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‘We’ve made some good progress this morning.’
‘Oh, really?’ Cam could picture Barnie waggling his eyebrows or giving some grotesque wink as he said that.
‘Shut up, you perv. We’ve been through the work schedule timeline and tightened it up a bit. The site manager who was here to build Hope’s house is coming on board to oversee safety and what have you, and his groundworks team will do whatever mechanical digging we need too. I’ve got a meeting with him about it tomorrow.’
‘That’s a bonus because you were still waiting for some quotes to come back about that, weren’t you? And one less thing for us to worry about. We should dig out those departmental risk assessments and send them over to him, see what he thinks.’
‘Good idea.’ Tucking his phone between his shoulder and his ear, Cam grabbed a pen and added a note to his to-do list. ‘We lost track of time so we’re just about to have a late lunch. What time are you planning on coming over for dinner? There’s a steak in the fridge with your name on it and a mountain of salad and stuff.’
‘Ah, about that… I was thinking I might leave you to it.’
How many times did they have to go over this? ‘There’s nothing for you to leave us to. There’s nothing going on between Hope and me. Not now, not ever, so stop with the bloody matchmaking.’
A burst of laughter filled his ear. ‘Look, mate, no offence but it’s not your love life I’m interested in, it’s my own. I met this absolutely gorgeous girl on my way to breakfast this morning. She’s the yoga teacher here and I’ve persuaded her to join me for a drink in the pub later. If I play my cards right, I might be able to talk her into extending it into supper.’
Bending over, Cam knocked his forehead against the kitchen counter in mild despair. ‘I can’t leave you alone for a minute! What the hell is Stevie going to think about you trying to seduce one of her staff?’
‘I’m not trying to seduce her! All I did was ask her out for a drink. You make me sound like a sex pest or something.’ Cam had been half-joking, but Barnie sounded really hurt.
‘Ah, mate, I’m sorry. I don’t think anything of the sort. You are about the best person I know. I just don’t want any complications this summer.’
Barnie huffed a sigh. ‘I know you’re right, but Cam, you didn’t see her. I’ll be on my best behaviour, I promise. And I won’t say anything else to you about Hope either. It’ll be like last night when I never said a word about the two of you all but holding hands with each other.’
He might have known Barnie wouldn’t stay down for long. ‘We weren’t holding hands, you idiot. I’m hanging up the phone now.’ He cut Barnie’s laughter off with a quick jab of his finger and tossed the phone down.
‘Sorry, I didn’t realise you were on a call.’
Cam spun around to find a slightly pink-cheeked Hope standing in the doorway, the two panting puppies at her heels. ‘It was just Barnie,’ he said, wondering how long she’d been standing there. Long enough to catch the comment about them holding hands, or rather not holding hands, by the looks of it. Desperate for a distraction, he decided the only thing for it was to drop Barnie in it. He deserved it, after all, for embarrassing poor Hope like this. ‘He’s cried off dinner tonight because he’s taking some yoga teacher he met up at the Hall out for a drink.’
‘Meena?’ Hope’s expression immediately brightened into a wicked grin. ‘Oh, I almost feel sorry for Barnie.’
‘Why? What’s wrong with her?’ As much as it would be good to have his friend taken down a peg or two, he didn’t want him getting mixed up with someone who would give him grief.
Hope laughed. ‘She’s lovely, all five feet two of her. I’m sure Barnie was taken in by her delicate looks, but she doesn’t only teach yoga. She’s also an expert in martial arts and was shortlisted for the national judo team for the last Commonwealth Games.’
Cam grinned, imagining Barnie being sent flying by a tiny woman. ‘He’s promised me he will be on his best behaviour.’
‘Well, let’s hope for his sake that’s true.’ Having settled the dogs back by the door to enjoy the water Cam had put out for them, Hope surveyed the table. ‘This looks great, I’m starving.’
‘To be fair, it’s mostly down to you because you’re the one who filled the fridge. All I did was put everything out.’
‘Still, it looks good. Shall I start dishing up?’
‘Yes, please. I’ll sort out some drinks.’ Cam returned to the fridge and studied the contents. ‘I’ve got some of that lovely cordial your uncle gave me, wine, beer, more coffee?’ He glanced back over his shoulder at her. ‘What do you fancy?’
Hope tilted her head to one side as though considering it. ‘No more coffee because I’ve had too much already. If I’m honest, I really fancy a glass of wine. Is that awful?’
‘Not at all, we’ve achieved more than I’d hoped for today, so we deserve a break. Besides, it’ll give me an excuse to have a beer. We can take it out on the deck if you like?’
‘Oh, that sounds like a great idea. I’ll take the plates out.’
By the time he’d joined her with the drinks, Hope was settled on one of the pair of sun loungers with her shoes kicked off to display a set of scarlet-varnished toenails. The heat of the day was at its peak, but thanks to the surrounding trees and the overhang from the balcony, the patio was a shady oasis. Cam nudged his lounger so it was angled more towards Hope, then handed over her drink before settling back with a sigh. ‘I could get used to this,’ he murmured, letting his eyelids drift closed for a moment as the drowsy warmth soaked into his bones.
‘You’ve got all summer to enjoy it.’ Cam cracked one lid open, but Hope had her head tilted back, eyes closed too, so he settled back again and just let himself relax into the moment. He might have dozed off if a fly hadn’t buzzed past his nose. He opened his eyes just in time to wave it away from the plates. Hope’s hands were resting on her stomach, her fingers wrapped around the base of a wine glass that was starting to lean at a precarious angle. Swinging his legs around to sit up, Cam rescued her wine before it could spill and Hope’s eyes jolted open.
‘Did I fall asleep?’ she asked, voice as drowsy and warm as the gentle breeze.
‘Just for a second.’ Cam held out her glass and she sat up to take it. ‘Have something to eat and then have a nap. You look done in.’
