Page 13 of Sweet Dreams at the Forever Home on Muddypuddle Lane (The Forever Home on Muddypuddle Lane #2)

The atmosphere in the field at The Forever Home the following day was cold enough to be mistaken for the Arctic. Neither Nora nor Elijah had spoken to each other since they’d arrived, and the air was thick with tension.

Nora might be childish, but she was trying to pretend Elijah didn’t exist. Which wasn’t easy, since she was acutely aware of every move he made and every word he uttered. Not to her, obviously, but first to Jakob and then to Biscuit.

‘I believe it’s my turn to take Biscuit for a walk,’ she told Jakob. ‘Since he —’ She frowned at Elijah ‘— took him out yesterday.’

Elijah was quick to say, ‘If you’d been here, you could have come with us. It’s not my fault you missed it.’

‘Some of us had to work,’ she shot back, then wished she hadn’t when Elijah gave Jakob a significant look, as though to say that he hadn’t had to.

Just in time, she remembered she was the one who’d be able to take Biscuit to work, so she swiftly added, ‘Luckily, he can come the salon with me , so it doesn’t matter if I have to work or not – unlike some people I could mention. So, about that walk?’

Jakob rolled his eyes and muttered something which sounded like, ‘Give me strength’, but Nora couldn’t be certain. ‘You can take him if you want,’ he said.

Nora clapped her hands in glee. ‘Yay!’

‘Together,’ Jakob clarified, and it was Elijah’s turn to look pleased.

Jakob’s expression was stern. ‘Do you think you can manage to take him for a walk without squabbling? Because if you can’t…’ He glared at them, his warning clear.

Nora felt remarkably like a child who’d just been scolded by a teacher. Contrite, she promised, ‘We won’t squabble,’ and followed it up with a meaningful glower at Elijah.

The way they were carrying on, they were risking not being able to see Biscuit at all, and maybe not even being allowed to adopt him. She, for one, wasn’t prepared to let that happen, even if Elijah was an underhand sneaky scumbag.

His expression was apologetic, and he nodded his agreement. He even went as far as to step back when Jakob held out Biscuit’s lead so she could hold it.

Nora wasn’t taken in, though; he was only doing it to look good in front of Jakob, and she guessed he was still hoping Jakob might favour him when (or even if ) Dawn canvassed her colleague’s opinion. Elijah wasn’t taking any chances. And neither should she.

Determined to take full advantage of this opportunity, Nora wrapped the lead around her fist and set off. Biscuit fell into step, walking nicely by her side, and as long as she stared straight ahead, she could pretend Elijah wasn’t with her.

Until he started speaking and she couldn’t pretend any longer.

‘How’s the walking coming along?’ he asked.

‘Why do you want to know?’

‘Just making conversation.’

‘Well, don’t.’ Nora came to a halt at the entrance to The Forever Home and glanced up and down the road, wondering which way to go.

Left would lead them back down Muddypuddle Lane, right would take them across the top of the mountain and the scrubby moorland.

Despite having lived in Picklewick all her life, she’d rarely ventured up this way.

Elijah sensed her hesitation. ‘That way,’ he suggested, pointing to the right. ‘I go – used to go – running around here. The track drops down into the trees and circles around. It’ll take about—’ He hesitated, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. ‘—an hour.’

She bristled, hoping he wasn’t insinuating that she mightn’t be able to walk that far, but all she said was, ‘Perfect.’

They set off in silence again, Nora once more determined to ignore him, but she found her resolution flagging as Biscuit kept stopping to sniff, or bounced around on the end of his lead.

He was clearly enjoying being out and about, with different sights and new smells, and when he paused to sniff enthusiastically at a clump of ferns and then started to dig through them as he made little grunting noises of excitement, she couldn’t help giggling.

‘I wonder if he’s trying to dig out a rabbit?’ she said, watching his antics in amusement, momentarily forgetting that the man standing next to her was her rival.

‘I bet he won’t catch it if he does,’ Elijah said. ‘It’ll be far too quick for him.’ He froze and lowered his voice, pointing. ‘Look, there’s a squirrel.’

Nora looked, but couldn’t see anything. ‘Where?’

