Page 6 of Hearts Colliding
“I’ll sort that out for you. Sit yourself down and somebody’ll bring it all over.”
Alex made his way to a corner table, near to a large inglenook fireplace filled with a display of dried flowers. He shivered; even though it was supposed to be summer, he’d rather there was a roaring log fire burning.Thin blood… too scrawny, all skin and bone… no wonder you’re always cold…
No. He shut down the impatient, bad-tempered voice he’d not heard in twenty years, and would never hear again.
He felt for his phone, deep in his pocket. Surely he’d get a signal in here? Opening it up, it pinged into life. A quick call to his PA was all it would take, with instructions to find him a suitable hotel and to arrange to have everything collected that had arrived just hours before, so he could get out—
“A G&T and a ham—”
Alex’s head shot up, all thoughts of contacting his PA gone. A pair of dark lashed blue eyes stared down at him. He pressed his lips together, schooling his face into not betraying his surprise, the instinct and practise he’d perfected over so many years.
The young guy who’d blundered off the path and onto the estate earlier that day wasn’t quite so in control as a hard flush coloured his cheekbones.
“Gin and tonic and a ham sandwich.” The guy set the tray down with a thud. Instead of going, he hovered, irritation and awkwardness battling it out on his face. “Look, about earlier.” The words rushed out of him, but Alex said nothing. He’d let him fumble and stumble over another stiff apology. “If you want to keep people and animals off New House property, keep the fences in good order. They’re down, have been for ages.”
It was everything Alex hadn’t expected but before he could answer, the guy swung around, took a step forward — and tripped up over Henry’s lead, only just saving himself from going flying and falling flat on his face. A pitiful whine rose up, and the little dog tried to scurry under the table but panic impeded his progress as he got caught up in his lead.
“Henry!” Alex jumped up to try and get to his pet, but was beaten to it.
“I’m sorry little fella, I didn’t see you down there. Did I tread on your tail?” The guy swooped down and freed Henry from the knot he’d tied himself in before scooping him up to snuggle against his broad chest. “That’s better, isn’t it?” Henry wagged his tail and the guy’s face broke into a wide smile
“I’ll take him.” Alex held his arms out for Henry. The guy’s smile fell away as he answered with a hard nod and handed over the dog.
“I’ll get him a bowl of water and a treat. We do it for all the dogs.”
In other words, you’re nothing special.“Yes to the water, but I can provide the treat.” Alex smirked as he delved into his Barbour’s pocket. “Crunchi Snax, remember?” Alex held up the dog biscuit and Henry all but bounced in his lap as his long, pink tongue lapped his chops. Alex glanced down at Henry, his smirk turning to an indulgent smile. So much for his injury.
“Whatever. I’ll get him a—”
“Well, I never.”
A short and stocky elderly woman was making her way over and Alex’s eyes widened at the bizarre mop of bright pink curls piled high on her head, bobbing with every step she took. But he’d have recognised her anywhere, the firm, resolute but motherly woman who’d refused him an illegal beer, but had served him an ice cold drink on a blisteringly hot day. Alex delved deep into his memory. Vera? Ivy? No, not those.Eva. Yes, that was it, a woman who’d always had a smile and a kind word for him. She must easily have been in her late seventies, if not older but, like her younger self, there was nothing frail about her. She stopped just a foot or two away and peered at him, before her face broke out in a smile.
“It’s young Alex, isn’t it? Or should I say Alexander now you’re all grown up?” She chuckled, her hair bouncing and threatening to collapse like a giant pink avalanche. “Back in the village after all this time! Lou said she thought — my daughter, do you remember her? Well, I never.”
“Alex is fine.” Only his father had called him Alexander, when he’d called him anything at all.
“My goodness, you look so much like your mother. It’s spooky, the resemblance is that strong. Such a lovely, lovely woman she was. She was a ray of sunshine. Everybody loved her.”
The unexpected words took Alex’s breath away, and choked any answer he had to give, but Eva didn’t seem to expect him to respond, as she turned to the young guy who hovered at her shoulder.
“Ryan, is this who you ran into earlier, when Tina escaped?”
Ryan.
Alex looked from one to the other. The tall, well-built young man, to the short, elderly woman, her eyes as clear and blue as her grandson’s. Alex met Ryan’s steady gaze, holding it before Eva reclaimed his attention.
“So, you’re back at the New House. Does that mean your father…?”
Is the old bastard dead? Why, yes, Eva, indeed he is and I couldn’t be happier…But they weren’t the words she wanted to hear, despite how much he might want to say them.
“Yes, my father recently died.”Six months ago, that was when he shuffled off this mortal coil. In southern Spain where he’d pickled his liver in cheap brandy, drinking away the family money.Not that there was much left of the Love family fortune, but it didn’t matter because he had more in his loose change bowl than his father had ever had.
“So, you’re back to take your rightful place? And the title? Sir Alexander Love. It’s got a good solid ring to it.”
Alex winced. “Alex, please. Not Alexander. And I won’t be using the honorific.”Or having anything to do with that house and the estate for any longer than I need to.
“Well, my love, it’s good to have you back home where you belong.” Eva patted his hand. “Ryan, we need another barrel of Beaver’s Tickle brought up, and then you make sure Sir Alex here has everything he needs.”
