Page 58 of Playing for Keeps

“I suppose I owe you that, at least.” She licked her lips when he moved his face closer still and had just felt his breath sweep over her lips when a loud crash startled them both.

Allie sat bolt upright, listening intently.

“What was that?” Hugh asked.

“Someone’s in the shed,” she whispered, her heart pounding.

“The shed?”

“For the golf course. Where they keep the maintenance equipment. Lawnmowers and that stuff.”

“Ah.” Hugh sat up beside her. “Should there be someone in there?”

“Not at this time.” Her eyes flickered to the window, the first hint of dawn reminding her it might be morning and not the middle of the night. “What time is it?”

“Just before six.”

“It’ll probably be Ron then. It’s a bit early, though.” Creeping across the room, Allie opened the door a crack.

“What are you doing?” Hugh asked quietly.

“Checking if it’s the greenkeeper or burglars.” She stuck her head outside, trying to listen without triggering the security light. She was about to retreat again when there was another clatter and a female voice which sounded decidedly angry despite the hushed tones.

“That’s Daisy,” Allie remarked, closing the door again.

“The girl from the front desk?”

“Yes. What on earth is she doing in the shed at six o’clock in the morning?” She sank back onto the bed.

“Stealing stuff?” Hugh suggested lightly.

“No. I’ll bet she’s helping her grandad. It’s blooming early though, and the other voice didn’t sound like Ron.”

“As long as the place isn’t being robbed, does it matter?”

“No.” She tilted her head. “There’s something weird going on here though.”

“How do you mean?”

“There aren’t enough staff to maintain the golf course,” she mused, more to herself than anything. At Fox Hill they had half a dozen people helping their head greenkeeper. Admittedly, the grounds there were much more extensive, but even so, one greenkeeper was nothing. She’d assumed there were more staff that she just hadn’t seen, but she hadn’t even heard mention of anyone else. “Who’s doing all the work?”

Hugh gave her a small smile and a bemused shrug.

“Sorry. I’m waffling. I just don’t quite understand the running of this place.”

“Do you need to?”

“No … I just … Never mind.”

Looking at Hugh sitting up in her bed reminded her that their intimate atmosphere had been broken yet again. But now, when she considered kissing him, all she could think about was the fact that she hadn’t brushed her teeth.

“Do you want to follow them?” Hugh asked.

“Follow them?”

“Daisy … find out who she’s with and what they’re up to?”

“Um … like spy on them?”

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