Encounter with a Commanding Officer

He turned back to Fliss. The air between them crackled with unspoken questions. The situation was impossible. Suddenly, Ash didn’t care any more.

‘Walk with me,’ he ordered.

‘I...now?’ She panicked, dropping her voice to a low tone. ‘People will wonder.’

‘It wasn’t a request.’ He didn’t bother lowering his voice.

Nor did he worry about the curious eyes on them as he took her elbow and steered her out of the tent.

‘Are you okay?’

She swivelled her head to look at him. ‘I thought you didn’t want any more to do with me?’

Ash didn’t even bother to hide his disapproval. ‘That isn’t exactly what I said.’

‘No,’ she acknowledged after a moment. ‘It isn’t. I’m sorry, I’m just nervous. I wanted to tell you I stood up to my mother.’

Surprise swept through him, followed by the whisper of a promise.

‘Why are you here?’ he demanded abruptly.

Her gaze didn’t waver although he could read the nerves behind those insanely blue eyes.

‘Because you said you were playing in the match and I wanted to tell you. To thank you, I suppose.’

‘I came to the house.’

This time it was her turn to be surprised.

‘That night—’ he shrugged ‘—all the lights were off. Your car was gone. I figured you were out.’

‘I went to my uncle’s...’ She faltered. ‘Once I’d asked my mother to leave I didn’t want to stay there alone until I’d had the locks changed. Not that she’d do anything. Just... I needed the company.’

‘What did your uncle say?’

‘He told me that he was glad I’d finally stood up to her. He’d also like to shake your hand, not that he knows it was you, of course. But he wanted to thank whoever it was who finally made me see her for what she is.’

‘That must have been difficult to hear,’ he murmured. He could read Fliss only too well.

‘Yeah—’ she swallowed ‘—it was. But it was time. Anyway, you still haven’t told me what you came back for.’

‘I couldn’t leave it the way I did. I had to try again. I needed to make you see what she was doing to you. Or, rather, what you were letting happen to you.’

‘So you really came back?’

‘Yes.’

He could see the pleasure in her expression and couldn’t stop himself from wanting to make it shine all the brighter.

‘In the boot of my car right now is a fresh overnight bag. I thought I’d try again straight after the matches. I didn’t expect to see you here.’

‘I came because you said you were playing today. I wanted to see you,’ she blurted out. ‘I asked my uncle to bring me along as his guest; given the number of functions he’s asked me to accompany him to over the years, I didn’t think he’d mind.’

‘I’d have thought that would arouse his suspicions.’

‘Maybe.’ She shrugged as though she truly didn’t care. ‘Especially after that little performance you put on, manhandling me back there.’

‘Hardly,’ he scorned before realising she was trying, in her own way, to tease him.