Accidental Rendezvous by Caroline Anderson

Author:Caroline Anderson
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2013-12-01T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

Sally's conscience prickled her all through Saturday, while she cleaned her house and waged war on the garden and hung out her washing. Not that it needed to, because she was hardly lolling about sunbathing or anything while Nick was working his fingers to the bone, but she couldn't get rid of the nagging thought that he was lonely and unhappy.

She tried to tell herself that he deserved it, but her heart wasn't listening to her -head, and first thing Sunday morning she got up, made a lemon drizzle cake and drove round to his house.

He was in the garden, and he saw her over the fence as she parked on the other side of it. 'Hi,' he said, smiling and folding his arms along the top. 'Couldn't stay away, I see.'

She stifled the urge to throw the cake at him. It would be such a waste. 'I've brought you a present.'

'Another one!' he said, surprised.

'Only a cake,' she told him crushingly. 'Have you watered my tiny tree yet, by the way, or have you killed it already?'

'Of course I've watered it. Poor little thing, it hasn't got any roots. It needs regular drinks.'

'Just don't feel sorry for it and plant it out in the garden,' she advised, and he chuckled.

'Don't worry, I won't. Are you coming in, or would that involve an unconscionable loss of face?'

'I'm coming in,' she said drily. 'If that's all right?'

'Sure. Here, come through the gate.'

She squeezed past his car and went through the gate he was holding open, and handed him the cake— or tried to. His fingers were dirty, and he held them up in protest.

'Are you weeding?' she asked, looking around.

'Just planted a house-warming present.'

How absurd, to feel a pang of jealousy! Other people were allowed to give him presents.

'It's from me,' he said, as if he could read her mind. 'It's a Japanese maple—Acer palmatum dissectum atropurpureum.'

'Are you trying to impress me?' she said drily, and he laughed.

'Does it work?'

She shook her head, and he laughed again. 'It's an old friend, actually. It was in my last garden. I've had it in a pot since the spring, because I knew I was moving. I thought it ought to go back out into the garden, so I'm watering it copiously. It's over here— come and say hello.'

'Tree-hugger,' she muttered, hiding her smile, and followed him over to a little arching plant, more shrub than tree in size, its leaves deeply cut and a wonderful dark purplish bronze.

'Isn't she lovely?'

'She? It'll have a name next.'

'Don't get picky,' he told her with a grin. 'Come in, I've just put a pot of coffee on. I must have known you were coming.'

'You'll OD on the stuff one day,' she warned, following him inside, then she stopped in her tracks. 'Oh, wow! You've put everything away.'

'There wasn't that much, and I've got plenty of cupboards.'

'So you didn't need my help at all,' she said accusingly, and he grinned.

'This is just the kitchen,' he reminded her. 'I'm sure I can find something useful for you to do elsewhere—if you've had a change of heart.

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