Read Online Sunshine Over Wildflower Cottage by Milly Johnson - Free Book Online

they’ve gone on holiday for a fortnight . . .’
    ‘Hey, hold on, hold on,’ he said, pressing his hands down as if attempting to apply a manual brake on her words. ‘My mum had a cat that was always going walkabout. She used to get all worked up and then he’d come strolling back in fatter than when he went out. That’s what cats do.’
    ‘Not Basil,’ said Stel. ‘And I lied to Viv and told her that he’d come home.’
    ‘Do you want me to help you look for him? Four eyes are better than two. Or six if I wear my glasses.’
    Stel smiled. ‘Thanks, but I’ve looked everywhere.’
    ‘Where do you live?’ He put a mug of coffee down on the table in front of her.
    ‘Thank you. Horton Lane, Pogley Top.’
    ‘You’ve got fields at the back up there, haven’t you?’
    ‘And the woods. And a stream. I’ve walked around them all and called and called and he hasn’t returned.’
    Ian mused. ‘You’ll have rung around all the vets and that, won’t you?’
    ‘Oh yes.’
    Ian scratched absently at his arms, criss-crossed with red lines.
    ‘You should wear gloves,’ said Stel.
    ‘What?’
    ‘Gardening gloves.’ She pointed at the lattice-work on his skin.
    ‘I know.’ He raised up his arms and studied them. ‘They look like something off a Frankenstein movie, don’t they? I don’t think I’d win an arm beauty contest but I’m a gardener, I like to be close to the earth.’
    The corners of his mouth twitched upwards. He was quite attractive when he smiled, and that comment about getting close to the earth was ever so slightly sexy.
    Stel’s eyes flicked upwards to the clock on the wall. ‘Oh blimey, I’d better get back to my post,’ she said, standing hurriedly and lifting the mug. ‘Thanks for the coffee, and the ear. Sorry if I got a bit emotional.’
    Ian waved his hand airily to dismiss the notion. ‘Oh don’t worry. Perfectly understandable in the circumstances. You should try and find something to take your mind off things. There’s some good films on at the cinema at the moment.’
    Nooo
. Alarm bells started ringing in Stel’s head. She didn’t want to be put in the sticky position of turning him down face to face.
    ‘Never really liked the cinema,’ she lied, trying her level best to look as if she hadn’t noticed his words were anything other than a casual observation. ‘I think I’ll get the girls round and have a few drinks.’
    ‘You do that,’ he replied, standing up to go. ‘Catch you later. And keep that chin up.’
    Stel went back to her seat at the reception desk grateful that she had avoided what could have been an awkward situation. Then again, shouldn’t she have been flattered that a fine figure of an ex-soldier had taken an interest in her?

Chapter 9
    ‘Please, Rebecca. Please let us have Freddie for an hour. For his grandad’s birthday. We’re all desperate to see him.’
    On the other end of the phone there was a moment’s silence, into which Linda read a touch of hope; only for it to be felled by the axe of that one word: ‘No.’
    ‘I’m absolutely begging you.’ Behind her, Dino tapped her on the shoulder, gesturing for her to hand the phone over to him.
    ‘Rebecca,’ he said. ‘Just an hour, love. It would be the best present I could have.’
    ‘He’s got a swimming lesson.’ Rebecca’s voice came tinnily down the phone. ‘I’ll let him run up the path to deliver your card but then we will have to go. I don’t want to turn up late.’
    Iris was gesticulating madly at Dino so he turned his back on her in order not to be distracted. ‘It’s not fair,’ she shouted.
    On the other end of the line, Rebecca huffed. ‘Tell her life isn’t fair.’
    ‘Look, ignore her,’ said Dino with dignity, fighting to reclaim some ground. ‘We will be glad to see you both. You’re very welcome anytime.’ But he was speaking into the ether as the phone had been put down on the other side.
    Iris and Linda both exploded then, Iris with expletives,