Meanwhile, blissfully unaware of the revelations that her father and uncle had unearthed, Meredith hacked her pony Rosa out across country with Joe Flanagan on her friend Izzy’s pony at her side. She’d texted him the afternoon after Jack’s memorial party, and they’d agreed to meet on Monday, since Joe had a day off and Meredith wasn’t working until later that day. Meredith found herself missing Flynn less and less as the summer went on, and when Joe had kissed her on top of the cider vats, the memories of her ex-boyfriend had fled. She’d nervously suggested that he might like to come out on a ride with her, and been gratified when he’d said yes.
Now, pleasantly surprised that Joe could ride very well, she was admiring his excellent seat as the dappled sunlight cut through the woodland on Dolebury Warren, which lay just to the east of Little Somerby and was well within riding distance. The forest trail led up to a hillside dotted with crags of rocks and bundles of sheep, and was generally popular with dog walkers, riders and hikers, although today it was quiet. Joe knew the area well as his father’s house was atop one of the small roads that led through the warren. Over the years, Patrick had gradually acquired about three acres of land, which was both field and woodland, and the two were headed there for a bit of privacy and a picnic.
‘It’s so beautiful up here.’ Meredith sighed. ‘Rosa loves it too – she’s not great with land that’s too soft, and far prefers rockier terrain.’ She scratched the pony’s poll affectionately. ‘I think she’s got some Welsh blood in her.’
‘I spend a lot of time out here, just wandering,’ Joe replied, nudging his pony into a trot on the flat path between the wood and the warren itself. ‘But I’ve not done it on horseback for a long time.’
Meredith squeezed Rosa into a trot, and then sat back and let the pony have her head, allowing Rosa to stretch her legs a little on the generous terrain. Joe urged Sunlight, the pony he’d borrowed, to catch up with her, and for a few blissful minutes they cantered alongside each other, enjoying the refreshing feel of the breeze as they upped their pace.
Slowing down as the landscape changed and became woodier, Meredith turned back towards Joe. She felt wide awake and flushed by the exertion, and more alive than she had in a long time. ‘I so needed this!’ she called as he drew alongside her. ‘Thanks for coming out with me.’
Joe gestured towards an old stone outbuilding that marked the outer boundary of his father’s land. ‘Thanks for inviting me. Do you fancy stopping for that picnic lunch?’
Meredith nodded. ‘Actually, I am quite hungry,’ she said in surprise. She hadn’t been properly hungry for ages, but the fresh air and the riding had whetted her appetite for the sandwiches she’d made, and the leftover slices of Anna’s delectable Strawberry Line Gateau from Saturday’s service at the tea shop; they had quite a feast to enjoy in the saddlebags slung over Rosa’s back.
Joe leaned over in the saddle as they approached the five bar gate that marked the entrance to his father’s land. Shoving it open, he waited for Meredith and Rosa to come past then he closed it again behind them. ‘It’s secure all the way around, so the horses’ll be OK to graze for a bit. And you can choose your picnic spot.’
Meredith smiled. The sun was warm, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. ‘How about we tuck ourselves away behind the outbuilding?’
They slid off the ponies and Meredith loosed the saddlebags, then wandered over to the stone building about a hundred yards away. Out of habit, Meredith checked the state of the fences but they were in excellent repair, and so she had no worries about leaving the ponies to graze for a while. When Joe’s hand slipped into hers as they walked, Meredith felt a jolt of electricity. She’d been dying to kiss him again since their evening on top of the cider vats, and there was something in the air on this beautiful sunny day.
Setting out the picnic rug, they both fell on the food, neither having felt much like breakfast. Meredith laughed as a succulent piece of Anna’s gateau detached itself from the slice Joe was attempting to eat and a strawberry ended up on his lap. Swooping playfully, she took a bite out of it, and then put the other half to Joe’s lips. Joe swallowed it down, kissing her fingertips, which lingered at his mouth.
The pause between them seemed to extend to the horizon as both hovered on the cusp of something. Meredith slid her hand around the back of Joe’s neck, pulling him towards her for a deep, strawberry infused kiss. Freed up by the total seclusion the peace of the warren offered, Joe pulled Meredith into his lap, intensifying the kiss and murmuring as she straddled him.
‘You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to do this since Saturday night,’ Meredith whispered. ‘But I wasn’t sure how you’d react.’
