It's Now or Never by Jill Steeples

Author:Jill Steeples [Steeples, Jill]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781474035545
Publisher: Carina
Published: 2015-07-06T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

‘Do you know, Jen, you surprised me today. For a moment there I honestly thought you would back out and refuse to do it.’

After our afternoon tea with clotted cream scones, which to my way of thinking was the absolute highlight of our trip, we started on the long drive home. Thankfully Alex decided to take the return journey at a much more leisurely pace and I felt much more inclined to sit back in my seat, look out the window and watch the world go by, and truly relax for the first time that day.

‘Excuse me! If I remember correctly, I did refuse to do it, but you completely ignored me,’ I said, accusingly. ‘You made me do it!’

He chuckled.

‘I didn’t make you do it. I just persuaded you that it might be a good idea and you finally came round to my way of thinking. Most people do in the end.’

‘You virtually pushed me off the edge,’ I said, looking across at him with half a smile.

‘But can you imagine how you would feel right now if you hadn’t done it? You must have an enormous sense of achievement.’

‘I guess so,’ I admitted reluctantly. ‘But that’s not to say I’d want to do anything like that ever again.’

‘Some people would have walked away from that today, but you didn’t. Mind you, I guess anyone brave enough to sport a tomato outfit and parade themselves in public has to be brave enough to go down a zip wire.’

If he hadn’t been driving, I would have thrown something at him.

‘Oh god, would you stop it.’ I buried my head in my hands, my face burning red at the memory. ‘I really don’t want to be reminded of that day. It was awful. And then bumping into you like that. It couldn’t have been more humiliating.’

‘I think you fell at my feet actually, but you know, that’s perfectly understandable. A lot of women do. Tomatoes too, it seems.’

I gave him a withering look. Observing him in profile as he drove, it was easy to see why women would throw themselves at him. His jawline was strong and his shoulders broad, his powerful physicality filling the car. Dark brown wavy hair framed his face. His mouth, wide and full, curled at the edges giving the impression he was permanently amused and his eyes with their multitude of hues, drew you in with their magnetic qualities.

‘Seriously though, Jen,’ he said, turning to give me the benefit of that gaze, ‘I think it’s great that you’re making these changes in your life. You said you wanted to do it and now you’re doing it. It must be a good feeling.’

‘It is, I’m feeling very confident about the future. Gramps is home from hospital now and doing well and I’m excited for all the new opportunities I have in front of me. Life’s good.’

Finally I felt a sense of control over my life, steering it in a new direction of my own making. I’d spent far too long standing still.

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