So she’d learned that she had to write the thought down while it was there. Instantly. She padded into the cosy living room and picked up her laptop. It had been that look of total disbelief on Oli’s face when he’d thought she had another man hiding in the kitchen, when he couldn’t believe that she couldn’t just not want him. She needed to capture that look, the mistrust, the way it had made her feel before she lost it.
‘Writing a best-seller?’
‘Hang on.’ Flo finished the sentence she was writing and hit ‘save’ with a flourish, before looking up.
Hugo was towering in the low doorway, looking very country-manor in his breeches and long boots. He also looked quite pleased with himself, in the way Mabel did when she thought she’d been naughty and had escaped detection. No regrets there then. ‘Who was that I saw skidding out of the driveway? Somebody asking for directions? He nearly knocked the gatepost out.’
Hugo had obviously decided that a night of crumpled bed sheets meant he needn’t knock on the door.
‘The door was open. I did shout, but you were too engrossed to hear.’
Ahh, he mind-read as well. She put the laptop down on the table. ‘It was Oli.’ She wasn’t going to let the anger come back. She could be calm.
Hugo it appeared couldn’t be. The grin dropped from his face and he swished his whip irritably. ‘Who?
‘Oli, my ex.’ Forever ex. Never to be reconsidered.
He tapped his boot with the whip, hard, and stared at her. More of a smack than a swish and she flinched. ‘So you’ve asked him to come here and stay as well.’ He was not happy.
‘Well no, he…’
‘Does Daisy know?’ Aloof and cold. The atmosphere had dropped several degrees. ‘It is her place.’
‘Not as far as I know.’ She stood up. ‘Look, I didn’t invite him, he just turned up.’
‘But you told him you were here?’
This was getting a bit ridiculous. ‘He asked my mother, who told him we used to live in this village.’
‘Keep it in the family. Oh well, at least I know my place in all this.’ He spun round, nudged Mabel out of his way, and headed for the front door.
‘Hugo.’
He half-turned. ‘I came to tell you I’d booked a table in Kitterly Heath for lunch, you can take your boyfriend.’
‘He’s not my boyfriend.’
‘Well it looks like you’ve got a good evening planned when he gets back.’ That drawl had an edge to it she’d never heard before.
For a moment she was confused, then glanced down in the direction of his gaze to see Oli had left his gifts. Bubbly. Chocolates. Bugger.
‘This isn’t how it looks, Hugo. He’s go—’ She was about to say gone, but Hugo already had. Storming out and slamming the door behind him.
Of all the insufferable, pompous… she pushed her feet into her wellingtons and grabbed a duffel coat from the hook behind the door, muttering to herself. ‘Why should I care, why should I even explain?’ Pulling the door shut to keep the heat in she started off after Hugo, who was already rounding the corner of the building, no doubt to go and give his horses hell.
She ground to a halt. Why was she chasing him? Maybe she only liked bastards. Except Hugo wasn’t like that. She started walking again. She’d seen the sweet, caring way he looked after his horse when it had colic, he’d cooked her a meal. He read poetry.
Oh crumbs. She stopped again. She didn’t want to fall for Hugo, she didn’t want to think he was that nice because she’d be going home soon, and she did love Barcelona.
He’d encouraged her to write, to do what she wanted, he was good for her. She set off again, half-running this time, her feet slipping on the cobbled path.
The sex had been amazing, nothing like with Oli, who always hung his clothes up first. It had been impulsive, unscripted. Passionate.
But that’s because he was Tippermere’s answer to Don Juan. She slid to a halt, nearly falling over.
He loved them and left them, so why was she trying to explain?
Because she was doing it for her, not him. And for him.
He wasn’t on a horse, he was leaning over a fence and when he turned to look at her his features were stony. Pure granite. Quite attractive, chiselled granite. Bugger.
He’d made her heart feel like it was about to melt when he’d been looking after his sick horse, and now, when he was acting all angry and superior it was hitting her straight in the pit of her stomach.
He looked so bloody masterful and sexy, and annoying. She wanted to shake him and tell him to listen for once, and she wanted to grab him and kiss him like he’d kissed her after the party.
