When the circumstances necessitated you utilised your opponent’s weaknesses and, for all her attitude, it was obvious that the redhead’s weakness was a soft heart.
‘Look at him,’ he invited, gesturing towards Liam, who was playing with the dogs. ‘He’s having the time of his life. Sure, we could go back to London … But he’d be missing out—we both would.’ He studied her from under the sweep of his lashes, watching while she struggled.
Miranda looked at the little boy playing outside. Gianni Fitzgerald’s honesty had actually touched her. ‘I’m not sure. I’d like to take you up on your offer, but …’
CHAPTER FIVE
T HE dogs barking in the yard made Miranda break off mid sentence. She heard the sound of a car door slamming, then a male voice talking to the animals, who immediately quieted.
‘Are you expecting visitors?’ Sensing victory had been imminent, he cursed the timing of the interruption, now he had lost the advantage he had gained.
Miranda shook her head and got to her feet just as a man appeared framed in the top half of the stable door. His back turned to them, he rested the box he was carrying on the top of the closed section before turning.
‘Sorry I’m late. I had some extra deliveries, but I put in some extra courgettes—we’ve got a glut—and Mum put in some of her elderflower cordial for you to try. She said thanks for the advice—the new hair cut—’
He saw them and stopped, an expression of mild surprise spreading across his handsome face. ‘Sorry, I didn’t know Lucy had visitors …?’
She saw him look from her to Gianni to the child playing now at their feet before she could explain that this was not the cosy domestic scene it appeared at first glance—it felt important to disabuse him of any embarrassing misconception. Gianni spoke up.
‘Lucy’s away.’
The other man did not appear to pick up on the note of dismissal in Gianni Fitzgerald’s voice that Miranda did.
‘She is?’
‘Yes.’
Gianni Fitzgerald, for all his smart tongue, could, it seemed, be a man of few words when it suited him; the rudeness was no major surprise.
‘Perhaps she forgot to cancel her order?’ Miranda suggested.
The newcomer gave a rueful shake of his head. ‘Much more likely my brother forgot to tell me. He helps out on sufferance—he’s more interested in getting back home to play his computer games.’
Miranda got to her feet and slid the latch holding the door. ‘Do you want to put that on the table? It looks heavy.’
‘Thanks.’
‘I’m Miranda. I’m house-sitting for Lucy.’
‘I’m Joe Chandler.’ Young, blond and good-looking, Joe brushed his hand on his jeans before offering it to Miranda. She smiled at the sweet gesture and took it. ‘Lucy takes one of our veggie boxes.’
‘She did say something about it.’
‘All organic.’
Gianni watched as the guy picked up a deformed-looking carrot from the top of the box and offered it for Miranda’s inspection as if it were the Crown jewels.
‘Lucy didn’t say she was away—she always takes a box on Mondays and Fridays.’
Miranda took the muddy carrot, displaying the sort of interest his sisters might over a pair of designer shoes. ‘Are they grown locally?’
If her interest was feigned, she was, Gianni decided, a very good actress.
‘How much are the boxes?’
The guy mentioned an amount that seemed fairly extortionate for a few vegetables but Miranda appeared impressed.
‘I’ll take the usual,’ she said cheerfully.
‘That’s great, but you’ll probably need a bigger order with the family here?’ he said with a glance towards Gianni.
‘No, he’s not with me, we’re not … the regular order will be fine, thanks.’ Her brow furrowed. ‘How much do I owe you again?’
‘I’ll get that,’ Gianni said, getting to his feet.
Miranda watched him frown as he began to search the pockets of the jacket slung over the arm of the kitchen chair and a switch suddenly clicked
‘Look at him,’ he invited, gesturing towards Liam, who was playing with the dogs. ‘He’s having the time of his life. Sure, we could go back to London … But he’d be missing out—we both would.’ He studied her from under the sweep of his lashes, watching while she struggled.
Miranda looked at the little boy playing outside. Gianni Fitzgerald’s honesty had actually touched her. ‘I’m not sure. I’d like to take you up on your offer, but …’
CHAPTER FIVE
T HE dogs barking in the yard made Miranda break off mid sentence. She heard the sound of a car door slamming, then a male voice talking to the animals, who immediately quieted.
‘Are you expecting visitors?’ Sensing victory had been imminent, he cursed the timing of the interruption, now he had lost the advantage he had gained.
Miranda shook her head and got to her feet just as a man appeared framed in the top half of the stable door. His back turned to them, he rested the box he was carrying on the top of the closed section before turning.
‘Sorry I’m late. I had some extra deliveries, but I put in some extra courgettes—we’ve got a glut—and Mum put in some of her elderflower cordial for you to try. She said thanks for the advice—the new hair cut—’
He saw them and stopped, an expression of mild surprise spreading across his handsome face. ‘Sorry, I didn’t know Lucy had visitors …?’
She saw him look from her to Gianni to the child playing now at their feet before she could explain that this was not the cosy domestic scene it appeared at first glance—it felt important to disabuse him of any embarrassing misconception. Gianni spoke up.
‘Lucy’s away.’
The other man did not appear to pick up on the note of dismissal in Gianni Fitzgerald’s voice that Miranda did.
‘She is?’
‘Yes.’
Gianni Fitzgerald, for all his smart tongue, could, it seemed, be a man of few words when it suited him; the rudeness was no major surprise.
‘Perhaps she forgot to cancel her order?’ Miranda suggested.
The newcomer gave a rueful shake of his head. ‘Much more likely my brother forgot to tell me. He helps out on sufferance—he’s more interested in getting back home to play his computer games.’
Miranda got to her feet and slid the latch holding the door. ‘Do you want to put that on the table? It looks heavy.’
‘Thanks.’
‘I’m Miranda. I’m house-sitting for Lucy.’
‘I’m Joe Chandler.’ Young, blond and good-looking, Joe brushed his hand on his jeans before offering it to Miranda. She smiled at the sweet gesture and took it. ‘Lucy takes one of our veggie boxes.’
‘She did say something about it.’
‘All organic.’
Gianni watched as the guy picked up a deformed-looking carrot from the top of the box and offered it for Miranda’s inspection as if it were the Crown jewels.
‘Lucy didn’t say she was away—she always takes a box on Mondays and Fridays.’
Miranda took the muddy carrot, displaying the sort of interest his sisters might over a pair of designer shoes. ‘Are they grown locally?’
If her interest was feigned, she was, Gianni decided, a very good actress.
‘How much are the boxes?’
The guy mentioned an amount that seemed fairly extortionate for a few vegetables but Miranda appeared impressed.
‘I’ll take the usual,’ she said cheerfully.
‘That’s great, but you’ll probably need a bigger order with the family here?’ he said with a glance towards Gianni.
‘No, he’s not with me, we’re not … the regular order will be fine, thanks.’ Her brow furrowed. ‘How much do I owe you again?’
‘I’ll get that,’ Gianni said, getting to his feet.
Miranda watched him frown as he began to search the pockets of the jacket slung over the arm of the kitchen chair and a switch suddenly clicked
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