Chapter Twenty-Five – Rose #2
Billy had taken a bite out of a vendor’s handmade woollen jumpers. Patches was partial to a tourist’s Havaiana flip-flop. Jelly and Bean had teamed up to knock over a basket of wrapped bread rolls, only to eat the wrapper and puke it up less than five minutes later.
Jelly was now under the observant eye of Isadora and Superman Shaun.
Because, yes, he really had shown up in his Superman costume.
As predicted, he was a hit. He’d only lasted ten minutes there before he’d started getting swarmed by women—and I noticed Isa’s irritation.
In the end, he’d promised to take photos during his break and gone back to being at her beck and call like a little puppy.
Never mind me being honest about my feelings for Oliver.
When was Isadora going to admit that Shaun’s shower scheme had worked? I could call it a scheme, too, because it was not broken . His hot water was fine. He was just a dirty liar trying to seduce her.
And you know what?
Good for him.
“Morning, dear!” Susan beamed at me from behind her stall. “How’s everything going?”
“I think the goats are finally under control,” I replied, glancing over the crocheted goods. “When did you make all these?”
She shrugged. “I’ve been saving some for a rainy day, so I had more than I thought to bring. The blankets are quite popular.”
I ran my fingers over a pale yellow and pink one adorned with flowers. “I can see why. They’re lovely and soft.”
She smiled again, and I waved her goodbye as I continued walking through the market space. I had no idea how my mother had wrangled turning this from a small craft market into the large festival it had become, but it was truly magical what she could achieve when she put her mind to it.
I still wanted to know what she had on the mayor, though.
I checked in on each stall as I walked, making sure everyone was doing okay. By the time I reached the park where the goat yoga was finally underway, I had a free coffee in one hand and a sandwich in the other.
Hey, this wasn’t half bad.
I claimed the only free bench in view and sat on the end of it, gently holding my coffee between my thighs. My phone had buzzed in my bag a few times, but I’d barely had a chance to check on it until now.
I’d been helping kids pot up young sunflowers they could take home, after all.
I bit into my sandwich, set it on my lap, and turned my attention to my phone. I had three unread messages from Oliver, one from my mother, another from Isa, and one telling me my Amazon order had just been delivered.
Smashing.
I replied to my mother, told Isa to stop complaining and shag Shaun if she was that bothered about the women flirting with him, and checked Oliver’s messages as a fourth one came through.
OLIVER: I forgot how busy it is here.
OLIVER: I think Hanbury has broken me.
OLIVER: But it’s still not as noisy as you.
OLIVER: My mother said the goats are on a rampage. Did you co-ordinate that by any chance?
That was rude.
I hadn’t, but a part of me kind of wished I was responsible for it.
ME: No, they did it all on their own, but there’s no telling when I will organise a goat uprising.
OLIVER: Not much about you scares me anymore, but that threat is particularly terrifying.
ME: Good to know I haven’t totally lost my touch.
ME: And it’s not Hanbury’s fault you’re not used to London. You’re the one who keeps refusing to go away.
OLIVER: I have to stay. Who else will protect the estate from silly string and water balloons?
ME: Hey, I haven’t thrown water balloons at your McMansion.
OLIVER: Yet.
ME: Well, if you insist…
OLIVER: I am not insisting.
ME: Then why are you giving me ideas?
OLIVER: Maybe I should come home.
Home.
He’d just referred to Hanbury as home.
Did he really feel that way?
I wasn’t sure I could handle it if he did.
ME: Maybe you should just stay in London forever.
OLIVER: No. How could I leave you alone?
My lips twitched. My heart ached. My nose itched.
This.
This was what I couldn’t handle.
These… Feely feelings.
ME: I’d really rather prefer if you did.
OLIVER: Someone needs to supervise you. Isadora isn’t very good at it.
True, that.
ME: I don’t need supervision. I’m not a child.
OLIVER: All right. Maybe I’d just miss you if I never saw you again, princess.
ME: I’m sure you can find a therapist in London to snap you out of that alternate universe.
OLIVER: It’s a shame it’s a weekend and they’re not in the office, or I’d see if anyone could squeeze me in to knock some sense into me right now since I appear to be missing you.
ME: You miss me?
OLIVER: I keep expecting you to burst through my front door and complain about something. It’s very strange.
ME: I don’t burst through your front door. I knock and enter nicely, then complain.
OLIVER: You could just say that you miss me too, you know.
ME: Why would I do that? I’m having the best day ever. There’s no grouchy, mean duke to interrupt our party.
OLIVER: You’re breaking my heart, princess.
ME: Ah, we’re finally in an even relationship.
