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“No, thank you, darling. It’s too hot for shopping, and I’ve yet to wear half my wardrobe.”

Kitty laughed. Julia had a vast walk-in dressing room upstairs that’d put Carrie Bradshaw to shame. Herod and Kitty shared hot, buttered toast as she told Julia about the job.

“It’s such an amazing opportunity. I’d head up my own bloody division!”

“It sounds fabulous, darling. We’d miss you, but I suppose we can’t hold on to you forever.”

Kitty grinned. “I’ll come to visit more often. Get some of that work-life balance I hear about. I’m going to drop in to see Josh’s sister on my way back from town. He promised me riding lessons if I gave her a hand at the farm.”

Julia’s carefully tweezed eyebrows raised. “But you hate horses.”

But she didn’t hate Josh. And she was willing to get back in the saddle ifhewas holding her reins.

18

KITTY

Kitty shoppedup a storm in the sticky heat of town. When she was finally satisfied, she set off back to Tottenbridge to drop in on Thea at Small Oaks Sanctuary.

The drive flew by, and Kitty left the windows down, belting out her favourite playlist the entire way. She couldn’t do this in London. Any journey she took in the city was short, and she’d choke on the fumes if she dared to open the window.

Arriving at the other end of the village from Rose Cottage, the sturdy farmhouse of Small Oaks Farm loomed in the distance. Butterflies stirred in Kitty’s stomach. The memory of her bleeding toe was so clear now. How could she have forgotten about Josh? It wouldn’t be so easy to forget about him now.

Kitty pulled up outside the farm. The only living thing that stirred was a giant tortoiseshell cat lounging in the sun. As if finding her unimportant, it put its head back on its paws and shut its eyes.

The yard was smaller than she remembered. A horseshoe of old stone buildings skirted a cobbled square. Buckets and brooms lay against any available wall. Kitty walked towards the front door of the farmhouse and knocked.

The door was hanging open, and after getting no response, she knocked harder and shouted.

“Hello!”

“Crap!” a woman said as a loud thump rang out. “Come on in.”

Kitty headed through the open front door into the cool depths of the house.

“I’m in the kitchen. Walk past the stairs and come straight through,” said the disembodied voice.

She picked her way through a cluttered hallway. Mangled Barbie dolls littered the floor amongst upended picture books, pens, and pencils.

“Sorry for the mess!” the voice said as if reading her mind.

Kitty ventured down the hallway, skirting the side of the stairs. Old family photos hung in a line on the wall. She passed them slowly, unable to resist the urge to look. The first picture was of two golden-haired children riding giant horses. She recognised Josh. This was the boy she remembered. His face glowed with happiness. The girl on the other horse must be Thea. Kitty looked towards the door and, certain she was alone, continued to examine the pictures.

The next photo was of the two children fishing in a river. Josh held a fishing net and a jam jar while Thea hugged an old greyhound. Further down, the pictures changed. The golden-haired children had grown up, still wearing the same smiles. Josh was a teenager, running through a cornfield, a black Labrador at his feet. His joyous face caused the corners of Kitty’s mouth to turn up. Thea was in the next picture with a kind-looking, dark-haired man. She wore white and had flowers in her hair. Further on, a photo showed her and the man holding a tiny baby, cradling it between their bodies. Josh’s niece.

The next picture showed Josh holding a little girl on a pony. Shirtless and barefoot, Kitty could see every muscle in his chest and stomach. Her breath hitched as she fought the urge to inspect any closer, a blush reaching her cheeks.Damn,she hadn't realised he’d look likethatunderneath his clothes.

In the last picture, Josh wore fluffy bunny ears and carried the little girl on his shoulders. Kitty smiled. The love, evident in the photos, tugged at her heart. She only had pictures of early birthday parties and opening presents around the Christmas tree. Nothing like these. No wonder Josh stayed near his family.

Kitty reached the end of the hall and entered the tiny kitchen.

“Hang on a minute,” came the voice.

Crockery, papers, and saucepans lined the countertops, and frothy net curtains hung at the windows. Long legs poked out from the cupboard under the sink, their booted feet wiggling. The drain made a dull clunking noise and the owner of the legs emerged. It was the golden-haired woman in the photos.Thea. When she stood up, she was almost the same height as Kitty.

“Sorry for the lack of a welcome. There was something wrong with the sink.Somehow a pair of Barbie shoes fell down the drain and got stuck in the pipe. I’m Thea Fox. How can I help you?”

Kitty laughed. “Barbie shoes down the drain? I can see how that might be a problem. I’m Kitty, Jonty’s cousin. I think your brother might have mentioned me?”