know.’ She stroked her fingers down his face, her soft voice calming his fears. ‘Trust me, we’ll be warm and cosy here. So … do you want to have your wicked way with me … or would you rather I show you the way out now?’
‘Molly, stop teasing me.’ The widening smile on his face showed his expectations. ‘It had better be worth the effort,’ he laughed.
‘Oh, it will be.’ They snuggled into the hay.
‘You were right!’ Giggling like a child, Tom gathered her to him. ‘It’s warm as toast in here.’
‘Come on then, let’s not waste precious time!’ Having helped him to take off his jacket, she threw it aside. Then, sliding her fingers under the buckle of his trouser belt, she teasingly undid it.
A moment or so later, she hurriedly tore off her outer clothes and was driving him to distraction with her wicked teasing.
Greedily drawing her into his arms again, Tom was happier than he had been at any time since their last such encounter.
Molly, too, was enjoying herself. This was fun, no strings attached – no jealous husband, no unwanted brat to see to. It took her back to a time before she had ever met John Tanner.
‘They should have been home by now.’ With her father gone for so long, Rosie felt the need to defy his instructions and look out the window, from where she hoped to see his familiar figure walking towards the house. So far, though, there was no sign of either of her parents.
As always, the faithful black Labrador remained by her side, his great squashy paws planted firmly on the windowsill and his bright, watchful eyes carefully scanning the night.
With one arm wrapped around Barney’s thick neck, and the other arm bent across the sill, Rosie focused on the only direct path to the farmhouse.
‘Daddy said he wouldn’t be long, so why isn’t he here?’ With no one else to confide in, she directed her reasoning to the dog. ‘He must have found Mother by now … unless she doesn’t want to be found.’ She felt a surge of rebellion. ‘I’ve a good mind to go out and look for them, but Daddy would be cross if I did. You would look after me, though, wouldn’t you, Barney?’
Fondly draping her two arms about his broad neck, she ruffled his thick, shiny coat. ‘I don’t want to disobey Daddy by leaving the house, but he’s been gone such a long time, and I’m really worried. What if something’s happened to them, Barney?’
Tears were not far away as Rosie became increasingly convinced that this must be so. ‘I know Mother can be horrible, but Daddy does love her. That’s why I have to try and love her, too, because that would make him so happy.’
Sensing her distress, the old dog pushed his bullish head into her lap, as though to pacify her.
‘Oh, Barney …’ Wrapping her arms about him, Rosie felt ashamed that she found it so hard to love her own mother. ‘I don’t mean to dislike her,’ she confided, ‘but she doesn’t love me, and I don’t know what to do.’
When she wiped away a solitary tear, Barney shifted closer to her and, licking the back of her hand, he let her know that he loved her, even if her mother didn’t.
For the next half-hour, the two of them kept their vigil at the window.
Suddenly Rosie leaped up with excitement. ‘Look there, Barney!’ Pulling the excited dog closer to the window, she pointed to the path some distance away. ‘Just then … did you see?’ She pointed to the shadowy figure who, just for a split second, had passed beneath the flickering lamp attached to the corner of the tractor store. ‘I think it was Daddy, but I’m not really sure.’
She began jumping up and down with relief, causing the dog to do the same, though when he began barking she ordered him to be quiet. ‘Stop that! Daddy said I was not to look out the window, and I promised I wouldn’t. Don’t let him see us, Barney.’ She gave the dog a hefty shove aside. ‘Get away, Barney.’ Grabbing his collar, she forced him back. ‘Quickly,
‘Molly, stop teasing me.’ The widening smile on his face showed his expectations. ‘It had better be worth the effort,’ he laughed.
‘Oh, it will be.’ They snuggled into the hay.
‘You were right!’ Giggling like a child, Tom gathered her to him. ‘It’s warm as toast in here.’
‘Come on then, let’s not waste precious time!’ Having helped him to take off his jacket, she threw it aside. Then, sliding her fingers under the buckle of his trouser belt, she teasingly undid it.
A moment or so later, she hurriedly tore off her outer clothes and was driving him to distraction with her wicked teasing.
Greedily drawing her into his arms again, Tom was happier than he had been at any time since their last such encounter.
Molly, too, was enjoying herself. This was fun, no strings attached – no jealous husband, no unwanted brat to see to. It took her back to a time before she had ever met John Tanner.
‘They should have been home by now.’ With her father gone for so long, Rosie felt the need to defy his instructions and look out the window, from where she hoped to see his familiar figure walking towards the house. So far, though, there was no sign of either of her parents.
As always, the faithful black Labrador remained by her side, his great squashy paws planted firmly on the windowsill and his bright, watchful eyes carefully scanning the night.
With one arm wrapped around Barney’s thick neck, and the other arm bent across the sill, Rosie focused on the only direct path to the farmhouse.
‘Daddy said he wouldn’t be long, so why isn’t he here?’ With no one else to confide in, she directed her reasoning to the dog. ‘He must have found Mother by now … unless she doesn’t want to be found.’ She felt a surge of rebellion. ‘I’ve a good mind to go out and look for them, but Daddy would be cross if I did. You would look after me, though, wouldn’t you, Barney?’
Fondly draping her two arms about his broad neck, she ruffled his thick, shiny coat. ‘I don’t want to disobey Daddy by leaving the house, but he’s been gone such a long time, and I’m really worried. What if something’s happened to them, Barney?’
Tears were not far away as Rosie became increasingly convinced that this must be so. ‘I know Mother can be horrible, but Daddy does love her. That’s why I have to try and love her, too, because that would make him so happy.’
Sensing her distress, the old dog pushed his bullish head into her lap, as though to pacify her.
‘Oh, Barney …’ Wrapping her arms about him, Rosie felt ashamed that she found it so hard to love her own mother. ‘I don’t mean to dislike her,’ she confided, ‘but she doesn’t love me, and I don’t know what to do.’
When she wiped away a solitary tear, Barney shifted closer to her and, licking the back of her hand, he let her know that he loved her, even if her mother didn’t.
For the next half-hour, the two of them kept their vigil at the window.
Suddenly Rosie leaped up with excitement. ‘Look there, Barney!’ Pulling the excited dog closer to the window, she pointed to the path some distance away. ‘Just then … did you see?’ She pointed to the shadowy figure who, just for a split second, had passed beneath the flickering lamp attached to the corner of the tractor store. ‘I think it was Daddy, but I’m not really sure.’
She began jumping up and down with relief, causing the dog to do the same, though when he began barking she ordered him to be quiet. ‘Stop that! Daddy said I was not to look out the window, and I promised I wouldn’t. Don’t let him see us, Barney.’ She gave the dog a hefty shove aside. ‘Get away, Barney.’ Grabbing his collar, she forced him back. ‘Quickly,
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