‘It’s wrong because it’s not right,’ Heidi said. ‘It’s just not normal, is it?’
‘Oh, don’t give me that men and women can’t be friends line,’ Callie said.
‘But it’s true!’ Heidi said.
‘I don’t believe that. That line was just made up for the movies.’
‘Oh, really? Well, how many male friends can you name?’ Heidi said, a look of defiance on her face.
Callie stared at her, determined to win this particular argument. ‘You want to know how many?’
‘I really do,’ she said.
‘Okay,’ Callie began. ‘There’s Mr Parsons.’
‘From the flat next door to Piers’s?’ Heidi said. ‘But he’s eighty.’
‘So? We had many an interesting conversation in our time.’
Heidi shook her head. ‘I bet he still secretly fancied you.’
‘Don’t be so disgusting,’ Callie said. ‘Then there was Phillip.’
‘He’s gay so it doesn’t count,’ Heidi said quickly.
Callie rolled her eyes. ‘Okay – Bob Andersen down at the local deli.’
Heidi wrinkled her nose. ‘Were you really friends with him?’
Callie nodded. ‘We used to talk.’
‘About what?’
‘Cheese, mostly.’
Heidi shook her head. ‘You know I’m right, don’t you? You simply can’t be friends with a man. It’s just not anatomically possible.’
Callie folded her arms across her chest. ‘Right,’ she said.
‘Right what?’
‘I’m going to prove you wrong.’
‘How?’
‘I’m going to be friends with Sam Nightingale. Friends! Nothing more and nothing less.’
Heidi grinned. ‘You’ll be in bed with him before the month’s out.’
Callie’s mouth dropped open in horror. ‘I will not!’
‘And I’ll be waiting to hear all the juicy details!’
Chapter 7
It was the second day of Heidi’s stay at Owl Cottage when the unexpected visitor arrived. Callie had persuaded Heidi to go on a walk in the surrounding fields that morning, lending her a pair of wellies and trying to convince her that it was quite safe to walk through a muddy puddle and that it wasn’t going to swallow her whole.
They were just thinking about popping along to one of the local pubs for lunch when there was a knock at the door.
‘Expecting someone?’ Heidi said.
‘No,’ Callie said.
‘Maybe it’s your book guy coming to try his luck again.’
Callie’s face reddened at the suggestion. He had her address, but he wouldn’t just show up on her doorstep unannounced, would he? She didn’t think he was that kind of person but maybe he would if he’d found her elusive first edition. Maybe she was going to have to face him again far sooner than she’d hoped and in front of the inquisitive eyes of Heidi too.
With her heart hammering in her chest, Callie walked to the front door and opened it.
‘Hello,’ the man said. It wasn’t Sam Nightingale at all. It was – well – Callie didn’t actually know his name. She just knew him as the man who’d left the dead rabbit on her doorstep.
‘Oh, hello,’ she said.
‘It’s Leo,’ he said. ‘Leo Wildman. You got my note?’
‘What note?’ Callie asked.
‘You weren’t expecting me?’
‘No,’ Callie said, looking confused.
‘I didn’t leave you a note?’ he asked, looking crestfallen. ‘I could have sworn I’d popped one through last night. Oh, I am hopeless. I have a terrible memory,’ he said with a grin, raking a hand through his thick dark hair. ‘I thought I’d come and cook that meal for you.’
‘Meal?’
‘Yeah,’ he said. ‘I’ve brought it all with me. You don’t have to lift a finger.’ He motioned to a neat wicker basket on the path behind him.
‘Oh, that’s kind of you, but I’ve got a–’
‘Hello!’ Heidi said, popping her head round the front door.
‘– guest,’ Callie said, finishing her sentence.
‘I’m Heidi,’ she said, extending her hand towards the dark-haired visitor and batting her eyelashes which were unnaturally curly and which had given Callie a fright when she’d found them on her bathroom window ledge the night before.
‘I’m Leo,’ he said brightly.
‘Well, come in!’ Heidi said, causing Callie to glare at her. ‘You’ve brought food?’
‘Certainly have,’ he said, turning to pick up the basket. ‘One rabbit and a few things foraged from the woods this morning.’
