‘Fine. Would you like a lift? I’m going to your cottage anyway, so it’s really no trouble.’
I hesitated for a moment and he laughed.
‘What’s funny now?’ I hissed.
‘You are. Are you seriously going to stand there and think about it? It’s snowing and it’s freezing. I promise I’m not going to murder you. Or kidnap you. Or do anything else to you. Unless you want me to do something to you, of course. Then I’d be only too happy to oblige.’
I gasped.
‘All I want you to do is to fix my heating.’
‘Then the sooner you stop acting like an idiot and get in, the sooner I can get that done.’
‘An idiot? You’re calling me an idiot?’
‘If the shoe fits, wear it. As I’ve said before. I’m busy at this time of year.’
‘Hmm. Picking up women from the street, I bet.’ I mumbled as I walked around and got in the passenger side.
He grinned at me as he let off the handbrake. ‘Well it worked with you, didn’t it?’
I glared at him in silence, all the way to Midwinter Lane, which was at least a five-minute drive.
‘Any chance of a coffee?’ he asked when he parked.
‘You know where it is. Help yourself.’
‘I’m charging you by the hour, you do know that, don’t you?’
‘It takes three minutes to make a cup of coffee. I can afford that. I’m not your personal waitress.’
He sighed and got out. ‘Fine. Do you want one?’
‘What?’
‘If I’m making coffee anyway, I may as well make one for you.’
‘Look. I don’t know what you think is happening here, and I know I need you far more than you need me, but if you’re trying it on with me, you can forget it. I admit we had … a moment yesterday, but that’s all it was. A moment. And it was a … strange situation. You stay away from me and I’ll stay away from you and then nothing like that will happen again.’
I marched off as he grabbed his tools but he had caught up with me within seconds and we walked across the bridge together. Annoyingly, I slipped on the snow that was now settling, here on Midwinter Ridge, and he caught me in his arms, dropping his tool bag onto the bridge to do so.
‘I’ve got you,’ he said in a tone that made my insides turn to mush.
‘Thanks. You can let me go now.’
‘Must I?’
Our eyes met and held as snowflakes danced around us.
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘You must.’
‘Fine. Just let me say this first. I have no idea what’s happening here either. I didn’t want this or expect this anymorethan you did, and I don’t know what this is. But you’re right. We did have a moment yesterday. And it was more than a moment for me. In fact, I can’t stop thinking about it. Or about you. I’m not trying it on with you, believe me. My circumstances are such that I can’t start a relationship right now. However much I might want to. Sex is sex and if it’s just for fun, that’s fine. But I think with you, it would be more than just sex. For me, at least. So I agree we need to make sure it doesn’t happen again. But do we really have to avoid one another? We’re both adults, aren’t we? We might be tempted to do something we shouldn’t but does that mean we will? I have self-control. And, if this morning is anything to go by, you now have a boyfriend.’
‘You … you’re wrong. That was my dad. I don’t have a boyfriend. Although someone did ask me out last night. But that’s another story. As for self-control. I have that too. And I agree, sex is fine if it’s just fun, but not if someone is already with a relationship with someone else. So yes. We’ll both behave like grown ups and we should be fine. And I’ll make the coffee. You get on with the job. That’s why you’re here, after all.’
I got my footing and gingerly walked on. He picked up his tool bag and caught up with me.
‘That is why I’m here,’ he said. ‘Although you are wrong too. About you needing me far more than I need you. I know you meant as a plumber and a client but I mean it in a personal way. But we won’t take that any further.’
