Page 47 of Joker in the Pack

“You’ll never catch yourself a suitable gentleman unless your manners are impeccable, Olivia.” She’d repeated those words over and over.

And while my head tried to tell me I wasn’t interested in Tate, that it was too soon after Edward and I needed to settle into my new life before adding any more complications, my subconscious, the part of me that had been trained from birth to hunt for the perfect man, perked up her ugly head.

No!If I ever dated again, it would be for love alone, not because of a potential suitor’s social standing.

But with Tate, maybe I could have both.

“Be quiet!”

Tate looked up from his stone-baked pizza. “I didn’t say anything.”

“Sorry. I’m sorry. I was just talking to myself.”

He raised an eyebrow, and I gave a helpless shrug. Great. Now he thought I was crazy.

Mind you, he probably wasn’t far wrong.

CHAPTER 15

A KNOCK AT my newly patched-up front door woke me early the next morning. At least, it felt early because I’d barely got any sleep, but when I checked the clock, it had gone eight.

“Warren? What are you doing here?” I pulled my dressing gown tightly around me as the chilly morning air drifted inside.

“I heard you’d had a break-in, and I wanted to check you were okay.”

He did? But I hadn’t told anyone except Yvonne, Tate, and the police. “Where did you find that out?”

“One of my passengers mentioned it. She said the burglar smashed everything up.”

“Which passenger?”

“Edna Curry.”

“But I don’t even know her.”

“Doesn’t matter in a place like this. Gossip spreads faster than a winter cold. If one of the ladies in the village knows, they all know.”

Marvellous. With the number of committees Yvonne was on, she must have told someone about my bad luck. Mental note: watch my words around the neighbours. Otherwise, I’d have no secrets.

“Well, the person who broke in made a huge mess, but I’m getting it cleared up.”

“I wish I could stay and lend a hand, but Tuesdays are always busy with pre-booked rides. Do you want me to pick anything up for you in town?”

“I’m still working out what’s usable and what isn’t. Maybe tomorrow?”

“No problem. You’ve got my number—just call me if you think of anything.”

Not ten minutes after Warren pulled out of the driveway, Tate turned up with a horsebox.

“Do you have the wrong place? I haven’t sat on a pony in years.”

Not since Mother made me take riding lessons as a child because all young ladies should know their fetlock from their forelock.

Tate gave me that handsome smile of his. “I thought we could use it to take the unsalvageable items to the rubbish dump. Better than making a dozen trips in my car.”

“Don’t you have to work today?”

“Sometimes, there are more important things in life than work.”

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