Elijah moved nearer until his shoulder was touching her, and he leant in, his head close to hers. ‘Follow my finger,’ he said. ‘Just there, between those two trees. Do you see it?’

The bushy grey tail curved over its back as the squirrel sat on the ground, holding something in its tiny paws. Motionless, it watched them with black beady eyes.

Nora sucked in a slow, awed breath – and her nose was immediately filled with the scent of cinnamon and sugar, with an undercurrent of sandalwood and bergamot.

She was sure she could smell coconut and vanilla, too.

The man smelt good enough to eat, and she closed her eyes briefly, letting the aroma seep into her, reminding her of cookies and biscuits, cakes and pastries, and she had to fight the temptation to turn her head and find out whether he tasted as delicious as he smelt.

Abruptly coming to her senses, she leapt away in alarm. What the hell was she doing?

‘You okay?’ he asked, concern in his eyes.

‘Wasp,’ she blurted, saying the first thing to come into her head. At least it was plausible.

‘Where?’ His eyes darted about.

‘It’s gone now.’

‘Good. I hate wasps.’

‘Me, too.’ She tugged at Biscuit’s lead and he ceased scrabbling in the undergrowth, to look at her with an inquisitive expression. ‘Come on,’ she said. ‘This is supposed to be a walk, not a dig.’

Feeling rather shaken, she carried on, wondering what had just happened. For crying out loud, she’d wanted to kiss him! And all because he’d reminded her of the smell of cake.

She really had to stop thinking about all the food she could no longer eat, and she put her bizarre reaction down to the fact that he baked sweet treats for a living, so the aroma of sugar was probably ingrained in his pores.

It had been nothing more than a desire to eat cake, and not a desire to eat him .

He was very attractive though, she acknowledged, but that aside, she wasn’t interested.

It had been a very long time since she’d had a man in her life, and she didn’t need one now.

She certainly didn’t feel the lack and was perfectly content being on her own.

Anyway, she wouldn’t be on her own for much longer: Biscuit would soon be moving in, and she couldn’t wait.

Feeling magnanimous because Elijah was going to be one disappointed chappie when he discovered that Nora would be Biscuit’s new human, she thrust the lead at him. ‘Your turn.’

‘Are you sure?’ He looked startled; as well he might, considering the way he’d behaved yesterday.

He clearly hadn’t been expecting any favours.

Ha! That showed him! She was the bigger person, even though she was still smarting from the way he’d sent Andrea to play on her sympathies.

But it had been the sign of a desperate man, and she took comfort from it.

Nora shrugged and thrust the lead at him again.

This time he took it with a grateful smile, and she felt bad that he wouldn’t get to take Biscuit home; but not too bad.

After all, her need was greater than his.

Okay, so he’d had to give up running, but he’d find something else to occupy his time, whereas Nora’s health depended on her losing weight and keeping it off, and along with her strict diet, exercise would play a key role in ensuring that happened.

She wasn’t getting a dog for fun (although she was sure Biscuit would bring joy and companionship into her life), and neither was she doing it on a whim.

This was survival – emotional as well as physical, because in the short time she’d known Biscuit, she’d fallen head over heels in love with the daft pooch.

He’d filled a dog-shaped hole in her heart that she hadn’t even known was there.

But now that she did, no other dog would do.

Biscuit was her soul dog, and she had an awful suspicion that if she wasn’t allowed to adopt him, it would break her heart in two.

Elijah was nonplussed! Nora was being nice to him. Also, for a second, when he’d been pointing out the squirrel to her, he’d had the weirdest feeling she’d been about to kiss him.

And what was even more worrying was that he’d wanted her to.

The woman was getting under his skin, and it made him uncomfortable.

Fancying Nora wasn’t a good idea, and not just because they were in the middle of battling for the affection of the same dog.

It was the main reason, of course, but there were others.

They were complete opposites, for a start.

He loved the outdoors and, from what he’d gathered, she wasn’t as keen, despite her newfound intentions.

He was a bit of a loner, and she was the life and soul of the party.

He didn’t want another relationship and she— Actually, he didn’t know what she wanted.

