Chapter four
Pippa kicked off hershoes, sank into the sofa, and put her feet up on the coffee table. Ginger jumped onto her lap and she let out a surprised yelp. ‘Crikey, Ginger. You’re getting heavy. I think both you and I could benefit from a good hike ourselves. Just let me have ten minute’s rest boy and then we’ll get the food supplies for this evening.’ Ginger licked at Pippa’s cheek.
A knock on the sitting-room door made Pippa jump with a start, which set Ginger off, barking. She quickly dropped her feet down and sat up poker straight. ‘Who is it?’
Oliver’s face peered around the door. ‘I’m just letting you know I’ve put the spare bed in the hotel room, and I’m off now.’
Pippa’s hand flew to her forehead. ‘Oh, I’d completely forgotten about that. Thank you, Oliver.’
Oliver nodded with a smile, which quickly turned into a frown. ‘You have a little something—’ He pointed to Pippa’s face.
Pippa dropped her hand and started to rub at the place Oliver was gesturing at. He shook his head. ‘No...there.’
‘Where? What is it?’ She was mortified. She probably looked a right state after her marathon cooking session. It’s not as if she was used to cooking for more than one lately.
Oliver pushed past the crack in the door and strode towards her. Ginger jumped up onto Pippa’s knees, wagging his tail. ‘Ow, you big lump. You’re digging your claws into me. You definitely need to go for a walk.’
Oliver stroked Ginger and then knelt on one knee in front of Pippa. It was exactly the position the faceless man who proposed to her countless times in her dreams got into. He raised his hand and gently rubbed at something on the end of her nose. This time there was nowhere to escape to hide the crimson colour instantly staining her cheeks. Her heart hammered in her chest.
‘Erm, thanks.’
Oliver’s eyes seemed to linger a little too long on her before he peeled them away to look at Ginger as he stroked both his ears simultaneously. ‘Would you like to meet Jess, my girl?’ Pippa felt a pang of envy, thinking Oliver meant his girlfriend before she remembered Jess was Oliver’s pet Labrador. He looked back at Pippa. ‘What do you say, Pippa?’
‘Huh?’
‘You and I? Taking our dogs on a date?’
‘A date?’ Her heart drummed harder.
‘Yes. We could introduce our pets. It would be like a doggy date. We could take them on a walk together.’
‘Ohhh...right. Yes, we could see if they got along with each other. Ginger hasn’t had a very good social life in Ireland, but he has been friendly with the few dogs he’s met.’
Oliver held her eyes with a penetrating stare and a smile that could melt a thousand single ladies’ hearts. ‘And what about Ginger’s owner? Has she had a good social life?’
Pippa forced out a smile. She didn’t want Oliver, a man she dated briefly in high-school and hadn’t seen for years knowing her social life was all but non-existent since her mother’s passing. Apart from the odd lunch date with her new Irish girlfriends, she had locked herself away in her apartment and let work consume her. She hadn’t even met up with her childhood friends still living in the village yet.
‘Ginger’s owner doesn’t do too badly,’ shewhitelied.
Pippa noticed Oliver’s smile falter. He quickly got back up on his feet. ‘Right. I’d better get off. I have a ton of work to catch up with, and I’m expecting a call from America.’
Ginger jumped down from Pippa’s legs and bounded over to the door. Pippa stood up too. ‘Of course. Aunt Morgan mentioned you were only helping out for a short while because you had your own business to attend to. What is it you do?’
‘I’m a web designer. I’m lucky, I can work from any location and work hours to suit myself. I must admit though, I’m loving the change-up of working here. Working in a pub has always been a secret desire of mine. Well, to be precise. I’ve had a desire to work inthispub.’ Pippa smiled. He pointed at her chest. ‘You’re in marketing, aren’t you, Pippa?’ Pippa’s eyebrows rose. She was surprised he knew. Oliver was quick to offer the reason he knew. ‘Your aunt Morgan was telling me about a contract you were working on when I mentioned the pub should update their website and do some marketing to promote it.’
Pippa nibbled on her bottom lip and looked thoughtful. ‘Yes, the pub’s website does need jollying up. Maybe you could offer your suggestions on how we can improve it when we go on that date.’ Oliver’s eyes widened. ‘Thedoggydate,’ she reminded him.
‘Ah, right...of course. Yes. I’ll be happy to make suggestions.’
They stood motionless for a moment in silence, staring at each other. When Oliver made no attempt to leave, Pippa clapped her hands together, breaking the sizzling tension zinging back and forth between them. ‘Right. I must crack on. I have to purchase the supplies to feed the ramblers.’
Oliver shuffled on the spot before nodding and turning to leave. He walked over to the door and glanced back before he walked through it. ‘See you later.’
‘Yes. See you later.’
Pippa sighed when he was gone. Thankfully, he’d taken the crackling tension between them with him.
***
