so she made sure she was drinking lots of water on the walk and she ignored her symptoms as best she could.

  Sal made the most of the opportunity to rest whenever she saw squirrels and other wildlife. Stopping to feed them with the nuts they’d brought along gave her a good excuse to catch her breath. There wasn’t much wildlife around, though, the freezing cold weather had made sure of that, but those that were there seemed eager to get hold of her treats. The unfamiliar birdsong, the beautiful trees, the deep patches of snow, and the occasional sound of running water meant it was a chilly paradise. Marsh held her hand as they strolled, and she revelled in the stunning beauty surrounding her.

  She walked until she couldn’t walk any further, and it was lucky that they were approaching the park again by then. All sorts of bits of her were going numb, and she huddled against Marsh on a bench to try to warm up. Sal was starving and she dug hungrily into their packed lunch - the food barely touched the sides. Marsh was less ravenous, as he had already eaten both of the energy bars they’d brought with them, during the walk.

  Sitting on the bench, full from a late lunch, the winter sun was surprisingly warm on her head and Sal started to thaw. She looked over at Marsh, and was content with her view. For all his misguided, idiotic actions, he was still her Marsh; the same guy she’d fallen in love with, smiling his usual, self-confident smile at her. He had his sunglasses and a baseball cap on, and was tucking into a bag of cheesy biscuit snacks. His lips glistened where he’d licked the salt off them and she was transfixed as they moved. He peered over his glasses at her when he realised she was gazing at him, and he stopped mid-chew.

  “S’up, sexy laydeh?” he drawled in a mock-American accent.

  “Nothin’,” She grinned, resting her chin on her hand. “Just lookin’.” She tried drawling, but decided she was terrible at accents and stopped. “Shall we go back now? I could do with a lay-down…”

  Marsh shot her a glance that was a cross between a smirk and a hopeful grin.

  “Yup! Let’s go.”

  *****

  They raced up the staircase at the hotel with a vigour that belied the fact that they’d been walking in freezing temperatures for two hours, with the remainder of jet-lag, and that the shuttle had been delayed bringing them back to town. Sal was exhausted, but she couldn’t wait to snuggle under the covers with Marsh.

  Once they reached their room, Marsh turned to her, still breathless from the stairs. He held her face gently where she stood, and looked into her eyes, resting his forehead on hers. She was aware that her tired eyes were a bit bloodshot, but he didn’t seem to care. His breath huffed on her face, warm and smelling vaguely of cheese, cooling the trail of exhaled moisture on her skin as he inhaled. He was looking right into her eyes, and it had a hypnotic effect. She couldn’t break his gaze.

  It was an easy next step to kiss him, which is something Sal had been uncomfortable with since the Maire episode. Somehow it seemed natural to her now, and Marsh took full advantage of her willingness, launching onto her lips, kissing her deeply. His mouth turned up into a smile as he continued to kiss her, and nibble on her lower lip.

  Then, he rolled out the killer move, which he knew would always work. He gently tilted her head and kissed the side of her neck. Soft, slow kisses that made her groan and her knees literally wobble. Until she’d met Marsh, she had never believed that going weak at the knees actually happened, other than in swoony romance novels and Gone with the Wind-type-films. But it really did. She didn’t like the feeling that he could just do that one thing and she was putty in his hands, but she was too happy in that moment to want to change it.

  He started to undo her jeans, so she undid his. He pulled her top over her head, and she tried to relieve him of his, but he got stuck because she was too short to get it fully over his head. This was never going to be like it was in the films, where everything came off cleanly. After he escaped from his top, Marsh hopped about trying to get his socks off, and Sal wrestled with her bra hooks.

  Watching him lurching around on one leg, swearing at his socks, Sal tried to stifle a giggle, but soon they were both cackling.

  “Come here, you,” he snorted, now completely naked. All six foot four of him threw itself onto the bed. It made a bit of a cracking noise, but it didn’t seem to be giving way, so she climbed aboard too.

  He nuzzled his face into her neck, where her hair nestled her shoulder. She cradled his head and turned to breathe in the aroma of his hair, which smelled faintly of her shampoo from that morning’s shower, but mostly it smelled of his head. Her favourite.

  She hadn’t realised how desperately she needed to know that he still wanted her in that way. She hadn’t been able to do this fully since he’d left before Christmas, but she had no anxiety about whether she could do it, now.

  “Christ, I love you,” he murmured softly, right in her ear. She clasped her hands around his back so that they were pinned to each other.

  This time, there was no tying up, no posturing and no vengeful feelings. No resentment and leaving him hanging. Only warmth, cherishing, holding and adoring. This time, she let him in and it was a gentle but powerful, warm feeling that swept over her and she held him so tight that she could feel his heart beating hard t
hrough his chest.

  Eventually, he rolled onto his back, pulling her with him, seemingly not wanting to let her go. Sal laid her head on his chest - hairy, warm and comforting - and stretched her arm around his neck. He stroked her arm as she snuggled into him.

  She exhaled and squeezed him, smiling to herself. She could do this. It felt wonderful to be properly back with him.

  “Happy Valentine’s Day, Pumpkin,” he whispered.

  He had fantastic timing, that’s for sure.

  *****

  Their short stay in Boulder had passed so quickly, Sal was disappointed to be leaving. Nevertheless, they had to keep to their schedule because Glenwood Springs was calling. It was only about a three-hour drive without stopping, but the route on the Interstate was so scenic that Sal drove her half of the journey slowly. That way, she could take in at least some of it.

  The Eisenhower Tunnel seemed like all the other tunnel entrances to get through mountains on that route, but unlike the others, it went on forever. The lights inside were hypnotic, going to a single point in the distance and she began to wonder where it would end. She was glad when they rounded a bend in the tunnel and a small stream of daylight grew quickly, ‘til they were engulfed by an incredible white light. She blinked as her eyes adjusted, and as her vision returned, she was faced with the most beautiful view of a hill covered in fir trees on the left and a criss-cross of small peaks cushioning each other, in front.

  The highway hugged the route of the Colorado River closely for the majority of the drive. This made for a winding route high into the Rockies; the concrete being a constant companion to the icy water. The landscape was made up of mostly red and grey rocks - some snow covered - interspersed with grass patches that dappled the white snow with green velvet spots. The firs that appeared with increasing abundance were a regular feature along the whole route. The rocks grew in size until they were incredible, towering mountain ridges as they drew closer to their destination. Glenwood Canyon was one of the most impressive parts of their journey, and at times it felt to Sal as if they were about to be swallowed up whole as they drove through it.

 

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