Jude had just finished explaining to the guy from the tropical cabana supply company where the swimming pool was going to be, when Myles came galloping across the lawn on the back of a beautiful brown and white stallion.
‘Eaaaaasy does it, Bullseye. That’s my boy,’ Myles said, patting the side of the horse’s neck to calm him as he came to a halt. After swinging himself off and down on to the newly mown grass, Myles tethered the horse to a nearby fence, fed it a carrot from his pocket and then stood squarely in front of Jude, looking ridiculous in leather chaps over jeans, a yellow checked shirt, jaunty neck tie and a cowboy hat. On his feet were black leather cowboy boots complete with shiny silver spurs at the ankle. ‘Howdy partner!’ he said in a comical Deputy Dawg accent, as he doffed the hat.
Jude stared, goggled-eyed and speechless. Her jaw dropped. Myles laughed, and then actually had the temerity to put the tip of his index finger to her chin so as to reunite it with the rest of her face.
‘Get off me, you loon,’ she smiled, shimmying her face away from his touch, but only pretending to be put out, because it was really hard to be serious whenever he was around. His carefree, effervescent approach to life was highly seductive. Plus he’d just treated her to a delicious whiff of his intoxicating scent, making her stomach do a tiny flip.
‘So, what do you think?’ Myles asked, taking a step back and flinging his arms out wide as if he was about to burst into a rousing rendition of ‘Oklahoma’, clearly impressed with his new costume.
‘Um,’ Jude tried to stifle a giggle. ‘It’s different,’ she ventured, ‘but what have you come as … Sheriff Woody?’
‘Ha-ha! You’re so funny, Jude.’ He winked. ‘I think it’s cool. And so the right look for a horseman, don’t ya think?’ he grinned and nodded, assured as ever.
‘I guess so. But since when did you own a horse?’ she asked. He hadn’t said a word about it before now, and she had been here at the estate nearly every day this last week.
‘Since earlier this morning when he arrived.’
‘And you named him Bullseye … are you trying to star in your very own version of Toy Story? You really are just a giant man-child, aren’t you?’ she laughed.
‘Nooo, of course not,’ and for a moment, Jude could have sworn that Myles looked crestfallen, taken aback by her jokes. Hurt even. And it bothered her. After the way she had seen him be with Holly, and then Chrissie in the pub, and the time they had spent together recently, she knew that he wasn’t just the jovial and cocky Flash Harry that he made himself out to be. So she didn’t want to hurt him by seemingly having a joke at his expense.
‘Sorry,’ she quickly added. ‘I didn’t mean anything by it.’
‘I know,’ he shrugged, ‘it’s fine.’
They both fell silent. And she wondered if it really was fine … or if he was just saying so to avoid friction between them.
Jude moved towards the stallion’s face and gently stroked his nose, unsure of what else to do. And why was Myles looking at her in this way? Like a little lost boy all of a sudden. He even bit his bottom lip, before looking her up and down as if pondering his options, or weighing her up, perhaps, wondering if he should say something else. But he didn’t.
And more silence followed.
Then she took action, by saying, ‘Bullseye is so handsome,’ as a way to move the moment on. She never had been one for awkward silences. Far better to just come out with it. But she didn’t really know Myles well enough to work out how he might react if she asked him why he seemed upset with her all of a sudden. Plus, her dad had a point earlier … Myles was her boss at the end of the day. No matter how much the lines had been blurred on that score, he was still paying her wages, even if he was getting more and more involved, to the point where he was practically taking over the whole refurbishment. In addition to turning the Blackwood Farm Estate into some kind of theme park with a petting zoo. So she kept the conversation focused on the horse. ‘And a thoroughbred, by the looks of him,’ she added, knowing a bit about horses, having grown up with Matt, the local farrier. He’d been horse mad and had taken her riding in the summer time when they were teenagers.
‘That’s right. I found him through a specialist breeder on the internet in Ireland,’ Myles told her casually, his nonchalant demeanour back in place now. He handed her a carrot to feed to Bullseye. ‘Fancy a ride?’ And he turned to look her right in the eye.
The silence returned, apart from the chomping noises coming from Bullseye’s mouth.
‘Err,’ Jude went to reply, willing her cheeks to stop burning.
‘Shit. Sorry,’ Myles laughed. ‘Didn’t mean it like that … you know, as in ride, ride. As in a shag. Bed. And all that …’ He rolled his eyes, and then swiftly added, ‘Not that I wouldn’t be up for it. Course I bloody would. You’re gorgeous, of course.’ Jude stared, speechless. ‘I should go, shouldn’t I? Before you belt me one. You’ve got that look in your eye.’ And he pulled a mock-petrified face.
‘Err,’ she opened her mouth again, ‘um … what do mean, look in your eye? What look?’