Now what did she say? ‘He’s gone.’
‘It’s none of my business.’ He wasn’t even meeting her gaze now.
‘Well no, it isn’t, but I wanted to tell—’
‘You do what you want, Flo.’
‘I will, Hugo.’ She spat his name out; he really was being insufferable. ‘It’s no wonder you fell out with your bloody father. Do you never listen to a word anybody says?’
Suddenly he was meeting her head on, glaring, his eyes steely grey. ‘Well actually, I found a one-way conversation where I was expected to do all the listening never helped one bit.’ His tone was clipped, controlled.
‘Oh, Hugo.’ She didn’t know whether to hug him or shout at him. ‘I’m not your father.’
He turned away, looked out over the field again, blocking her out.
‘Hugo, I’m trying to make this two-way. I want to explain.’ She lifted a hand to put on his arm, then didn’t know if it would make things better or worse, if he’d just shrug her off. She let it fall, brushing against his arm.
‘And it’s all my fault, falling out with my father, falling out with you, yes that works fine for me.’ He laughed, a short, bitter sound that clawed straight at her heart. He kicked the toe of his boot into the hard earth then slowly turned his head to study her. ‘I was kicked out, Flo, I wasn’t the one that took the easy way. It’s you that’s just taking the soft option, going back to him instead of following your own dreams.’ His jaw was clenched. ‘I fought for what I believed in, and I really thought you of all people…’
‘I’m, I’m,’ Flo could have hit him, and now the words wouldn’t even come out. ‘I’m taking the easy option? Look buster, I’m the one who is actually facing up to things. You’re the one who’s just hiding here next door to Daisy because you can’t face your own bloody issues.’
‘Flo you don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.’
‘Maybe not, but I know you miss your mum, and you call this place a dump.’
‘Leave my mother out of this.’ There was a tight control to his voice, but underneath she could hear a tremor. ‘I’ve never hidden from anything. You sound just like him, not giving a shit about how I feel or what I want, just trampling all over my feelings and doing things your way.’ The coldness had gone and the anger was bubbling out of Hugo now, and she’d never wanted him more.
‘I do care what you want.’ The words came out low; she didn’t want to shout at him, she just wanted to make things right. He was frowning, hurt and disappointment in his face, and she wished she hadn’t lashed out. Except maybe that haunted look was because her words were true. ‘I want you to be happy. You’re right, I don’t know anything about you and your dad, but I know it’s not right, Hugo.’ It really wasn’t right. The real Hugo was loving and warm. The real Hugo trusted and was generous. She couldn’t make everything right, only he could do that, but she could make this bit right. She could make him listen. ‘Hugo.’ She took a step closer, and this time put a hand on his arm. ‘I know what it might have looked like, but I never asked Oli here, honestly.’ His gaze had softened, he was letting her explain. ‘I didn’t even tell him where I was.’ She took a steadying breath. ‘He came to try and persuade me to go back, but I can’t. I don’t want to. This isn’t just about my dreams now.’ This was the bit where she should tell him she c
ould never go back to somebody like Oli, not now she’d found out what it was like being with him. But first she needed to kiss him.
‘Christ, Flo.’ The exclamation nearly blasted her eardrums and she jumped back startled.
‘Okay. I didn’t mean that, well yes, I did actually.’ Oh God, how did he manage to get her all confused like this?
‘Look!’ He had a hand on her shoulder, was spinning her round. ‘The fucking house is on fire.’
She looked. Last time he might have been a bit melodramatic, over-reacted over a bit of smoke. But this time there were flames. In her, Daisy’s, kitchen.
‘Shit, oh Christ, Mabel, I’ve left Mabel locked in there. Oh God, I’ve got to go and get her.’
‘Here.’ He tossed her his phone. ‘Ring the fire brigade, I’ll run round the front and get her out.’
Chapter 21- Daisy. Heading home
Nobody was answering their phones. Anna had changed her message to a cheery rendition of ‘All I want for Christmas, is You’, which wasn’t at all helpful. Flo’s phone just rang out (very worrying), and Hugo had his normal abrupt message concerning his working hours and the cost of a riding lesson.
