Free Storms Over Blackpeak by Holly Ford Page B

them, but I hate to throw them out. I think they’re about your size. Is there any chance you might wear them?’
    Cally stared down at the jumper reverentially. ‘Are you … are you sure? It looks so expensive.’
    Lizzie handed it to her. ‘Try it on.’
    Cally peeled off her cardigan and pulled the jumper over her head. Failing to get the polo neck past her hairclip, she re-emerged, took the clip out, and tried again.
    ‘There,’ Lizzie smiled. ‘I thought it would fit.’ She tilted her head, considering. ‘That colour looks lovely on you.’ It really did, she thought, as Cally turned to look at herself in the bedroom mirror. It brought out the highlights in her hair, which, now that you could actually see some of it, was a very pretty colour.
    ‘Your hair is beautiful down,’ she added. ‘Do you wear it like that very often?’
    Smoothing the jumper over her stomach, Cally shook her head. ‘I don’t really know what to do with it now it’s long.’ She pushed it away from her face. ‘It gets in the way.’
    ‘It does,’ Lizzie agreed. ‘You get used to it.’
    ‘I’ve always had it cut short until now.’
    ‘What made you decide to grow it?’
    Cally looked a little abashed. ‘I thought I could save on haircuts.’
    ‘Well,’ Lizzie said, unsure if she should laugh or not, ‘I think you made an excellent decision.’ She pulled another jumper from the box. ‘Here, try this. Dark green will look great on you, too.’

Chapter FIVE
    ‘Are you still angry with me?’ Ella closed the bedroom door and leaned against it.
    ‘Angry?’ Luke glanced up, eyes narrowed, from his laptop. ‘Just because you chose to spend the first day off we’ve had together for months with another guy, why would I be angry?’
    ‘Come on,’ she soothed. ‘I was working. You know that.’
    ‘You’re always working,’ he said coldly, not bothering to look up this time.
    ‘So are you.’
    ‘I get paid for my work.’
    Ella glared at him, deciding how angry to get. On the one hand, that had been a pretty cheap shot; on the other,Luke did have a point. It was the first day off they’d had together for ages, and she had really been looking forward to spending some time with him, and instead she’d run off to add yet more photographs to a series no one was ever going to see. She’d ruined Luke’s day, and hers, and quite possibly Ash’s, too — it was hard to tell, because the horse she had so wanted to photograph had gone batshit crazy the moment he got out of the gate, and if Ash didn’t ride so well and Pooch wasn’t too old to join in Windy’s fun, she and Ash would probably both be in traction. All for a show that only existed inside her own head. What was wrong with her?
    Luke closed his laptop. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.’
    ‘It’s okay,’ Ella sighed. ‘It’s true.’
    ‘No. It’s not okay.’ He sighed, too. ‘Look, I was just being a prick. You need to work, and I want you to work. And your work is great and you will get a show. It’s just …’ He rubbed the bridge of his nose. ‘I miss you, that’s all.’
    Ella nodded. She missed him, too. She’d been away so much, and working so hard, they were lucky to see each other in daylight. Luke had picked her up straight from the airport yesterday, and having crawled into bed full of lust last night, she’d ended up falling asleep before he got out of the bathroom. Then this morning, she’d had to get up early to go riding with Ash, and all in all, it had been far, far too long since they … Noting the gleam in Luke’s green eyes, Ella suspected his mind was taking a similar turn. Maybe the day didn’t have to be completely wasted.
    ‘I’m not working now,’ she suggested, in a low voice.
    A look of amusement crossed Luke’s face.
    ‘What?’ she asked.
    ‘Nothing. That line sounds vaguely familiar, that’s all.’ He looked her up and down slowly, the corner of his mouth curving into more than his usual