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Tasha pulled her hair back into its ponytail, trying to ignore the sense of regret welling inside her. This was the right thing to do, the sensible thing to do.
They walked in silence through the woods. It was a little awkward, but not completely uncomfortable either as though neither quite knew what to say to the other. Tasha tried to ignore the way Rhys adjusted his stride so he remained in step with her, the way their shoulders brushed now and again as they walked across the uneven ground. The desire to slide her hand back into the rough warmth of his was so tempting but she had to be strong.
As they stepped from the relative shelter of the trees both she and Rhys moved away from each other at the same time, as though the spell that had been hanging over them had been broken by the touch of the sun on their faces. Rhys strode ahead, encouraging the dogs towards the car so he had them all secured in the boot by the time she reached him, and he didn’t look at her as he moved around to the driver’s side.
The confines of the car seemed impossibly close once they climbed in and closed the doors behind them. Tasha busied herself with fastening her seat belt, while Rhys started the engine. He shifted into reverse but they didn’t move and when she glanced up he was looking down at her.
‘Okay?’ was all he said when their eyes met.
She nodded. ‘Yes. Fine.’
She was still trying to convince herself that yes, everything was fine when Rhys pulled into the yard at the farmhouse five minutes later. Keen to escape their forced proximity, Tasha unlocked her seat belt and was out of the car almost before he’d finished parking. Thankfully, there was no more time to dwell on anything as they were both swept into a whirlwind of greetings.
The yard had been transformed into a party space with tables already laden with plates, cutlery and glasses. Zap had positioned himself behind a makeshift bar and was dispensing drinks with his usual generous hand. A large gas barbeque was set up and ready on the far side where any smoke would blow over the wall rather than all over the guests, and an array of cold boxes sat beside it. Strings of lights hung in loops along the walls and a couple of tall gas heaters stood ready in case the temperature dropped too much once the sun went down. Someone had set up a portable speaker and a party-mix playlist filled the air.
Tasha had just been introduced to Hope’s boyfriend, Cameron, and he in turn was trying to introduce her to several members of his team when a smiling man wearing a battered Indiana Jones-style hat rocked up with a tray full of drinks. ‘Well, hello! This day is just getting better and better with the arrival of another pretty lady,’ he declared, giving her the most outrageous wink. ‘Do help yourself to a drink.’
‘Yes, do!’ said a smiling woman with blonde curly hair as she took two glasses and handed one to Tasha. ‘The only thing that makes Barnie and his dreadful sense of humour palatable is alcohol.’
Not looking the least bit abashed, Barnie plonked down the tray on a nearby table and gathered the woman into a hug. ‘Cassie, my angel! When did you arrive?’
Laughing, Cassie hooked her arm around Barnie’s neck and gave him a kiss. ‘About half an hour ago. We dumped our stuff and came straight here. Thank goodness for pop-up tents!’
‘Are you molesting my wife again?’ A dark-haired man grabbed Barnie’s hat and placed it on his own head at a rakish angle. ‘Hello,’ he said, smiling at Tasha and offering his hand. ‘I don’t think we’ve met before, have we? I’m Ed.’
‘Pleased to meet you. I’m Tasha. I started working here a few weeks ago. I’ve taken over running the campsite.’
‘Ah ha! I thought it was looking particularly fetching when we arrived.’
Tasha’s heart began to beat a little faster. ‘I didn’t know you were staying at the campsite?’ She cast a worried look towards Cam. ‘I thought you were setting up your own camp near the dig?’
‘We have. Ed went to the campsite first by mistake, don’t worry.’
Tasha pressed a hand to her chest. ‘Oh, thank goodness. Not that you wouldn’t all be very welcome to stay at the campsite, of course. I can find room for you up there if you’d prefer it?’ She tried to recall in her head how many pitches she had free.
Cam’s smile was kind as he pointed towards the glass in her hand. ‘Have a drink and relax, Tasha. Everything’s under control. Declan and his team are just waiting on the arrival of the welfare cabins and then they’ll be along to join us.’
‘Sorry, I’m just a bit on edge because I want everything to run smoothly this weekend.’
‘I’m sure it’ll be fine. Hope tells me you’re doing a great job.’
‘That’s good to hear, thank you.’ Tasha took a drink and almost choked at the strength of it. ‘Goodness, I think I might need to add a bit more tonic to this.’
Barnie took a swig of his and smacked his lips. ‘Tastes fine to me!’
Laughing, Tasha excused herself and headed, not to the bar, but through the open door of the kitchen, which was thankfully empty, although cellophane-covered platters of snacks and bowls of salad lined the table so it wouldn’t be long before someone came to claim them. She hurried to the sink and tipped out her drink, quickly refilling it with water.
Best to keep her wits about her, just in case she was tempted to do something foolish like find Rhys and drag him into the nearest dark corner.
21
Rhys couldn’t have felt less in the party mood if he tried. How had everything gone from perfect to a perfect disaster in a matter of minutes? Kissing Tasha had awoken something inside him, something he hadn’t felt in a long, long time. And it wasn’t just the blood rush of lust that had gone to his head and other places, though God knew that had been an adrenaline ride he could get addicted to given half a chance. Only he might never get that chance because he’d jumped the gun. He shouldn’t have mentioned handing responsibility for the campsite over to Hope. His only intention had been to ensure Tasha understood that, however things between them might develop, her job at Juniper Meadows was secure.
Well, she’d made her choice and now he was going to have to live with it. He leaned back against the wall and took a sip of his beer as he let his eyes scan over his friends and family. As much as he tried not to let his gaze linger on her, he couldn’t help watching as Tasha laughed with Cam and his friends. The group had expanded to include a number of the staff who worked for his mother at the spa, including Meena, who was wearing Barnie’s battered fedora and holding onto his hand as if she might never let him go.
A nudge on his shoulder distracted Rhys and he glanced left to see Ben leaning against the wall next to him, his own bottle of beer dangling between his fingers. ‘What are you doing hiding out over here?’ Rhys asked him.
Ben grinned. ‘I’ve dispatched your mum to talk to Amelia, so I’ve left them to it in case Amelia works out I’ve been meddling. What’s your excuse?’
