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He nodded.
‘Considering how far we had to drive to the nearest one, I think it’s an excellent idea.’ What she didn’t think was a good idea was Joss taking Emily out that evening just to show her a shop. ‘You know what a grand idea would be?’
‘What?’
‘Having a meal afterwards.’
Joss shook his head at that suggestion. ‘I expect she’s having dinner with her mum and dad before she leaves, so she won’t want to change her plans.’
‘Don’t be so sure,’ said Alice before closing the door.
Chapter 17
There was a knock on Emily’s door.
She rolled her eyes. She was trying to get ready. ‘What?’ she snapped as she walked over and opened the door.
‘Dinner’s ready, sweetheart.’ He looked at her. ‘Well, don’t you look a picture? Bit overdressed for dinner, though.’
Emily sighed. ‘Sorry, Dad, I should have said. I’m not having dinner with you guys this evening.’ And that was the problem with living at home. She’d got used to doing her own thing, away at university when she was studying veterinary medicine. She hadn’t had to tell anyone where she was going, what she was doing, and who she was doing it with. As the baby of the family, she had always felt her parents were overprotective. And although she had an older stepsister, there was too much of an age gap for them to be close, like some of her friends’ sisters were.
She was envious of her friends who’d go partying or go to the beach together, even hook up with boys, while their parents did their own thing. She had always envied Abigail and Luke, who had seemed to have so much more freedom than her to go off together while she was too young and stuck with her parents.
Emily silently berated herself for going down that rabbit hole. That was all in the past. And she was lucky to be able to return home for a bit and help out with the business, earning some money while she applied for veterinary positions. The problem was, she just wasn’t getting a look-in with any of her applications. Not that there were many positions to apply for, but they all wanted at least some experience.
Being newly qualified, she was increasingly feeling in the same catch-22 as most graduates – she needed a job to get experience. But how would she get that experience if she couldn’t even get her foot in the door? She was becoming disillusioned with the whole application process and getting turned down even before the interview stage. So this evening was just what she needed, a night out – a date. She just didn’t want to tell her parents all about it.
‘I’ll let your mother know you won’t be having dinner then.’
She went to close the door.
‘Going out on a date?’
Emily sighed. ‘Yes, Dad.’
‘Anyone I know?’
And there it was. She knew her dad only meant well, but this was awkward, especially as it was with one of the guests. ‘It’s Joss.’ But her dad’s reaction surprised her.
‘Well, that’s wonderful. I hope you have a lovely time.’
‘Oh, right! Thanks, Dad.’
He turned to go.
‘Oh, Dad …’
He turned back. ‘Yes, sweetheart?’
‘Do you mind, er, not telling Mum?’
He raised his eyebrows. ‘About Joss?’
Emily nodded.
‘If that’s what you want, sweetheart.’
Emily smiled. The thing with her dad was that he always took her side. Even so, she felt she owed him an explanation. ‘Look, the thing is, I get the impression mum doesn’t much like him. It’s the age gap – isn’t it?’ Emily guessed that Joss was in his early to mid-thirties. If he was mid-thirties, then he was ten years older than her. She didn’t care about that. But she would bet her mum did.
