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“Huh?” She looked to him, once again taken aback at their proximity. “Oh, yeah. It was just my dad, but I can call him back.”

Matthew paused. “Isn’t it nearing midnight there?”

“I think so.”

He didn’t respond for a minute. “You can answer it now if you need to.”

But Winnie shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I’ll talk to him later.”

He nodded, though she could almost feel his desire to ask her why she’d silenced her own dad’s call. No doubt Matthew had never done that to his dad before.

“So where are we headed first?” she asked, anxious to put his call behind her.

“Malham,” Matthew replied. “We can grab a bite to eat there for breakfast, then head up the cove for a nice, leisurely walk.”

Winnie nodded. She’d never heard of Malham before, but it sounded nice enough. “And how is this going to help us with the festival?” she asked.

“It’s not.”

She paused, unable to help herself from looking at him again. His profile was lined in the soft, gray light of the morning, enhancing the angle of his square jaw. “What? Then why are we even going there?”

He shifted again as they pulled out of the drive, officially on the road. Minnie ground her gears in protest. “Because I think it’ll help you get out of your head.”

She pulled a face. “I’m not in my head.”

He scoffed, and their eyes met for a brief moment. “The very fact that you are already asking how to improve the festival and we haven’t even been with each other for a quarter of an hour proves to me that you are most definitely in your head.”

Winnie had been called out. Not in a rude way, by any means, but she folded her arms and stared straight ahead all the same. “Well, forgive me for trying to help your beloved festival.”

A moment passed by in silence. “You’re right,” he said softly. “I’m sorry. I should have spoken with more care.”

Winnie blinked, stunned. He’d apologized. Like, really apologized. “Oh, it’s okay,” she mumbled, unsure of how to respond. “I wasn’t really offended.”

“That’s good because I…” He paused, beginning again. “I want this trip to be a sort of recharge for you. I really believe that if you immerse yourself in England, Yorkshire specifically, and the way we live here, you’ll be able to remove the pressure more easily from off your shoulders.”

Winnie chewed the inside of her lip. He wanted to take the pressure off? He wanted her to relax? Honestly, his words sounded like a dream. An unachievable, unattainable dream.

“If you’re all right with it,” he continued, “I’d like it if we kept the conversation about the festival to a minimum. Only chat about it when we absolutely have to.”

She paused, biting her cheek in hesitation. “But how will we get anything done? That’s a whole two days wasted.”

“I’ve already spoken to my dad and told him what we’re doing,” he assured her. “There’s nothing you need to do for the time being except enjoy the experiences you’ll have.”

Winnie hesitated. “I don’t know if I’m capable of fully turning off my work brain.”

“That’s all right. Just do the best you can.”

Winnie drew a deep breath. She wasn’t sure about this, really. But then, who was she to protest? She’d already failed at her attempt to revive the festival. Maybe Matthew’s idea would be just the thing to help them both get what they wanted.

Either way, she was willing to give it all a shot.

The car clunked as Matthew shifted gears again, and the tension eased from her shoulders.

“So how far is this Malham place?” she asked.

“About a quarter of an hour, give or take. Why?”

“I was just contemplating whether or not Minnie was going to last that long.”