CHAPTER 4

WHEN Gill woke up in the morning she was alone. She panicked for a moment, but then she could see a shadow on the tent and faintly hear Jake singing to himself. Clearly he was in a good mood and this energised Gill to rouse herself, her watch said it was only twenty-five minutes after six.

"Hi, honey," she said with a bright smile, as she unzipped the tent, seeing Jake cooking their breakfast on the Primus stove, "Have you made any coffee, yet?"

"Hello, sweetheart," Jake laughed, seeing her with her bed hair, "Yes, I've got the coffee ready, how do you take it?"

"Do you have any milk left?"

"UHT only."

"I'll take it black then, no sugar, Jake, but first, come here and give me a cuddle." She opened up her arms.

"With pleasure." Jake said, putting the bottle of water down next to the stove before approaching her, where he took her in his arms and shaped to kiss her.

"I haven't washed or cleaned my teeth yet, Jake."

"Don't worry, I have and I don't mind one tiny little bit," he proceeded to give her a toe-curling kiss that almost made her faint.

Sunday was a glorious early Spring day, cold and breezy admittedly but bright and sunny. They managed to walk up one of the smaller hills before returning to the car park and then chatted non-stop the long drive home, both tired but happy.

XXX

Gill felt that they had crossed a line between them and that they could now consider that they had a relationship. Where that was going, only time would tell, but Gill felt a level of enthusiasm about this development that she hoped would sustain them through any of her many self-doubts.

Jenny first heard that Jake was hopefully arranging pony trekking in the New Forest for them all that coming weekend, during Sunday night, after her father dropped them off at Gill's house. Gill told them that they had better get their homework and project work up to date by Thursday night.

Jenny was a little upset when she found that her mother had gone away for the whole weekend with Jake, and even spent Saturday night in a tent with him. She didn't hear all the details, because Gill didn't expand once she realised she had said a tad too much, but Jenny's mind filled in all that she imagined happened.

"What about you and Dad getting back together?" Jenny whined at her mother.

"We won't be getting back together, Jenny, your Dad left me, I divorced him and now the decree nici says we're not married any more. The decree absolute which takes effect in a few weeks is all that is left of our marriage."

"But they both argue all the time we're there, Mum. it's horrible; and the baby screams all night every night, Dad's really unhappy there and has asked us what you would think if he wanted to come home."

"If you remember, we had to sell 'our home' shortly after your father left us. This is 'my home' now, young lady, your father has no place here other than at pre-arranged times to collect or drop you off. He will not be staying back here now or at any time in the future. That ship has sailed."

"But —"

"No buts, Jenny. Your father was the one person in this marriage who had the extra-marital affair. He was the one who fell out of love with me and fell in love with his lover to the extent that they produced that baby, their baby. He never once had the grace to discuss any problems he thought he had about our marriage, or ask me if he wanted us to increase the size of our family, before going out and making a new one of his own. He'll have to learn to live with his new life, and I'm learning to live mine how I want to and it doesn't include your father."

Clay appeared happy either way but he did add, "Dad buys me plenty of stuff, like games, which is fine I guess, but he just hands me the box and abandons me to get on with it, using their crappy home PC, which I think Cheryl used to use for college a couple of years ago. He doesn't want to play any of the games with me. Neither will he let me touch his much better office PC or his laptop, even though he can't use 'em both at the same time. I only met Jake again for five minutes before he'd given me his cool iPhone, properly showed me how to use a couple of great apps on it and trusted me with it all day. Then when we walked around in the afternoon he asked me how I got on with the game and gave me a couple of short cuts he'd heard about to get off the level I was on. When we were kids and you left us in the copy shop, he used to be great. He always gave us loads of things to do and took an interest in us and what we were doing, set us puzzles or exercises and checked over what we produced. Dad doesn't even want us around, he dumps us with Cheryl and the baby most of the time."

"Yeah, Jake's a real cool guy," Jenny agreed, "but he's much too young for you, Mum. I mean, all the young mums on the ramble group only go along each month because he goes and doesn't seem to bring anyone with him until he brought us. He's seriously yummy and you'd be up against a lot of competition. Let's face it Mum, getting back with Dad would be your best bet."