‘That look you do. Like you want to put me across your knee and spank the living daylights out of me for being so bloody annoying.’ He pushed the cowboy hat off his head so it hung by the string down his back and shoved a hand through his short blond hair.
‘Oh. Um, well, I don’t, um … you know, want to put you across my knee. And you aren’t annoying. Really you aren’t.’
‘You sure?’ he asked, keenly.
‘Yes, of course … quite sure.’
‘That’s a good thing then, isn’t it?’ Myles said, lowering his voice, and sounding uncharacteristically serious, and dare she think it, actually charming … even if he was staring at her lips and making her feel quite unnerved. She looked away. Now this is really awkward. Is he coming on to me? It sounded like he was, but now he thinks I’m scary. And not in a good way. But why is my stomach flipping like this? Yes, he’s grown on me over the time we’ve worked together, but still … He’s not my type! Is he? Not after Scott. Maybe he’s just playing with me. It’s hard to be sure. Jude mulled it all over, not used to feeling on the back foot like this. Unsure. She normally had a witty one-liner, or a snarky comment ready for times likes this … but all of that was eluding her right now.
But Jude was saved from saying, or indeed thinking anything more, as Sylvia was powering her way towards them with a clipboard in one hand and a walkie-talkie in the other.
‘There you are,’ she said, addressing them both. Then turned to Myles with an exasperated look on her face.
‘I’ve been looking all over for you. There are a team of people here at the back gate with two juggernauts chugging away, spluttering diesel fumes all over the place because they refuse to switch the engines off – something to do with needing to keep the generators topped up or whatever,’ she tutted. ‘Anyway, they are from …’ she paused to consult her clipboard, ‘ahh, yes, here it is. I had to write it down because they aren’t on my list so I wasn’t expecting them,’ she added pointedly. ‘Billy Randall’s Most Amazing Funfair and Theme Parks,’ she coughed to clear her throat, and then finished with, ‘Limited!’
‘Good-oh!’ Myles said.
‘And the one in charge says they are here to erect a carousel. One with painted horses that go up and down! Those were his exact words, when I dared to ask what he meant … I might add.’
‘Fantastic! So they managed to get one here … that’s a relief as they said they might not have one available with it being such short notice and all that …’ Myles added, seemingly oblivious to Sylvia’s disdain.
‘So you are expecting them then?’ Sylvia asked, incredulity spread all over her face.
‘Sure am.’ Myles caught Jude’s eye and then added, ‘Thank you, Sylvia. And I’m sorry I didn’t mention it. I guess I just forgot in my silly excitement. The way big kids do!’ Jude flicked her eyes to the ground – so he had been hurt by her stupid insensitive comment. And then he leant across and put his arm around Sylvia’s shoulders, pulling her in for a big bear hug. ‘Will you forgive me? I really am sorry.’
‘Oh, be off with you. You know I can’t stay cross with you for long,’ she said, batting the chest part of his checked shirt with her clipboard. ‘But will you please try to let me know next time?’
‘I’ll try. Promise,’ he agreed. ‘Right, I had better get over to the back gate then. We don’t want to upset the neighbours by polluting the lovely clean air of Tindledale!’
Moments later, having hopped up and into position on Bullseye’s saddle in one swift movement, Myles was off, galloping across the grass ahead of them. Jude was impressed … he was clearly a very adept horse rider.
‘Did you know he was buying that horse?’ Sylvia asked, turning sideways to talk to Jude as they walked back towards the house.
‘No. He bought it on the internet, apparently … and why not? He’s a fantastic rider.’
‘He certainly is. But then is it any wonder?’ Sylvia said, her face taking on a film of sweat in the warm spring air.
‘How come?’
‘He grew up on a farm! So it stands to reason that’s where he learnt to ride.’
‘Really? I thought he was from London,’ Jude said, surprised by this revelation which seemed in contrast to the impression Myles had presented of him being a bit clueless when it came to country ways. The image of him in the mustard-coloured breeches and knee-high socks sprang to mind.
‘Ah, yes, he is from London. But he had to move around a lot. When I say that he grew up on a farm … he spent some summers on one for a bit. On and off until he left care.’
‘Care?’
‘Yes, that’s right. Myles grew up in foster care with numerous different placements. I think he had been to twelve different schools by the time he was old enough to leave full-time education.’
‘Gosh, I didn’t know …’ Jude pondered for a moment; this made a lot of sense … It explained why Myles seemed to be so keen to fit in. To find his place. She imagined he must have felt extremely unsettled growing up with no permanent place to call home. And her heart softened for him. There really was so much more to Myles King than she had first thought.
‘Yes, of course that part of his background isn’t plastered all over the internet, but it’s not a secret … he won’t mind me telling you,’ Sylvia clarified, just in case Jude thought she was gossiping inappropriately. ‘The rest is there though … I assume you’ve seen it all. The sensationalist newspaper articles.’