‘Foraged?’ Heidi said.
‘Heidi’s food all comes pre-wrapped from Waitrose,’ Callie explained as she followed the two of them towards her kitchen, still baffled by the fact that this man was in her house.
‘You bet it does,’ Heidi said, ‘but that doesn’t mean I can’t sample other ways of doing things, does it?’ she said, giving Leo a wink.
‘You sure this is okay?’ he asked Callie. ‘I mean, I can come back another time.’
Callie was quite sure he would too. ‘No, no – go right ahead,’ she said. ‘What do you need?’
‘Well, I’ve brought all the ingredients. Just tell me where the pans are and I’ll get on with things.’
She watched in amazement as he pulled a chef’s apron from the basket and got to work setting the ingredients out on her worktops. Who was this guy? And what on earth was he doing in her kitchen?
Heidi motioned to her behind his back.
‘I’ll – erm – leave you to it then,’ Callie told Leo.
‘Sure thing,’ he said and the two women left the kitchen together.
‘Oh, my God!’ Heidi said as soon as they were back in the living room. ‘Tell me everything – quickly!’
‘I don’t know what to tell you,’ Callie said honestly.
‘Who is he?’
‘I’m not really sure. I only met him a few days ago and I didn’t even know his name then. He left some dead animals on my doorstep.’
Heidi wrinkled her nose in obvious disgust.
‘He didn’t realise that I was living here, you see. He left them for the previous owner. This is only the second time I’ve met him.’
‘Leo Wildman!’ Heidi said, her eyes bright and wide as she spoke his name. ‘I can’t think of a more romantic name!’
‘Shush! He’ll hear you!’
‘And I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about him!’
‘But there was nothing to tell!’ Callie said.
‘The hell there wasn’t!’ Heidi said. ‘A gorgeous wild man of the woods turns up on your doorstep and you didn’t think it was worth mentioning? Have you turned into some sort of nun since moving to the country? You do realise how gorgeous he is, don’t you? And he obviously likes you.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Why else would he turn up on your doorstep with Thumper, offering to cook you lunch?’
‘I think it was just his way of apologising for scaring me with those dead things on my doorstep – that’s all.’
‘Yeah, right!’ Heidi said. ‘He likes you, damn it! And I’m as jealous as hell. If I were you, I’d say yes.’
‘To what?’ Callie asked.
‘To anything he asks you!’
Callie rolled her eyes. ‘I don’t know anything about him.’
‘What’s to know? He’s gorgeous and he cooks. What more do you want?’
It was then that Leo’s head popped round the living room door. ‘Would you ladies like some wine? I took the liberty of bringing over a couple of bottles of pear wine, but there’s some elderflower cordial too if you prefer.’
‘Pear wine?’ Heidi said with a laugh. ‘This I’ve got to try!’
‘Erm – how about you?’ he asked nodding to Callie. ‘I’m sorry, I don’t know your name.’
‘It’s Callie,’ she said, ‘and I’ll try the wine too.
’
He nodded and smiled, leaving the room.
‘He really didn’t know your name?’
‘I told you!’ Callie said.
‘The most gorgeous man in Suffolk turns up at your home – all fit and wild and smiley – and you don’t even tell him your name?’ Heidi said.
Callie shook her head, wishing her friend would rein herself in just a little bit.
Callie had to admit that the rabbit pie was pretty good even though she had to do her best to put all her favourite images of Benjamin Bunny and Peter Rabbit out of her head as she ate it. The pear wine was something else too.
‘I’ve never tasted anything like this,’ Heidi said, ‘and I’ve had a lot of wine in my time!’
Leo grinned. ‘You can’t beat a bit of home-made,’ he said. ‘You should try my gooseberry sometime.’
Heidi roared with laughter. ‘You should be selling these in London,’ she told him. ‘You’d make your fortune.’
‘Really?’
‘You bet! Londoners love all this rural stuff but can’t be bothered to do it themselves. If you get yourself some nice-looking bottles and labels and then set up at a quality street market, you’ll be quids in.’
