Page 82 of Never Too Late to Date

Suzie shook his hand off, but he picked hers up again and gave her the stare that used to melt her insides.

‘Can we at least make a pact to be friends again?’

He was asking a lot.

‘Were we ever friends?’

‘I think so. For a while there.’

Trying to see it through his eyes, she supposed she owed him something.

‘OK, friends it is. I’ll give it one more go with Gianni, once he’s speaking to me.’

‘Thank you, friend.’

Just the way he caressed the word ‘friend’ had her on edge.

‘Oh, and by the way, I’ve decided to stay for a proper holiday in Greece. I like what I’ve seen of this island so far, and there’s nothing waiting for me at home. The manager is chillingly efficient at running my farm, so I’m definitely surplus to requirements.’

There was a wistful note in his voice that she hadn’t heard before. Hopefully, the quicker she got Giannis to agree to see him, the quicker he’d be off to another island.

‘OK.’

‘And now, I’d better give you a hand clearing all this mess up. Where are the bags for rubbish and recycling? You don’t want to be up until the early hours.’

Suzie found herself speechless for the first time in ages.

Chapter Nineteen

The sound of a vehicle pulling up in the courtyard, followed by a loud beeping, had Vicky rushing outside to see if there was an animal in dire need of attention.

But it was only Alex, sitting in the driving seat of his van, grinning. He had the windows fully open, so she shouted over.

‘Where’s the fire?’

His long legs appeared under the bottom of the door before he did.

‘I’ve brought you something.’

‘Okaaay.’

‘No need to look so worried. I suddenly remembered it had been sitting in the shed up at my parents’ place for years. Thought it might be useful.’

‘What on earth is it?’

She was imagining rusty tools or some of his old veterinary equipment he was donating to the clinic.

He opened the back doors and pulled out a large, high-sided wooden box on wheels, attached by a metal ring to a long, carved piece of wood with a smaller metal handle.

‘My pappou, granddad to you, was a carpenter, and he made it for my parents to carry three very tired small boys around the farm, or to put the brake on and leave them in there if they were sleeping.’

‘Right.’

Vicky still wasn’t entirely sure what he was suggesting.

‘I just thought…’ Alex halted a moment.

‘Yes?’