Up the Garden path by McIntyre Maggie

Author:McIntyre, Maggie
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ryeland Press
Published: 2022-06-26T00:00:00+00:00

***

Griff arrived bright and early the following morning. Maisie had ridden trailbikes all over the country roads of South Africa in her search for plants, but she’d never been near a powerful machine like this one.

“The lawnmower is supposed to be arriving by nine, so we need to get a move on.” Griff handed her a helmet from his back storage box.

Maisie slipped on a backpack and hopped on behind him, more than happy to leave the riding to him. He clearly had the same chop-chop work ethic as Cait and didn’t believe in faffing about. They drove through the sleepy town with his bike making a ridiculous amount of noise, but when they started ascending the steep Cotswold hill, she was very grateful for the horsepower underneath her. His bike was far more powerful than her van, and the twenty-five percent gradient didn’t faze it at all.

“Wow,”, she said as he pulled up on the drive. “That was exciting.”

“Pretty good, eh?”

“Amazing.”

He patted the fuel tank. “Christmas bonus from the boss last year.”

“What?”

“My bike. Good, isn’t it?”

Maisie was lost for words. Was he serious? Cait must have money to burn, and then some.

“You’ll soon find out. If you get into her good books, she’ll never let you down. And she likes you, you know, I can tell. Cait is incredibly generous to everyone who works for her.”

Yes, that’s all I’m doing here, just working for her. So, stop thinking about anything else. She was less provocatively dressed today, at any rate. What had she been thinking on Sunday, throwing on that terrible old top and shorts? Today, she had on a tough pair of jeans, a green polo shirt, and the boots she’d bought last night. Her blister was nicely protected too. So Cait couldn’t criticise her professional appearance. She even had a decent pair of gardening gloves and a visor in her backpack.

Cait emerged from the house, and Maisie tried very hard not to look like an enthusiastic puppy with its tongue hanging out, as she absorbed Cait’s crisp linen dress, tanned legs, and her slightly heeled open-toed sandals. Her dress was cut low across her collarbone, and her arms were bare. Now who was dressing provocatively? Maisie could hardly look at her for lust, and it was only eight in the morning. This was going to be a long day. When she spoke, it came out all wrong. She couldn’t even greet her like an adult. “I’ll make a start on the paths. Do you want to tell me where you want me to begin?”

“Hello, Maisie, how nice to see you too.” Cait tilted her head in that ironic way she had. “Griff will show you what needs doing first, but we need the way cleared to the gardener’s cottage more than anywhere else. I’ll see you again later when the mower arrives.” Cait turned and went back into the house.

She seemed a little distant, possibly irritated by Maisie’s abruptness. Damn it, Maisie had come across as a surly girl yet again.

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