Sunshine at Daisy’s Guesthouse: A heartwarming summer romance to escape with in 2018!

‘Dave, hi!’ Lisa chirped. ‘Gary, how’s the knee? Didn’t they tell you not to slide down the pole like that…’

Daisy smiled at the team as they approached and went to shake their hands. They all shook her hand in turn and Dave, the leader, gave her the lowdown as if she were the queen.

‘I introduce to you, the Dream Team.’

‘You are very welcome,’ Daisy said, smiling. ‘So very welcome!’

Daisy spotted James’s car pulling up – he had been opening a business bank account in Cirencester – and she suppressed her laugh: now this she wanted to see.

James parked his car and got out, making his way towards the crowd now standing outside Atworth.

‘James!’ Tom shouted, the excitement evident in his voice. ‘This is James, the guy I was telling you about!’

Six, seven counting Tom, Athena poster model men from the Eighties turned to James who held his hand up awkwardly in greeting. ‘Hi all!’

The men flocked around James, and Daisy and Lisa laughed until they cried and only laughed some more when James arrived at their side, his usually carefully placed hair ruffled.

‘Well, they all seem lovely,’ James said, his voice genuine if not dazed.

‘The account all sorted?,’ Daisy said, only semi-jokingly.

‘Yep, all in order.’ He touched her arm gently. ‘You look radiant today.’

Daisy found herself blushing and she didn’t know why. She was glad when Lisa dragged James to the barn to show him the new items for the house.

Chapter 6 (#ulink_86507ccb-1227-5d8d-9396-0c803f9eeb54)

Three days later, having helped assign furniture to various rooms and overseen the making of the guesthouse, Daisy had realised she had to face the sea of tweed that was Waitrose in Cirencester. A bed and breakfast was not much good without the breakfast part. She had been surprised at how easy it had been and was now safely ensconced in her own kitchen. She began to unpack all the ridiculously elaborate goodies she had bought. James, who was to be their accountant, had told her just to have fun with it, budgeting was for down the line.

‘How did that go?’ James’s voice behind her and she turned to find him in the doorway.

‘Well,’ she said, holding up two boxes of eggs, ‘I’m pretty sure these are just eggs but as everything else in the store has been seeped in Madagascan vanilla pods or been allowed to have the sea breeze of Antigua rush over them, I wouldn’t be surprised if these eggs aren’t just eggs but eggs from a hen with its own masseuse and pool.’

James chuckled. ‘Yeah but our guests will be appreciative, I’m sure.’ He smiled. ‘In fact, I can hear a car now.’

Daisy’s heart started hammering. What on earth were they doing? People were traveling to them: the pressure was immense! But, also, somewhere deep down something shifted, a kind of unwillingness to let go of her space even further. It was one thing to allow her friends in but strangers…

Then a thought occurred to her. They didn’t even have a sodding reception desk! She hurtled past James who followed closely behind. Tom was ushering the dream team out the back door, their shirts draped casually over their buff shoulders. She waved politely and then addressed Tom. ‘We haven’t even got a reception desk!’

‘You don’t need one,’ Tom said as he checked off something else on his clipboard.

‘I want to feel like we’ve got this covered,’ she said and in one fell swoop, grabbed a sideboard in the hall, twisting it into position, took a vase of flowers from off the other table and James handed her an ancient Indian bell – an anniversary present from Hugh – just as their guest entered the hall. She moved from around the sideboard and stepped forward to greet the man.

‘Oh. My. God.’ A voice boomed across the hall. ‘This is unbelievable.’ The accent was not English but the most amazing drawl of a real-life Texan. Daisy’s heart flipped with excitement. They had international visitors.

A man with a cowboy hat and boots with actual spurs stepped forward, his baby-blue gingham shirt just about containing the overhanging waistline, helped by an opal-encrusted belt thread through his jeans’ belt loops.

‘Hi, I’m Bob,’ he said assuredly. ‘Bob from the Hamptons.’ He smiled, a smile so wide it filled the frame of his face. ‘Actually, I lie. I’m from Texas but I live in the Hamptons now.’

Daisy held out her hand. ‘Daisy – welcome to Atworth Manor.’

Tom pushed himself forward. ‘I loved Dallas,’ he enthused and James nodded in agreement.

‘Dallas, huh?’ Bob said. ‘Yeah, that was shot down the road from where I used to live.’

Lisa skipped down the stairs, talking loudly as she went, her face a sweaty mess, totally unaware of their guest in the hall. ‘I’ve just finished. Oh my God, Tom, what were you thinking inviting people to stay before we had even furnished the…’

Daisy had fixed a grin to her face and was giving Lisa a hard stare.

‘What’s up, Daisy? If looks could kill…’ She turned her head to the mountain of a man blocking out the natural light. ‘Oh, holy crap, this is our guest, isn’t it?’

Daisy nodded.

Bob let out a roar of laughter. ‘Only just finished! You mean to say that this pretty little lady here—’ he indicated Lisa with a warm smile ‘—has been rushing her tiny, English feet off to get ready for me?’ He paused. ‘I’m a cowboy at heart, folks. I would’ve been happy under canvas in your back yard.’

‘Probably not a fair swap for your money,’ Daisy offered. ‘But thank you for…’ She realised Bob and Lisa were staring at each other in a strange manner and she coughed, breaking up the moment. ‘Anyway, shall I show you to your room?’

‘That’d be great, honey.’ Then he tapped in his head. ‘I tell you what, if this weren’t screwed on… I’ve forgotten something. And that something is my other half.’

Daisy nodded and Lisa excused herself.

‘I’ll only be a tick,’ Bob laughed. ‘That’s what I learnt from some English folks this morning. A tick!’ He chuckled. ‘Isn’t that what dogs get…’ He paused. ‘Oh, speaking of, I’ll go and get my little lady love.’

Daisy watched the hulk of a man leave and she turned urgently to the others. ‘Is everything ready?’

Tom crossed something off on his list with a flourish. ‘Be charming as hell to guest. Done.’ He nodded. ‘All done, dear Daisy, and James and I are just about to lock ourselves away and discuss budgets.’

James looked vaguely alarmed at the concept.

‘You look frightened,’ Daisy commented.

‘Worrying for a man who worked in the city!’ Tom hooted.

‘I don’t think that’s the bit that’s scaring him.’ Daisy laughed as Bob walked back in with just a bag.

Tom and James excused themselves and Daisy indicated the lack of wife.

‘Um, did you forget your, um…’

‘Oh, she’s in here.’ He held up his leather weekend bag.

‘Right.’ Daisy nodded, wondering if it really was wise to open one’s house to complete strangers with perhaps a variety of issues.

Then, much to her surprise, the bag moved and she stared at the opening. Suddenly a soft chestnut-coloured Chihuahua’s head popped out.

‘Here she is, my little lady.’ Bob kissed her on the head. ‘Her name’s Barbara. Had to bring her to England with me so she could see the sights, drink tea.’

‘Oh,’ Daisy laughed, almost relieved. ‘How lovely. Does she like other dogs because we’ve got a couple of border terriers, Ant and Dec, hanging about.’