by Julia Hughes
The farmhouse was just as her friend Lizzy described: Two old cob cottages knocked together, long and low with patchwork slates, a Victorian addition to the side. An old fashioned country garden buzzing with forget me nots and overblown daffodils competed with timothy grass and dandelions. It needed a good tidy up she thought. A path run up to the front door, flag stones lead around to the side and rear garden. Although certain the house was empty she knocked on the front door and waited a couple of minutes. Then despite feeling like a trespasser, she ventured round the side to the back. The rear garden was even more overgrown, a corner was filled with trees heavy with blossom, she guessed apple. Eager beaver spring bees buzzed, and a hand flapped languidly. Her heart almost stopped. Someone else was here! A blond youth dozed in a hammock slung between the two trees furthest from her. Dozing! With all this work to do!
She turned and tiptoed away, too travel grimed and muzzy headed to deal with strangers. Her taxi was long gone. Shouldering her holdall, tugging her jacket down so it wouldn’t crease, she climbed over a stile towards a path she hoped led to the beach. The pretty little tea dress’s skirts floating from her knees to mid thigh as she strode forward. A paddle in the sea was just what she needed.
Her Blackberry pinged with a new message. Engrossed in studying her Gran’s new status, she dropped her head, puffing slightly as the path steepend. “Surf’s up!” She read, and quickly enlarged the photo, groaned then smiled broadly. Gran might be a senior citizen, but that didn’t stop her riding the rollers at Watergate Bay in Newquay. When she looked up again, cows surrounded her. The solid black and white types. Heads lowered, flicking their tails from side to side, they ambled towards her, huge tongues licking over their noses, bringing a sweet smell of half fermented grasses. She backed away, spinning round to race back the way she’d come. But that way too was bared as the silly animals encircled her. Clutching her holdall in front of her like a shield, she closed her eyes and swayed with fear, feeling one of them nibbling at the flimsy material of her dress.
‘No! Stop! Back!’
Her eyes sprung open. Armed with only a stick the blond youth tapped on the nearest noses, placed a hand under her elbow and urged her forward.
‘They’re only curious. They don’t get many visitors.’ He explained. His face was serious but his eyes filled with laughter. A slight breeze wafted his blond hair into a halo.
‘I can’t help it. I’m frightened of cows.’ She said, daring him to laugh.
Shrugging, he took her bag from her, hoisting it on to his own shoulder as though it weighed nothing, in spite of all the heavy text books inside.
‘They are very large. I know people who are frightened of spiders.’ He peered into her face.
‘You’re not frightened of spiders are you?’
Even if she was she wouldn’t admit to it. He seemed to find her extremely amusing and she had the strongest urge to swipe her hand across his face.
They reached the top of the field, for the first time she noticed he was barefoot, and wore only cut down denims and a startlingly blue t-shirt the same colour as his eyes. She couldn’t help wondering at the bandage swathed around his right forearm but for some reason felt shyly reluctant to mention it, let alone ask how he’d injured his arm.
They were on the cliff path now, below them stretched glorious golden sand, gentle white horses cantered into shore.
‘Look at that!’ He said. ‘Crying out to be paddled in.’
He switched places to walk on her outside and that simple act reassured her although she’d never been worried by heights.
‘You were in the garden?’ Her voice rose turning the statement into a question.
He nodded agreement. ‘You’re not one of Crombie’s girls, so you must be a friend, and you must be…’ He half screwed up his eyes, examining her – ‘Carrie!’
Without knowing why she flushed.
‘I heard the gate go and saw you creeping away. Don’t blame you, I could be anyone.’ He smiled at the thought that he could be anyone.
‘But you’re not and I know who you are now.’ She said. Wanting to wipe the smug look from his face she announced:
‘Rhyllann!’
But he didn’t rise to the bait, knowing she knew who he was.
The cliff path descended onto large flat rocks baked warm by the sun. As they clambered across the last of them, he jumped down onto the sands, nursing his injured arm, but still turned to help her. Pausing to whip off her sandals, Carrie jumped. Landing a little closer then she’d intended, she found herself almost face to face with him. They were both a little off balance, both giggling at their clumsiness. On impulse she tilted her head and brushed her lips against his.
She drew back embarrassed. ‘I’m sorry. I don’t know why I did that.’
He smiled shyly. ‘That’s ok. Do it again if you like.’
So she did, as ripples of water flowed and ebbed around their feet. When he kissed her back she melted against him and she had the strangest feeling of coming home.
The End.
Also by Julia Hughes:
A Raucous Time:
“When the final tally is counted, it will be seen that John’s vices far outweigh the virtues of other kings,” Churchill meant the Magna Carta of course. John also left another legacy though. One which has been hidden from sight for almost one thousand years. Rhyllann Jones’s geeky cousin Wren believes he can solve an ancient mystery. And he’s willing to sacrifice everything to the race to discover the fabled treasure trove of King John.
An Explosive Time
When the circus comes to town and an elephant’s abducted, Detective Crombie of the Met Police is dragged out of his little comfort zone. Then an alligator appears and life’s about to get even more hetic: London’s biggest villain and the Mandarins of Whitehall are determined to stop Crombie exposing a sinister partnership - get ready for An Explosive Time.
The Griffin Cryer
A young girl discovers she has a very unusual talent when she accidentally summons a griffin and its rider from another dimension.
The Bridle Path:
What do most single thirty-something women wish for most? A romantic adventure set in Cornwall.
