‘Ah, yes, that works. I’d suggest it at our next practice meeting if we had any room for trees. Would you like a hand?’
She was hoping he might say that. ‘Everyone’s welcome. You have to dig if you want lemonade.’
‘No problem there; I can dig. I don’t suppose you need any more trees, do you?’
Arianna had intended to buy some of the trees herself; it had taken a while to raise the money she had. ‘I think we could do with a few extra. Why, would you like to donate one?’
‘I think I’d like that very much. I’d better get two, though, because Jonas will want his own. As long as no one minds—this is a project for the village.’
‘No one minds.’ And Arianna really liked the idea that Ben would be leaving a tree behind, at the health centre. She could tend it and watch it grow, and maybe one day he’d be back, to see it blossom and bear fruit.
‘That’s great, thanks. Shall we go and have something to eat, then we can leave Jonas here while we pick up the trees and pop back to fetch him?’
She liked the way that planning anything with Ben was so effortless. It was as if she was a part of their small family, and she’d never been a part of a family that had so much fun together.
‘Yes, let’s do that. Then you can come and decide which square foot of Ilaria you’d like to make your own.’
CHAPTER TEN
ARIANNA HAD TOLD Ben that she hadn’t had a nightmare in a week. She didn’t jump at the sound of the ferry’s horn, and she was happy to spend time on the water. She seemed rested and relaxed, and for now the memories of the day on the ferry had loosened their grip on her. It might not last, but it was progress. She knew there was a way out now and however many setbacks she encountered, she could work her way back again from them.
That brought a whole new set of challenges.
The one where they’d taken Jonas swimming in the hotel’s swimming pool and he’d felt the subtle brush of her limbs against his. The one where he’d watched her on the boat, the sea breeze caressing her body. He’d never actually reckoned that a breeze was something to be jealous of before. Oh, and whenever she turned her dark eyes on him and smiled. That was when his whole world tipped into a maelstrom of forbidden possibilities.
He missed their nights together, though. Waking early to find her sleeping beside him had touched Ben deeply. But it had just been a way of being close to her, and yet still keeping himself safe from the conflicting realities of a relationship. Now that their relationship had changed, he hadn’t dared go any further than a brief kiss goodnight, and long phone calls before they went to sleep.
Arianna had cooked for Lizzie and James tonight. It had been a good evening, Arianna and Lizzie were becoming great friends and they’d been talking together in the kitchen for a long while, leaving him and James to drink their coffee on the veranda, and keep an eye on the children.
Lizzie had begun to yawn, and declared her interest in an early night. James had called the hotel’s taxi service and they’d taken the children with them, telling Ben and Arianna that they didn’t want to put an end to the evening for them. Arianna’s smile had made it impossible for Ben to leave.
They sat in silence on the veranda, watching the sun go down. ‘I’m just wondering if I could ever tire of this. Do you?’ Ben asked.
‘No, not really. A nice sunset always does it for me. When I was in London and I took the bus to work, I used to always look up from my book when we were crossing London Bridge. The view was always the same, and always different.’
Ben nodded in agreement. ‘I always get that feeling when I’m walking past St Paul’s. Different skies on different days, but it’s always the same.’
‘But you only have another week here. You should catch every sunset.’
Every smile and every word that Arianna said too. Each time she surprised him, and whenever he knew what she was about to say or do.
‘What do you say...we make the most of the week we have left?’ She turned towards him suddenly. This time, Ben knew exactly what she meant.
‘I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Arianna.’ The sudden stiffness in his tone sounded like a rejection, when really all he wanted to do was to gather her up in his arms and make sweet love to her. ‘I care too much about you, and...’
‘And what?’
‘We’ve only known each other for two weeks.’
Arianna shot him a reproving glance. ‘We’ve known each other for most of our lives, Ben.’
It felt like that to him as well. ‘I’m going back home in a week.’
‘That’s okay. Your place is in London and mine’s here. We both respect that.’
Ben was beginning to lose all respect for it. Wondering if he might not fall on his knees and promise to move here, lock, stock and barrel, just to be with Arianna. But that was impossible. He wanted to make promises to Arianna, could even imagine himself doing so, but he still couldn’t be sure that he could keep them.
‘You know I care about you, Arianna. But—’