‘He’s already purchased them.’
My mouth fell open. There were over fifteen books in that stack. And more than a few of them were rare. That washundredsof pounds. Money I had been more than willing to spend because books were my passion, something I loved.Never in a million years did I ever expect George to buy the whole damn lot.
That’s why he made me look in the back.
Different emotions warred inside my gut. One that screamed the loudest held echoes of my mother’s voice.No good deed comes for free.The other one was so unfamiliar I wasn’t sure I knew the word for it. But it made just as much noise.
‘I’d just accept it, lass. That’s a determined man you’ve got there. Doesn’t seem to be much that’ll stop him from making you happy.’
I forced a polite smile to my lips, to cover the panic this stranger's words had caused. ‘Yeah,’ I said thickly. ‘Thank you.’
‘Have a good day.’ He smiled, offering me a nod, then leaned back in his chair, picking up his book again.
George was standing a few feet from the door, holding two brown paper bags in one hand. The other was holding his phone. Whatever he was reading on it had the lines on his forehead creasing. Hearing me stalk towards him, he lifted his head, shoving his phone into his back pocket.
‘That’s a bit more than the bare fucking minimum, George.’ I eyed the bags in his hand.
He had the absolute gall to smirk like he just pulled off a master plan. He held out his hand, palm upturned, waiting for me to take it.
‘Not to me, it’s not.’
25
‘I can do that,'I said softly, coming up behind Rosie and resting a palm on the small of her back. She was elbow deep in hot soapy water. Loose strands of hair coming out of her ponytail, jumper rolled up her forearms.
‘You cooked dinner.’ She tilted her head, catching me staring, a small smile played on her lips. She covered it quickly, ducking back to the sink and scrubbing one of the pots, placing it on the drying rack.
‘So?’ I said, nudging her hip with mine to get her to move.
‘Stop!’ She laughed, using all her body weight to stay at the sink. ‘I was here first.’
‘So it’s my turn now then.’ I stopped pushing, letting her body weight falter. Using that to my advantage, I grabbed her hips and lifted her clean off the ground in a circle until she was on the opposite side of the kitchen. She squealed, hitting me in the back with her dripping wet hands.
‘I’m perfectly capable of washing some bloody dishes,’ she grumbled, a hint of laughter still in her voice.
Going back to the sink, I threw a tea towel at her. ‘Didn’t say you weren’t.’ She caught it and driedher hands, that fucking smile that gut me dancing on her lips. It took every ounce of my restraint to not march over there and claim that mouth. I swallowed down my arousal. Fallon and Oliver had gone upstairs after dinner to wash the drive and the afternoon off of them. Despite Fallon’s ire towards my brother earlier, the two of them seemed to have worked it out. I was happy for them. The last thing in the world I wanted was to be the reason something went wrong in their relationship.
It was well after nine o’clock at night. We’d all eaten the spaghetti bolognese I made, the awkward energy having dissipated considerably since that afternoon.
I’d been all set to haul Oliver in front of Rosie and force an abject apology out of him when we returned from town. However, Fallon beat me to the punch. When we arrived back at the cabin, Oliver came out and asked to speak to Rosie. The two of them talked outside whilst I tried my best not to leer out the window at them. I wasn’t exactly sure what he’d said, Rosie refused to say and so did he. As the dinner went on, everyone relaxed and the conversation had slipped back into the banter we all were used to. I’d not hung out like this with my brother in a long time. Despite my worry about the shop, constantly whirring around my head, I forced myself to not let it cloud this weekend.
As I had been dishing up dinner, Rosie sidled up to me and said quietly that Fallon hadn’t told Oliver about the bet. She’d been meaning to, but with the end of the season and playing the last game, and then his birthday, it never seemed the right time. Given how he went off finding us together, Rosie suggested it wasn’t the best idea to tell him now.
I kept my lips sealed. Nodding stiffly.
If that’s how my brother reacted when he thought it was real, he’d lose the last of his shit finding out it was all for a bet.
Real.It was fucking real. To me and I knew Rosie couldfeel the shift between us. Whether or not she wanted to admit it. It was there. How do you go about convincing a girl who doesn’t want to believe in love, to give it a chance?
Finishing up the last of the dishes, I picked up the tea towel she’d dropped, wiping my hands on it. Rosie was sipping on her wine, staring out of the darkened window. A contemplative look casting a shadow over her face.
‘You okay?’ I asked, throwing the towel down and folding my arms over my chest.
She looked back like I’d startled her out of her thoughts. ‘Hmm.’ She nodded, taking another sip.
‘Hey, what's going on?’ I rested my hip against the counter, touching her chin with the tip of my finger, tilting it up. She smiled softly. That simple gesture, making her smile instead of pull away, caused my heart to swell. As quick as it came, it disappeared. A familiar shadow crossed over her face, lips turning down, making her retreat in on herself.
She swallowed thickly, taking a minute before answering. When she did, my throat constricted at the pain in her voice. ‘I’ve never cheated on anyone, you know.’
