Page 30 of Falling in Love at Pennycress Inn

‘And who’s this?’ Nathan stuck his arm out to indicate Charlie.

Looking between the two men, Nicola could see the muscle in Charlie’s jaw jump as he glared at Nathan. Turning back to her ex, she held up her hand, palm forward, and, trying hard to keep her voice calm to defuse the situation, she asked him, ‘What’s wrong? Why have you been calling me?’

After glaring back at Charlie, Nathan turned his attention to Nicola again. ‘You’d know why if you’d answered your phone.’

Charlie stepped forward, so he was standing between Nicola and Nathan. ‘I think?—’

‘It’s okay, Charlie. You get off, I’ll be okay.’ Reaching out, she rubbed his arm and nodded.

‘Are you sure?’ Charlie searched her face, concern etched across his forehead.

‘Yes, honestly. It’ll be okay.’ Pasting a smile to her face, she willed him to leave. Nathan was riled up, and she didn’t fancy being referee to a boxing match even if she was pretty sure Charlie could hold his own.

‘Okay, any problems, just shout.’ Looking between Nicola and Nathan again, Charlie finally relented, nodded and began walking away, throwing a look over his shoulder as he did so.

‘Thank you,’ Nicola called after him before turning back to Nathan. ‘What’s happened?’

‘I’m moving back home.’ His voice was deadpan, his expression serious.

‘You what?’ Feeling a flash of frustration towards Nathan that he’d potentially interrupted something, she flared her nostrils.

‘Just that. I’m moving back home. I’ve got my things in my car and I’m moving back in.’ He began strolling towards the cottage.

Squeezing her hand around her front door keys in her pocket, Nicola was grateful she’d made the decision to change the locks when she’d thrown him out. ‘You’re not doing that.’

‘Yes, I am.’ He glanced behind him, ushering her forward.

Standing her ground, she repeated herself, her voice firm. ‘You’re not coming back to my home. You’re not moving back in.’

‘I have every right…’

‘What happened to Kerry? Trouble in paradise?’ Pursing her lips, Nicola tried her best not to smirk. She was past wishing ill on him, but five months ago he had broken her heart and there was still a tiny part of her that did hope he would receive a little karma. Not that she’d ever admit that to him. Or anyone else, for that matter.

‘She dumped me,’ he mumbled as he strode forward.

‘Pardon?’ She raised her eyebrows. So, after all the heartbreak both he and Kerry had put her through, their sordid relationship had lasted a grand total of five months. Well, five months of him being in a relationship of two, not three, that was. She was tempted to ask him if it was worth it – the pain he’d inflicted on her, the upheaval, the loss of his best marketing team member – but she refrained.

‘You heard. We’re over, okay?’

‘Okay.’ Still, she stayed rooted to the spot.

‘Are you coming, or shall I let myself in?’ He held his arms open as if shocked she wasn’t following him. He’d already tried letting himself in, she knew that. He wouldn’t have been ringing her or running around the village looking for her if he hadn’t. He’d have been thrilled at the idea of settling back in and waiting for her to come home before she knew anything about it.

Taking a deep breath, Nicola turned and began walking away. She didn’t need her nap. She’d head back to work.

‘I think you’re forgetting one thing, Nic.’

Slowly, she turned. The smugness was apparent in his voice and she refrained to give him the satisfaction of correcting him and telling him, once again, that he’d lost the right to call her by her nickname. ‘What am I forgetting?’

‘That I’m still on the tenancy agreement and there’s nothing you can do. In fact, you changing the locks will probably be against the terms.’

Biting down on her bottom lip, she looked at him. He was lying. The telltale way his right eye twitched as he spoke, the sheen of sweat on his forehead. She’d only worked it out, that they were signs of his lying, when she’d caught him and Kerry having that candlelit dinner in the cottage. Intheircottage. He’d denied the fact he’d been cheating, and she’d noticed the sweat and the eye twitch as Kerry had contradicted him, admitted how long the affair had been going on.

And now he was lying to her. Again.

Without wasting another word on him, Nicola turned again and headed back to the centre of the village. She was pretty sure her landlady wouldn’t care that she’d changed the locks and, as for Nathan moving back in, well, he’d already screwed with his credit score by defaulting on the payments on her car.

‘Nic. Nic!’

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