Page 91 of Love like the (Real) Reel Thing
“Get hold of your dog!” Adam shouted, doing his best to pull Snuggles out of the way.
Oh crap, first he’d had to have his stomach pumped. Now he was being attacked by another dog. Spencer would sue them! If he ever found out, obviously. Hecouldn’tfind out! Which would be difficult if there were dog bites all over him.
The two boys were now shouting at their dog and jumping around in a vain attempt to distract him.
Acting on instinct, Jess stepped on the other’s dog lead, which was trailing across the pavement, and reached to grab his collar. Growling, the dog twisted, forcing her to let go.
“Shit, Jess!” Adam grabbed her arm and pulled her behind him.
“Grab his lead and get him out of here!” he shouted at the boys.
“Keep your fucking wig on!” one of the lads shouted back but, to Jess’s relief, they got hold of their dog and dragged him across the street.
Adam turned to Jess, putting his hand under her chin to lift her face towards him. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “I’m fine, thanks.” A bit shakily, she pulled away. “The most important thing is that Snuggles didn’t get hurt.”
“Yes, that’s the most important thing,” Adam said dryly. “You’re shaking – that dog could have really hurt you.”
“It didn’t.” She took a deep breath as she tried to calm her pulse.
He frowned. “You could probably do with some sugary tea, or something. We passed a café on the main street. Let me buy you something, please?”
“Or we could just go back to Linford and I could get something there.” Her phone started to ring, and she took it out of her pocket. “It’s Robert.”
“Don’t answer it, Jess, please?”
Adam seemed so sincere that for a moment she hesitated. Technically, it was a working day and she was working. Sort of.She didn’t have to take personal calls. Unless it wasn’t personal? Maybe she was needed back at Linford. In which case Anthony or Emily would call her.
At the same time, she couldn’t let Adam think that she didn’t want to answer a call from Robert. It would send out the wrong signal, blur those boundaries again.
Ignoring the disappointment in his eyes, she swiped to answer. “Hi.”
“Hi, I was just wondering if you were around? Or if you’ve managed to have any lunch yet?”
“I haven’t, actually, I’ve been busy.”
“Me too. I was hoping you’d have a picnic with me?”
“A picnic?” She glanced at Adam, trying to read his expression.
“I could ask Marco to put together a basket,” Robert said. “I just thought that with the castle so quiet for a couple of days, you could do with a treat.”
“That’s so thoughtful, Robert, thank you.”
Adam rolled his eyes and Jess turned and walked a few steps away.
“You know we’re going to Emily’s party later on?”
“Which is why I think we should treat ourselves to an hour together – just us, nobody else around. When will you be back from Kilshanley?”
“Um, I don’t know, half an hour, maybe? Hang on, how did you know I was in Kilshanley?”
There was a beat. “I bumped into one of the staff,” Robert said lightly. “He told me what happened.”
Was that why he’d suggested a picnic? Because he knew she was with Adam? No, she was being paranoid. Robert had no idea that she and Adam had ever been together. He was just trying to do something nice.
Why was she even debating it? There was nothing to think about. “I’ll be back in half an hour – maybe twenty minutes.”
