Page 19 of Sweet Dreams at the Forever Home on Muddypuddle Lane (The Forever Home on Muddypuddle Lane #2)

To say that Nora was in shock was an understatement, but when she woke the following morning, her thoughts immediately went to Elijah, and she pressed a finger to her lips. Had she really kissed him?

It wasn’t the kiss that floored her – it was how she’d felt when it happened. She’d enjoyed it, but it was more than that. It had felt right in a way that no other kiss ever had. It had been new and exciting, yet familiar and comforting, as though she had slipped into a warm, soft bed.

But there had been nothing soft about Elijah, her wicked mind pointed out. He’d been very happy about the kiss. Very happy indeed.

Reining in her naughty thoughts, she wondered why he’d ended it if he’d been as into it as he’d appeared to be.

Even though it probably wouldn’t have been a good idea and would have complicated matters enormously when it came to Biscuit, she would have loved to have seen where it might have led (yeah, as if she didn’t know!) but he’d pulled away and told her he hadn’t meant for it to happen.

Then he’d got all weird and stilted on her.

When she arrived at the salon, Nora decided to keep the kiss to herself; however, she did tell Kendra about Elijah’s surprise visit with the diabetic-friendly cakes.

‘Ooh, that’s so romantic!’ Kendra cried.

‘Shh, keep your voice down.’ Nora peered around the door of the back room, making sure Lori hadn’t heard.

The salon wouldn’t open for another five minutes, and they were busy making coffee (black for Nora – yuck), while Lori was fluffing and folding the towels and putting them on the shelf near the basins.

Whispering now, Kendra said, ‘See, I told you he fancied you.’

‘He saw a business opportunity and decided to give it a whirl.’ Forget the kiss, forget the kiss…

Kendra gave her a measured look and raised her eyebrows. ‘If that’s all there was to it, he wouldn’t have turned up at nine o’clock in the evening. He’d have waited until today. What were the cakes like? Were they any good?’

‘I’ve brought some in for you to try. I only had a nibble of each, but they tasted mighty fine to me. Mind you, these days an apple tastes pretty good, so I think my tastebuds are knackered. See what you think.’ She took the box out of her bag and put it on the countertop.

Kendra peered inside. ‘They look lovely. What are they?’

‘That one’s a brownie, that’s a chocolate chip cookie, that’s a peanut butter bomb thing.’ Nora thought she’d shown exceptional self-control by only having a small mouthful of each, considering that after Elijah had left she’d felt like stuffing the lot in her face in one go.

Instead, she’d had a large glass of ice-cold water, hoping it would stifle her greed and douse the flames of her lust at the same time. Though, to be fair, he’d done a pretty good job of dousing those himself, when he’d gone all cold and formal on her.

‘Lori, I’ve got some goodies if you want to grab one before Kendra eats them all,’ Nora called, and Lori came hurrying in.

‘Fudge! Yum.’ The girl took a piece. ‘Does this mean you’re off the diet?’

‘Not at all. A… friend…’ She hesitated over what to call him ‘…made them. They’re… um…’ She caught Kendra’s eye, who nodded. ‘Suitable for diabetics.’

Lori stared at her. ‘Is that supposed to mean something?’

‘It means I’m diabetic.’

‘Okay.’ Lori shrugged.

Nora blinked, taken aback. She’d expected… To be honest, she hadn’t known what to expect. To be judged, maybe? To be pitied?

Lori did neither. She merely dipped her hand back in the box and brought out another treat. ‘Mmm, these are so good.’

‘They are, aren’t they?’ Nora replied, and smiled when Kendra gave her arm a reassuring rub. Suddenly, life – diet-wise, at least – was looking up.

Now all she had to do was become Biscuit’s new owner and control her growing feelings for Elijah.

Easy-peasy!

As Nora hurried past the bakery on her way to the kennels, she noticed Andrea wasn’t in her customary position behind the counter, and she wondered whether that might be the reason for Elijah’s cryptic comment about not seeing her at the kennels today. He was having to man the shop again.

‘Her dad’s had a fall,’ Christina said when Nora asked after her. ‘So she won’t be in for a while. I can get a message to her if you want?’

‘Gosh, no. It wasn’t anything important. Tell her I’m thinking of her, if you speak to her.’

She considered asking to have a quick word with Elijah, but the place was busy and Christina looked a little frazzled, so she thought she’d better leave it.

