Page 8 of The Damaged Hearts Bargain

“What’s all this then? Trying to talk us out of customers?” said a cheery voice. A tall, pot-bellied man rounded the bar. “Jim, publican,” he said, holding his hand out to Cal.

“Cal, not publican,” Cal said, shaking his hand.

“Not telling guests to leave, are you, Ros?”

Cal almost let things play out, but then she figured she was in enough bad books as it was. “No, she wasn’t,” she said. “Rosalee and I are old… acquaintances.” She’d almost said friends.

“Good to hear, good to hear,” boomed Jim. “Anything I can get for you?”

Cal shook her head. “I’ll just be going up to my room.”

“Well, do say if you need anything.”

She picked up her bag and started up the stairs. She hadn’t gone far when she heard Ros’s voice telling Jim that he had no idea who he’d been talking to and that if he hadn’t heard thegossip then he was in for a shock.

Of course, the pub had been run by an older couple back then, the Lorimers, probably long retired. So Jim was new in town.

“It can’t be that bad,” Jim was saying.

“You haven’t heard the whole story,” said Rosalee.

Cal took a breath then turned to continue up the stairs. She didn’t need to hear the whole story. She’d lived it. Not that she expected Rosalee’s version to be anywhere close to the truth, but still, she knew the bare bones of it and didn’t want to hear it again.

She’d never wanted to think of it again.

Yet here she was, back in town. She supposed she’d better get used to people talking behind her back, or even in front of her face. She was a big girl now. She could take it. But she was more resolved than ever to get out of town just as soon as she could.

There was only so long you could be hated for before it all started to sound true.

Chapter Four

The cafe was bathed in sunshine, and the front door was open, letting the fresh air in.

“A few more days like this wouldn’t go amiss,” Lucy said, stretching her legs out in front of her.

“I like the light,” said Pen. “I could do with a little less heat.”

“Says the person who’s going to South America for her honeymoon,” said Lucy. She narrowed her eyes at Pen. “You do know that South America isn’t an actual country, right?”

“No need to be cheeky,” said Pen, putting a coffee cup down in front of Lucy and keeping one for herself. “I’m well aware that it’s not, but since we’re going to be going to a couple of countries, it’s just easier to say it that way.”

“Alright for some,” Lucy grumped, looping her fingers through the handle of her cup. “Why there, anyway?”

Pen pulled out a chair, sitting down before sipping her coffee. “Top secret.”

“Fine, I’ll ask Ash,” said Lucy. The door that connected the bookshop next door to the cafe was standing open and Lucy took a breath preparing to shout Ash’s name.

“You can ask all you like, she won’t tell you,” Pen said.

Lucy put her shout on pause. “Seriously?”

“Seriously,” Pen said gravely. She grinned. “Anyway, it’ll be perfectly obvious when we get back.”

Lucy was about to protest this, about to push her friend formore information, when all the gears clicked into place in her head.

Pen and Ash had been together for a few years now. They were getting married, ostensibly for tax reasons. They were going to a far flung country for secret reasons that would be readily apparent when they returned.

Lucy’s heart skipped a beat.

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