"Get used to it, kids, especially you Jenny, your Dad's completely out of the picture as far as I am concerned. The only point of contact I want with him is where it directly concerns you guys."

"So, are you in love with Jake, then Mum?" Clay grinned, winking at Jenny, who rolled her eyes skyward.

"No, of course not!" she snapped, then relaxed, "All right you two, maybe I have or ... not yet … really, but you can't help who you fall in love with, so who knows? Jake's a really nice guy and as Jen says, I'm sure that he could have his pick of young girls. At the moment he's a really good friend who wants to get to know us and do some really interesting activities with us. Anyway, be prepared for all of us to go away this weekend pony trekking. It may be short notice, but Jake has a way of making things happen."

Clay held up two thumbs to the idea of pony trekking with Jake, which pleased Gill no end, while Jenny morosely headed for her bedroom with slouched shoulders, indicating that she was not enthusiastic about anything right now.

Jake called Gill back late on Sunday night to confirm the booking and asked if she wanted to go out for dinner sometime in the week, "Not just you, Gill, all three of you", he added. So he took Gill out for dinner dates a couple of evenings that week, once as a 'family group' in company with Jenny and Clay, to a small family-run and family-friendly restaurant that Jake used from time to time. The staff there seemed to know him quite well and the service was excellent.

On the second date, on Wednesday, when both kids were out doing other activities in the early evening, Gill drove over to Jake's place for a home-cooked meal. Gill imposed an early curfew on their dinner date at nine o'clock, so that Gill would be home in time to collect the kids from their committed activities.

Jake cooked the meal at his small first-floor flat around the back of a six-story apartment block. The handsome building, built in the 1920s in distinctive Art Deco style, had a basement garage that Gill was given a clicker for while she was at work on Monday. The clicker quickly opened the gate and let her car through. The garage was half-filled with classic cars, including an old but immaculate Range Rover, parked next to Jake's comfortable old saloon that they had used at the weekend. Jake had told her to park in Bay 10, which was a gap between his saloon and a beautiful dark blue Jaguar, another old classic that shone like it was forever kept lovingly polished.

At the end of the meal Gill conceded that Jake was an accomplished cook, even though he shyly admitted that he rarely cooked for more than one, but enjoyed preparing honest fresh food.

On the pony trekking front, Jake admitted that had a little trouble booking somewhere at first, as all the stables in the New Forest were either booked up that weekend or were not yet open after the winter break. He was successful once he switched his attention to Dartmoor, however, finding a new stable that had only just started advertising for business, taking bookings for the summer. Jake proved to be persuasive in persuading them to take an early booking for their party of four. They only had limited accommodation ready at such short notice but one room was made available for the girls, mother and daughter, to share, while Jake and Clay would have to use a tent on their campsite, but the owners were happy to welcome them as their first ever paying guests.

Jake drove them down on Friday night in an immaculate 27-year-old 4x4 Range Rover, that he told his passengers that had been ordered by his father but later confided to Gill that he had never had a chance to drive it before his accident. Gill recalled seeing it parked next to his saloon car. It had plenty of room inside and comfortable enough for the four of them, plus all their luggage and camping gear.

Gill and Jenny shared a small single-room cabin in a block of four that still smelt faintly of fresh paint. The other rooms were still unfinished, needing painting and the flat pack furniture being made up. There were separate facilities for washing and toilets and these were ready for use.

Clay and Jake set up the tent that Jake had brought with him, in the adjacent camping ground. Jake set all the bits out initially and got Clay to erect it under instruction and explanation of the sequence. Clay had the biggest grin on his face as he guided his Mum and sister around the completed tent. His smiling Mum was full of praise for his efforts and his sister grudgingly conceded it was "alright, I s'pose".

The two sisters who owned the pony trekking set-up, prepared an evening meal for them on their arrival, and apologised for the paint smell. They had finished painting the day before and left the doors and windows open for as long as they could while they made up the flat pack furniture.

Gill assured them that they hardly noticed the smell, were happy with how bright and clean the room was and they were all looking forward to the morning trek. All four of them slept well, even though it was quite a bit beyond Jenny and Clay's normal bedtime, and were refreshed by the time they were roused early on Saturday morning.

