Chapter Thirty-One
‘Honestly, I’m not stalking you,’ I said, my tone defensive.
‘I thought we were done with that dialogue ,’ said Milo. ‘Although I do find it strange that wherever I go, you pop up.’
‘Look,’ I sighed, reaching for my hot chocolate. ‘You heard it for yourself via Linda when we were both at the Strawberry Shed. I wanted to buy Starlight Cottage. I fell in love with the house – and this village. However, it wasn’t meant to be. But there’s something about this place that resonates with me. Consequently, I find it hard to stay away.’
I shrugged helplessly and removed a marshmallow from hot chocolate’s whipped topping. I popped it into my mouth. Yuck. I quickly swallowed it down. How disappointing. It was odd how some things looked so attractive on the outside but weren’t so nice on the inside. A bit like my ex-husband.
‘Anyway’ – I turned my attention back to Milo – ‘for some ridiculous reason, I find it comforting to revisit Starlight Croft. Apart from anything else, it’s a lovely place to walk Cindy.’ I nodded at my dog. She was now stretched out by the wood burner, warming her belly. ‘I appreciate my words might sound somewhat pathetic, but hey, so what.’
Frankly I didn’t care what Milo Soren, young Polly, Linda Cartwright, Hetty, or even Uncle Tom Cobbly thought about me.
‘I see,’ said Milo. ‘So, that bit of chat you gave me about practically being besties with Hetty Cartwright, was a load of baloney.’
I flushed at the memory of Milo catching me loitering outside his house – and me claiming that I was looking up an old friend.
‘I’ve only met Hetty once,’ I confessed. Milo looked astonished. ‘But we got on so well’ – I added defensively – ‘that I hoped to bump into her again. You see, she’d claimed to be, well, a sort of psychic, and got my hopes up about the future.’
‘Everyone in this village knows that Hetty is eccentric,’ said Milo. ‘So, are you saying she gave you some sort of prediction?’
‘Yes,’ I sighed. I took a sip of my drink, getting whipped cream on my nose in the process. Terrific. I foraged up my sleeve for a tissue. There wasn’t one.
‘Here,’ said Milo, reaching into his pocket. He passed me an immaculate folded cotton handkerchief. ‘Keep it. I have a dozen more in my drawer at home.’
‘Thank you,’ I said, taken aback.
I wasn’t sure if I was surprised at his gesture, or the fact that a man liked Milo owned proper hankies. It seemed so old-fashioned. In which case, this was his second act of kindness. The first being the purchase of the hot chocolate.
As I wiped away the cream, my senses immediately reeled. The scent of Milo’s aftershave had impregnated the cotton. I caught notes of cedarwood, sandalwood, ginger and a hint of lemon. I wondered what man-fragrance he wore. Bizarrely, I had an urge to buy a bottle and douse myself in it.
‘So what did Hetty tell you?’ Milo prompted.
‘I can’t remember her exact words,’ I said miserably. ‘But it was something along the lines of… her seeing me around the village – and living at Starlight Cottage.’
‘Certainly half of that prophecy has come true.’ Milo gave a lopsided grin. ‘I for one have seen quite a bit of you around here.’
‘Ha!’ I gave a bark of mirthless laughter. ‘Indeed. Even so, I’d set my sights on Starlight Cottage. I’d even daydreamed about living there, despite knowing you were a strong contender in the bidding.
Milo looked puzzled.
‘How did you know that?’
I gave him a sheepish look.
‘I work at Home and Hearth Estate Agents in Meopham. Mr Garroway, the vendor, marketed the property with my employer. I viewed the cottage before its details were uploaded online. Quite simply, Milo, I fell in love with the place.’
He sighed.
‘Look, I’m sorry you were disappointed.’
‘The best man won,’ I said, attempting a carefree shrug.
I took another sip of hot chocolate. The whipped cream had now collapsed into itself, sinking within the cup’s depths. Milo’s handkerchief was spared another mop up. Instead, it was my eyes that were now threatening to put the hankie to use. There was some unwanted activity going on in the tear ducts. I blinked rapidly. No, I was not going to cry. This was not the moment to be a wuss.
My brain began to give my heart an urgent pep talk; I was a strong independent woman who’d simply encountered a blip along the road of life. At some point I would find a new home for Cindy and me.
‘So what actually brings you to the village tonight?’ Milo pressed.
‘Honestly? I’m currently sofa surfing at my bestie’s place. However, things have recently changed. Put simply, this evening I needed to escape.’
‘Why don’t you tell me all about it?’ he invited.
And whether it was because Cindy was now quietly snoring, or because the stove’s flames were crackling and popping in such a hypnotic manner, or simply because all background noise had receded so that Milo and I seemed to be in our own private bubble… all I knew was that he’d asked a question. One that had triggered a release response. And suddenly I was unburdening. Pouring out my heart to a man I’d met only a handful of times. A virtual stranger who, confusingly, I also felt as if I’d known forever.