Jenna let go of his hand and his heart sank. Had he pushed her too far already?
She wrapped her arms around herself, staring now at the nodding cow parsley that was being ruffled by the strong breeze blowing down the lane from the North Sea.
‘I don’t honestly know,’ she said, turning to face him at last. ‘Sometimes I think it’s more than friendship. Like when you drove me all the way to Corlington to spy on Joel and Annette, even though it turned out they didn’t live there after all. And you brought pack-up and didn’t complain, even when you found out I had no idea which flat we were supposed to be watching. And when you took care of me that night I was crying in your flat and your dad came to tell you. And then when you turned up at Watersmeet for the twins’ party, and you looked all sexy in that pink shirt and black jeans…’
Sam couldn’t help grinning. ‘I looked sexy, did I?’
She nudged him. ‘Yes, you did! You made my stomach flutter…’ She broke off, biting her lip as if reliving that moment.
‘Well,’ he said hopefully, ‘that’s something, isn’t it? If you find me sexy at least. That’s something to build on, isn’t it?’
‘I don’t know,’ she admitted. ‘Kendra says I probably won’t be able to tell how I really feel until I kiss you.’
Her cheeks flushed even pinker, and she looked as if she couldn’t believe she’d said the words.
Sam reached out and stroked her hair away from her face. ‘Kendra said that? Well, maybe she’s right. I’m happy to test the theory with you, if you are.’
‘But what if I don’t feel that way about you after all?’ she asked, her eyes large with worry. ‘I really don’t want to hurt you, Sam. You’ve been so good to me.’
‘There’s only one way to find out, isn’t there?’ he said softly, moving closer to her. She nodded, smiling nervously. He gently cradled her face between his hands and lowered his lips to hers.
He wasn’t sure how Jenna was judging this test, but from his point of view it confirmed that, on his part at least, this was love. And judging by the way she responded to him, moving even closer, one hand reaching up to cup the back of his head, the other snaking around his waist, he was pretty certain that she was feeling something other than friendship for him.
He’d imagined this moment for so long, and it was everything he’d hoped for and more. His kiss went even deeper, as he knew his body couldn’t get close enough to hers to satisfy the longing for her, and she didn’t back away but returned his passion.
If a car hadn’t suddenly rattled round the corner, frightening the life out of them both and making them pull apart and leap back against the grass verge, they might have stayed there, kissing for hours.
But the car drove past them, and the driver grinned at them both with a knowing look in his eyes, and they gave each other sheepish smiles as Sam realised the moment was over.
Jenna’s fingers had been pressed against her lips, as if she could still taste him on them. Slowly she lowered her hand.
‘We’re going to be late for the twins,’ she said. ‘We’d better hurry.’
He wanted to ask her if he’d passed the test, but the fact that she hadn’t immediately told him he had, worried him deeply. So deeply that he didn’t dare ask for her verdict.
Suddenly she stopped and turned to him. ‘You know what? It’s stupid you coming back to the riding school with me. You might as well go straight to The Seagull Inn and collect your friend’s children for them. You’ll only have to walk back down here otherwise, and what’s the point?’
Sam frowned, not sure what to make of her sudden change of attitude. ‘It’s okay,’ he said slowly. ‘I don’t mind.’
‘Honestly. It makes sense for you to go now. I’ll run on and collect the girls. Thank you for keeping me company.’
‘Jenna, I…’ His voice trailed off as he realised he couldn’t ask the question. Wasn’t it obvious what the answer was? Her whole demeanour told him she wanted to get away from him, which could only mean he’d failed the test. She’d realised her feelings for him weren’t what they’d hoped after all, and she was trying to be kind. Let him down gently.
How, he wondered sadly, had he got it so wrong? He’d been so caught up in that kiss that he’d imagined she had been, too. Clearly that wasn’t the case at all.
‘Okay,’ he said. ‘I’ll go, if you’re sure. Don’t worry about giving me a lift home tonight, by the way. If Luke or Katy can’t bring me back I’ll probably sleep on their sofa.’
‘If you’re sure?’ she said, sounding relieved. ‘Okay. Well, bye, Sam.’
Before he could say anything else she turned and began to run up the lane towards the riding school. It was true that she was going to be late collecting the girls, but even so he couldn’t help thinking that she was running to get away from him as fast as she could.
‘Sam Hughes,’ he said bitterly, ‘you are the biggest moron going.’
He should never have kissed her. It would have been better to have never known.
23
‘Penny for them?’
