I shall stop you from playing football out there.’ Alex abandoned her battle with the ancient Aga and went to remonstrate with James in the garden. ‘Auntie Jane has better things to do than to keep throwing them back, and sooner or later you’re going to damage something.’
‘Oops.’ The warning came too late. James pulled a face as his favourite football went sailing over the fence and was followed a second or two later by an ominous thudding sound. ‘I didn’t mean it,’ he said, with a bemused expression. ‘It was an accident.’
Alex sighed. ‘You’d better go round there and apologise,’ she told him. Turning to his sister, she said, ‘Will you go with him, Sarah, please? Find out if there’s been any damage. I have to stay here and keep an eye on the pizza in the oven.’
‘Okay.’ Sarah took James by the hand and led him away.
‘Why do we have to go?’ James complained. ‘I didn’t do it on purpose. I just tapped it and it went over.’
‘Yeah, like always,’ Sarah said. ‘That’s ’cos you keep trying to see how high you can kick it.’
‘No…I was just aiming for the goal. You wanna see how Rooney does it,’ James said, warming to his theme. ‘See how they did it in the match on telly? You have to run and shoot, get it in there quick.’
‘Yeah, but they lost the game,’ Sarah pointed out in a blunt tone. ‘Didn’t do them any good, did it?’
‘Well, they’ll do it next time.’ James scowled at his sister as they went out of the back gate.
Alex could still hear them bickering as they walked along the path to her neighbour’s property. A wave of guilt swamped her. There was no doubt about it, she ought to have gone with them, but there was just so much to do…lunch to prepare, laundry to finish, ironing, and that was before she made a start on tackling the endless round of decorating that was needed to spruce up this old farmhouse property.
And now the Aga was playing up. The pizza, which should have been cooked several minutes ago, was still pale looking, and Alex guessed that meant she would soon be paying out for a new thermostat for the oven.
She left it to bake some more and started to gather together the ingredients for a salad. And what of the football game that had gone wrong out there? Was she going to have to fork out for damage to Jane’s property as well?
The children came back a few minutes later. ‘Auntie Jane made us a cake,’ Sarah said excitedly, bursting into the kitchen.
‘Goodness! A reward for causing her all that trouble? Auntie Jane must be a saint.’
‘It’s all covered with strawberries and cream.’ James was licking his lips in anticipation. ‘I’m hungry,’ he said. ‘Can we have some now?’
‘After you’ve eaten your lunch,’ Alex murmured.
‘Isn’t that just typical of adults?’ a familiar, deep voice commented, and Alex was startled to see Callum follow the children into the kitchen. ‘There are never any goodies to be had till after the main course, are there?’ He peered around the door. ‘Is it all right if I come in?’ His glance slid warmly over her, moving from head to toe and taking in her slender shape, outlined by the snug-fitting jeans and the stretchy cotton top she wore.
‘Of course.’ She studied him in return, flummoxed for a moment, seeing him here, in her kitchen. He looked good, dressed in casual clothes, dark chinos teamed with a loose cotton shirt, a strong contrast to the smart, formal suits he wore for work.
She waved him to a seat by the table. ‘Come and sit down.’ She frowned, and then added hesitantly, ‘I was just about to serve up lunch. You’re welcome to stay and eat with us, if you like.’
He smiled, seeming surprised by the invitation, and she was back-footed all over again by the way the smile softened his angular features. ‘Are you sure? Thanks. That would be great…if you’re positive it’s no trouble?’
‘None at all…though I won’t guarantee the state
‘Oops.’ The warning came too late. James pulled a face as his favourite football went sailing over the fence and was followed a second or two later by an ominous thudding sound. ‘I didn’t mean it,’ he said, with a bemused expression. ‘It was an accident.’
Alex sighed. ‘You’d better go round there and apologise,’ she told him. Turning to his sister, she said, ‘Will you go with him, Sarah, please? Find out if there’s been any damage. I have to stay here and keep an eye on the pizza in the oven.’
‘Okay.’ Sarah took James by the hand and led him away.
‘Why do we have to go?’ James complained. ‘I didn’t do it on purpose. I just tapped it and it went over.’
‘Yeah, like always,’ Sarah said. ‘That’s ’cos you keep trying to see how high you can kick it.’
‘No…I was just aiming for the goal. You wanna see how Rooney does it,’ James said, warming to his theme. ‘See how they did it in the match on telly? You have to run and shoot, get it in there quick.’
‘Yeah, but they lost the game,’ Sarah pointed out in a blunt tone. ‘Didn’t do them any good, did it?’
‘Well, they’ll do it next time.’ James scowled at his sister as they went out of the back gate.
Alex could still hear them bickering as they walked along the path to her neighbour’s property. A wave of guilt swamped her. There was no doubt about it, she ought to have gone with them, but there was just so much to do…lunch to prepare, laundry to finish, ironing, and that was before she made a start on tackling the endless round of decorating that was needed to spruce up this old farmhouse property.
And now the Aga was playing up. The pizza, which should have been cooked several minutes ago, was still pale looking, and Alex guessed that meant she would soon be paying out for a new thermostat for the oven.
She left it to bake some more and started to gather together the ingredients for a salad. And what of the football game that had gone wrong out there? Was she going to have to fork out for damage to Jane’s property as well?
The children came back a few minutes later. ‘Auntie Jane made us a cake,’ Sarah said excitedly, bursting into the kitchen.
‘Goodness! A reward for causing her all that trouble? Auntie Jane must be a saint.’
‘It’s all covered with strawberries and cream.’ James was licking his lips in anticipation. ‘I’m hungry,’ he said. ‘Can we have some now?’
‘After you’ve eaten your lunch,’ Alex murmured.
‘Isn’t that just typical of adults?’ a familiar, deep voice commented, and Alex was startled to see Callum follow the children into the kitchen. ‘There are never any goodies to be had till after the main course, are there?’ He peered around the door. ‘Is it all right if I come in?’ His glance slid warmly over her, moving from head to toe and taking in her slender shape, outlined by the snug-fitting jeans and the stretchy cotton top she wore.
‘Of course.’ She studied him in return, flummoxed for a moment, seeing him here, in her kitchen. He looked good, dressed in casual clothes, dark chinos teamed with a loose cotton shirt, a strong contrast to the smart, formal suits he wore for work.
She waved him to a seat by the table. ‘Come and sit down.’ She frowned, and then added hesitantly, ‘I was just about to serve up lunch. You’re welcome to stay and eat with us, if you like.’
He smiled, seeming surprised by the invitation, and she was back-footed all over again by the way the smile softened his angular features. ‘Are you sure? Thanks. That would be great…if you’re positive it’s no trouble?’
‘None at all…though I won’t guarantee the state
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