Page 68 of Welcome to Pennycress Inn

Keeping her head down, Laura tucked her empty canvas bag into her coat pocket and hurried past Jackson’s house. He’d called round twice again since Vivienne and Nicola had left and the last thing she wanted was to run into him on her way into the centre of the village. She’d been tempted to drive to the nearest supermarket, but after spending the night tossing and turning and replaying the conversation Jackson and Richie had had, she didn’t trust herself to drive that far.

But she needed more coffee and so here she was, almost running past Jackson’s house and hoping he wouldn’t spot her. The quicker she could get into the centre and back out again, the better. Coffee with Vivienne and Nicola had been just what she’d needed to distract her, but now they’d gone, the afternoon stretched ahead of her and all she really wanted to do was to hole up and go to sleep just to escape Jackson’s words that kept repeating in her mind.

Her mobile rang, and she pulled it quickly from her pocket. The last thing she needed was to draw any attention to herself. She checked it wasn’t Jackson before answering. ‘Hi, Richie.’

‘Hey, sis. How’s things going?’

‘Much like they were when I saw you yesterday.’ Apart from the fact she no longer had a boyfriend.

‘Good, good.’ There was a pause.

‘What’s up?’ Laura frowned. Richie was normally one to get straight to the point when he rang. He wasn’t one to skirt around an issue.

‘Now don’t be mad with me, but I’ve invited my mate Dave over for dinner next weekend…’

Laura narrowed her eyes. ‘At least you have the good grace to sound sheepish.’ She paused and looked around. ‘Which reminds me, I haven’t seen any sheep recently.’

‘Sheep? You say that as though you see them often.’ Richie cleared his throat. ‘Anyway, back to the topic. Are you free to come for dinner?’

‘With you, Jane and this Dave bloke?’

‘Yes.’

‘No.’

‘No?’

‘That’s right, no. I told you not to set me up with anyone and I meant it. I’m not going to come.’ Laura pinched the bridge of her nose with her free hand.

‘Aw, please? I’ve asked him now. I’ll look a right idiot if you don’t turn up.’

‘Well, you should have thought about that before you invited him. Perhaps when we were at Mum and Dad’s,yesterday, and I categorically told you and Jenny that I didn’t want to be set up with anyone. Remember that?’ She cringed as she heard herself. She was being unnecessarily harsh, but it was Richie’s fault she and Jackson were over, and she still didn’t quite understand why it was okay for Richie to set her up on a date with his mate from squash and yet Jackson was a complete no-go according to him. And to Jackson, it would now seem.

‘Will you think about it at least? Pretty please?’

‘The answer won’t change.’ She took a deep breath in as she crossed the road. She had to remind herself that he hadn’t known about her and Jackson. It wasn’t Richie’s fault they were now over. Oh no, that had been all Jackson. It had been Jackson who had ended up agreeing with Richie about his stupid no-Jackson rule. ‘Look, I know I sound like a brat and I know you’re only trying to do me a favour, but I don’t want to come to dinner as a set-up with your mate, I really don’t, and I wish you’d respect my decision.’

‘Point taken. I’m sorry. Consider Dave dumped.’

‘Dumped? He wasn’t even dated.’ Laura shook her head. Richie was trying to make light of the situation, trying to make her laugh, and any other day it would have likely worked, but not today. ‘Look, I’ve got to go.’

‘Okay. I promise I won’t try to set you up again. Bye.’

‘Bye.’ Pulling her phone away from her ear, Laura pressed the End Call button just as she walked smack bang into someone and she watched her phone skid across the path. Seriously? What else was going to go wrong?

‘Laura Price.’

Jerking her head up, Laura sighed. That. That’s what else was going to go wrong. She’d run straight into Evie Taunton, of all people. ‘Evie.’

The estate agent looked down at the bunch of flowers she was carrying and plucked off a petal. ‘You squashed my chrysanthemums.’

‘And you’ve likely broken my mobile.’ Laura scooped her phone from the path, surprised and relieved to see the screen intact.

‘I think you’ll find it was you who barged into me.’

Narrowing her eyes, Laura glared back at Evie, anger suddenly rising from the pit of her stomach. Did this woman have no compassion whatsoever? Had she ever heard of moralsor kindness or any other thing which could make a person likeable or even passable? ‘What is your problem with me?’

Evie blinked, seemingly processing the question Laura had posed. ‘Excuse me?’

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