As Nora made her way up Muddypuddle Lane, her emotions were conflicted.

If Elijah had been able to visit the kennels this afternoon, how would it have been between them?

Awkward, perhaps? Would he have wanted to talk about last night, or would he have brushed it under the carpet and tried to pretend it hadn’t happened?

‘What do you think, Biscuit?’ she asked the dog, as she led him across the moor on what was quickly becoming her favourite walk. ‘Do you think Elijah is regretting kissing me?’

Biscuit booped her leg with his nose and gazed up at her with soulful eyes.

‘No, I don’t know, either. I wish I did, because I really like him.’

Biscuit woofed softly.

‘You do too, don’t you, boy. Are you going to miss him when you come to live with me?’

Another woof.

Nora eyed him speculatively. She was becoming more and more convinced the dog could understand her. ‘If you had to choose between us, which one would you pick, I wonder?’

Biscuit stopped to sniff at a clump of grass, then sat down and stared at her.

She wasn’t entirely sure what this meant. Was he trying to tell her that he preferred her? Or Elijah? Or that he couldn’t choose?

Thankfully, he wouldn’t have to – that decision would be down to Dawn, the centre’s manager, who would be back in less than a week. Which was something Nora was incredibly nervous about.

Biscuit got to his feet, but it was Nora’s turn to stop as a thought occurred to her. Andrea. How was Elijah going to manage if she was off work for any length of time? Abruptly Nora despised herself for thinking that Andrea’s misfortune might give her an advantage in the Biscuit adoption stakes.

‘Nora Bunting,’ she said out loud, ‘you’re turning into a horrid person.’ Which kind of spoilt the rest of what should have been a very pleasant walk with her furry friend.

Her mood hadn’t improved by the time she put Biscuit back in his kennel, and as she sank to her knees to give him one last cuddle, she felt quite depressed. Even the prospect of being able to have the occasional yummy cookie or brownie didn’t cheer her up.

But then Jakob told her something that should have cheered her, but in fact had the opposite effect: it made her feel worse.

‘Nora, I’ve got good news,’ he said. ‘Elijah has withdrawn his application for Biscuit.’

‘After what you’ve just told me, how can you say Elijah doesn’t have the hots for you?’ Kendra demanded when Nora popped into the salon later to check that the afternoon had gone smoothly. She’d also wanted to share her news.

‘He doesn’t,’ Nora insisted. ‘He knows I’m the better option, because without Andrea he’s a bit stuck, and Christina thinks she’s going to be off for a while so he’s going to have to spend more time in the shop, which wouldn’t be fair on Biscuit.’

‘So why do you look so miserable?’

‘I feel sorry for him, I suppose.’

‘That’s not all you feel,’ Kendra suggested, and as Nora glowered at her, she pressed on, ‘How long have we known each other? A bloody long time, that’s how long,’ she said, before Nora could respond. ‘And I’ve never seen you this het up over a bloke.’

‘I’m not het up over a bloke.’ She was , but she wasn’t going to admit it. ‘I’m het up over a dog .’

‘Even though you’ve no longer got any reason to be?’

‘What can I say? It takes me a while to adjust.’

‘Pah!’ Kendra scoffed. ‘Your middle name is spontaneity.’

‘Not anymore.’

‘It’s really knocked you for six, hasn’t it, this diabetes?’

Nora shrugged, trying to be nonchalant but not fooling anyone, least of all herself.

And there was another thing she couldn’t fool herself about, and that was her acute disappointment that with Elijah throwing in the towel, she had no reason to see him again.

‘This is nice.’ Elijah’s gaze swept around the restaurant, then returned to his son.

Cameron was studying the menu. ‘Hmm?’

‘I said, this is nice. The two of us, out for dinner.’

‘Yeah, it is. What are you having?’

Elijah hadn’t looked at his menu yet. ‘Not sure.’

‘Steak for me, I think, with loads of chips. Protein for muscle, carbs for energy. I’ll have a side of garlic bread, as well. I’m carb-loading for tomorrow.’

‘What’s happening tomorrow?’

Cameron stared at him disbelievingly. ‘The last training session before the British RunMad Fifty Miler.’

‘That’s this Saturday?’

‘Duh, yeah. Don’t tell me you forgot? You always run it.’