He looked at her for a moment, but then shook his head. ‘Nah!’ he said at last. ‘London’s not for me. I could easily set up a stall in one of the market towns here in Suffolk if that’s the way I wanted to go.’
‘Yes, but you could charge much more if you went to London,’ Heidi told him.
‘But wouldn’t it also cost me more to go there?’ he said, raising a dark eyebrow.
‘London isn’t for everybody,’ Callie told Heidi.
‘Well, I know that,’ Heidi said, ‘but it wouldn’t have to be forever. You could pop through on the train and do it all in a couple of days. You wouldn’t even have to book a hotel – I’ve got a spare room you could use.’
Callie blushed on her friend’s behalf, but Leo just laughed her suggestion off.
‘I couldn’t leave Truffle and Blewit,’ he said.
‘And they are what exactly?’
‘My dogs!’ he said with a laugh. ‘Cocker spaniels – mother and son.’
‘Well, couldn’t a neighbour look after them?’
‘I don’t like leaving them,’ he said. ‘Blewit’s just a youngster and needs training. But, I guess the truth is, I don’t like leaving Suffolk much these days. I got all that wanderlust out of my system just recently and I really want to put down some roots now,’ he said, catching Callie’s eye again.
‘Roots are good,’ Callie said.
‘Absolutely,’ he said. ‘Suffolk’s a pretty special place too. You realise that once you’ve been away for a while.’
‘Or if you’re from London,’ Callie said. ‘I felt it as soon as I arrived here.’
He grinned. ‘What made you choose it?’
Callie looked thoughtful. ‘I wanted somewhere with no cities or motorways. Somewhere I could be sure of some peace and quiet.’
‘You’ve got that all right,’ Heidi said. ‘It took me ages to get to sleep last night without the sound of traffic and my neighbours ringing in my ears.’
‘I don’t miss that at all,’ Callie said with a little laugh.
‘So I take it you live nearby,’ Heidi said, turning her gaze to Leo again. Was it Callie’s imagination or were her friend’s false eyelashes working overtime?
‘The next village,’ Leo said. ‘Monk’s Green. It’s within walking distance.’
‘It’s within walking distance,’ Heidi said, turning to Callie who blushed instantly. ‘Callie likes walking, don’t you?’
‘Well, you must pop over sometime,’ he said. ‘I’ll introduce you to the spaniels.’
Heidi laughed. ‘Now that’s an invitation you don’t get from men in London!’
‘Did I say something funny?’ Leo asked, a perplexed look on his face.
‘Heidi just isn’t used to the country,’ Callie said, glaring at her friend in warning.
‘Well, you’re both welcome,’ he said which made Heidi beam.
‘Thank you,’ Callie said.
‘Listen,’ Leo said, standing up a moment later, ‘I’d better get going.’
‘Oh, must you?’ Heidi asked.
‘I don’t want to interrupt the whole of your day.’
‘But you aren’t,’ Heidi assured him.
He gave a little lopsided smile. ‘And I’ve got to get back to walk the dogs,’ he said.
‘Oh,’ Heidi said.
‘It’s been really great to meet you both,’ he said. ‘I’ll just tidy up in the kitchen and then get going.’
‘Don’t worry about that,’ Callie said. ‘I’ll do that later.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘After the lovely meal you made us, it’s the very least I can do.’
‘You liked it?’ he asked, genuinely looking surprised by her admission.
‘Of course,’ she said.
‘Good,’ he said. ‘Well, maybe I can cook for you again sometime?’
Callie swallowed hard and tried to ignore the heated look that Heidi was giving her. ‘That would be nice,’ she said.
Leo nodded, his dark hair falling across his face as he reached for his tatty wax jacket and picked up his basket. Callie walked to the front door with him and opened it.
‘Thanks for lunch,’ she said and watched as he ducked to walk through the door.
‘My pleasure,’ he said, holding her gaze. ‘Right – back to the dogs.’
Callie smiled. ‘Bye,’ she said, closing the door and leaping as she turned around and almost crashed into Heidi.
‘Well,’ her friend said, ‘if that bookish bloke you’ve got your eye on doesn’t work out, you could always give this wild man of the woods a go!’