OLIVER: So, you won’t admit that you miss me, but you’ll admit that we’re in a relationship?
Shit.
Why did I say that?
ME: Of course we have a relationship. Just like I have one with George and Susan and Shauna and Paula and everyone else.
OLIVER: You’re impossible.
ME: Can’t be. I exist.
OLIVER: And thank goodness you do.
My heart skipped a beat.
Oh .
That was playing dirty.
OLIVER: I have to go. Enjoy your sunshine and fresh air while I’m stuck in an office meeting with eight old codgers in suits, won’t you?
ME: I’ll send you pics all afternoon.
OLIVER: I’m only interested if you’re in them.
ME: Aren’t you afraid you’ll miss me more?
OLIVER: Half-tempted to cancel my business and come back to see you, to be honest.
ME: You should be more responsible than that. If you’re not a big fancy CEO, how can I call you Mr Fancypants?
OLIVER: Been a while since I’ve heard that.
ME: Didn’t you have to go?
OLIVER: Yeah. Luke is about to break down my door.
ME: If I lie and tell you I miss you, will you go?
My phone rang as soon as the marked turned green to show the message had been read, and I almost dropped it in shock. “What are you doing?”
Oliver’s deep chuckle resonated down the line. “If you’re going to say that, I had to hear it for myself.”
I snorted, sitting back on the bench and crumpling up my empty sandwich packet. “Keep dreaming, Mr Fancypants. I wasn’t going to say those three words.”
“What were you doing to say, then? C’mon, princess, don’t keep me waiting. I’m a busy man.”
“Not too busy to torment me,” I shot back, looking up at the rare cloudless sky above. “All right, I’ll admit it. I wish you were here.”
“That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
“If you were here, you’d get to see how much fun we’re all having as we band against you. You’d realise we’re all going to hate you forever and ever and ever, and I’d absolutely make you a part of that game where the kids are currently throwing water balloons at their teacher’s faces.”
“Hmm,” he mused, his hum sounding lower than usual through the phone. “You mean like those boards where they stick their heads through? Like guillotines?”
“That’s it. I’d have everyone from Hanbury line up and absolutely pelt you with water balloons. Kind of a shame you’re not a part of it.”
“You really do miss me, don’t you?”
I smiled, my gaze following a bird as it swooped across the sky. “It’s such a great opportunity to make your life hell for a few hours.”
“I’m sorry I’m missing it,” he replied, amusement tinging his tone, and I just knew he was smiling.
One of those great big smiles that made his eyes twinkle and my heart flutter.
“Yeah,” I said softly. “Me, too.” I paused. “I would have loved seeing you try to get the goats under control.”
“I’m sure you’d love to video it and use it against me for the rest of my life.”
“Just your life? I’ll take it to the afterlife.”
“Where you’ll finally flirt with me?”
“Boy, you really need to find you a therapist, Your Grace.”
He laughed, a deep belly laugh that I felt in the butterflies in my stomach. “Maybe I can borrow Waffles when I’m back.”
“Nah, you can’t afford his hourly rate.”
“You’re the expert. What—” He sighed. “I have to go. Luke just broke in.”
I wrinkled my face up. “You aren’t bringing it back with you, are you?”
“Bringing what back?”
“The trespasser who investigated me.”
Oliver paused. “I really have to go. Talk to you later.”
“Hey!”
The line went dead, and I frowned at my phone as if it was the one that’d ended the call and not Oliver himself.
Great.
That meant he was coming back with that swine.
Well, that might not be the worst thing in the world. Oliver was far too free when Luke wasn’t there to keep him in line, and that was how we’d ended up in so many compromising positions.
On the other hand, there would be less compromising positions, which wasn’t actually a good thing for me.
Hmm.
“Agh, Rose! George knocked over his box with his seeds in, the packets went everywhere, and the crows are attacking him for them!”
I jumped to my feet, completely forgetting about my coffee, and sent it splattering all over the ground.
“Oh, shit,” I cried, bending down quickly to pick up the now-empty cup and its lid.
I tossed them in the bin nearest to me and chased after Lisa.
“I told him to put that box with the spares away! Why doesn’t he ever listen to me? ”
She half-sighed, half-laughed as we dodged through people. “Well, if marigolds start blooming through the cracks in the pavement, we know to thank him for it.”
Thank him.
Yeah.
“George!” I shouted, watching him wave a roll of kitchen towel in the direction of a particularly large crow. “To the gallows! You’re getting the water balloon punishment!”
“Noooo,” he groaned, stabbing the roll like a sword. “Make it stop, Rose! It wants me sunflower seeds!”
I rubbed my hand down my face.
There was never a dull day.