His arms tightened around her. ‘Lily likes being waited on, does she?’
Meridith smiled. ‘I think she lets Hugo smash them for her because she loves him and knows that he likes doing things for her.’
‘That could be.’ He kissed the side of her neck. ‘I like doing things for you.’
She twisted about. ‘I know. And I like doing things for you.’
He smiled and kissed the tip of her nose. ‘Your nose is cold.’
‘So is yours,’ she said, having felt that along with his warm lips on her neck a moment ago. ‘What are you doing here in the middle of the day?’
‘Looking for you.’
‘Why?’
‘Because I need a kiss.’
She laughed and pushed at his chest, making him walk backwards into the storage room. ‘I’m not getting sprayed with water in the middle of February.’
‘Good point.’ He closed both the bottom and top of the split door before he gave her a long, stimulating kiss.
As his lips left hers, she searched his face. In the months since they’d been married, she’d become quite astute in reading him. Right now, a kiss hadn’t been the only thing on his mind. The sparkle in his eyes was too bright, as was the mischievous grin on his face. ‘Why are you really here?’ she asked.
His lips quirked into a brighter smile. ‘Because I have news to share with you.’
‘Oh?’ She had news for him, too. A couple of things, but she would wait for the perfect time for one of them.
He nodded.
She waited for him to say more. When he didn’t, she asked, ‘Are you going to tell me or make me guess?’
‘I’m going to show you.’
‘All right.’ That was one more thing she’d come to love more and more about him. Every day was an adventure. She never knew what it was going to be, or where or when, but something extraordinary happened every day.
Holding his arm, she walked with him out of the enclosure and through the elephant pen. ‘Oh, do you know what I learned from Mr Andrews today?’
‘Not yet, but I will in a minute when you tell me.’
She used her elbow to jab him in the ribs, which he didn’t feel because he was wearing a wool coat as thick as the one she wore. ‘Fine, I won’t tell you.’
‘Yes, you will. It’ll drive you mad not to.’
‘No, it won’t.’
‘Yes, it will.’
She laughed, because he knew her as well as she knew him. ‘Fine. It will. Mr Andrews told me that the younger of the two older Montgomery boys, Doolittle—Thad is the oldest, then Doolittle, and then Adam—Anyway, Doolittle loved working here so much and did such a wonderful job, he’s been hired to work at the zoo during every school holiday.’
‘Congratulations. Your plan for restitution had lasting effects.’
‘It did.’ She felt a sense of pride in how well everything had worked out. ‘So, where are we going, so I can see what you want me to see?’
‘It’s a surprise.’
He was much better at keeping secrets than she was. Unfortunately.
As they arrived at the parking area, she noticed a larger travelling coach, and that the smaller one that George had brought her to the zoo in was gone. ‘Is that our coach?’
