Page 64 of The Perfect Gift

‘What’s the matter with him?’ he heard Uncle Davy ask in his gruff voice from across the room.

‘I think our Ed just took a shot at the goal and hit the post,’ Pa replied.

‘More like he scored a spectacular own goal,’ Harry said.

Ed gave a loud groan. ‘Bloody hell, why am I such an idiot?’

Pa let out his familiar chuckle. The cushion Ed was holding over his face was prised free from his hands and he found himself staring up into his grandfather’s amused, if sympathetic gaze. ‘Don’t give up now, lad, there’s still time in the game.’

With a sigh, Ed sat up and hooked his arms around his bent knees. ‘I appreciate the encouragement, Pa, but I think the ref’s about to blow his whistle and call time.’

34

Frankie could hardly concentrate as she set to work on the bag of carrots Rachel had set in front of her. She was so aware of the weight of the compass hanging around her neck it might as well have been made from lead rather than silver. She should have gone straight home after the shoot had finished, like everyone else. Put Halfmoon Quay in the rear-view mirror and never looked back. Instead she’d hung around, letting all these people get further and further under her skin and allowing Ed to become an unexpected complication in her life.

No, not a complication, because that implied she harboured regrets over what had happened between them these past few days. What had he said to her that morning about her being a most delightful and unexpected gift? That was closer to the truth of how she felt about him too.

As she whittled at the skin of the carrot in her hand with the vegetable peeler Rachel had given her, her mind flashed back to that morning in bed when Ed had made love to her like a man possessed. His eyes had blazed into hers, need and desire and something else she hadn’t dared to put a name to written large in them. Damn Ed and his stupid, gorgeous face that couldn’t hide anything. The peeler slipped in her hand and she dropped it on the board with a curse. Blood dripped from the tip of her finger and she winced.

‘What’s the matter?’ Rachel hurried over. ‘Oh, you’ve cut yourself. Come here, let’s run it under the tap a minute. Helen, can you get the first-aid kit from the cupboard in the utility room?’

Frankie allowed herself to be led over to the sink where Rachel held her finger under the cold stream from the tap until her skin ached. Rachel pulled it free, frowning at the cut as she dabbed it dry with a bit of kitchen paper. ‘I think you’ll live,’ she said, pausing to give Frankie a smile.

This lovely woman fussing over her like she was one of her own was more than Frankie could bear. ‘Please, please don’t be nice to me,’ she choked out, her vision blurring as tears welled in her eyes.

‘Oh, darling, what’s the matter?’

Frankie tugged her hand free and turned away. She needed to get out of there, needed to escape before it was too late. She bolted for the sanctuary of the utility room, almost knocking Helen flying as they all but collided in the doorway. ‘Where are you going?’ Helen called after her in alarm. Frankie didn’t pause to reply, she just made a dash for the white double-glazed back door and yanked it open.

She stumbled out into the garden and staggered over to the patio where she bent double, hands braced on her knees as she struggled to control her breathing. Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t bloody cry. A hot, fat tear dripped off the end of her nose and splashed on the pale grey stones of the patio. Damn it. A knock sounded close to her head and she raised it to find Ed and all the rest of his family staring at her through the double doors of the garden room.

Could her life possibly get any worse?

Apparently it could because the next thing she knew Ed had unlocked the patio door and flung it open. ‘What’s the matter?’

‘Nothing. Go away.’

Instead of doing what he was told for just once in his life, Ed stepped out to join her on the patio. ‘Frankie? Is this about the necklace? If you don’t want it, you can give it back.’

Her hand rose in a reflex action to cover the pendant. He’d started them on this road. Did he honestly think they could turn back now and forget all about it? The silly Hallmark fantasy she’d woven for them shredded into nothing as the reality of what was happening between them went off inside her like an atomic bomb. Edward Penrose was in love with her.

And, damn it all to hell, she was in love with him too.

‘This is all your fault!’ she yelled, jabbing a finger at him. ‘You and your stupid face and your stupid kisses and your stupid family and this stupid village!’

‘Did she just call us stupid?’ she heard Harry asking from somewhere behind Ed’s broad shoulders.

‘I think she was talking about you,’ Liam replied.

Anger flashed in Ed’s eyes and he rounded on his family. ‘Shut the bloody door!’

‘And miss all the fun? Not on your Nelly!’ Maud called out.

Frankie buried her face in her hands and told herself that screaming would only complete her utter humiliation.

‘Goal’s wide open, lad. Go for it!’

‘Jesus Christ on a motorbike,’ Ed muttered and then he made a gasping sound.