Page 52 of Rough Around the Hedges

You really did learn something new every day.

“Still, you could have helped me,” I said. “I’m assuming that kid’s mother is one of your fellow allotmenteers.”

“Mm, as of February,” Rose replied, leaning back on one hand. “So, she’s extra pissed. She’s been waiting for two years toget a plot, spent a shit ton of money and time getting the plot to how she wants it, and some hotshot city boy has rolled into town with pound signs in his eyes, ripping away everything she’s worked so hard for without a second thought. Can’t say I blame her for calling you a rotten bastard in front of her five-year-old, to be honest. I’d have called you much worse.”

I clutched my chest, leaning against the side of the van. “Haven’t I suffered enough today?”

“If you think today was suffering, you’re in for a rough ride.”

“I knew your silence over the last week was something to be afraid of.”

“Ah, so youareintelligent. Perhaps you’re more worthy an opponent than I thought.” She looked over at me and grinned. Her eyes sparkled brighter than they had any right to, and something tickled in my chest at how luminous her smile was.

I held her gaze for a moment before shaking my head in disbelief. “You know, if you smile at me like that, I might get the wrong idea.”

“Me? Smile? At you? You’re mistaken, sir.”

“Tell your mouth that.”

She knocked her foot into mine and turned away. “Don’t get cocky. Just because I’m smiling doesn’t mean it’s at you specifically. I smile at people I don’t like all the time. It’s part of my job.”

“Sure, keep telling yourself that.” I kicked her back, although with a lot less power than she’d hit me with. “Should I free up my weekend for you, Miss Rose?”

She shuddered. “Don’t call me that. Only cute little babies with snotty noses and sticky fingers can call me that.”

“Duly noted. Guess I’ll get a cold and dip my fingers in honey, then.”

“You can do that all you like, but it doesn’t fix the ‘cute’ part of my requirements.”

“You’ve got an answer for everything.” I sighed. “This weekend, then?”

“No, don’t free up your weekend. I have plans this weekend, so I don’t have the time to cater to you,” she said. “You have my permission to do as you please with your time.”

“Oh, how very gracious of you. What if I want to hang out with you like we’re doing right now?”

“Then I advise you get your head checked, because your screws aren’t just loose, they’ve popped out entirely,” she said dryly, shooting me a dark look. She held it for a moment before swigging her wine and looking away. “Thank you.”

Did she just…thank… me?

“Say that again. I think I misheard you.”

“Don’t ruin it.” She once again knocked her foot into mine. “I may dislike you and everything you’re doing, but I can still thank someone for their help. You did help today.”

I eyed her. “Was that me carrying everything for you or amusing you by getting verbally abused by a five-year-old?”

Rose laughed into her hand. “Bit of both, actually. There’s nothing quite like a five-year-old with a lisp calling someone a ‘wotten bastard,’ is there?”

“I would have preferred if he’d stuck to my name, or even ‘mister, mister,’ if I’m honest.”

“Hey, on the bright side, Ryan thought you couldn’t possibly be the duke because you were nice to him. Keep this up, and in twenty years, you’ll finally have the adults of Hanbury on your side.”

I chuckled under my breath and looked away, unable to fight the subtle twitch of my lips into a smile. She really did have ananswer for absolutely everything. I’d never met anyone so hard to argue with in my life, yet I didn’t hate it.

There was something oddly charming about the way she hated me.

Shit.

I really did need to go back to London if I was thinking like that.

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