Read Online A Summer to Remember by Victoria Connelly - Free Book Online

the minute Dominic had opened the door.
    ‘Dominic? Come and see who’s here,’ his mother’s voice called above Benji’s exaggerated howls and the echoing howls of sympathy that were now coming from Ziggy in the playroom.
    Dominic sighed, tripping over the army of Wellington boots by the back door as he raked his hands through his hair, which he knew was sitting on his head like an overgrown gorse bush. He cleared his throat nervously and noisily. Nina Elliot was really here and she was about to get an eyeful of his best scarecrow impression ever.

Chapter Six
    ‘Nina – you remember Dominic?’ Olivia smiled enthusiastically as her youngest son entered the room. ‘Dominic, isn’t it lovely to be back in touch with Nina? I ran into her in the supermarket yesterday. What terrific luck and such an amazing coincidence after you spotting her in town the other day, too!’
    Dominic looked at his mother and then at Nina, and a shy smile escaped him as Nina stood up and shook his hand.
    ‘Hello, Dominic,’ she said, noticing how tall he was and how his dark hair fell about his face in disorganised skeins. She looked at his eyes; as dark as conkers. ‘How are you?’ she asked.
    ‘Fine, thank you,’ he said, in his characteristically quiet voice, raised just enough for him to be heard. Nina couldn’t help but smile. She couldn’t believe the transformation from gauche schoolboy into handsome young man. But did he remember her? It had been so long since their last meeting.
    ‘Well, aren’t you going to apologise?’ Olivia said, interrupting Nina’s train of thought.
    ‘Apologise?’ Nina asked, surprised.
    ‘Not you , dear Nina,’ Olivia said.
    ‘What?’ Dominic turned to face his mother.
    ‘For the other day, silly! When you almost ploughed Nina down.’
    ‘Oh! Yes!’ Dominic stumbled, averting his eyes in obvious embarrassment. ‘I, er—’ he looked up hesitantly at Nina, ‘I’m sorry for the other day.’ His eyes widened very slightly. ‘I wasn’t looking where I was going.’
    ‘He shouldn’t be on the roads,’ Olivia butted in again, shaking her head in despair.
    ‘But it was me that wasn’t looking!’ Nina said, perplexed. ‘It’s me who shouldn’t be on the roads, I’m afraid.’
    ‘Nonsense!’ Olivia said in her defence, Benji’s head still hiding in the depths of her now rather damp skirt.
    ‘No, really!’ Nina assured them, ‘My head’s been somewhere else lately and it’s a wonder I haven’t found myself under a car long before now.’ She smiled lightly at Olivia and then at Dominic. ‘So it’s me who should apologise.’ Dominic frowned in confusion. ‘You see, I’d had a bit of a bad day at work and was trying to forget about it all by going to the pub during my lunch hour.’
    ‘But I thought you said you were between jobs?’ Olivia said, her face clouding with a sudden frown.
    ‘I am now, but I was working that day. That was my last day, in fact. My boss and I parted company, so to speak.’ Nina shrugged her shoulders, not really wanting to divulge any more about the whole unfortunate incident.
    ‘Then you are still looking for work?’ Olivia continued. Nina nodded. ‘Good. Then I think I’ve got the solution to all our problems.’
    Dominic looked across at his mother as she caressed Benji’s reddened cheek.
    ‘Why don’t you go and play with Ziggy?’ she said to the boy, turning him around by the shoulders and patting his bottom until he ran out of the room. ‘And why don’t we all sit down?’
    Nina sat back down on the sofa and was instantly engulfed by the cushions again. Dominic took up a position in the chair opposite. He looked rather awkward, but he obviously wanted to hear what his mother had to say.
    ‘Nina,’ Olivia began, ‘Ever since Dudley took early retirement eighteen months ago, he’s been hanging around the house like a lost thing. Of course, doctor’s orders were that he should take things easier these days. All those