‘Not this year.’ Elijah had entered but wouldn’t be taking part.

It would be the first one he’d miss since the event began, eleven years ago.

Every country held its own RunMad fifty-mile endurance race, usually on the same weekend simultaneously, and he’d seen the event go from strength to strength.

But even if he hadn’t put his running shoes out to pasture, he wouldn’t have been able to take part this year.

With his leg having been in a boot for so long, he wouldn’t have been fit enough.

However, he’d have looked on in envy from the sidelines, and would have given loads of virtual pats on the back.

Elijah suddenly felt very cut off from everything he held dear. Even his own son.

Cameron closed the menu. ‘Sorry, Dad, I keep forgetting.’

That’s what Elijah had been trying to do: forget that he’d once ran ultra marathons, forget that he’d once ran at all. And he’d almost managed it until the new life he’d begun to forge had fallen apart.

As though Cameron could read his mind, he asked, ‘What’s happening on the dog front? Cookie, isn’t it?’

‘Biscuit,’ Elijah reminded him. ‘Nothing. I’ve withdrawn my application.’

‘Why? I thought you’d fallen in love with him. Don’t tell me you’re letting that woman have him?’

‘Her need is greater than mine.’ He’d mentioned to Cameron when he’d first seen Biscuit that someone else was interested in the dog, but he hadn’t said a lot since.

Cameron’s gaze bore into him. ‘That’s very noble of you. But from where I’m sitting, I think you’ve got a need, too.’

‘I’ve been baking.’

‘What are you on about?’ Cameron frowned. ‘You’re a baker , you bake for a living, so of course you’re baking. Or is there something you’re not telling me?’ His concern was obvious.

‘I know I bake every day, but this is different. I’m enjoying it again.’

‘Hold on, I’m confused. One minute we’re talking about the dog, and the next we’re talking about baking. What’s the connection? Have you given up on the dog because you’re enjoying baking? Is that it?’

The two weren’t connected and Elijah hesitated, wondering how to explain when he wasn’t sure he understood it himself. All he knew was that Nora needed Biscuit more than he did. But, hell, he was going to miss the goofball, and he was going to miss Nora, too. More than he thought possible.

He blamed it on the kiss. But he knew it was more than that – he’d fallen for her.

He wasn’t going to share that little nugget with Cameron, though. Not once since the divorce had Elijah mentioned another woman to his son, and he wasn’t about to start now, especially since there wasn’t anything to mention. It wasn’t as though he and Nora were dating, was it?

However, Cameron was more perceptive than Elijah gave him credit for. ‘Is it because of this woman?’ he asked.

‘She’s called Nora.’

‘Why is her need greater than yours?’

‘Her life has been turned upside down, I suppose.’

‘So has yours.’

‘Yes, but…’

‘What’s she like?’

Gorgeous, he wanted to say but didn’t. Something in his face or the way he hesitated must have given him away though, because Cameron asked, ‘Is there anything going on between you?’

‘No.’ Elijah was adamant about that.

‘Would you like there to be?’

Elijah didn’t reply.

‘What’s stopping you, Dad? Is she married or in a relationship?’

‘No.’

‘What, then?’

‘She isn’t interested.’

‘How do you know? Have you asked her?’

‘Of course not!’ The very thought horrified him.

‘I didn’t think so. How do you know she isn’t interested, then?’

‘I just know.’

‘Don’t take this the wrong way, Dad, but you’re not the best judge when it comes to women and their feelings.’

‘Did your mum say that?’

‘She didn’t have to.’

‘I really ballsed it up with her, didn’t I?’

‘Don’t beat yourself up. The two of you weren’t compatible, that’s all. Shit happens.’ Cameron reached out and touched his hand in a rare gesture of affection. ‘I just want you to be happy, Dad.’

‘Since when did you sound so grown up?’

‘I am grown up.’

‘Yeah, you are.’ Elijah gazed at his son as though seeing him for the first time. Where had the years gone? It seemed only yesterday he was holding a squalling pink faced scrap in his arms. ‘I’m so proud of you,’ he said, his voice thick with emotion.

‘I’m proud of you too, Dad.’ Then the atmosphere lightened, and the moment faded as Cameron said, ‘Can we order now? I’m starving.’

But though the conversation moved onto less serious matters, Elijah couldn’t stop thinking about it. It had been many years since he’d been happy. What a waste.