‘Why shouldn’t you have?’ Ellie frowned. She hoped he only regretted his actions because she’d run off, rather than regretting the actual kiss this morning, but she needed to check.
‘Well, I…’ Murray glanced down at the ground before taking a deep breath and catching her eye. ‘Because you clearly don’t feel the same way.’
She’d asked for that. That was definitely the impression someone might get if they made the move to kiss someone and they legged it. She needed to let him know that wasn’t the case, though.
Glancing around, she grinned as she noticed a delivery van on the opposite side of the road. Taking his hand, she led the way across the road, picking up the pace as he jogged beside her.
‘Where are we going? If what you say about this mayoress is true, then haven’t we got to make the meeting on time?’
Glancing back at him, she winked. ‘This will only take a moment.’
‘What will?’
Slowing, they stepped up on the kerb and Ellie pulled him so the van shielded them from their group. ‘This.’
Taking both his hands in hers, she inched closer to him and stood up on her tiptoes, bringing her lips to his.
Murray chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.
As their lips touched, Ellie allowed herself to relax. Pushing all worries, buts, ifs and maybes from her mind. She was in. She wanted this. However it might end.
Leaning back, Murray tucked her hair behind her ear. ‘Are you sure you want this?’
Ellie swallowed and forced herself to say, ‘If by this you mean us trying again, then I’m in.’
‘That is most definitely what I mean. There’s nothing I want more in the world than to try again with you.’ Leaning forward, he pecked her on the lips before tilting his head and frowning. ‘Oops, I think I hear Jackson calling our names.’
Ellie laughed as they sprinted back towards the waiting group.
24
‘Thank you, Officer Huntley.’ Meadowfield’s mayoress clapped as the uniform-clad police officer stepped away from the lectern and lowered himself into a chair at the back of the stage in the village hall.
‘Did the police officer really just speak about what I thought he did, as though a humongous crime had been committed, or am I hearing things?’ Leaning towards Ellie, who was sitting on his left, Murray tugged on his ear.
Leaning into him, Ellie whispered back, ‘Haha, you heard him correctly. Let’s hope no one’s caught or they’ll end up being banished from the village.’
‘Wow!’ Murray widened his eyes in mock-shock.
‘May I just take this moment to remind you all of how grave a situation this is.’ Miss Cooke shifted on her feet and gripped the wooden lectern with both hands. ‘If the pens are not returned to Meadowfield Library by closing time tomorrow, then we will be forced to install CCTV.’
A quiet hubbub of voices washed across the residents sitting in the audience.
‘Quiet, please.’ Miss Cooke paused and waited for every single person to turn their attention back to her before she continued. ‘And before I am inundated with comments that we’re only talking about a few pens, please, residents, think about what might be next. All thieves begin with something small. They do so to test the water, and if left unchallenged, they’ll move on to bigger things, cars, house burglaries even. I’m sure there’s not one person in here who wants to be sleeping with the fear that someone might break in and steal their television or computer or stereo.’
Now it was Ellie’s turn to lean across and whisper in Murray’s ear. ‘They certainly won’t be best pleased if they break into mine then.’
Snorting in response, Murray quickly pulled a tissue from his pocket and pretended to sneeze. Once, twice, three times.
‘You can stop now. I think you got away with it.’ Jabbing him gently in the ribs, Ellie tried her best to stop her shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.
‘Isn’t that right, Officer Huntley?’ Miss Cooke glanced behind her and waited as the poor police officer turned a deep shade of beetroot and nodded sheepishly.
‘It can do.’
‘There you go then.’ Turning back to the gathered villagers, Miss Cooke nodded sharply. ‘And onto our next item on tonight’s agenda, we have two lovely villagers campaigning for our very own nature reserve.’
A round of applause erupted from the hall as two people stood up from the front row and clambered onto the stage.