Following breakfast, the sisters showed them around the facilities and the stables before the whole party set out on their first gentle trek through the morning. They had a dozen ponies, but there were further outbuildings, which were to be improved, for further stabling, more guest rooms to refurbish and decorate and a planned canteen area to develop in a disused barn that had glorious exposed ancient timbers.

Rawlyn Burroughs and Izote Perry were sisters, age 28 and 32 respectively. They were born on this farm and had worked with farm animals, horses and ponies all their lives. Izote was investing the proceeds from her recent divorce to update the family farm for organised pony trekking. They admitted to Jake and Gill that they had extended themselves with the local high street bank right up to their credit limit. The farm had been in their family for four generations, and had been too small to run profitably as an arable farm for quite some years.

Jake told the sisters that Gill and he worked for one of the City of London's oldest merchant banks and Gill offered to give her opinion of their business plans.

Jake and Gill looked over their sensible five-year development plan, which depended on earnings as they had maxed out their loans but they were beginning to pick up bookings, enough they hoped to break even as they tried to do a lot of the building conversions themselves.

"I think these plans are clear and reasonable, Izote," Gill said, looking up from the last page, "but with your low level of start-up investment and lack of substantial cash flow until you are established, it would be a long slow build-up until the business was secure from minor setbacks."

"Yes," agreed Jake, "at this low level of accommodation the percentage of your overheads are high, which reflects in your prices. If the rooms were ready to occupy and the lounge facility completed, you would be providing more facilities and the higher turnover means you will cover your overheads more easily. In the short term you could check if there is bed and breakfast capacity in the village."

"I know," Izote said, as both sisters nodded, "we've both put every penny we have into this, the farm is heavily mortgaged. But we're prepared to work hard and are determined to secure the farm and the business for our children to continue."

"And your website needs completing, there was only one basic cover page open when I was searching last week."

"Rawlyn designed it herself and she has been too busy —"

"The design company that the bank uses, are good and quick, they design really professional websites," Jake smiled, "and are really clever in getting them up to the top of search engines."

"We can't afford to pay professional fees Jake, that's why Rawlyn des —"

"Their MD owes me a big favour, as I cut him a good deal on a refurbished computer printer, I'm certain his company would do the design for free."

"Oh, Jake, we really wouldn't want to—" Izote began, shaking her blond curls.

"Izzie!" Rawlyn hissed, "Jake was just offering to speak to his friend, any help would be gratefully received, wouldn't it?"

"Yes, of course," Izote agreed with her sister, turning to Jake, "perhaps your friend would come down here and have a free weekend as an incentive?"

"He might, I don't think he gets out very much," Jake laughed.

"Thank you, Jake," Izote breathed, her face set seriously, reaching out and holding Jake's hand in both her hands, "we were so lucky you and your lovely family were our first booking."

"Oh, we're not family!" snapped Jenny, "Jake works with Mum, they're just friends."

"Oh!" Izote smiled at Jake and slowly released his hand.

Jenny was really taken with Rawlyn's two toddlers, and Isote's five-year son Robbie, so when they weren't out riding ponies, she was happily playing with them. Rawlyn's husband was a Sea King helicopter pilot at RNAS Yeovilton, only coming home for a few days every week or so; Izote was recently divorced. Their widowed mother Betty, had remarried and now lived in the village, but she popped in to help with catering and room cleaning, while the guests were out trekking.

Pony trekking was fun for them all on Dartmoor, in generally glorious early spring sunshine but Jake remained completely covered up, as did Jenny. Gill and Jake both sneaked out of the girls' accommodation on Saturday night as the kids collapsed asleep in the girls' room while watching TV together on the beds after their showers. They tucked the siblings into the twin beds and the adults slept in the tent. They made out in the dark of the tent, for the first time going as far as enjoying each other orally. Although Gill was ready, eager even, to go all the way, Jake wanted to wait until he was sure that they would not be interrupted, if Clay woke early and decided to make his way to the tent.

"OK, Jake. It's Wayne's turn to play the single parent this coming weekend," Gill said, holding her lover tightly to her as they recovered from their pleasurable but limited lovemaking, "so, are we on, this weekend? ... Your place or mine, I don't mind which."

"My place it is then," he replied quietly in the dark, "I ... I would be more comfortable, more relaxed at home. What time do you want me to pick you up on Friday night?"

