‘Did you fell all those trees?’ I nod towards the clearing we’re walking alongside.
He snorts out a laugh. I’m taking it as a solid no.
‘How else did you get the wood for the cabin?’
‘I own a sawmill, Ellie. How do you think?’
‘Oh.’ My face heats up as I giggle.
I may have just made myself look stupid, but the sound of his amusement gives me such a rush.
A thought occurs to me. ‘So peopledoknow where you are.’
‘How do you figure that?’
‘You must’ve had the wood delivered …’
‘No, I brought it myself.’
‘Ah. Sneaky.’
He snorts again.
The air feels so fresh. It smells of rainfall, wet grass and damp earth. My favourite kinds of smells.
‘Man, those birds are loud,’ I say, looking up at the treetops. ‘What are they?’
‘Starlings.’ He pauses. ‘Have you ever seen a murmuration?’
‘A what?’
‘I’ll show you later.’
I smile to myself. With every moment we spend together, he’s starting to feel a bit more familiar.
We return to the cabin after a while because my blisters are beginning to burn. Ash says he thinks he has a box of plasters in his garage, so I hover by the door while he looks through a plastic container at the back. His bike is parked up at the front and I feel a pang of longing as I stare at it.
‘I’m guessing you got rid of my bike gear.’
He glances over at me, mid-rummaging. ‘Why, you feel like going for a ride?’
I look at him hopefully. ‘I’d love to.’
He shakes his head, finally locating what he’s looking for. ‘I only kept what I needed,’ he says as he makes his way back out of the garage and hands me a box.
‘Thanks.’
I sit on a log outside the cabin and pull off my boots and socks, applying plasters to my rubbed-raw skin. I have two blisters now and they really bloody hurt.
‘Is there a shoe shop anywhere nearby?’ I call through the door.
Ash walks over and leans against the door frame, a mug of coffee in his hands. He’s wearing black jeans and a blue checked flannel shirt over a white T-shirt.
Yep, definitely still attracted to him.
‘Not in Knighton. Why? You thinking of getting some walking shoes?’
‘I could do with something to wear for the week.’ I left my outdoor boots at home, assuming trainers would be fine for beachside strolls.