Anyway, it made no difference to him, because whatever it was, he didn’t care enough to find out. He simply wasn’t interested.

‘Have you always been a hairdresser?’ he asked, blurting out the question before he realised he was going to ask it. Huh! So much for him not being interested!

Surprise flickered across her face. ‘Yes. Have you always been a baker?’

‘I have, actually. Got interested in baking at school. A Victoria sponge.’

She smiled. ‘I had a toy head for Christmas when I was six.’

‘A what?’ Elijah blinked.

‘It’s a doll’s head with hair you can style.’

‘Just the head? ’

She nodded.

‘Gruesome.’

Her laughter rang out. ‘I suppose it is, but I loved it. I’ve been playing with hair ever since.’

‘Andrea tells me you’ve always lived in Picklewick.’

‘Ah, yes, Andrea .’ Her voice was frosty and the atmosphere took a sudden nosedive.

Elijah had no idea why. ‘Is something wrong?’

‘You could say that. I don’t appreciate you sending your staff around to play the sympathy card on your behalf.’

‘I’m sorry… What?’

‘Please don’t insult my intelligence by pretending you don’t know what I’m talking about.’

‘I don’t.’

Nora snorted in disbelief and came to a halt. Putting her hands on her hips, she pressed her lips together. Biscuit whined, sensing the tension. Elijah glanced at him, concerned, however Nora ignored the dog. She was on a roll about something, but Elijah had no clue what.

‘Andrea,’ Nora said slowly, as though spelling out the syllables to a child.

Perplexed, Elijah asked, ‘What about her?’

‘She was in the salon yesterday.’

‘So?’ Andrea had told him she’d been getting her hair done there for years, so what was unusual about her going to the salon?

Nora was shaking her head, anger flashing in her eyes.

‘As you well know, she tried to get me to change my mind about adopting Biscuit by trying to make me feel sorry for you. I mean, I do – a bit – but that’s beside the point.

You’re not the only person with problems. Maybe you should think about that! ’

Biscuit whined again as she huffed and strode past them up the path.

Elijah was conflicted. Should he go after her and plead his innocence, or should he let her go and give her time to cool off?

Remembering Jakob’s warning and recalling that his own default setting of conflict avoidance hadn’t helped in the past, Elijah decided to go after her.

Biscuit seemed to agree, because he was pulling on the lead and whining pitifully, while shooting Elijah anxious, pleading glances.

His tail and his ears were down, and his worry was evident.

‘You’re not happy, are you, boy? I’ll let you into a secret – neither am I. Come on, let’s go catch her up.’

When he fell into step next to Nora, Biscuit nudged her on the leg, forcing her to slow down and acknowledge him.

She halted briefly to stroke the dog’s ears, then carried on walking.

‘Nora, listen to me,’ Elijah urged. ‘I don’t know what Andrea said to you, but I didn’t put her up to it. In fact, I’m rather annoyed she said anything to you at all. It’s nothing to do with her. I’ll have a word with her in the morning,’ he added crossly.

Nora stopped. ‘Please don’t. I’m sure she was merely looking out for you.’

Elijah wasn’t mollified. ‘I don’t need looking out for. And you’ve changed your tune. I thought you’d be happy that I didn’t have anything to do with it.’

‘I am. But I don’t want to get Andrea into trouble.’ She looked so worried that Elijah’s ire subsided. Andrea shouldn’t have said anything, but he believed she had his best interests at heart. He would still have a word, but it would be a gentle one.

When Biscuit let out a bark, it made both him and Nora jump, and Elijah chuckled at the dog’s transformation: his tail was up once more, and his whole demeanour had lifted. He even looked as though he was smiling.

‘I don’t think he likes it when we squabble,’ Nora observed.

‘No, I don’t think he does either, so it’s best we don’t, isn’t it?’ He held out a hand for her to shake. ‘Friends?’

Nora laughed. ‘I wouldn’t go that far. Frenemies, more like.’

‘Frenemies it is.’ But when her hand slipped into his, the spark that travelled up his arm at her touch, ignited something in his chest.

He liked her, he realised. And not only that, he desired her, too.

Oh, dear, this wasn’t going to end well, was it?