She felt her irritation increasing again and pushed it away. ‘Yes, I promise you it’s true.’
He turned from her and put his hand on the doorknob but didn’t leave.
‘Riley,’ she whispered. ‘Stop wasting time. The longer Brooke has to wait for you to appear, the more annoyed she’ll become.’
He turned the handle and left. Relieved to have found a way to persuade him to go and do the right thing, for once, Tasha slumped onto the bed. Working for Riley was far too stressful for her liking. She really needed to make some discreet enquiries about vacancies. Surely there was something available for her that would be less problematic.
She peered out of the window and looked down at where she had left Brooke. She was relieved to see Riley sitting on the chair next to her, his hands waving in his usual animated way as he tried to explain his way out of trouble.
Good, she thought, happy to have a chance to escape from the house without him knowing.
Needing to get away from Riley’s latest drama, she grabbed her phone and sunglasses, and left through the back door. She walked quickly up to the main house, disappointed not to see Callum’s car parked in front where he usually left it. Unsure what to do next and not wanting to play gooseberry with Brooke and Riley, she decided to take a walk up to the road and explore some of the nearby lanes.
She had been walking for about twenty minutes, enjoying the cool shade from the trees lining either side of the lane, when a car slowed behind her and stopped.
‘Hello there.’
Her heart leapt to hear Callum’s voice. Unable to keep from smiling, she turned to face him. ‘I thought I’d take a bit of a walk.’
He narrowed his eyes, amusement making them twinkle. ‘You’ve run away really, haven’t you?’
Tasha laughed. ‘I have. Brooke is still at the cottage and I finally managed to persuade Riley to try to explain himself to her.’ She thought of Erin. ‘Did you see your sister?’
He nodded. Then, giving her a thoughtful look, leant over and opened the passenger door. ‘Why don’t you hop in and come for a drive with me?’
Delighted, she did as he asked. ‘Where are you taking me?’ She pulled her seat belt across her and pressed it into the catch.
He grinned and tapped the side of his nose. ‘Ah, now that would be telling.’
Unable to stop herself, Tasha laughed. ‘For some reason if any other man said that to me I’d be nervous and demand to be let out of the car.’
Callum’s head turned instantly in her direction. ‘What?’ He looked at the road again but Tasha could tell she had worried him. ‘I hadn’t realised that was an odd thing to say.’
‘I think it depends on who says it.’ She reached out and touched his arm lightly. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you.’
‘No, it’s fine.’
Relieved she had managed to get their evening back on track before ruining it, she asked, ‘I can tell you’re considering something.’
They stopped at a yellow line and he looked at her, eyes twinkling in amusement. ‘I’m trying not to feel too happy to discover you’ve put me into a category away from all other men.’
Tasha was pleased he thought that way.
He began driving again when the road was clear. ‘What does that mean exactly anyway?’
Tasha laughed and tried to think how best to explain her feelings. ‘It’s meant as a compliment.’ When he didn’t react, she added, ‘That is to say, I feel instinctively comfortable with you.’
‘I see.’
She wasn’t sure whether he was happy with her answer, or not. ‘And it’s not because I don’t find you attractive,’ she added, not wishing him to think that was why she felt the way she did.
Callum glanced at her. ‘I’m glad to hear it and to know you’re happy to spend time with me.’
Unsure whether she had yet to find the right way to explain how she felt, Tasha decided to leave things as they were and simply shut up and enjoy their evening.
Believing she recognised the road they had turned onto, she asked, ‘Can I ask what sort of place you’re taking me to?’
He threw his head back and laughed. ‘No, because I haven’t decided yet.’