Callie shook her head and began to clear the table, taking the dishes through to the kitchen.
‘Don’t tell me you’re not at least intrigued by this guy?’
‘Of course I’m intrigued,’ Callie said. ‘He’s very interesting. From a writer’s point of view, that is.’
‘Writer’s point of view!’ Heidi scoffed. ‘I’d say he’s interesting from a woman’s point of view! Did you see those arms? Please tell me you noticed those gorgeous strong arms. I bet he’s cut his fair share of logs in his time. If I was you–’
‘Heidi!’ Callie said, knowing what her friend was going to say and hoping against hope that she could be stopped.
‘If I was you,’ Heidi went on undaunted, ‘I’d fully embrace all that country life is offering you and have a wonderful mad fling with this foraging guy.’
‘Heidi!’ Callie said, chucking the dishcloth into the sink.
‘What?’ her friend asked looking baffled. ‘What’s wrong?’
Callie looked at her for a long drawn out moment.
‘Callie?’
She took a deep breath. ‘What if I’m not cut out for relationships? What if I just haven’t got it in me and men can’t love me?’
Heidi looked completely floored by this. ‘You’re joking, right?’
Callie shook her head. ‘Why would I joke about something like that?’
‘But you don’t really feel that way, do you?’
Tears rose into Callie’s eyes. ‘I don’t know what to feel,’ she said in a very small voice.
‘Oh, my God!’ Heidi said, placing an arm around her shoulders and leading her through to the living room where they sat down on the sofa together. ‘Piers did a real hatchet job on you, didn’t he?’
Callie reached inside her pocket for a tissue and dabbed her eyes. She wasn’t going to cry, she told herself. The time for tears was over and there had been plenty of them too. She’d promised herself that she’d left all her sadness behind her in London. But Heidi’s presence had reminded her so much of the life she’d left behind and, with Heidi telling her to get involved with somebody new, it was just too much for Callie.
‘What you went through with Pie
rs,’ Heidi began, ‘well, I can’t imagine what it was like.’
Callie closed her eyes. ‘I thought the baby would help,’ she said in a small voice. ‘I really thought that having a child would make all the difference.’
‘Don’t torture yourself,’ Heidi said, clasping her hands in hers.
‘He couldn’t ignore a child, could he? That’s what I thought. But I’ll never forget his words when I lost it. “It’s for the best,” he said. Can you believe he said that? He didn’t want me and he certainly didn’t want a family with me.’
‘Piers was a selfish idiot who hadn’t grown up, that’s all,’ Heidi told her. ‘The way he treated you was inexcusable and the quicker you forget about it, the better.’
‘I don’t think I can ever forget about it,’ Callie said.
They sat quietly for a little while, the song of a robin bright and clear from the garden.
‘I’m so sorry I pushed you with Leo,’ Heidi said at last.
‘It’s all right,’ Callie said. ‘I’m sorry I’m so tetchy.’
‘I think you’ve a right to be a little tetchy after what you’ve been through.’
Callie blew her nose. ‘I thought I was through all this. I thought I was beginning to feel... to feel like me again.’
Heidi smiled sympathetically. ‘I think you’re being a bit optimistic there. It might take a bit longer than a few months to get over something like a miscarriage and the breakdown of a marriage.’
Callie sighed. ‘Nobody would want to be with me even if I wasn’t a complete wreck at the moment and liable to dissolve in a pool of tears.’
‘But that’s rubbish! That bookshop guy asked you out didn’t he?’
‘Yes, but he doesn’t know what a narrow escape he’s had,’ Callie said.
‘And Mr Wildman of the Woods looked like he wanted to show you his foraging skills.’
Callie gave a tiny smile.
‘You are a gorgeous, sexy woman that any man in his right mind would want to be with.’
‘Any man except my husband,’ Callie said.
Heidi shook her head. ‘We won’t have his name mentioned here now, will we? He was a buffoon of the highest order. He’ll probably wake up screaming in the middle of the night and realise what he’s lost one of these days.’
‘I doubt it,’ Callie said sadly.
The Book Lovers Page 8