‘That sounds lovely.’
Graham gathered several woollen blankets from the hot press as Mary boiled the kettle. Outside, we sat on folding fishing chairs; the blankets wrapped around our shoulders.
My breath momentarily clouded my vision as I exhaled into the crisp moonlit night. I’d never felt more alive, here in this foreign country, welcomed as one of John’s family, and loved by the most amazing man I had ever met. A deep sense of contentment immersed my soul like never before. I looked up into the clear starry sky with my hot whisky, John’s hand loosely entwined in mine. He squeezed it and we exchanged a look. He had me, and he knew it.
Chapter Twenty-Four
SATURDAY 20TH OCTOBER
‘Tea or coffee?’ John asked, as I walked sleepily into the kitchen and ran my fingers through my bed head of matted curls. He’d been up since the crack of dawn to milk “the girls”.
‘Coffee please.’ I knew I’d had a drink the night before. We had such a fabulous evening in John’s parents’ house, they were wonderful company. I could see why he considered them friends as much as parents they were so entertaining, frank, funny and open.
They brought their life experiences to the table, and they were more than happy to share them with us. It was such a relaxing environment, everything at their own pace, no rushing or racing, no outside noise, no one disturbing the peace.
I was beginning to appreciate the appeal of living in the countryside. If I wanted to sit outside in Winchester at night, with a hot whiskey and gaze at the stars, the neighbours would think I’d gone off my rocker. Plus, there would be no peace between the man in number 77 coming home drunk and shouting at his wife, the kids in number 79 fighting over whose turn it was on the PlayStation, and every cat in the street screeching out a mating call in hope of a little company. There was no comparison really.
I’d always considered city living as the better quality of life, but my eyes slowly opened to another way. It was astonishing really; I was preferring this way of life. The houses in estates and apartments in the city that previously seemed so ideal, convenient and perfectly centrally situated, now seemed overcrowded and claustrophobic. I liked the privacy and the peace of the country.
‘You have to do it all over again tonight, honey.’ John reminded me, putting his arms around my waist and nuzzling his face into my neck, bringing me back to the present.
We’d arranged to go out for dinner with the neighbours, Jane and Trisha and their husbands, who both happened to be called Michael. I was looking forward to it. I couldn’t wait to get to know both women better. Trisha was like an open book, shameless, hilarious and lots of fun. Jane was more private, slightly more reserved, very classy, and she had a sensitive side to her which really appealed to me. Both women were absolutely beautiful in their own ways.
‘Do you think I could get my hair blow dried in town this afternoon?’ I asked John, sorry I hadn’t thought to book something earlier.
‘Sure. My friend’s girlfriend is a hairdresser. I’ll ring her now for you.’ He Googled the number on his phone and once he got past the pleasantries, he had an appointment booked for me less than a minute later. Another advantage to living in a small place. If I were looking to get an appointment like that on a Saturday in Winchester, I’d have had to ring around about ten salons, praying one of them had a cancellation.
John dropped me in town half an hour later and told me to ring him when I’d finished. He was going to carry on with a few more jobs while he had the chance. Hopefully that would mean he could lie in with me in the morning.
The salon, Bella Hair & Beauty, was modern and bright and overlooked the fast-flowing river Moy.
‘Lucy?’ A blond petite girl asked.
‘That’s me.’ Probably the only stranger in the place.
‘Come on over.’ She motioned to the vacant chair and placed a black waterproof gown around me. ‘I can’t tell you how nice it is to meet you.’
Was there anyone in this town who hadn’t heard about John Kelly’s married woman from England? My accent gave me away, in case my face didn’t.
‘Thank you.’ I didn’t really know what to say, because I was still none the wiser as to who she really was.
‘I’m Natalie. I believe you met my husband-to-be, Luke, already. On the stag,’ she reminded me.
‘Your husband was the stag?’
‘Yep. They certainly came home with a few stories.’ She giggled.
‘Everyone has a story.’
‘So, what are we doing?’ She ran her fingers through my long hair.
‘A curly blow dry, please.’ She led me over to the basin.
‘Will you make it home for the wedding?’ Natalie asked, lathering soap onto my scalp.
‘Oh, I don’t know.’ I hadn’t thought about it, but now she mentioned it, John had said there was a wedding in December he wanted me to accompany him to. It must be the one and the same.
‘You should come. It will be a good day,’ she said, rinsing the shampoo off.
