Broken Wings (Contemporary Romance) (6 page)

He packed his car with a picnic box full of hearty food, warm blankets, a bottle of wine, two glasses and a flask of coffee. He dressed in a warm jumper, jeans and walking boots and popped on the green wax jacket he’d also purchased for himself. This was going to be a major success or the worst date imaginable; he smiled at the thought. “Oh well, time will tell,” he said out loud as he climbed into his four wheel drive and headed to the Hare and Hounds, a nervous twinge settling in the bottom of his stomach. He prayed she would be there or he was going to feel pretty foolish.

At 7:00 p.m. Joshua was sitting at the bar waiting for Angelina. By 7.05p.m., there was no sign of her; he was starting to fidget and was beginning to feel a little anxious.

“On your own tonight, Joshua?” asked the bar man as he cleaned the bar top. Just then, Angelina walked into the pub, sporting the green wax jacket he had sent her and a beautiful smile as she headed straight towards him. He was captivated by her; his own heart skipped a beat as she approached him. Not wanting to show his surprise, he got up off his chair and smiled confidently as he reached for her hand.”

“
You made it then.”

“
I guess I did,” replied Angelina shyly.

“
I hope you’re ready for this. I am guessing this is one date you won’t forget in a hurry!”

They headed out of the door, leaving the barman to his duties. Angelina felt nervous and could feel a knot tightening in her stomach as she climbed into Joshua’s car. As she glanced his way, she took in his features; a diamond in the rough, she thought.

“It looks good on you, the jacket that is. I wasn’t sure if you would turn up tonight. I can’t tell you how happy I was when I saw you walk through the door.”

“
So, where are we going?” Angelina asked curiously.

“
Now that would be telling.”

“
Can I at least have a clue?”

“
Nope, it’s a surprise!”

Joshua drove towards Lake Windermere; he had found the perfect spot for their late night picnic with a beautiful open view of the lake framed by the hills and woodland. The moon had kindly made an appearance and would act as their light for the evening and a few stars were dotted about for company, the North Star being the most prominent. A perfect back drop. He smiled at the thought, feeling very proud of himself.

Angelina realised their date was taking place at the lake; she was very impressed and liked that he had gone to so much trouble. He pulled up onto a clearing a few feet away from the lake. He caught Angelina looking at him and threw her a cheeky smile as he climbed out of the car.

“
Okay, ma lady, dinner will be served in ten minutes.”

He opened the boot of the car while Angelina stood on the edge of the river bank, looking out onto the vast lake and feeling happier than she’d been in a very long time. The moon reflected off the shimmering water like diamonds. She took a deep breath and then felt Joshua’s large strong hands wrap around her tiny waist. She turned to him and kissed his lips gently before pulling away.
“Thank you, this is perfect,” she said.

Joshua took her by the hand and led her to the over-sized chequered picnic blanket. He had laid out a hearty picnic fit for the chilly autumn night.

“Coffee or wine?”

Angelina started laughing.
“Wine would be lovely. Good thinking, bringing the coffee; I think we’re going to need it before the night’s out.”

He handed her a large glass of wine, and poured just a little for himself.
“I know this is a little unconventional for this time of year, but I wanted to take you on a date you wouldn’t forget!”

“
Well, I can safely say you achieved your goal with flying colours.”

“
I cannot believe I have not seen you around the town until recently. Do you keep yourself locked up in your little cottage?” teased Joshua.

“
I don’t really go out too much, to be honest. I write in my spare time and time is very precious. I also like my own company. When the weekend arrives, I just want to curl up on my sofa with my laptop and my favourite music playing in the back ground; that's when I'm at my happiest. How often are you away?” she asked curiously.

“
A lot; if I am not deployed somewhere, I am on training exercises somewhere in the world. I get home for a few weeks here and there throughout the year. I have 38 days off each year so I guess it’s no real surprise we have never bumped into each other!”

Angelina sipped her wine quickly, through nervousness more than enjoyment. She started to feel a little giddy and fell back on her hand; Joshua leapt to her aid and held her still for a few seconds before leaning into her slowly and stealing a kiss. Angelina felt the softness of his tongue on hers, she felt completely swept away. For a long while afterwards, they sat wrapped up in each other’s arms, looking out onto the enormous lake laid out before them like a perfectly framed painting. Joshua’s hand was gently rubbing the arch of her back and he was kissing her neck gently as they talked and shared insights into one another’s life.

As the temperature lowered, Joshua wrapped a spare blanket around Angelina’s shoulders. “You have been the best part of coming home for me this time around. I have broken my most hard and fast rule too!”

“
I see, and what rule would that be?”

“
I made a promise to myself a long time ago never to commit to anyone until my term in the British Army came to an end.”

“
That’s a pretty tough rule to commit to for someone so young. Why would you do that to yourself? And why deprive yourself of the chance of meeting someone?”

“
I have seen so many families torn apart by losing loved ones in one war or another. I promised myself I would not put anyone in that position. It also makes it far easier for me while I am away.”

“
It sounds like a very lonely rule for you.”

“
I guess it was; only I never really thought about it too much until I met you. Now I have a problem, I am going to have someone to miss while I am away.” Joshua looked intently into Angelina’s eyes for a reaction. He desperately needed to know they were on the same wavelength. He only had a week left before his next deployment and he wanted to spend every last waking minute with Angelina. He already knew his heart was hers and he wasn't about to let her go.

