When Olive vanished behind the shrubbery masking Tom’s front garden from the one on the other side, he turned to Carole.
“I was just fetching some paperwork I left in the car,” he said, nodding to where his car was parked on the street.
“And I was just coming round to drop this off for you,” Carole said, and gestured with the bowl of dessert she was holding. “I made this for us to have after our lasagne. It would be a shame for yours to go to waste, and I thought you might as well eat it while you’re dealing with your work problem.”
Tom’s eyes widened in appreciation. “Thanks, Carole. That looks great.”
“It’s nothing fancy, just Eton Mess. The sugar rush should keep you going while you work.”
She thrust the bowl across the picket fence towards him. He gave the contents of the bowl another appreciative nod and then smiled at her. “Thanks again. I’ll enjoy this. I’ll just stick it on the hall table while I fetch the paperwork I need from my car.”
“Enjoy the pudding, Tom. See you later.”
As Tom ducked back inside his house, Carole darted back inside hers, cringing as she closed the door. The point of popping round to give Tom the bowl of dessert was so she couldsmooth over the weirdness that had cloaked their final moments together after dinner.
And yet the dessert exchange had been just as weird. Weird, strained and awkward.
Why? Carole knew the reason—it was becauseshewas being weird and strained and awkward, that’s why.
One minute they’d just been two neighbours enjoying one another’s company, and the next everything was different, and it was all because of her stupid crush.
Back in the kitchen, Carole tacked the leaflet Olive had given her to the smart new corkboard she’d hung on the wall, so she wouldn’t forget about the event the history museum people were putting on. She’d pop by if she had time because it would be a nice way to meet more folk and make more friends in the town.
If tonight was anything to go by, she needed to expand her social circle and spend time with people who weren’t Tom from next door.
Perhaps a little distance from the man would help clear her mind? No more dropping by his house with delicious treats, no more inviting him over for dinner. What had she been thinking with the candlelight and the sweet daisies in a vase anyway, making the kitchen look all romantic and cosy?
Yet another mistake she had to own, and yet another mixed signal she’d had no business sending.
Yes, a little distance was exactly what was needed. Tom’s ex-partner’s wedding wasn’t until next weekend, and she had many busy days at work ahead of her in the meantime.
Plus, this coming weekend was jammed, too. She was running a Saturday morning clinic and then having a working lunch with colleagues to discuss new therapeutic strategies before catching up on admin. On Sunday, her mother was cooking lunch for everyone and she was looking forward to a dayspent with her family, fussing over her injured father, chatting with her mother and sister, and having fun with her nieces.
Between her weekend commitments and her weekday work schedule, not to mention the endless things she still wanted to sort out around her new house in what free time remained in the evenings, there’d be no time for socialising with Tom.
Plus, hadn’t he said something about travelling to Cambridge next week for another sales pitch? Yes, he had, which meant he’d be gone anyway.
Carole huffed out a breath of relief. If Tom wasn’t coming and going next-door, that would make it easier to… not think about him at all.
And that could only be a good thing.
