“I love you too, you idiot.” She stood from the table and made to leave. Just as she reached the door, she popped her head back in. “Just so you know, I’ll be out at the pub with Beca tonight. Soif you’re going out with anyone in particular make sure you bring a key.”
Alone in the kitchen, my interrupted thoughts decided to rear their ugly head one last time.
Risk? I’m falling for him, quicker than I thought possible.
8
Chapter Eight
Llywelyn
I pulled up in the van and beeped the horn. Dinky barked at the horn like she had never heard it before. “Worst guard dog ever,” I said as I scratched under her chin. She just groaned.
James hurried from the house, giving a quick wave over at Glynis. I waved at her from the van and got a curt wave in return. She really had been less outwardly friendly since James and I had started…well, whatever we had started doing.
I wanted to ask him about it, because I had never done this kind of thing before. But I didn’t want to make things awkward or to stop seeing him, even if we only had a couple of days. Seeing James made me want more from life. I wanted to explore outside the village, outside Wales even. To do that, though, I had to get my act together.“You’re obviously providing a valuable service, please don’t struggle to survive just to do so,”Jameshad said. Perhaps he was right. Maybe I could save some money to see him in London, if he would let me.
James hopped into the van and casually kissed me on the cheek. I felt my face warm as I blushed. The last rays of the setting sun shone in to the van, so I knew there was no way he hadn’t seen.
“You look deep in thought,” he said. Dinky had jumped onto his lap and was trying to lick his face.
“Nah, just trying to remember the way,” I lied.
“Where are you taking me then?”
“You’ll see.” I looked over at James and grinned at him. The sunlight framed his face perfectly.God, you’re beautiful.I wanted to say. But I didn’t want to scare him off. Instead, I put the van into gear and sped down the street as fast as I could.
“Do your parents still live around here?” James asked. I felt my heart drop. It had been a while since I’d had to tell anyone this kind of information. I took my foot off the accelerator as we reached the country lanes.
“They died. Car accident.”
“Oh.” I risked a glance over at James. He was looking at me with…pity? I couldn’t tell. “I’m sorry to hear.”
“Nah, it’s fine. Ancient history now.” I tried to act like it was, but there must have been something in my face because James asked the one question I didn’t want him to ask.
“How long ago?”
I hesitated before replying. “Five years.”
“Shit. I’m sorry, Llyw.” James put one hand on my thigh and squeezed. I blinked back any tears that were threatening as I drove.
“It’s fine. It happens to all of us some day.” I focused on the road ahead, and not on the reassuring warm hand.
“Still. If you need to talk, I’m here,” James said. But I knew within days he wouldn’t be and that hurt too.
“Right, moving on. Do you know what day it is tomorrow?”
“Honestly, being here — time has stood still. But…Thursday, right?”I could see him counting in his head for a second “The 25th of January.”
“Yes, Dwynwen’s day.” I said. “Do you know the story?”
James crinkled his face in concentration, like he was trying to dredge up some long forgotten memory. “…no,” he finally admitted. “There’s something….but no.”
The country lanes opened up in front of us to the little car park that no one ever used. I parked the van, hopped out onto the gravel and held my hands out for Dinky. James lifted her into my arms and jumped out the same side.
“So, are you going to tell me about Dwynwen then?” A gust of wind blew in suddenly and he shivered. “God I wish I’d brought my…I meanyourcoat,” he said.
I turned to open the side door on the van and took it out for him. “I brought it,” I said, trying to pass it over without it seeming like a big kind of deal.