“
Well, I have a rule of my own; at least I did until you came along! When I lost my boyfriend, I was heartbroken, devastated, my whole world just came crashing down around me. It took a long time for me to get over the loss of Daniel; he was a good man. I had convinced myself that I was destined to spend the rest of my life alone. I thought my chance of love had been stolen from me. The pain I felt following his death was just unbearable, I never wanted to feel pain like that ever again. I never knew a person could fall so far. It took me a long time to recover from the accident. It was very hard on Daniel’s family too, of course, and for a while I couldn't be around them as they were too close to what I'd lost.

“
Why do they call it mourning? Personally, I think there should be another name for it as it takes so much away from a person and all but destroys them. I always felt that I was going through so much more than mourning. I guess I'm not making any sense, anyway, I all but cut myself off. I buried myself in my work and my writing. I rarely went out unless it was with Lucy for lunch or the odd shopping trip.”

“
And then I came along!”

“
Yes, you appeared one morning and you have occupied my thoughts ever since…”

“
Angelina, your heart is safe with me, I promise you. I will never hurt you.”

“
How can you make such a promise with the line of work you are in?”

“
Because now I have a reason to be extra careful and hopefully, I have someone to come back to. Do I have someone to come back to, Angelina?”

Angelina wrapped her tiny hands around Joshua’s neck and kissed him passionately before answering.
“Yes, yes, yes, you have someone to come back to. Please, promise me you will handle my heart with care as it is so fragile and prone to breaking.”

Joshua picked her up and spun her around several times.
“You have made me the happiest man alive. And be sure of this, I will guard your heart with my life.”

They lay down under the stars remaining under the blanket of the moon for another hour before they made their way back to Joshua’s
car. Angelina was sad their beautiful date had come to an end. She wanted to stay wrapped up in his arms all night long.

“
Let’s get you home and back into the warm before you freeze to death.” Angelina could barely feel her fingers as the night grew colder. As they approached Angelina’s cottage, she looked at Joshua contemplating whether or not to ask him to stay, but she couldn’t find the words. He climbed out of the car and walked her to the door.

He bent down to kiss her but Angelina put a finger to his lips.
“Would you stay with me tonight?” Smiling from ear to ear, Joshua did not answer; instead he ran over to his car and locked it. Then picked her up and walked her through the door, slamming it behind them.

Angelina made them a coffee while Joshua sat on the kitchen chair, watching in awe. He wanted her so badly, to feel her naked body next to his. It had been a long time since he had made love to anyone. Angelina handed Joshua a mug of coffee and sat down next to him. He placed his hand over hers and slipped his fingers between Angelina’s. Angelina gave him a knowing look and they both stood up together and headed for the stairs.

“Are you sure about this? I can wait,” said Joshua.

“
I’m sure.” Angelina led Joshua to her bedroom. He lifted her up and placed her gently down on to the bed; he slowly peeled off her clothes, followed by his own. Angelina was breathing heavily now and she could hear her own heart pounding with excitement. They lay side by side; Joshua was taking in the curve of her body, slowly sweeping his large hand over her thigh.

“
You are so beautiful,” he whispered into her ear. He rolled over and slid on top of her, not allowing his body to weigh down heavily on hers. Angelina wrapped her lithe legs around his toned back and took a deep breath as he entered her.

For over an hour, they wantonly discovered each other’s bodies, taking their time to familiarize themself with the other. Eventually, tired and exhausted, Angelina fell asleep in Joshua’s arms. As he lay there stroking her hair, Joshua watched Angelina sleeping for the longest time. He never wanted to let her go. He decided he would spend every last minute possible with her before his next deployment. Eventually, he fell asleep, a deep sleep, one free of bad dreams.

On Saturday morning, Angelina awoke to the sound of music coming from her kitchen. She lay in bed for a few moments and closed her eyes as she recalled every single touch and every single kiss from the night before. Eventually, she climbed out of bed, sporting a huge grin as she made her way downstairs. “Good morning, beautiful, I thought I would surprise you by fetching you breakfast in bed.”

Angelina strolled up to him and wrapped herself around him.
“Good morning to you too,” she said and she planted a kiss on his soft plump lips.

“
So this is what I’ve been missing all this time. Now I see why the boys are always in such a hurry to get home,” he said, laughing.

He pulled out a chair and beckoned for Angelina to sit down then served up scrambled eggs, toast and two mugs of coffee,
“Sorry, this was the best I could rustle up with no sausages or bacon hiding in your poorly stocked fridge!”

Angelina looked at him with mock concern.
“Oops, you have caught me out! I forgot to go shopping, there was this rather handsome guy who distracted me during the week,” she teased.

“
Well, I can see how that would make you forget your weekly shop. Hey look, I have a few things to do today so I will need to head home after breakfast; however, I was thinking maybe you would like to come over to mine for dinner tonight. What do you think?”

Angelina nodded in agreement.
“Yes, that would be lovely. I'm guessing you can cook then!”

“
Hey, I'm a culinary genius. You would be surprised at what I can rustle up in the kitchen, Miss Ferria!”

Chapter
Seven

Angelina greeted Lucy at the door.
“So, how did it go with Joshua?” Before answering, Angelina led Lucy to the kitchen and made them both a cup of tea and then they both sat down.

“
Lucy, there is one moment in your life when you are with someone and you feel like the whole world has ground to a sudden unexplainable halt. Suddenly it feels as if there is no one else in existence, just the two of you, perfectly balanced on a precipice, knowing you will never fall. That’s how I feel when I’m with him. He makes everything feel magical and perfect. I am falling in love with him, Lucy, and it’s scaring the hell out of me. He has not left yet and I am already feeling the pull of his absence.”