Page 24 of The House Swap

‘You won’t be,’ she said, perhaps a little too quickly, offering her hand. ‘I’m Poppy, by the way.’

‘Jeremiah. Though most people call me Jem.’

His fingers gripped hers, warm and firm.

‘Hello,’ came a voice from behind them, and they both turned to see Keira. She was looking amused, her eyes darting curiously between the two of them. ‘Who’s your friend, Poppy?’ she asked.

‘This is Jem,’ Poppy introduced. ‘Jem, this is my best friend, Keira.’

‘Nice to meet you,’ he said, releasing Poppy’s hand to shake Keira’s.

‘So, how do you two know each other?’ Keira asked.

‘Actually, we don’t,’ Poppy started to explain.

‘Well, we met briefly earlier,’ Jem elaborated. ‘I almost knocked her over as she came out of the shop.’

‘You kept that quiet,’ Keira said with a sly grin. She gave Poppy a not-so-subtle nudge that had Poppy blushing.

‘I invited Jem to come and sit with us… if you’re okay with that,’ she quickly added.

Keira glanced back at Sue and Ian, who were both looking in their direction.

‘Absolutely. I need a break from Barbie’s life story.’

‘Who?’ Jem asked, confused, as he picked up his pint.

‘You’ll see,’ Keira told him, leading the way back to the table.

‘Jeremiah,’ Sue piped up, before they had even sat down. ‘I said to Ian I thought it was you.’

She knew him?

Poppy exchanged a brief glance with Keira.

‘Hi, Sue, Ian.’

‘We’ve been trying to get him to come out to dinner with us ever since he arrived,’ Sue said to Poppy and Keira.

‘Wait, you all know each other?’ Jem asked, looking at the group, a little confused.

‘We only met tonight,’ Sue confirmed. ‘We’ve been getting to know Poppy and Keira over dinner, haven’t we, Ian?’

‘Yes. It’s been fun.’

There was no shaking the older couple now they had established that Jem knew everyone and Sue continued to dominate the conversation, explaining how she and Ian lived next door to the villa Jem had inherited.

‘Have you had any more thoughts, love, about what you’re going to do with the place?’ she asked him. ‘It would be nice if you decide to keep it.’

‘I still haven’t decided.’ He shrugged, seeming at ease in Sue and Ian’s company. ‘I need a little time.’

‘Jeremiah’s dad was a friend of ours,’ Sue explained to Poppy and Keira.

Was? That suggested he was no longer around and probably the owner of the villa. As Jem didn’t comment, seeming eager to change the subject, Poppy didn’t offer her condolences, just in case she was wrong.

‘So, are you out here for long, Jem?’ Keira asked, taking advantage of the moment of silence before Sue could cut in again.

‘Probably for another week or two.’