Read Online Christmas for One: No Greater Love by Amanda Prowse - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Amanda Prowse
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‘Poppins, Mary Poppins.’
‘Ah! Yes, that…’ He looked at the floor and sucked his breath in through his clenched teeth.
‘Yes, that. And for your information, I had literally just landed.’ She enjoyed watching him squirm.
‘Well, that explains why you were so tired.’ He tried to break the ice, putting his hands on his hips and nodding slightly.
‘That’s right. Tired, not dallying,’ Meg whispered. She noted his sturdy tan Timberland work boots, jeans, white T-shirt and favoured denim shirt, over which he wore a navy pea coat, buttoned up against the cold weather.
Edd dropped her hand and removed his coat, which he placed over the back of Meg’s chair. The sleeves of his shirt were again rolled above his dark, freckled forearms, despite the season. He indicated the door over his shoulder with his thumb. ‘Can we rewind and start over?’
‘What, all the way back to last night?’ she asked, conscious that Juno was all ears.
‘Well, no, I was thinking just the last few minutes, give myself a chance to do over.’
‘“Do over”?’ Meg looked confused.
‘A “do-over” is where you get to start again from the beginning, usually because you did it badly the first time,’ Juno explained.
‘Oh.’ Meg looked up. ‘A do-over…’
‘What do you call it?’ Edd asked.
‘We just say, get it right the first time, you muppet.’ She allowed the smallest smile to form on her lips.
‘“Muppet” as in…?’ Edd rolled his hand, hoping for clarification.
‘As in Miss Piggy, Kermit, Gonzo and gang.’
The two stared at each other and then the floor. Juno coughed. ‘Shall I go get us all some coffee?’ she offered with a wistful air. Clearly the newly arrived Brit had made far more progress with Mr Architect in the last twenty-four hours than she had in over a month.
‘Please.’ They both nodded at her in unison.
‘What about something to eat?’ Juno ventured.
Meg felt a ripple of hunger in her stomach. ‘Oh, yes please, a good firm golden croissant that hasn’t been anywhere near shrink-wrap. Yes!’ She clicked her fingers imagining the breakfast she craved. ‘Organic honey to dip it in would be perfect. Or some warm brioche, the ones that pull apart with ease, chocolate preferably, but only if they’re warm. Or a muffin, any flavour, but definitely one of the big greasy ones with something drizzled on top. You know the ones?’ She turned to Edd. ‘They are mass-produced with too much corn oil, keeps them softer and fresher for longer, but it leaves that small slick of grease on your lips – my guilty pleasure! They need to be washed down with strong black coffee to balance the sweetness.’ She looked back to Juno. ‘In fact, get me all three, would you? I’m absolutely starving!’ She rubbed her stomach, having no difficulty in voicing exactly what she wanted to eat. She smiled, vindicated.
Juno beamed, knowing that Meg was a kindred spirit. It was rare to find someone whose whole demeanour was elevated simply through describing baked goods!
‘And for you, Edd?’ Juno asked as she headed for the door.
‘Just the coffee.’ He smiled, a little sheepishly.
‘Sure. Is that flat white? Latte? Tall black?’
Edd looked at Juno and then Meg. He could swear this was a conspiracy. ‘Just a regular white coffee, thanks.’
Juno crept from the room and out onto the street.
Edd sighed and ruffled his hair. ‘I’m sorry if I offended you last night. It had been one helluva day. I’d been here for nearly twelve hours and hadn’t eaten a thing. I was just letting off steam. You’re Megan Hope, right?’
Meg nodded. ‘Right.’
‘My client and effectively my boss.’ He ran his palm over his chin and open mouth, shaking his head. His eyes crinkled as he smiled.
5
The muffins and coffee restored Meg’s wellbeing and the trio now sat at one of the bistro tables with the blueprints for the building spread out in front of them. Edd had pulled his tortoiseshell
‘Ah! Yes, that…’ He looked at the floor and sucked his breath in through his clenched teeth.
‘Yes, that. And for your information, I had literally just landed.’ She enjoyed watching him squirm.
‘Well, that explains why you were so tired.’ He tried to break the ice, putting his hands on his hips and nodding slightly.
‘That’s right. Tired, not dallying,’ Meg whispered. She noted his sturdy tan Timberland work boots, jeans, white T-shirt and favoured denim shirt, over which he wore a navy pea coat, buttoned up against the cold weather.
Edd dropped her hand and removed his coat, which he placed over the back of Meg’s chair. The sleeves of his shirt were again rolled above his dark, freckled forearms, despite the season. He indicated the door over his shoulder with his thumb. ‘Can we rewind and start over?’
‘What, all the way back to last night?’ she asked, conscious that Juno was all ears.
‘Well, no, I was thinking just the last few minutes, give myself a chance to do over.’
‘“Do over”?’ Meg looked confused.
‘A “do-over” is where you get to start again from the beginning, usually because you did it badly the first time,’ Juno explained.
‘Oh.’ Meg looked up. ‘A do-over…’
‘What do you call it?’ Edd asked.
‘We just say, get it right the first time, you muppet.’ She allowed the smallest smile to form on her lips.
‘“Muppet” as in…?’ Edd rolled his hand, hoping for clarification.
‘As in Miss Piggy, Kermit, Gonzo and gang.’
The two stared at each other and then the floor. Juno coughed. ‘Shall I go get us all some coffee?’ she offered with a wistful air. Clearly the newly arrived Brit had made far more progress with Mr Architect in the last twenty-four hours than she had in over a month.
‘Please.’ They both nodded at her in unison.
‘What about something to eat?’ Juno ventured.
Meg felt a ripple of hunger in her stomach. ‘Oh, yes please, a good firm golden croissant that hasn’t been anywhere near shrink-wrap. Yes!’ She clicked her fingers imagining the breakfast she craved. ‘Organic honey to dip it in would be perfect. Or some warm brioche, the ones that pull apart with ease, chocolate preferably, but only if they’re warm. Or a muffin, any flavour, but definitely one of the big greasy ones with something drizzled on top. You know the ones?’ She turned to Edd. ‘They are mass-produced with too much corn oil, keeps them softer and fresher for longer, but it leaves that small slick of grease on your lips – my guilty pleasure! They need to be washed down with strong black coffee to balance the sweetness.’ She looked back to Juno. ‘In fact, get me all three, would you? I’m absolutely starving!’ She rubbed her stomach, having no difficulty in voicing exactly what she wanted to eat. She smiled, vindicated.
Juno beamed, knowing that Meg was a kindred spirit. It was rare to find someone whose whole demeanour was elevated simply through describing baked goods!
‘And for you, Edd?’ Juno asked as she headed for the door.
‘Just the coffee.’ He smiled, a little sheepishly.
‘Sure. Is that flat white? Latte? Tall black?’
Edd looked at Juno and then Meg. He could swear this was a conspiracy. ‘Just a regular white coffee, thanks.’
Juno crept from the room and out onto the street.
Edd sighed and ruffled his hair. ‘I’m sorry if I offended you last night. It had been one helluva day. I’d been here for nearly twelve hours and hadn’t eaten a thing. I was just letting off steam. You’re Megan Hope, right?’
Meg nodded. ‘Right.’
‘My client and effectively my boss.’ He ran his palm over his chin and open mouth, shaking his head. His eyes crinkled as he smiled.
5
The muffins and coffee restored Meg’s wellbeing and the trio now sat at one of the bistro tables with the blueprints for the building spread out in front of them. Edd had pulled his tortoiseshell
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