Page 63 of The Pop-Up Cake Shop

I spun round and Caleb was standing there.

Ivan shrugged. ‘What could I do? I’m too much of a gentleman to refuse a lady outright. So I had to let her down gently.’

Grinning, I made an indignant‘as if’noise.

‘Right.’ Caleb ignored me and looked at Ivan. ‘Well, just remember we’re tackling the roads at the back of the estate this afternoon?’

Caleb’s mouth said he was smiling but there was a coldness in his eyes that told me he wasn’t best pleased with Ivan.

‘I know, boss. I’m heading back there now. And I can work late if need be.’ He winked at me, did a mock salute at his boss and walked away, whistling.

I was expecting Caleb to at least say hello. But he went straight over to peruse this week’s cake offerings. ‘I’ll take a brownie, please,’ he said, digging into his jeans pocket for change.

He was still avoiding my eye, so I smiled and said, ‘Thanks again for giving Maisie and me a lift. You’ve got a big fan there, what with the hedgehog house and everything.’

He nodded. ‘Maisie’s a great kid. Thanks.’ He handed over the cash.

Raising his eyes to mine at last, he asked how Ellie was doing, so I explained.

‘Well, tell her I was asking after her, will you?’

‘I will,’ I replied, matching his solemn expression.

He lifted his hand, said goodbye and walked off.

An uncomfortable sick feeling washed around inside me as I watched him go.

Had I done something to annoy him?

As far as I could make out, the only thing I’d done was indulge in some silly banter with Ivan that didn’t mean anything. That wasn’t exactly against the law, was it?

Men!

Richard used to have these weird moods where I’d totally think I’d done something to upset him because every time I asked him if there was something wrong, he’d say he was fine. And then it would turn out later that his football team had lost – or he’d had a bad round at golf or something!

Feeling decidedly grumpy and finding myself for once in sympathy with Mo’s take on the opposite sex, I got back behind the wheel. If I left now, I’d have plenty of time to eat my sandwich in the lay-by on the way to Primrose Wood.

But driving off the green, I felt the van shudder again and my heart lurched in dismay.

Nooooo!

Hopefully the engine just needed warming up a bit.

Gritting my teeth in concentration, I drove very slowly onto the road that circled the green and which would take me back to join the main road to Primrose Wood.

But seconds later, the van gave the biggest shudder of all, as if it was in its final death throes, then it conked out.

I knew even before I tried to start it again that it would be useless. The van had something seriously wrong with it. And of course, it was Sod’s Law that it should break down right next to the entrance to the building site!

A car peeped its horn and I turned in a panic. Someone was right behind me, but with cars parked along the pavement side, the van was now completely blocking the street.

I dug my hands into my hair in despair, wondering what to do. I obviously couldn’t just leave the van there, and I definitely wasn’t about to disturb Ellie who was resting at home.

Aaargh!

What to do?

I shrugged at the driver behind in the rear-view mirror to tell him there was nothing I could do, and I saw him start reversing and begin what looked like being a fifteen-point-turn in the narrow space that was available to him.

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