Page 46 of Hit For Six (Balls and Banter #1)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Lola

‘Do your worst,’ said Monty, somehow retaining his cool as he and Lola also somehow managed to push Joanna out of the large front door with the aid of a mop and a broom, throwing one of his mother’s tartan picnic blankets after her so she could cover up.

‘I don’t think you understand. That wasn’t a threat, it was a promise!’ she screeched.

Joanna pulled the blanket around her as if she was a Scottish superhero and packed herself into her sportscar, frowning heavily as she buckled herself in.

The sounds of nature filled the air as they waited for her car to start up the engine and vanish into the ether; birds twittering away as if this was a routine morning in Upper Badminton.

‘I’m stunned. Please tell me we were sleepwalking down the stairs and this is a strange tandem nightmare,’ mumbled Lola, unsure if such a phenomenon existed.

‘How I wish I could.’

‘We’re going to need a vat of coffee to dissect this morning.’

Joanna put her foot to the pedal, making Lola jump.

‘You and me both. What a nightmare. I don’t know where Bea picks her friends up these days.

They get progressively worse.’ Monty sighed.

‘This has been my life for the longest time. Maybe my family is running an undercover dating agency and I’ve only just figured it out.

I’ve been a pushover for so long. Is this the way it is in every family for all the little brothers? ’

‘How would I know?’ Lola let out a ragged breath, her nerves frayed. ‘If she hadn’t tried to con me in London, you would have looked like a thoroughly guilty man.’

Joanna’s car screeched its brakes, making Lola jump again as the woman hopped out, marching back towards the pair of them on the doorstep as if to start up round two. Monty put his arm around Lola, pulling her close.

‘What the-?’ he shouted, as Joanna stopped at his car, scraping a key along the paintwork of his beloved Polo and causing incalculable amounts of damage in the blink of an eye.

‘Ha!’ She fist pumped the air in triumph, got back into her vehicle and drove away.

***

‘I’m so sorry, Lola. This is such a mess,’ Monty finally broke the silence once they’d retreated to the kitchen and securely bolted the door. ‘Let’s get rid of every trace of her presence and I’ll make you as many coffees and pancakes as your heart desires. Then we’ll drive back to Bath.’

‘I’m not sure I can stomach food just yet. I can still hear that key running along the shiny red paintwork.’ She winced. ‘But yes, caffeine is a must.’

Lola held out a hand in front of her while Monty’s back was turned, she couldn’t stop shaking. And she realised this wasn’t solely down to Joanna. The anticipation of Monty’s parents finding her here, in a place where she didn’t belong, had been building all night.

Meanwhile, the man who was shaking up all of their lives paced around the island, deep in thought as the coffee machine whirred into action. He’d be doing that till the end of time. There was only one logical answer and Lola needed to put him out of his misery.

‘We’ll call it a day,’ she said, with as much conviction as she could muster, a lump forming in her throat at the thought of them being apart.

‘You’ve known me for a few weeks, Monty.

You’ve known your family and this wonderful house your whole life.

If this is destined to be yours then I can’t possibly stand in the way. ’

‘No, Lola! Never,’ said Monty. ‘It’s masonry, nothing more and nothing less.

Besides, Joanna wouldn’t dare.’ He poured their coffees.

‘And as a side note to this batshit morning, my parents will absolutely adore you when they finally get to meet you properly at the party.’ But Lola didn’t need to see Monty’s face to detect his uncertainty.

‘Everything’s going to be just fine. Let’s go back to bed and pretend this never happened. ’