"Wayne'll collect the kids at seven on Friday night as usual, so I'll be more than ready by half past."

"Half past it is, then," Jake agreed.

"It's a date," she agreed nervously, a little worried by his lack of enthusiasm, "I hope I'm not rushing you into this, as you seem, if not reluctant, at least nervous."

"And I don't want to push you into anything or dis —"

"Jake, I have been with the same man and only that one man for nearly twenty years and for most of that time I thought it was for life. It had long felt like he was just going though the motions for the past couple of years, his responses tailed off and I assumed I didn't excite him as much as I did."

"I'm sure it wasn't you."

"Well, I know now that he evidently did get bored with me. I didn't even know that he was having an affair at the time, but maybe his lack of interest in me should have warned me about what was going on. Now I am getting strong responses from you Jake and I have feelings too, feelings and urges that I haven't had for a long time. I want to fulfil all those promises with you for both of us."

"Well, Gill, it looks like on Friday it'll be wine and flowers plus the best meal I can prepare for you." Jake smiled.

"Perfect ... even better if you cook something like a casserole that can stay in the oven on a low light, for later in the night once we've ... built up an appetite, if you know what I mean."

"How about a spicy goulash?"

"Ooh I love spicy!"

XXX

On the Sunday morning, Izote rode alongside Gill for a short while, "Hey, you're really getting the hang of this."

"Oh, I don't know, I was quite stiff and sore last night."

"Yes, I'm not surprised, I er, saw you coming out of Jake's tent," Izote smiled, keeping her voice low.

"Ah, I was trying to sneak back to pretend I'd slept in the chair all night. I didn't think anyone saw me."

"I was seeing to the ponies, we never get a Sunday lie-in on the farm."

"No, I guess not."

"So, what Jennifer was saying about you and Jake's just being friends? —"

"We are friends, but...."

"But you want to be more than friends?"

"Yes.... Oh, yes, I do, I am not sure ... if he wants to make love with me," Gill said, "Jen thinks I'm too old and not his type."

"Tosh!" Izote snorted, "Anyone can see he's yours. Jen may have been a touch jealous. Perhaps she wanted him for herself when she's older, but she did have a quiet word with me later saying she thought that seeing the pair of you together was quite sweet."

"Well, that's a surprise! Actually, I thought I might have to fight you over him actually, I was quite jealous when you two had your heads together."

"No, he was just being friendly and enthusiastic about our business plan. Mind you, if he wasn't with you I would definitely have gone for him, he's lovely!"

"I've just lost my marriage because I couldn't keep my man from straying, I don't know if I can keep him in the face of any competition."

Izote patted on her arm, "I threw my husband out because he cheated on me. I couldn't do that to anyone I hated let alone someone who I now regard as a friend, but if you ever get tired of him...?" She held out her hand.

"OK," Gill laughed as she shook Izote's hand, "if I ever give him up, you'll be the first to know!"

XXX

When it was time to say goodbye on Sunday afternoon, the two sisters were tearful at their departure, insisting their guests promise that, as the stables' first ever customers they should consider themselves privileged friends and must come back and visit any time.

During the car journey home, Clay slept most of the way, but Jenny was still full of enthusiasm about her adventure and asked her Mum if she could go back to help Rawlyn and Izote out during the summer holidays. Apparently she had asked them and they were prepared to pay her.

Gill happily agreed and said that if her Dad approved, they could book a weekend together and leave her there until the end of the holidays.

Gill squeezed Jake's hand, believing that the generation of all this activity and interest, with the kids getting involved and enthused in something pleasurable, was all down to him. And she felt enthused and happy too, admitting, to herself at least, that she was falling deeply in love with this wonderful man.

The pair continued to pussy foot with each at work though, trying their hardest to keep their private relationship secret from their colleagues. Gill's secretary, Kelly, did notice Gill's upbeat cheerfulness and inner glow, and pointed out that she was making trips to the print room more often than she needed to. So, when they were in the privacy of her inner office, Kelly probed her for answers. Gill could contain her joy no longer and so Kelly found out that they were becoming an item but was sworn to secrecy, lest the exposure harmed the fledgling romance. Kelly did admit to Gill though, that she had always thought Jake was really quite cute.