She gasped. ‘What? Who wouldn’t love a St Bernard? Gosh. I bet he’s huge. The friend you’re staying with must be very patient.’
Declan shook his head. ‘Not really. That’s why I’m desperate to find somewhere else to live.’
Oliver stepped closer, almost cutting in between Pippa and Declan. Pippa frowned, but Declan didn’t appear to notice. ‘I saw an ad on the notice board in Katherine’s cafe for a room to let. A room in a dog friendly house.’
Pippa smiled up at Oliver. She thought there might have been a touch of working rivalry between them, but she was wrong—and pleased.
‘Really? Where is this café?’
‘Just across the seafront square.’
‘Thanks, I’ll go and check it out as soon as I’ve finished work. As for dog inspired food, you could still serve part of the normal menu, but run a themed menu alongside it, like hotdogs and burgers named after breeds of dogs? I could make our own burgers and the meals could be served up to both owners and pets in dog bowls.’
Pippa clapped her hands together excitedly. ‘I love that idea Declan, and I can get the ingredients from the farm shop.’
Oliver looked from Pippa to Declan, his features remaining stoic, his mouth set in a thin line. ‘Sounds as though you’ve got this covered between you. I’ll see you later, Pippa.’
Pippa’s mouth dropped open as she watched Oliver storm out of the kitchen. She didn’t want him to think she didn’t need him, because she did. Her mind scrambled for something that would keep him in the thick of things. She shouted after him. ‘Oliver, I need your help. Could you ask the Reverend to judge the competition? I forgot to ask him when I dropped off the poster!’
His face poked back through the door with a limp grin. ‘Sure. I’ll go now.’
Pippa spread a full smile across her lips. ‘Thank you. See you later.’ He nodded and disappeared. The tightness that had spread across Pippa’s chest when he’d stormed out eased slightly.
‘He seems like a really nice guy...slightly intense, but nice,’ said Declan.
Pippa laughed lightly at Declan’s comment. Oliver was far from intense—normally, but he had been acting a little odd around Declan. Maybe she was right about the rivalry. ‘I think he has a lot on his mind at the moment.’
Pippa thought about her reply. She was defending Oliver’s behaviour to Declan. Why?
He was the one who got away. Her inner voice answered her question.
‘We’re just friends.’
‘Sorry?’ asked Declan.
Pippa shook her head with a smile, realising she’d answered herself aloud again. ‘Oh, I was just saying, Oliver and I are friends who go way back.’
Declan nodded his head slowly. ‘Ahhh, that explains the big brother, protective attitude then.’
‘What?’
Oliver continued to explain with an impish grin. ‘I noticed it straight away. The way he didn’t take his eyes off you when you were interviewing me. You had your back to the bar so you didn’t see it. Then the way he acted around you this morning. And then, just now.’
‘Just now?’
Declan looked up as if remembering something. ‘Actually, he was acting more like a jealous lover than a big brother just then.’
Pippa crumpled her face into an incredulous scowl as she shook her head, but her face didn’t reflect the thrumming of her excited heart at hearing Declan literally declare that he thought Oliver was jealous of her spending time with him. ‘No. We are totally in the friendship lane.’
Declan winked. ‘I hope you don’t think I’m talking out of place as this is literally my first day on the job, but I think you need to be aware Oliver might be straying out of lane.’
Pippa’s mouth dropped open and her heart beat quicker. ‘What gives you that impression?’
‘I’m a man. I can tell when another man finds a woman desirable.’
Pippa’s cheeks exploded with colour. ‘I-I need to go buy those dog bowls. Morgan will be down soon to let you out before she locks the side door. Thanks Declan. See you later.’
She stumbled from the kitchen, trying to avoid Declan’s gaze to hide the weight of her embarrassment. She was embarrassed because Declan had got it wrong. It was more the other way round. She’d been the one continuously glancing back at Oliver during the interview. She’d been the one acting weird this morning and just then when Oliver had come into the kitchen. Oliver was just reacting toherweird behaviour when she was around him.