Daisy stared out of the window and suddenly felt freezing cold. She wrapped her arms round herself. Something was seriously wrong. She had to get home – if she still had a home.
She dragged her small suitcase from the top of the wardrobe and started to shove stuff in as fast as she could. Wondering what the hell she was going to do with all the new clothes she’d bought. Well if they wouldn’t go in, they were staying here. Forcing the lid down she tugged at the zip, cursing as she snagged her nail.
Wasting time now trying to book a plane ticket would be stupid; she just needed to get to the airport and then take the first seat she could.
With a last glance round, and a check that the oven was off and the windows shut, she slammed the door behind her and headed down the steps.
The aerobus was quiet, which hopefully meant the airport would be too. She sat down in a window seat and gazed out as they pulled out of Placa Catalunya. Stupid tears prickling at her eyes.
She’d loved her break, fallen for a city that was more than she could have hoped for, and, well, she’d fallen for a man who had ‘complicated’ in his life, which wasn’t such a great move. But now she was going back to reality. To a house that was on fire (well she sincerely hoped it had been put out by the time she got back), to Jimmy, and explanations that were bound to hurt him. To Christmas with her family, with Mabel and Barney. Without Javier.
She dragged her forearm across her eyes and swallowed down the feelings that were trying to break free. She was being pathetic. This was what happened when you didn’t live your life properly until you were her age. All she’d had was a holiday romance (or close to a romance) – teenagers survived them so she certainly could. The window had steamed up and she wiped it clear with her sleeve and stared out of the window. And now it was over.
The terminal was busier than she’d expected when she got there and she marched her way resolutely through the happy families that had just arrived, ready for romantic breaks and Christmas shopping. There was a queue at the first airline desk she tried. Ringing Flo again she was surprised when she picked up on the second ring.
‘Daisy!’
‘Flo, is everything okay? I was out when you called earlier, what on earth has happened? Anna said something about a fire!’
‘It’s fine, I think. Well, fine, yes. It’s just…’
‘Is that Hugo I can hear?’
‘He, er, he’s talking to the fire brigade.’
‘God, there is a fire? Is everybody okay? Are you? What about Mabel and Barney?’ There was a crackling sound that was a bit alarming. ‘Sorry, Flo, this is a really bad line, shall I ring off and try again?’
‘No, no I think that noise is Hugo. Don’t worry, honestly Daisy, it’s all out now. In fact, the fire brigade might have been a bit of an over-reaction. I called them while Hugo was rescuing Mabel. And then I uncalled them. Well, I told them not to bother. But because I’d called them in the first place they said they really had to come out and check the place over.’
‘Rescuing Mabel? Oh God, oh she’s not hurt is she?’
‘She’s fine. She flattened Hugo and gave him lots of kisses when he opened the door, which he wasn’t exactly thrilled about. I mean he was happy she was okay, but less happy about landing on his arse in the snow.’
Daisy paused for a minute, trying to imagine the aloof Hugo going flying, but it wasn’t happening. ‘And what about the chickens?’
‘No roast chicken, I promise.’
‘That’s not funny, Flo!’
‘Sorry. But there aren’t any singed feathers. It wasn’t a big fire, just a little one. Tiny. It’s all something and nothing really. No real damage.’
‘No real damage?’
‘Only to the cooker really, well the pan. I had a bit of an accident. With bacon and eggs.’
‘Bacon and eggs?’
‘Cremated.’
‘Are you okay, Flo? You’re not hurt?’
‘Just my pride, and I’m sooty at the edges. But nobody is hurt, and Mabel is fine – Hugo locked her in one of the stables because she was trying to eat the hose and lick one of the firemen to death. I think she fell in love with the black rubber boots. You have one very kinky dog there. Did you know she had a rubber fetish?’
Daisy decided to ignore that comment. ‘So it isn’t that bad?’
‘No, not bad at all. Don’t worry, it just looked bad when we saw flames, but that was just the toast, I think. Oh yeah, the toaster looks a bit sooty too. I’m really sorry though, Daisy, I had a hangover and thought a good fry-up would help, then Oli came and I was yelling him out and forgot about them, and then …’
‘Oli came? Hang on, Oli is there? What’s Oli doing there?’
