dialing her number.
“Maybe you should give up Harry,” said Kate.
Rhodri looked appalled. “Give up Harry? Certainly not. Love me, love my ferret.” He turned on his heel and went back to opening his mail.
Stephie put down the receiver, altered an appointment on her computer and turned to Kate. “Can you imagine that? ‘Love me, love my ferret.’ I ask you. It’s a rotten, smelly thing; I’ve seen it. I can’t believe anyone could fancy him, never mind him
and
a ferret.”
Kate’s eyes twinkled. “Oh, I don’t know, all that Celtic emotion. He’s quite attractive once he gets worked up.”
“He might be laughing now but he won’t forget what you’ve done. He’s like that—bears a grudge, you know, for ages.”
“In that case I shall deflect his annoyance by showing an interest in his ferret.”
Stephie raised an eyebrow. “Well, if you’re that hard up . . . Adam OK?” She looked slyly at Kate during the lull in ringing phones and then asked again, “Adam OK?”
“He’s fine, thanks. Yes, fine.”
“Did you go somewhere exciting yesterday?”
Kate, who was printing out the visiting lists for the farm vets, shook her head and asked casually, “Did you?”
“Well, Sarah One and I went to this new leisure complex that’s opened. Expensive but brilliant. You and Adam should try it. I expect he’s a good swimmer with his build.”
But the morning had begun in earnest and the two of them got no further opportunity to discuss the weekend, for which Kate was grateful. She hadn’t, in fact, seen Adam apart from when he had sat outside her house from twelve until one, waiting for her to come out to go for their regular Sunday pub lunch. Her dad and Mia had gone to a factory outlet place first thing, so they hadn’t seen him, and Kate had refused to go out to speak to him. She’d already told him she wasn’t going and, being in a temper because of his refusal to join her and the others for a drink the previous night, had decided he could sit there till the cows came home if he wanted to; after all, it was a free country. He had a right to park his car where he chose as long as he wasn’t on a double yellow line. She’d peeped through the net curtain several times and nearly gone to the door twice to speak to him but defiantly changed her mind.
In fact, trying for vet college again had become more of a distinct possibility each time she’d looked out. Adam’s horizons were so limited, and how could anyone be such a fool as to sit outside all that time and not knock on the door. But then he had never knocked on the door on Sundays; he’d always simply parked and waited for her to come out—something about not disturbing Mia and her dad on a Sunday. Other days he knocked and walked in. A creature of habit was Adam. How he’d cope with the new job she couldn’t imagine. But she was glad he’d got it, even if his behavior had become so odd. Going out with the boys for the evening! That was a joke, surely?
“Kate! Hello-o-o!”
Jerked back into the present, Kate looked up from her lists. “Sorry, Scott, just printed out your list. Here you are.”
“How’s my favorite girl this morning?”
“First, I am not your favorite girl; and second, here’s your list; and third, it’s a long one; and fourth, this call here I’ve just added on sounds critical.”
Scott groaned. “Oh God! Not Applegate Farm. I swear there’s a curse on me. Cross it off my list and give it to Zoe, please, I beg you.” Scott got down on one knee and put his hands together as though in prayer. “Please. For your favorite Aussie?”
“You know that Zoe, being pregnant, can’t go because it’s an abortion, so you’ll have to go.”
“Stephie! Tell her I can’t go. Please.”
But Scott’s mistake had been calling Kate his favorite girl. “Kate is in charge and she’s right,” Stephie said. “Zoe can’t go.”
“Very well, but if something goes wrong, I shan’t be responsible for my
“Maybe you should give up Harry,” said Kate.
Rhodri looked appalled. “Give up Harry? Certainly not. Love me, love my ferret.” He turned on his heel and went back to opening his mail.
Stephie put down the receiver, altered an appointment on her computer and turned to Kate. “Can you imagine that? ‘Love me, love my ferret.’ I ask you. It’s a rotten, smelly thing; I’ve seen it. I can’t believe anyone could fancy him, never mind him
and
a ferret.”
Kate’s eyes twinkled. “Oh, I don’t know, all that Celtic emotion. He’s quite attractive once he gets worked up.”
“He might be laughing now but he won’t forget what you’ve done. He’s like that—bears a grudge, you know, for ages.”
“In that case I shall deflect his annoyance by showing an interest in his ferret.”
Stephie raised an eyebrow. “Well, if you’re that hard up . . . Adam OK?” She looked slyly at Kate during the lull in ringing phones and then asked again, “Adam OK?”
“He’s fine, thanks. Yes, fine.”
“Did you go somewhere exciting yesterday?”
Kate, who was printing out the visiting lists for the farm vets, shook her head and asked casually, “Did you?”
“Well, Sarah One and I went to this new leisure complex that’s opened. Expensive but brilliant. You and Adam should try it. I expect he’s a good swimmer with his build.”
But the morning had begun in earnest and the two of them got no further opportunity to discuss the weekend, for which Kate was grateful. She hadn’t, in fact, seen Adam apart from when he had sat outside her house from twelve until one, waiting for her to come out to go for their regular Sunday pub lunch. Her dad and Mia had gone to a factory outlet place first thing, so they hadn’t seen him, and Kate had refused to go out to speak to him. She’d already told him she wasn’t going and, being in a temper because of his refusal to join her and the others for a drink the previous night, had decided he could sit there till the cows came home if he wanted to; after all, it was a free country. He had a right to park his car where he chose as long as he wasn’t on a double yellow line. She’d peeped through the net curtain several times and nearly gone to the door twice to speak to him but defiantly changed her mind.
In fact, trying for vet college again had become more of a distinct possibility each time she’d looked out. Adam’s horizons were so limited, and how could anyone be such a fool as to sit outside all that time and not knock on the door. But then he had never knocked on the door on Sundays; he’d always simply parked and waited for her to come out—something about not disturbing Mia and her dad on a Sunday. Other days he knocked and walked in. A creature of habit was Adam. How he’d cope with the new job she couldn’t imagine. But she was glad he’d got it, even if his behavior had become so odd. Going out with the boys for the evening! That was a joke, surely?
“Kate! Hello-o-o!”
Jerked back into the present, Kate looked up from her lists. “Sorry, Scott, just printed out your list. Here you are.”
“How’s my favorite girl this morning?”
“First, I am not your favorite girl; and second, here’s your list; and third, it’s a long one; and fourth, this call here I’ve just added on sounds critical.”
Scott groaned. “Oh God! Not Applegate Farm. I swear there’s a curse on me. Cross it off my list and give it to Zoe, please, I beg you.” Scott got down on one knee and put his hands together as though in prayer. “Please. For your favorite Aussie?”
“You know that Zoe, being pregnant, can’t go because it’s an abortion, so you’ll have to go.”
“Stephie! Tell her I can’t go. Please.”
But Scott’s mistake had been calling Kate his favorite girl. “Kate is in charge and she’s right,” Stephie said. “Zoe can’t go.”
“Very well, but if something goes wrong, I shan’t be responsible for my
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