might not have known you long, my darling, but I know you better than that.’
‘I thought you’d gone because you didn’t want to see me,’ I said, more tears gathering. ‘I thought you believed that I was moving back to Broad-Meadows.’
‘Oh hell, Freya,’ he swallowed. ‘If I’d had even an inkling that something like this had happened, I would have got another phone, or called from a landline, or something. I didn’t even know you were aware that this Jackson idiot had been trying to stir up trouble.’
‘Chloe said she’d heard you arguing and I worked out who with,’ I sniffed. ‘So, where have you been?’
‘Never mind that,’ he said, chucking down his phone. ‘Come here, for pity’s sake.’
I flung myself across the sofa and into his waiting arms.
‘I thought I’d lost you,’ I sobbed.
‘Of course, you hadn’t lost me,’ he said, squeezing me closer. ‘I’m so sorry any of this has happened.’
‘Don’t you apologise,’ I blubbed. ‘It was Jackson’s fault.’
‘I wished I’d laid him out when I had the chance.’
I rather wished he had too.
We stayed locked together, feeling the warmth of the fire and watching the flames lick up the chimney. With every breath I could feel my frozen heart thawing again, but that had nothing to do with the coals glowing in the grate.
Eventually I sat up so I could look at him, but I didn’t move away and I didn’t let go of his hand either.
‘So, where were you then?’ I asked. ‘Where did you disappear to?’
He softly kissed the back of my hand before answering.
‘Wynthorpe Hall,’ he said with a smile. ‘The Connellys have decided they want to push ahead with creating the sculpture trail through their woods and they’ve commissioned me to make a few of the pieces.’
‘Oh Finn!’ I said, throwing myself back into his arms. ‘That’s amazing! Congratulations.’
‘Thank you,’ he smiled. ‘I’m really pleased.’
‘And so you should be. What a perfect end to the year.’
‘It is rather, isn’t it?’ he said, ducking his head. ‘And being back with you again makes it even better. You do know now how much I love you, don’t you, Freya?’
I felt an overwhelming rush of relief and was just about to tell him how much I loved him too, but he kissed me with such passion and conviction that the words were lost. I happily melted into his embrace and my world slipped seductively back into focus.
Chapter 31
Waking, wrapped in Finn’s warm and strong arms the next morning, it genuinely felt as though Christmas had come early. I looked at him briefly, taking in his features, softened by sleep, the tangle of his hair and the steady rise and fall of his chest, before closing my eyes, ready for sleep to claim me again, but they sprang straight back open the second I remembered.
It might not have really been Christmas Day but it was as good as. It was finally time to open the Winter Garden and find out what the rest of the world, or at least a small part of it, thought of the horticultural efforts I, along with my team of two, had made since arriving in Nightingale Square just a few short weeks ago.
I mentally ran through Luke’s plan for the day and then gently, and reluctantly, manoeuvred myself further from Finn’s warm reach.
‘No,’ he sleepily muttered, pulling me straight back again, ‘just five more minutes.’
‘I can’t,’ I told him, ‘I need to get the garden ready.’
‘The garden is ready,’ he said, his eyes still closed. ‘Five minutes.’
‘There’s no time,’ I weakly protested, as he rolled on to his side and then on top of me. ‘I’ve got to do something with my hair.’
I didn’t need to look in a mirror to know that it was going to need some attention.
‘I’ll do it for you,’ said Finn, kissing me lightly on the lips.
‘Will you?’ I asked, my head instantly filled with that delicious hair washing scene featuring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep in Out of Africa.
‘Yes,’ he said, kissing me again.
‘In that case,’ I giggled, ‘let’s take ten minutes instead of five.’
After a very seductive fifteen minutes, Finn was true to his word and tamed and plaited my tangled tresses in no time at all.
‘You can do this every morning,’ I told him as I admired his handiwork in the hall mirror as we were getting ready to leave.
‘That can be arranged,’ he smiled.
The loose side braid he had nimbly created was boho heaven but perfectly practical in my line of work.
‘I