The prawns tasted as if they’d been out of the sea all of two minutes. But still Jackson had all her attention. ‘I think my relationships are my business,’ he said eventually.
‘I want my farm to go to good hands.’
‘I understand that.’
‘I don’t need to sell.’
‘I understand that, too.’
Whoops, thought Molly. There goes Trevor’s commission. If he was here he’d have a heart attack.
‘Miss Copeland,’ she said carefully, feeling as if she was treading through minefields, ‘you did say that there were only two conditions.’
‘Did I say that?’ Another prawn was speared and the old lady popped it into her mouth and glared at the two of them. ‘Then I’ve changed my mind. I’m not signing this afternoon.’
‘Can I ask why not?’ Jackson was courtesy itself. He obviously didn’t have to face Trevor, Molly thought. Uh, oh.
But Hannah was concentrating on the pair who’d own her farm. ‘I want to meet this Cara.’
‘It’s me who’s buying the farm,’ Jackson said bluntly. ‘Not Cara.’
‘But she’ll be living there,’ Hannah told him. ‘No?’
‘Yes. Eventually.’
‘And the papers say it’s Cara who’s interested in horses.
‘Fair enough.’ Jackson nodded. ‘But it’ll be three weeks before I’m back in the country again.’
‘And you’ll bring this Cara with you?’
‘If I can.’
‘Find out,’ the old lady snapped. ‘These modern arrangements…’ She snorted. She looked at Molly and her gimlet eyes bored right through her. ‘Are you engaged? Or married?’
‘Um…no.’
‘And you don’t have one of these fancy arrangements?’
‘No.’
‘But you do have your nephew. Doreen told me about him.’ A moment’s silence while she considered, then, ‘You’ll be needing a man, then. The boy needs a father.’
Molly gave a faint smile. ‘I think we can manage without.’ Her smile deepened. ‘Men are impossible.’
‘They are at that.’ But Hannah didn’t smile and her eyes didn’t leave Molly’s. ‘I never married. Didn’t see the point. Never met anyone who could make my heart slam against a brick wall. You ever met anyone like that?’
‘I…no.’
‘Liar,’ Hannah said without rancour. ‘I can read it in your face. You let everything out with a face like that.’
‘Really?’
‘Really. Some man has treated you like dirt. Am I right?’
‘Hey, I’m not even buying your farm,’ Molly told her.
‘So mind my own business?’ The old lady grinned. ‘You get as old as I am without a family to concern you and the world’s your business. You have a good heart, girl.’ She looked more closely at Molly. ‘This man here hasn’t been messing with it, has he?’
‘No!’ Molly practically yelled. A hush had chosen just that moment to fall over the restaurant and her ‘No’ echoed out over the other diners. Heads turned. She blushed. ‘Do you think we can get back to business?’
‘No,’ Hannah told her cheerfully. ‘This lunch isn’t about business. It’s all about getting to know you.’
‘Getting to know Jackson,’ Molly corrected her, and Hannah sighed and smiled.
‘Maybe. I haven’t made my mind up yet.’
‘Are you getting cold feet?’
With the main course over, Hannah took herself to the powder room, leaving Molly and Jackson together. To her surprise Jackson had decided to be cheerful about the inquisition. He’d answered Hannah’s questions about his background, and more and more Molly found he was turning the tables on the old lady. Hannah had ended up talking about herself, and her love of her farm shone through.
‘I’m not getting cold feet,’ he told her. ‘The more I hear about the farm the more I want it.’
‘You know, I’d be surprised if Hannah lets go entirely. Doreen and Gregor may not be the only elderly retainers you’re left with.’
‘You think Hannah will visit?’
‘If you make her welcome.’
Silence while he thought about it. Was he thinking he’d hate it-or that Cara would hate it? Molly didn’t know. His face was impassive.
A shiver ran through her. He saw it and was instantly concerned. ‘Cold?’
‘No.’ She shrugged. ‘Nothing. A ghost walked over my grave.’
‘Something’s worrying you?’
‘No.’ But his concern made her want to shiver all over again. She did feel cold. Forlorn. Bereft. Which was utterly ridiculous.
Hadn’t she sworn off all men for ever? So why did this man have the power to unnerve her?
‘Molly…’ He held out a hand across the table to her and she stared down at it. It was a gesture of comfort- nothing more. She should reach out to take it.
She couldn’t. She sat and stared at the hand. His eyes met hers and held, but there was a message there that neither wanted to read. Or neither was brave enough to read. Slowly he withdrew his hand, and very carefully she tucked both her hands safely under the table.
‘Thank you, but, no,’ she said, and he hardly knew what she was refusing. Or did he?
Hell, he was in deep water here, and he hadn’t even realised he’d been sliding right out of his depth.
The tension was broken by a yell.
‘Molly!’ The yell came from the far side of the restaurant. Molly swung around to find Hannah returning to their table-and Angela waving furiously from the restaurant entrance. Half the restaurant had swivelled to see.
Angela was still wearing her mini-skirt from this morning and her crazy stilettos, but she’d added Guy’s pinstripe jacket for warmth. Her blonde curls were still tousled from sleep, she was waving wildly across at her friend and she looked like someone who’d come straight from a welfare sale.
Dear heaven…
This was never, ever going to be a professional sale, Molly thought despairingly, and closed her eyes-just for a millisecond-just to find enough courage to open them again. When she did, Jackson and Hannah were staring in open-mouthed astonishment at the vision weaving her way through the tables.
Angela was talking full throttle before she reached them. ‘Molly, you’ll never guess what’s happened!’
‘Don’t tell me. Your wardrobe’s been eaten by silverfish and you’ve lost every hairbrush you own.’ Molly groaned. ‘Angela, for heaven’s sake-’
‘Where’s Guy?’ Angela was hardly listening. ‘Oh, heck, I’ve left him behind.’ She searched backwards and found who she was looking for. Another cheery wave across the restaurant ‘Guy. They’re over here!’
Apart from his jacket Guy, thankfully, was staidly dressed, but it was a different Guy from the Guy they’d seen two hours ago. His beam was wide enough to split his face as he came up behind Angela.
‘Great. I knew we’d find them here. I’ve heard on the grapevine Miss Copeland almost single-handedly keeps this restaurant afloat.’
‘You’re so clever.’ As he arrived at the table Angela gave him a hug, and Guy hugged her right back. Molly could only stare. This time last week Guy would have been mortified to see Angela looking like this. This Guy seemed not even to notice
‘We came to fetch Angela’s keys,’ Guy said, and Molly blinked. But at least she knew what was wanted.
‘You left the keys on the sideboard at Molly’s place,’ Jackson said blandly, and Guy groaned.
‘You didn’t think to bring them with you to lunch?’
Jackson’s blandness cracked, just a little, and there was a trace of laughter on his voice. ‘We…er…we didn’t think you’d come after us.’ He swallowed his laughter. ‘Miss Copeland, may I introduce Angela and Guy? Angela is another realtor, who works with Molly, and Guy is her…’ He hesitated.
