Page 64 of Only Just Begun

“You’re really getting the hang of this tough girl gig.” Ted loved messing with Mandy Robbins. She got this look on her face that told him she was building up to getting angry.

“There are names for men like you.”

“What names?”

“Hello, where are you two going?”

Ted looked over his shoulder and found Mandy’s aunts. Both were dressed in bright colors in the latest fashions, unlike their niece. He wondered why they hadn’t tried to change that. Miss Marla looked a bit pale and was on crutches.

“Should you be up and about so soon?” Ted asked her.

“Yes, Aunt Marla, you should be at home resting.”

“Don’t fuss. Sarah will take me home soon, I just needed to get some air.”

“They don’t have any at your place?”

“Such a smart mouth you have, Ted Hosking,” Miss Marla poked him in the stomach with a crutch. “Now where are you taking my Mandy?”

“Lunch. We’re going to Phil’s but having an argument over who’s paying. Your niece thinks she should as it’s her celebration. I say no, and I don’t let a woman pay.” Too late he realized how that sounded.

“Is it a date?” Miss Marla cried, loud enough so that the hikers on Phil and Roxy could hear.

“No!” both he and Mandy said together.

“I let her use my gym, so she’s buying me lunch as repayment,” Ted improvised.

“Yes.” Mandy sounded relieved, which annoyed him, which in turn pissed him off because he shouldn’t be annoyed that she was relieved.

You’re an idiot.

“I didn’t tell you about the gym as I only started it this morning.”

Now that’s a lie.

“Oh,” Miss Sarah said, looking devastated that they weren’t dating. “Well then, that’s very nice of you, Ted.”

“I can be nice sometimes.”

“Oh no, dear, you can be nice more than just sometimes.” Miss Sarah leaned over and kissed his cheek. “You’re a very nice man, Ted, you just don’t want people aware of that fact.”

“Now please take her home, Aunt Sarah,” Mandy said.

“Oh very well I’ll go,” Miss Marla grumped.

The two women then headed back down the street… slowly.

“Who’s running your tea shop?”

“Sydney and Tracey.”

“So are we done with the lecture? Because I’m hungry.”

“I wasn’t lecturing you,” Mandy said in a prim voice.

“Sure you were. Let’s go.” He took her hand and towed her across the road, up the steps to the cafe, then opened the door and nudged her through.

Phil’s was busy, but he saw a table and headed for it.

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