Page 11 of Christmas at Sturcombe Bay
“Oh, well. That puts me in my place.” Ah — a flicker, just the slightest flicker, of amusement, swiftly quenched. “Can I buy you a drink, to apologise?”
“That won’t be necessary. I accept your apology.”
She didn’t look as though she did. That flicker of amusement was probably as much as he was going to get. For now. But he wasn’t one to give up easily — not when pursuing goals on the football field, nor when pursuing an attractive woman.
And she was attractive. Not beautiful, perhaps, and certainly not his usual type, but intriguing. A challenge. This could be interesting.
“I see you’ve met my brother,” Lisa remarked as Jess returned to their table with the tray of drinks.
“Oh . . .” Her brother. That could be awkward, with Lisa being more or less her new boss. “I’m sorry. I had no idea he was your brother.”
“Don’t mind him. He’s an idiot.”
“I’m sorry.” Jess smiled crookedly. “He startled me, and I probably overreacted. It’s just . . . Like I said, I’m a bit off men at the moment.”
“I get it. But don’t let your sleazebag ex put you off for good. That would be a terrible waste. And Paul’s really nice when you get to know him.”
“You have to say that,” her husband teased. “He’s your brother.”
The door opened again with a rush of wind that brought Liam inside, with the young woman Jess had seen in the stable yard. They stopped by their table for a brief chat, then went to the bar for their drinks, taking them over to the pool table at the back of the room.
To Jess’s relief, Paul Channing went to join them instead of coming over to their table — although unfortunately that meant that he was right in her eyeline.
Okay, she’d prefer not to admit it, even to herself, but hewasattractive. And she did remember him from the previous times she had met him — he was an old friend of Luke and Liam.
Lisa had mentioned that he had been a professional footballer, and he certainly kept himself in shape: tall and lean, with wide shoulders, and an easy, athletic way of moving.
His hair was dark, curling thickly around a face that was hard-boned and handsome. His nose had possibly been broken at some point, but the slight kink did nothing to detract from his good looks. If anything, it enhanced them.
And his eyes . . . deep brown and glinting with amusement beneath long, dark lashes that any woman would envy. She could hear his laughter — a nice laugh, low-pitched and slightly husky.
She could see that he wasn’t trying to dominate the conversation, as Glenn often did when he was with his bikerfriends. He listened to other people’s comments and didn’t try to top them with his own anecdotes or talk about himself.
But she wasn’t going to let herself fall for his charm, she reminded herself briskly. She was off men, especially men like Paul Channing. Good-looking, charming, sure of himself. There may be some differences, but he was still a bit too much like Glenn.
Chapter Three
“Are you ready for your nap, Grandpa?” Alex Crocombe leaned forward and gently took the teacup from Arthur’s thin hand before he spilled the contents in his lap.
Arthur opened his pale eyes and smiled. “Well, maybe I’ll have a bit of a snooze,” he conceded. “Nothing like a nice snooze in the afternoon.”
Marcus, his carer, came in from the kitchen. “Yes, it’s time for his nap. You settle down comfortable now, Arthur.” He picked up the control and pressed it to recline the old man’s armchair and raise the footrest, then gently laid a blanket over him. “Alex will come back this evening.”
“Yes, yes . . .”
“Goodbye, Grandpa. I’ll see you later.” Alex rose to his feet, and patted his grandfather’s shoulder. Marcus walked him to the front door.
“How’s he doing?” he asked quietly.
“He’s fine, all things considered. He’s determined to score his century.” Marcus’s dark face broadened into a grin. “Doctor Cullen reckons he could actually do it.”
Alex glanced back at the old man. “It’s a shame he’s lost his two old friends, Molly and Edie.”
Marcus nodded. “Ah, well. That generation is passing away now. Not too many of them left.”
“No, I suppose not.” Alex smiled. “Anyway, I’ll be back in a couple of hours, if that’s okay.”
“Of course.” Marcus had a gentle warmth of manner, but he could be firm when necessary — perfect for managing the intractable old man. “He’s really enjoying your company. How long will you be staying?”