‘Well he isn’t here now, he left in a bit of a huff. He turned up out of the blue.’
‘Really?’ She forgot about the fire for a moment, which obviously wasn’t that bad.
‘Slime bag. He is so toady, he’s not bothered about anybody but himself.’
‘But you’re okay, Oli has gone? I mean what happened?’
‘He brought chocolates and bubbly and wanted me to go back with him.’
‘You’re kidding!’ The man behind Daisy coughed loudly and she realised the queue had moved up.
‘He realised that he couldn’t live without me apparently, or my PA skills anyway. Sarah just wasn’t up to the job, apart from the lying-on-her-back-with-her-legs-open bit.’
‘Flo!’ Daisy giggled. ‘But you’re not…?’ Daisy held her breath, she’d only swapped a few sentences with Oli and she hadn’t particularly warmed to him. And he’d hurt Flo so much, she really deserved better.
‘Giving it another go? You must be bloody joking, I’ve been having far too much fun without him. I never realised what a control freak he was, you know, I mean I quite like a masterful man if you know what I mean.’
‘I know exactly what you mean.’ It was an unmistakeably male voice interrupting, followed by a ‘go away’ from Flo.
‘What was that?’ Daisy frowned, she could swear she recognised that voice.
‘Hugo eavesdropping, but he’s gone now. What was I saying? Oh yes, Oli was just bossy and a bit of a bully, but I told him I loved being back here,’ Daisy caught the wistful note in Flo’s voice, ‘although I do want to go back to Barcelona, but I’m not doing it just to please him. I’ve decided to do some freelance stuff and then,’ she sounded embarrassed, which was unlike Flo, ‘well I’ve been writing a book, and Hugo thinks…’ there seemed to be a lot of mentions of Hugo, ‘that I should finish it.’ She paused. ‘And I think so too.’
‘Well that’s fab, Flo, I’m really happy for you, and Oli has gone?’
‘Well he made the mistake of opening the kitchen door, because he thought I’d got a man hidden in there, but it was Mabel and she kind of bounded out a
nd nearly knocked him flying. He stormed out, then Hugo came in, then he stormed out too.’ She sighed. ‘It’s been one of those days.’
‘Hugo? But why would Hugo?’
‘It’s a bit of a long story.’
‘Flo! There isn’t something going on between you and Hugo is there? You’re not telling me…’
‘Well no, I’m not telling you anything.’ The sigh travelled over the phone. ‘He had a real hissy fit after I told him it was Oli he’d seen drive off. He said I must have invited him, so I went after him to explain. Then when he saw the fire, I mean that was partly his fault because he distracted me. If it hadn’t been for him I wouldn’t have cremated my brunch.’
‘Oh hell, yes, the fire. Blimey, Flo. I’m coming home,’ there was a murmur of objection, ‘no I am, I’m at the airport,’ well, what else did she have to do now? ‘Well I’d be coming back soon anyway, I can’t leave you.’ She’d had her adventure, and she did know now what her heart wanted. And it wasn’t Jimmy and his babies. And it probably wasn’t another man as she just didn’t seem very good at that kind of thing. ‘I’m just trying to get a flight. I’ll text you when I know what time I’ll be back.’
‘Daisy, you really don’t need to. It’s all under control now. I only rang because I thought you should know, but there really is no need for you to come back.’
‘I’m here now, look if I can get a flight today I will, and if not… well, I’ll ring you. I’m just going to check online now, on my phone, because this queue is hardly moving at all. I’ll call you, love you.’ Daisy blew a kiss and finished the call.
She’d been a fool over Javier, and she did miss home. Oh, why the hell had she kissed him? And, more to the point, why had he kissed her? Well it had hardly been a kiss, not exactly a full-on snog. She’d just led such a sheltered bloody life that one kiss had been like a promise of more. But it hadn’t. Which just showed that, in a way, Jimmy was probably right. Big adventures weren’t for people like them, a normal, slightly boring, but totally predictable life with a man like Jimmy – the type of life everybody she knew had – saved a lot of heartache and uncertainty.
The Holiday Swap Page 24