The Runaway Bride And The Billionaire

‘It’s a plan,’ he said.

‘It sounds as if you don’t think it’s a good one.’

He lifted both hands in a gesture of surrender. ‘No judgements. I’m doing the same kind of thing myself right now.’

There was something like sadness in his dark eyes and she wondered why he was at a crossroads. Though it was none of her business and it felt too intrusive to ask. ‘Maybe I ought to paint the walls instead of tackling the garden,’ she said. ‘I’ll have to talk to Posy about paint.’

‘Are you good at painting?’ he asked.

‘I’m better at pruning,’ she admitted.

‘Then do the garden,’ he advised. ‘If you need space to think in the back of your head, it’s easier to do it while you’re doing something you love.’

What did he do when he needed to think? she wondered. Again, she felt too awkward to ask. Which was weird, because normally she got on well with people and never had a problem chatting to them.

But she knew what it felt like to be stuck.

And he’d been kind to her sisters and to Sofia. Time for payback. Maybe she could help him. ‘I’m normally good at sorting things out,’ she said, ‘so if you want a non-judgemental neighbour to bounce ideas off...’

‘Someone who doesn’t know me and is outside the situation so might see it more clearly? I like that. Thank you.’ He paused. ‘I’m pretty good at sorting things out usually, too. So if you want...’ He left the offer hanging open.

‘Thanks, but it’s a pretty tangled web.’

‘They’re the sort that could do most with an outside viewpoint.’

‘I guess.’ She paused. She could tell him what had happened. And that might put enough of a barrier between them to stop her doing something stupid. Like giving in to the pull she felt towards him. Or maybe it wouldn’t. ‘But maybe not today?’