‘No, I haven’t. Of course, I took a look at his Wiki page, I do that with all my clients, but I tend to ignore the rest as in my experience it’s never very accurate,’ Jude said. But to her shame, she had just assumed that Myles was cocky and over-entitled and had got lucky with a record deal or whatever it was that had started him on the road to international fame in the first place. That was how he came across in that initial phone call, when he had been downright rude and extremely presumptuous. And not at all like her previous clients, some of whom were megastars and would never make the initial contact call themselves. That’s what PAs and managers were for. Well, she wouldn’t make that mistake again. Judging before she really knew.
‘Well, you must be the only person who hasn’t. Most people who meet Myles know all about him, they’ve read every single seedy thing about him … it always becomes evident right away. The questions they ask, the intrigue, the fascinated looks on their faces … but can you blame them? These days it is perfectly normal to know everything about famous people. You can even talk to them directly on Twitter and such like. It never used to be like that back in my day.’
‘Very true.’
‘But I don’t know what’s come over him these days …’ Sylvia shook her head in worry, ‘… you know, he never used to be this impulsive. Lurching from one new idea to another. Buying animals and expensive artwork like it’s going out of fashion.’
‘Really?’
‘Oh no, when he was singing and touring … at the height of his career, he was very different. Totally focused and committed to the music. He spent all of his time either on the road, or in his studio composing new song lyrics and rehearsing them over and over. Until …’ Sylvia stopped talking.
‘Until what?’ Jude asked, squinting into the sun as she turned to look directly at Sylvia.
‘Err … until it all stopped, is what I meant,’ Sylvia added vaguely.
‘He stopped making music, do you mean?’
‘Yes, well he had to, didn’t he? Couldn’t carry on after all that—’
‘All what?’
‘You mean you don’t know?’ Sylvia stopped walking to turn her head to face Jude.
‘No. I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.’
‘Oh gosh, well, the papers had a field day with it all. It’s why he came here in the end, to get away from all the paps camping outside day and night. They just wouldn’t leave him alone.’
‘But why?’
‘The drugs, dear!’ Sylvia told her in a hushed voice.
‘Myles was on drugs?’ Jude asked, her eyes widening, and her heart dropping.
‘NO. Oh no, that isn’t what I meant,’ Sylvia said, as they reached the back of the house. ‘He never touched them. It was his fiancée … she kept it well hidden from him, but then she overdosed in the end and left him heartbroken. I’m surprised he hasn’t told you … Not that it’s a secret or anything. And I wouldn’t be talking about this either, of course, if it was. Sorry, I just assumed that you already knew.’
‘Nope. Not a word,’ Jude said, suddenly feeling overcome with sorrow for Myles. What a tragic thing to happen. Yet he seems so upbeat and happy, like he hasn’t a care in the world.
‘Really? And with you two so close. You’re the first woman I’ve seen him even remotely happy to talk to. He was in quite the doldrums until you turned up. You make him smile, my dear, and laugh. And that is a very good thing indeed. It’s about time Myles had some fun and happiness in his life.’
‘And he makes me smile and laugh,’ Jude nodded, even if she had found him infuriating at the start. But they had settled into a kind of groove now where he definitely did make her laugh and smile on a daily basis.
‘I’m pleased to hear it. And I am sorry that we got off on the wrong foot … Myles was so adamant that people be kept away from him. And you can’t blame him after everything that happened. The newspapers hounded him for a scoop, anything to try to get some scintillating bit of detail about Genevieve.’
‘Genevieve Chevalier?’ Jude vaguely remembered reading something about her dating a British rock star in a glossy magazine a few years back. There was some kind of super-injunction in place to protect her privacy.
‘Yes that’s right. The supermodel. And the press just wouldn’t let it go. Do you know that I caught a female reporter one time trying to wangle her way into his house in London? She pretended to be a cleaner sent from the agency. And was rifling through Genevieve’s dressing room, taking pictures of her shoes of all things, when I caught her. Why anyone would want pictures of a person’s shoes is beyond me.’
‘That’s awful,’ Jude said, stamping the grass off her sandals onto the mat by the back door.
‘Yes, it was. But he’s much happier now. Thanks to you!’ Sylvia tilted her head to one side.
‘What did I do?’ Jude asked, intrigued.
‘You’ve given him a purpose, my dear. All of this … letting him get involved in the refurbishment,’ Sylvia waved the clipboard around the hallway. ‘It’s something to focus on. And please do give him a chance—’
‘What do you mean?’ Jude creased her forehead.
‘I think you know what I mean! He isn’t the crass man that he makes out to be. You see that, don’t you?’ And with that, she pushed her clipboard under her arm and marched off towards the kitchen, leaving Jude to think about everything that had been said.