But just as I’m entertaining visions of showing Marcus the local paper (with a picture of me on the front, naturally, having beaten everyone in record time), one of my kicks goes a little off course and the heel of my one remaining sandal gets caught on something.
Halted in my tracks, I try to pull my foot free, but it feels as if a frond or something has wrapped itself around my ankle. I jerk it a few more times but that just makes the fronds grip even tighter.
I glance back in a panic. The Hulk is almost upon me. I’ve got to get free or he’ll motor into me and I’ll drown!
And then suddenly, just as I’m fearing the very worst (think whale ploughing into a hamster), there’s a splash beside me and magically, my foot is slipped free of my sandal, and then I’m being lifted up.
Muddy water courses off me. I feel weak with relief.
I’m not going to be Hulked to death after all!
I look up gratefully into my rescuer’s face.
Jack?
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
‘What are you doing here?’ I gasp, as smelly bog water drips into my eyes.
We subside onto the grass and Jack leans over and ever so gently pushes my wet hair away from my face and out of my eyes. ‘I’ve always had a fascination for bog snorkelling,’ he says solemnly.
‘Really?’
‘Nope.’ He smiles and my heart skips along faster. ‘Never even heard of it until I bumped into Ellie and she told me about today and how she was planning to come along and support you.’
‘Oh.’ I glance around, trying to locate my friends.
‘They’re over there,’ he says, and when I look, I can see them mingling with the crowd of spectators along the bank, beaming over at me with knowing smiles.
I give them a wave. ‘I can’t believe they came,’ I murmur, feeling humbled and so thankful. ‘I thought they were all pissed off with me.’
‘Why’s that?’
‘Oh.’ I shake my head sadly and a couple of twigs fall in my lap. ‘Just me rubbing people up the wrong way. As usual.’
‘Don’t be so hard on yourself.’
‘Why not? I deserve it. I’m a walking disaster.’
‘You mean you’re human. Just like the rest of us.’ He grins. ‘With maybe just a little more of a tendency to shoot yourself in the foot than the rest of us.’
‘Hey!’ I pretend to be cross. But how can I be mad when he’s smiling at me like that? I have a sudden urge to lean over and kiss him so hard and passionately that his glasses steam up.
‘Ellie said you’d had a rough ride lately. Is that true?’
I glance down. ‘No. I’m absolutely fine.’ Apart from being heart-broken that you’ve been to New York with Jo and you don’t want us to get back together…and falling out with Mum and Dad…and losing two of my best friends in the world…and feeling like the biggest fool ever for imagining that Marcus was as thrilled as I was that we’d found each other. ‘Everything is just…hunky-dory.’
‘Ellie told me about your biological dad.’
I laugh bitterly. ‘Yes, well, the less said about him the better. He was supposed to be here but apparently he’s buggered off on the cruise ships for the winter.’
‘He didn’t tell you he was going?’
‘Oh, yes. He managed to find the time to send me a text.’
Jack’s look of sympathy brings a tear to my eye but I dash it away, along with more bog water.
‘Never mind. It’s his loss…and he’ll be back.’
‘I know.’ I shiver in the breeze, and Jack removes his jacket and places it around my shoulders. The instant warmth is soothing. The jacket smells of Jack’s lemony cologne and memories of being with him flood my entire body.
‘I must look like a right scare-crow.’
‘That’s a bit harsh on scare-crows.’
I laugh. That’s the thing about Jack. He could always make me laugh at myself, and I loved that. He makes Jo laugh, too. I’m desperate to know what happened in New York but at the same time, I’m dreading him even mentioning it in case he and Jo…
‘You know, even looking like a drowned rat, you’re still drop-dead gorgeous,’ he murmurs. ‘To me, anyway.’
‘Really?’ My heart takes flight, full of stupid hope. ‘So why…I don’t understand why you don’t want to…unless…?’ I tail off hopelessly at his sad expression.
‘No girl has ever had the power to hurt me like you do,’ he murmurs. ‘I can’t take the risk …again.’
‘But it’ll be different this time,’ I plead. ‘Honestly. You can trust me. I really care about you, Jack, and I hate myself for ruining everything. I acted cool because I was scared, but I wouldn’t do that again. You’ve got to believe me.’
But I can tell from his face that he won’t be swayed. Jack can be really stubborn when he’s made up his mind about something.
‘Just friends, eh? For now,’ he says softly, and he leans over and places a gentle kiss on my forehead, while I fight back bitter-sweet tears at the touch of his lips.
‘Thank you for rescuing me.’
‘It was my pleasure.’ He smiles. ‘Do you need a lift back to Sunnybrook?’
I’m longing to say yes, but I can see Dad sitting on the bank, minus his jellyfish head, and my friends are waiting, giving me space to talk to Jack…
‘Thanks for the offer. But I’ll probably get a lift with Dad and we can stink out his car together.’
‘Okay. Well, in that case, I’ll be off.’ He gets to his feet and holds out his hand, and he pulls me up. ‘The bog snorkelling was…interesting.’
‘That’s one word for it.’ I smile sadly.
‘See you, Maddy.’
He walks off, his hands in his pockets.
‘I’ll get your jacket back to you,’ I call, and he turns.
A wistful smile and he’s gone…
*****
Ellie and Primrose weave their way over to me.
‘Hey, well done, Miss bog snorkeller extraordinaire!’ grins Ellie. ‘I’d hug you but you might contaminate me. I think you might have a winning time there.’
I grin at them, rallying a little at their smiles. ‘If I do, I’ve got the Hulk to thank for it. He’s been invading my personal space since I got here. I couldn’t swim away fast enough.’
‘What happened with Jack?’ Primrose asks.
I shrug, my spirits plummeting. ‘We’re just friends. For now. That’s what he said.’
‘Well…that sounds promising.’
Ellie nods. ‘I like the sound of “for now”. Maybe Jack just needs a little more time.’
‘Yes. Time to come to the conclusion that he’s better off without me,’ I quip, sounding way more bitter than I meant to. ‘Anyway, let’s not talk about him. Thank you, thank you, thank you for coming to support me! It gave me such a boost to see you both in the crowd.’ I pause. ‘Did Jaz and Katja not want to come?’
Ellie pastes on a smile. ‘Er, no, they’re back at the cafe.’