The Littlest Library by Poppy Alexander

Author:Poppy Alexander
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2022-04-27T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Jess made herself a cup of tea. It was already ten o’clock—past her usual bedtime—but she was wide awake. The kittens, on the other hand, were sound asleep now, piled in a heap on the cushion she had put out for them at the base of the Aga. She checked they still had water, changed their newspaper, and took her tea into the sitting room.

“This is a terrible, terrible idea,” she told herself sternly. “Even thinking of getting into a romantic situation with the man who sold you the house, who is your near neighbor, who has complex family issues to contend with, and is—all told—a nightmare waiting to happen.”

At the same time, she couldn’t help blushing and clutching one of her sofa cushions to herself as she relived the heart-pounding moment their lips touched.

She was still far too skittish to go to sleep. The afternoon felt like it must have been days away. She was now in possession of two cats and the disturbing thought that Aidan Foxworthy might be more than a neighbor. More than a friend. Or not. Checking the time, she dialed up Hannah, but her friend wasn’t online. She was probably off doing some family activity with little Molly and her husband, whose name was Dan but who was only ever referred to between the two of them as “the hunky vet.” It was probably just as well she wasn’t around. Hannah would be all too keen to make too much of it. Far better for Jess to take the time to decide whether she wanted to confess anything at all to her friend on the matter. And figure out exactly what she wanted to happen next. It wasn’t clear what Aidan was thinking. And it was this swirling confusion that danced in Jess’s mind long into the night.

In no way was Jess’s decision to deadhead the roses in the front garden influenced by her curiosity over seeing Aidan again, but she could hardly help hearing when Lucie and Aidan came out of the house, arguing loudly. Lucie flounced to her car, starting it and roaring off, shouting something as she went, which Jess failed to catch.

She was so busy not listening, she didn’t notice Aidan had crossed the road toward her and was now standing at the gate.

“Jess?”

She jumped, guiltily, and turned to face him, hoping he wouldn’t think she was eavesdropping.

“So,” he said through white lips, his eyes dancing everywhere but her face. “I take it you heard all that, just now?”

“Erm, a little bit, sorry,” admitted Jess. “Is Maisie all right?”

“Yes. It’s about Maisie, but she’s fine. She doesn’t know.”

“Doesn’t know what?”

“We had a row, me and Lucie. I was angry with her for drinking and then driving Maisie home last night—”

“So would I be.”

“Precisely. But she’s just been coming up with some rubbish about me poisoning Maisie against her, and how I thought I was Jesus Christ just because I’m here with her all the time.” He shook his head in astonishment.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.