mean. To be honest I’m just getting my bearings.’ He glanced up at the day’s special, written on a blackboard above the counter. ‘Do you fancy a dessert?’
She nodded. ‘Sounds like a good idea.’
They ate treacle tart and drank coffee, talking and laughing while the other diners moved around them almost unnoticed.
‘So where do you live?’ Sarah asked, spooning the froth from the coffee into her mouth.
‘I’m renting a cottage in Cottenham at the moment. It’s nice, small. A mate of mine, Andy, runs a landscaping and garden design business, and he asked if I wanted to go in with him.’
‘And are you going to go in with him?’
‘Yes, or at least I’m seriously thinking about it. At the moment he’s got more work than he can handle. I’m giving it a year. See how we get on working together. I’m already bringing in work – so we’ll see. So far, so good. I’m enjoying it.’
‘We’ll be seeing a lot more of you then?’ Sarah said, conversationally.
Josh smiled and leaned in close, holding her gaze. ‘I hope so.’
Sarah felt her colour rising. ‘I meant at the nursery.’
Josh grinned. ‘Oh right, yeah. And there too.’
Their plates were empty, their coffee finished, but it didn’t seem like either of them wanted to leave.
‘I really ought to be going,’ said Sarah finally, pulling her purse out of her handbag.
‘My treat,’ he said, taking out his wallet.
When she began to protest, he said, ‘Don’t worry, you can get it next time.’
Sarah grinned. ‘So, there’s going to be a next time, is there?’
‘I hope so.’
‘Okay, you’re on,’ she said.
Reluctantly, Josh got to his feet. ‘I’m going to go and look at a garden this afternoon. I know it’s a bit of a busman’s holiday but don’t suppose I can persuade you to tag along, can I? Dry shade; I’d really value your opinion on the planting.’
‘I’m not sure.’ Sarah was hesitant, not wanting to seem too eager.
‘It’s also only about a five minute drive from here.’
‘I already told you I’m genuinely rubbish at gardening.’
He grinned. ‘I can’t say I haven’t been warned then, can I?’ He held out a hand to help her off the bench and she took it, enjoying the sensation of her hand in his.
Sarah
‘So am I right in thinking that you re-advertised the second room, the room that Anna had rented, at around the same time as you first met Josh Phillips?’
‘Yes. I think so. More or less.’
‘And how did you advertise the room?’
‘On Gumtree and a couple of other websites. I’m not great with computers but I’ve got a laptop. I didn’t think we’d have a lot of trouble letting it again. We’d had lots of interest first time round and I couldn’t be sure that Ryan would stick to what he’d said about not subbing off Woody. I wanted to be sure that there was regular money coming in.’
‘Okay. And what about Ryan? How did he react when you said you were trying to find someone else to take the second room?’
‘When I tried to talk to him about it he said that I didn’t have to do it. He told me that he would sort things out, and that he was going for an interview for a proper job; that he would show me that he could be the man. That he wanted to sort stuff out – turn things around.’
‘And that’s what he said, “Be the man”. I’m not sure I understand?’
‘It’s what my mum used to say to him after Dad died, when he started to kick off or there was something important that she wanted him to be good for. “You have to be the man now, Ryan”. I think she was hoping that it would make him feel important, make him toe the line.’
‘Right, okay, and so when he said that to you, you assumed Ryan meant what exactly, Sarah?’
‘That he would step up, get himself a regular job. He’d done it before when Mum was in hospital. At least eventually he did when Mum had a word with him. I thought that maybe the thing with the jewellery had shaken him
She nodded. ‘Sounds like a good idea.’
They ate treacle tart and drank coffee, talking and laughing while the other diners moved around them almost unnoticed.
‘So where do you live?’ Sarah asked, spooning the froth from the coffee into her mouth.
‘I’m renting a cottage in Cottenham at the moment. It’s nice, small. A mate of mine, Andy, runs a landscaping and garden design business, and he asked if I wanted to go in with him.’
‘And are you going to go in with him?’
‘Yes, or at least I’m seriously thinking about it. At the moment he’s got more work than he can handle. I’m giving it a year. See how we get on working together. I’m already bringing in work – so we’ll see. So far, so good. I’m enjoying it.’
‘We’ll be seeing a lot more of you then?’ Sarah said, conversationally.
Josh smiled and leaned in close, holding her gaze. ‘I hope so.’
Sarah felt her colour rising. ‘I meant at the nursery.’
Josh grinned. ‘Oh right, yeah. And there too.’
Their plates were empty, their coffee finished, but it didn’t seem like either of them wanted to leave.
‘I really ought to be going,’ said Sarah finally, pulling her purse out of her handbag.
‘My treat,’ he said, taking out his wallet.
When she began to protest, he said, ‘Don’t worry, you can get it next time.’
Sarah grinned. ‘So, there’s going to be a next time, is there?’
‘I hope so.’
‘Okay, you’re on,’ she said.
Reluctantly, Josh got to his feet. ‘I’m going to go and look at a garden this afternoon. I know it’s a bit of a busman’s holiday but don’t suppose I can persuade you to tag along, can I? Dry shade; I’d really value your opinion on the planting.’
‘I’m not sure.’ Sarah was hesitant, not wanting to seem too eager.
‘It’s also only about a five minute drive from here.’
‘I already told you I’m genuinely rubbish at gardening.’
He grinned. ‘I can’t say I haven’t been warned then, can I?’ He held out a hand to help her off the bench and she took it, enjoying the sensation of her hand in his.
Sarah
‘So am I right in thinking that you re-advertised the second room, the room that Anna had rented, at around the same time as you first met Josh Phillips?’
‘Yes. I think so. More or less.’
‘And how did you advertise the room?’
‘On Gumtree and a couple of other websites. I’m not great with computers but I’ve got a laptop. I didn’t think we’d have a lot of trouble letting it again. We’d had lots of interest first time round and I couldn’t be sure that Ryan would stick to what he’d said about not subbing off Woody. I wanted to be sure that there was regular money coming in.’
‘Okay. And what about Ryan? How did he react when you said you were trying to find someone else to take the second room?’
‘When I tried to talk to him about it he said that I didn’t have to do it. He told me that he would sort things out, and that he was going for an interview for a proper job; that he would show me that he could be the man. That he wanted to sort stuff out – turn things around.’
‘And that’s what he said, “Be the man”. I’m not sure I understand?’
‘It’s what my mum used to say to him after Dad died, when he started to kick off or there was something important that she wanted him to be good for. “You have to be the man now, Ryan”. I think she was hoping that it would make him feel important, make him toe the line.’
‘Right, okay, and so when he said that to you, you assumed Ryan meant what exactly, Sarah?’
‘That he would step up, get himself a regular job. He’d done it before when Mum was in hospital. At least eventually he did when Mum had a word with him. I thought that maybe the thing with the jewellery had shaken him
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