Page 79 of Rough Around the Hedges

“Maybe it’s my taste in friends after all. My taste in men is just fine.” Isa huffed, but her frown quickly turned into a mischievous grin. “Speaking of fine men…”

I turned in the direction she was looking and groaned at the sight of Oliver walking towards my plot with a very disgruntled looking Paula in front of him. “Please don’t compliment the man ruining my life.”

“Oh, so I can’t compliment him, but you can fu—”

“La la la la la!” I said loudly, startling Waffles into jumping off my lap. “Sorry, can’t hear you!”

She snorted, slowly shaking her head, then looked up with a bright smile. “Good day, Your Grace. Are you here to help?”

“Yes, I—” Oliver’s eyes flicked between us. “Why is there a chick sleeping on your head?”

I turned my gaze upwards as if I could see Bap resting there. “His name is Bap.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“I don’t care.” I sniffed. “If you’re here for me, you’re going to have to wait until Bap is done with his nap.”

Oliver blinked at me. “Do you think I have that much free time?”

“You have enough free time to move and terrorise the peaceful vegetable-growing villagers of Hanbury, so you have more free time than me.”

“Rose, you’re sitting on the ground with a chick asleep on your head. How is this not your free time?”

“I don’t have free time. Every minute of my time is meticulously planned out,” I retorted. “And that includes time for making a list of those who have wronged me, plotting my revenge, researching the feasibility of my revenge plans, and carrying out said revenge.”

“That sounds an awful lot like a threat.”

“Oh, good. You did hear me correctly.”

He sighed and ran his hand down his face. “Well, my time right now is not free time. It’s the time I allotted for you since I owe you, so I’m here to get my hands dirty.”

“No, you’re here to see how important the allotments are to this community.” I looked at his feet. “And you aren’t doinganygardening in those sandals. What would Monty Don say?”

“Who’s Monty Don?”

I blinked and then looked at Paula. “Escort this heathen out of here, Lady Secretary.”

She held up her hands and walked off. “He’s your problem now, Madam Chairwoman.”

“I’m docking your salary!”

“You don’t pay me a salary, Rose!”

“No more gin in the meetings for you!”

Paula stopped, turned, and walked back to Oliver before motioning towards the exit. “This way, please.”

I grinned.

Oliver held up his hand, and his eyebrows quirked in question. “Are you truly trying to escort me off of my own property?”

Ah.

Yes.

That did put a slight spanner in the works.

“Never mind,” I said to Paula. “This one is liable to call the police, and I don’t have time for a time-out today.”

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