‘You can be sure now,’ Joe replied. ‘Because I feel exactly the same. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.’ Breaking their kiss, he raised a hand and stroked from Meredith’s collarbone to her neck, then dipped his head and kissed her mouth again. His lips were firm, and warm, and as the kiss deepened Meredith’s eyes closed in ecstasy. ‘After all, tree surgeons always say if you fall out of a tree, you should get straight back up it again.’
‘I’m not quite sure this is what they had in mind when they said that,’ Meredith murmured as they broke apart. She glanced to where they’d left the ponies. Rosa was nose to tail with Sunlight, the two of them nibbling each other’s rough patches by way of comfort. Flynn hadn’t liked horses, and it had been nice to hack out with someone who could actually ride. Joe had looked so natural in the saddle; Meredith respected the lines of a good rider.
‘Come here,’ Joe murmured. He pulled her down to him. ‘It’s all right,’ he continued. ‘No one’s going to burst in on us. Dad’s fenced off the land for three acres straight. I know you were hurt by Flynn,’ he said softly. ‘And I don’t expect this to go anywhere if you don’t want it to. Let’s just enjoy the moment.’
Meredith nodded. Never in a million years did she think she’d be sharing a picnic blanket with the son of her dad’s best friend, and somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered exactly what her father would say about it if he ever found out. But Joe had been so kind to her, shown her so much understanding, especially after the way Flynn had treated him in the past, that she was touched beyond belief. The air smelt so sweet, the summer scents of cut grass, with the underlying fragrance of the newly ploughed clay soil giving an earthy undertone. Above them, the sky was stingingly blue and cloudless, and from the woodland nearby the songbirds chirruped lazily in the boughs. It was a moment for love, a moment to seize. Sitting up sharply, Meredith wrapped a thigh around Joe’s hips and brought her lips down to his.
‘You are absolutely right,’ she said between kisses. ‘But let’s get one thing straight. This is not a rebound thing.’ She broke away for a moment and looked down at him. Joe’s clear blue eyes were fixed on hers, one hand still in her hair from the kiss. ‘I thought you were fit from the moment I saw you up that tree in the Royal Orchard.’
‘And I’ve thought you were fit for much longer than that,’ Joe quipped. ‘But let’s not go there!’
And suddenly, feeling Joe’s lips on hers, Meredith knew that it was going to be all right. Surrendering to his kiss once more, allowing him to pull her back down to the blanket, she seized the moment.
‘Everything OK?’ Joe asked a little time later as he stroked her long dark hair.
‘Totally,’ Meredith replied, somewhat in amazement. ‘In fact, I can’t think why we didn’t notice each other sooner.’
Joe laughed. ‘You were out of my league, remember?’
Meredith sat up and looked down at him. Muscular arms, just smattered with a few freckles, were tucked behind his head, and he was staring up at the sky, a look of contentment on his face. His chest, broad and muscular from the hours spent doing such a physical job, was outlined against the tight blue T-shirt he was wearing. He was the total opposite to Flynn in so many ways; perhaps that was why she’d been so attracted to him. But she mustn’t think like that. This had been fun; more fun than she could have imagined, but she was taking things one day at a time.
Time. ‘Oh, shit!’ Meredith reached for her mobile phone. Glancing at the screen, she groaned. ‘Fuck. I’m late for work.’
‘I wouldn’t worry,’ Joe said. ‘Don’t your aunt and uncle run the place? I’m sure they won’t mind if you’re a bit late.’
‘That’s so not the point,’ Meredith snapped. ‘I’ve never been late for a shift in my life.’ Tearing the hair band off her wrist, she tied her hair back again. ‘And Caroline’s been really snappy lately. I don’t want to be the one who gets a bollocking.’
Joe sat up. ‘I’ll go and get the ponies,’ he said, folding up the picnic blanket. He paused. ‘Look, Meredith…’
Meredith glanced up from sending a text to her uncle Jonathan, explaining that she was going to be a few minutes late, which she couldn’t seem to spell correctly. ‘Yeah?’
‘This… this means what you want it to mean. It’s up to you what happens next. No pressure. I promise.’
Meredith smiled. ‘Thanks, Joe. And it meant a lot. I promise you. But we really do have to get these ponies home, or I won’t have a job to go back to.’
‘Fair enough.’ Joe strode over to the ponies and, catching their reins, brought them both back over to Meredith. ‘Let’s make sure you get where you need to go.’