Summer of Love by Marie Ferrarella (easy to read books for adults list .TXT) 📕

He never had a chance to finish because at that moment the phone rang. Emma excused herself and went to answer it. Daniel guessed from what she said that it was her aunt calling so went back into his room. He found himself a sweater and a waterproof jacket because the weather was very changeable at this time of the year. Emma was still on the phone when he headed to the stairs; she gave him a curt little nod as he passed her then turned away, concentrating on what her aunt was saying.

Daniel left the house and walked into the town centre; there was a footpath beside the church that led up into the hills. He set off at a brisk pace, hoping the fresh air and exercise would soothe him, but it was hard to enjoy the peace and quiet when his mind was in turmoil. He hated to think that Emma was so suspicious of him but what could he do? He had forfeited her trust when he had told her that his career had meant more to him than she had done, and it was doubtful if he could win it back. Although it hurt like hell, he had to accept that Emma would never trust him again.

Emma found it hard to settle after she’d spoken to her aunt. Aunt Margaret had told her that two of her uncle’s friends were planning on visiting him that afternoon. As the number of visitors to the IC unit was strictly limited, Emma had immediately offered to wait until the following day. Now she had a free day ahead of her and suddenly found herself wondering what to do. Although there were jobs that needed doing in the house, she felt too restless to spend the day indoors. Maybe a walk would help to work off some of her excess energy.

She fetched her jacket and found an old pair of walking boots in the hall cupboard. Although she wasn’t planning on going too far, she found herself taking all the usual precautions that her aunt and uncle had drummed into her over the years. The weather in the Dales could be very changeable and it was better to be prepared rather than come unstuck.

She made some sandwiches and a flask of coffee and packed them into a small haversack. After adding a map and a compass, she checked that her mobile phone was charged. Although reception was patchy in the Dales, it could come in useful. As she let herself out of the back door, she could feel her spirits lifting. It had been ages since she’d been for a good long tramp across the hills and she was suddenly looking forward to it.

The air was cool as she set off across the stile that led to the lower slopes of the hills. There were dozens of footpaths criss-crossing the area, but Emma didn’t hesitate. She’d done this walk many times before and remembered the route even though it had been at least five years since she’d last been along it. She and Daniel had come this way one Sunday morning and had had a picnic at the top of the hill. And after they had finished eating they had made love, right there in the open with only the blue sky above them.

Emma blinked when she realised that she couldn’t see properly. Running her hand over her eyes, she wiped away tears. She wasn’t going to cry, certainly wasn’t going to waste the day by thinking about the past. It was the present that mattered, nothing else. As she’d told Daniel, she liked her life the way it was and was glad that she hadn’t given up her dreams for him.

She walked for almost two hours then decided to stop for a break when she reached Pilgrim’s Point, a local beauty spot. Finding a sheltered area in the lea of the huge rock that marked the spot, she unzipped her jacket and laid it on the ground then sat down. Uncapping the flask, she poured herself a cup of coffee, sighing appreciatively as she inhaled the fragrant aroma. Without the usual traffic fumes to clog up her nose, everything seemed to smell so much better.

She had almost finished the coffee when she heard someone coming along the path close to where she was sitting. It was a popular route with walkers and she wasn’t surprised that someone else had decided to take advantage of the weather. Glancing round, she caught a glimpse of a figure heading towards her before he disappeared into a dip in the land, but it was enough for her to recognise him. What on earth was Daniel doing here? Surely he hadn’t followed her, had he? Emma’s temper was already creeping up the scale when Daniel reappeared. He stopped dead and she saw the surprise on his face when he spotted her.

‘Emma! What on earth are you doing here? I thought you were going to visit your uncle this afternoon?’

‘Some friends of Uncle Jim’s are visiting him so I decided to go for a walk instead,’ she replied curtly. Although it was obvious from his reaction that he hadn’t followed her, she still felt annoyed. She had been hoping for a few Daniel-free hours and it was irritating to have him turn up like this. She glowered at him. ‘I was hoping to enjoy a bit of peace and quiet on my own.’

‘Don’t let me stop you,’ he said calmly, but she saw the hurt in his eyes and immediately felt awful about being so rude. Maybe there wasn’t any love lost between them nowadays but that was no excuse for the way she was behaving.

‘You’re not.’ She gave a little shrug, unable to bring herself to actually apologise. ‘I just stopped for a drink.’

Daniel sniffed the air. ‘Ah, so that explains it. I thought I could smell coffee as