Mattie sipped from her half-empty bottle of water. She’d already suffered dehydration once this week and didn’t intend for it to happen again.
The next section of the trail led to a small lake. The never-ending heatwave had caused it to shrink, as evidenced by the exposed reeds and tree roots. Mattie sat on a wide stone next to Nell at the lake’s edge. Flies traced the water’s surface, creating miniature ripples. The air was utterly still, as if holding its breath. When had she last been this still too, simply being in the moment? It was such a trite thing to say and so hard to actually achieve.
Nell gasped and pointed across the lake with a gentle movement. “Can you see, just over there on the branch? A kingfisher.”
Mattie didn’t dare move for fear of startling it. Perched on a slim branch hanging over the shallows, the bird lifted a wing and preened its blue and orange plumage with its long beak. For long, breathless moments, they watched, silent and still, caught in nature’s spell. The kingfisher tipped its head downwards, studying something in the water. Suddenly, it plunged into the shimmering waters of the lake with such grace and precision that it took Mattie’s breath away. “I feel so privileged to have witnessed that,” she whispered. “It was magical.” Her gaze slid to Nell, whose eyes seemed to shine with the same pure joy that she felt. Her fingers were wrapped around Nell’s forearm. When had that happened? She hadn’t done it knowingly, but now she didn’t want to let go. Nell’s skin was so soft and enticing. Wide eyes met her gaze. Something elusive shifted between them. Did Nell feel it too? Or was Mattie imagining it? Silence stretched between them for a long beat. Mattie waited.
And then Nell pulled away. “We should, um, move on.”
Mattie mumbled her agreement. Reluctantly, she slung her bag over her shoulders and followed Nell to rejoin the path.Their pace was slower now, the silence between them full of thoughts and words unsaid, at least on Mattie’s part. The track running alongside the riverbank widened and grew busier. Far too soon, they reached the marina and its jetties, a cacophony of noise after the calm oasis of the woodlands. “Do we have to walk around the inlet, or is there a bridge over it?”
“A footbridge,” Nell said. “Then it’s a short walk to the lower ferry crossing if you’re planning to go back across the river to get a lift back with Angie.”
Mattie shielded her eyes against the glare bouncing off the river. “Is there time?”
“We’d have to step on it.”
“I don’t want to step on it.” The words fell out of Mattie’s mouth before she had the chance to censor them. She halted in the middle of the path, forcing Nell to stop too. “I wish it didn’t have to end.”
Nell stared at her. “Do you mean the walk?”
“The day. I think there’s something between us, and I’m not ready to let it go.” There, Mattie had said it, even if her words came out as little more than a whisper.
Nell’s breath hitched. “I felt it that first evening in Angie’s garden, before everything got complicated.”
The fine hairs on the back of Mattie’s neck fizzed as Nell’s thoughts mirrored her own. “I know we’ve pretty much run out of time but...stay a while longer? No agenda. Just two women enjoying some carefree time without any baggage. We could explore the town and have dinner. Maybe watch the sun go down.”
“I’d like that,” Nell said.
“Which part?”
Nell returned her smile. “At the risk of sounding terribly British, let’s start with tea and work it out from there.”
Mattie laughed, and her body sang with joy. How different this day was turning out to be, after all.
Chapter 12
Ican’t believe I said yes. Me, Nell Abraham, she of no spontaneity ever. Yet she had, which was why she was texting Angie while sitting next to Mattie on the boat back to the main town. Initially, common sense had raged with desire as she tried to decide how to answer Mattie’s invitation. Pass? Or seize with both hands? Ready to say no, the word had remained unspoken when she’d seen the wide-eyed excitement on Mattie’s face. How irresistible it’d been to know that Mattie was so eager to spend time with her. She studied the swirling green depths of the river.If only for the rest of today, I will be unafraid.
After they filed off the boat, Mattie turned to her. “This is your town, so I’ll let you take the lead.”
Nell remembered a cafe with an extensive range of loose-leaf tea, and from there, they strolled around the bustling town centre. Mattie bought a box of fudge for her friends Shona and Lisa, a married couple she’d known for years.
“They put up with all my nonsense and regularly put me back together again,” said Mattie.
A stab of envy filled Nell. She’d never had close friends like that. “Where did you meet?”
“I met Shona during Freshers’ Week at university. We figured out very quickly that we wouldn’t work as a couple, but we became inseparable as friends.” Mattie put the fudge into her backpack and zipped it up. “Lisa came on the scene about twelve years ago. They’re perfect for each other.”
“Do they work in the media like you?”
“Hell, no.” Mattie snorted. “Shona’s a doctor, and Lisa’s a secondary school history teacher.”
The smell of fish and chips wafted over Nell as they turned a corner onto the waterfront. “Dinner?”
At Mattie’s suggestion, they chose to take their food away rather than sit in the busy restaurant. Nell found a quiet spot on a grassy bank overlooking the river. She popped a piece of battered cod into her mouth. “I can’t remember the last time I did something like this. It won’t surprise you that I’m not known for my spontaneity.”
“I’m guessing you tend to plan everything.”
