Page 58 of Watch For Me By Candlelight

He thought about the museum and the way Kate’s garden backed onto the fields by the river. He remembered the cheese on toast they’d shared and half-smiled. He didn’t think he’d get much further than friendship with her at the moment. Not while things were happening with Lori and Poppy. It was obvious that Kate didn’t want to complicate matters, and he respected that—

‘Hello.’

He turned his head so quickly, he almost cricked his neck. Reaching up to rub it, he squinted into the late afternoon sun and saw her standing there, the rays lighting up her hair like a halo of fire. She was wearing denim shorts, a black top and a casual, zip-up jacket.

‘Kate! What are you doing here?’

‘Looking for you. I walked up from the village. It’s a nice night and I had to bring this. I was told to do it.’ She was almost defensive as she held up a wicker basket topped with a red and white checked cloth. ‘Delilah said.’

‘Delilah? From the café?’

‘Yes. She said she’d seen us and we looked like we needed feeding.’

Theo raised his eyebrows.

‘I know,’ said Kate. ‘Once Hartsford has you on its radar, that’s it. Your business is everyone’s business and they do like to look after their own. Delilah sent this and she said I had to share it with you. So I brought it all up here. I can just leave you half of it and head back, if it feels . . . awkward. Don’t feel obliged.’

‘Obliged? For what?’

‘To actually physically share it.’ She waved the basket in a large arc around her. ‘Like here. We don’t have to sit down and eat it together, that’s what I’m trying to say. Not if you don’t want to. Not if you’ve got . . . reason . . . not to.’

Theo stood up and took the basket from Kate.

He nodded to the entrance of the tent. ‘I have no reason good enough at the minute. I don’t mind sitting down and sharing. You park yourself there and I’ll get some mugs for whatever we’ve got in the flask.’

Kate looked a little bit thrown. She also looked as if she was casting around for some sort of excuse as to why she couldn’t stay — as if she wasn’t sure it was okay for her to be there.

Theo shook his head and placed his hand on her shoulder. ‘Sit.’ He gently tried to push her down. ‘Please. If you don’t stay, I’ll be forced to spend the evening in the wine bar being entertained by the divine Jenna.’

That comment seemed to do more than any physical force could have done. Kate suddenly laughed and sat right down.

She crossed her legs and sat upright. ‘I think it’s tea in the flask.’

‘That’s fine for now. I can always boil the kettle for more later, or find a couple of bottles of beer in my ice-box.’

Kate didn’t object to the “later” statement. She nodded and shuffled along so he could sit next to her and put the basket between them.

‘We can still enjoy each other’s company,’ he said with a smile. ‘Forget about the world for a few hours. I’d like to do that with you.’

‘I know. I’d like to do that too.’ She changed position and pulled her knees up, hugging them to her. She watched him lift the cloth and smiled as he exclaimed over the contents of the basket. They were pretty impressive and Theo didn’t realise how hungry he was until he smelled the spicy fruitiness of that cake.

‘I don’t see why we shouldn’t share the picnic,’ Kate said while Theo unloaded the scones. She pushed some droopy red curls out of her face. ‘And Delilah made this for us both.’

‘I hope you weren’t considering not inviting me to your picnic.’ Theo pretended to be affronted. ‘We’re in full view of the cows anyway; so what mischief could we possibly get up to?’

Kate laughed. ‘Cows are remarkably stupid. But my ducks — they are far more astute.’

‘I wouldn’t dare offend your ducks.’

She laughed again and Theo relaxed. This was going to be a very pleasant evening.

* * *

It was quite nice, sharing the picnic with Theo. Well, more than nice, to be honest — it was lovely. That awkward moment over the strawberry ice-cream and the feelings that had risen up out of her subconscious when he’d lifted her up had melted away and the constriction in Kate’s chest eased a little.

Plus, the conversation was easy and there were no awkward pauses. She found out more about where he lived, what his job entailed, what his clients were like . . . all sorts of interesting things. He didn’t, she noticed, talk about Poppy at all. Perhaps he was doing that deliberately — bottling it all up, because if he talked about her and it turned out she wasn’t his, it would make it more difficult and more real for him to let her go.

He discovered, in his turn, about Kate’s unconventional upbringing, her brother and his quirks and possibly more about Hartsford Folk Museum than he probably, she acknowledged, wanted to know. The food helped it all flow nicely too and she was right about the flask. It contained milky tea and there was just something about milky tea from a flask in the outdoors that made it taste different and special. It was the best tea she’d had in ages.