Page 97 of Rough Around the Hedges

He never did.

He simply watched me, his blue eyes glinting with amusement, and his lips twitching up to one side every now and then. Yet our eyes never met, almost as if he were trying to hide the fact he was watching me. His silent, almost reserved observations as I happily buzzed about from shelf to shelf seemed to tingle across my skin with the weirdest mix of comfort and discomfort I’d ever experienced.

Comfort because this felt normal. Like it was something we did every day. I could almost imagine this happening again and again—in this garden centre, in a clothing store, in the middle of a grocery store. Me, a never-ending ball of energy, and him, a calmer, more grounding presence.

And the discomfort.

Because it wassocomfortable. Because it didn’t feel like something that shouldn’t be happening. Because it was something I was enjoying, something I wanted to happen, something I really could see happening in the future.

It was yet another reminder that this… whateverthiswas… had to end.

Before I woke up tomorrow morning dreaming about sending our kids to university or some shit.

“Okay, done.” I wiped my hands together and grinned at him. “What do you need?”

Oliver looked at the full trolley between us. “Nothing that’ll fit in here until we’ve loaded this in your van.”

“Oh, sonowRamona is good enough for you. I see how it is.” I sniffed.

“Don’t be so grumpy.” He turned the trolley and reached for me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. I squeaked as he pulled me against him, and he pressed his mouth against my hair, quietly laughing.

“What are you doing? Are you trying to ruin my reputation?” I shrugged out of his hold and darted to the end of the trolley, out of his grabbing range.

“Is there anything left of your reputation to ruin, princess?”

“If you call me that again, I swear I will swing for you.”

“You’re not giving me a reason not to.” He grinned, steering the trolley as I guided it towards the registers. “The more annoyed you are by it, the more likely I am to use it.”

“You’re so lucky we’re away from anything that could viably be used as a weapon,” I muttered.

He laughed, unbothered by yet another one of my threats. Perhaps that was the problem—there were too many threats and not enough following-through on them. I prided myself on being a woman of my word, so maybe I really did just need to chop off a toe with my garden hoe or something.

Maybe whip him with a hose pipe.

No, no.

He didn’t mind when I pulled his hair or bit him, so there was every chance he’d like it. That was a risk I wasn’t willing to take.

By the time I batted away those thoughts, Oliver had already paid for everything and was waving his hand in front of my face to get my attention.

“What’s wrong with you today?” He grabbed my hand and tugged me along after him, expertly moving the trolley with his other. “You keep spacing out.”

“I…” My skin tingled when he laced his fingers through mine, pressing our palms together.

Oh.

This wasn’t good.

I snatched my hand away from him and folded my arms, tucking my hands tightly against my body. “Everyone has days like this, all right? What, am I not allowed to space out without your permission now?”

He peered back at me with knowing eyes, a smile curving his lips. “You can space out all you like. It’s the only time I can look at you without you yelling at me.”

“You—” Whatever I was going to say died on my lips at the sound of his deep laugh, and I focused my attention on the ground, following him back to the car by staring at the backs of his feet.

I wanted to say he was joking.

I wanted to say he was fucking with me, trying to piss me off, to get under my skin.

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