Page 31 of The Wisteria Tree Cottage

Bear frowned in confusion. ‘She said that?’

‘She said it was perfect and she hoped to see him again soon.’

Bear couldn’t help the huge smile that spread across his face at hearing that. He’d known she’d enjoyed herself but to hear that she’d described it as perfect was lovely to hear.

Just then Meadow and Star came to the table.

‘Heath said you had a great time last night,’ Bear said, being careful not to mention the word ‘date’ in front of Star.

Meadow blushed and it filled his heart to see. She focussed on her breakfast. ‘I had a spectacular night last night.’

Bear couldn’t take his eyes off her. Was something going on here? Was she finally having feelings for him after all these years? Surely not.

‘How was your night out?’ Heath asked Bear, again dancing around the dating topic.

Meadow looked up at him and their eyes locked. ‘My night was wonderful,’ Bear said.

Meadow smiled and turned her attention back to her breakfast.

Heath looked between the two of them. ‘But you two were in the same place last night. Did you two not talk to each other about your new friends after?’

‘Umm… my meeting with my friend finished before Bear’s so not really,’ Meadow said.

‘So when are you seeing your friend again?’ Heath said.

‘Tonight.’ Meadow popped a piece of banana into her mouth and looked up at Bear, a challenge in her eyes.

‘Is that so?’ Bear said.

‘There’s a group event to meet a whole bunch of new friends. He said he’d be there.’

‘Did he?’ Bear said.

‘Oh yes, we made a deal.’

‘Well, in that case I better come along too, have a chat with this friend, see if his intentions are honourable.’

Meadow grinned. ‘I can assure you he is the perfect person to be myfriend.’

Star looked up from the book she was reading as if she knew this conversation about making friends was going in a weird direction.

‘If he’s so perfect, why are you meeting other friends?’ Heath asked, stealing a walnut from Star’s plate.

‘Hey!’ Star said, indignantly.

Heath immediately slid a strawberry off his plate onto his daughter’s and she seemed happy to accept this exchange.

‘Wait, I didn’t see the strawberries up there,’ Star said.

‘I think they had run out,’ Meadow said. ‘Why don’t you go and ask Alex if there are any more?’

Star got up and ran back over to the counter, chatting to Lucien, one of their housekeepers, as he got his breakfast.

Meadow waited for Star to be out of hearing distance before she spoke. ‘I haven’t ever been on a date before. I went out with a few boys when I was seventeen but that normally involved sitting on a park bench or hanging around together outside the local supermarket. I never went out on any proper dates. And while last night was… amazing, and I’m looking forward to seeing him again later, I’m not entirely sure he wants a relationship, I think he was just being nice. And I do think I should meet other people too, just for balance. Besides, I’ve signed up to do these five dating events with Mix n Match where they practically guarantee to find your perfect match at the end. I’m interested to see how that plays out.’

‘I’m interested to see that too. It’s a bold claim,’ Bear said. ‘I still think internet dating will win.’

‘Well, internet dating has zero points so far,’ Meadow said.

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