“Ammy.”
“Yes, Ammy. I think she did him quite a favour today. Lucas has had a few problems fitting in, and she came to his rescue. Cheered him up. Please thank her for me.”
Worry etched onto his forehead, and he looked tired. In fact, his drawn features almost had Thea reaching out to touch his arm and give it a friendly pat of reassurance. Almost.
“You run this whole place on your own?” he asked. Her earlier words must have only just sunk in.
“Not entirely on my own. I have a Development Manager, but she’s having a baby. So, at the moment, it’s full on.”
“How many animals do you have here? I mean, rescued?”
Thea lifted a brow. So, he knew what she did, then. That Small Oaks was a sanctuary. Most people assumed it was a farm. He must have asked around or seen some of their social media posts.
She’d done a little stalking herself. When they’d last spoken, he’d hinted that he owned a few restaurants. After thirty seconds online, Thea discovered he’d underplayed the actual number. It turned out he owned some of the fanciesthotels in the UK. Ran his family’s hospitality empire. And had a lot of money.
“That’s a tricky question. Are we including spiders and mice? They’re notoriously hard to keep track of.”
Felix snickered, his husky tone caressing her ears. “Managing spiders and mice can’t be easy. I’d love to take a tour. If you have time.”
Thea’s eyes narrowed. Was he really interested, or was he just buttering her up before he began his onslaught about matching wines again? She examined his face for a sly twist on his lips, for a mocking eyebrow, but found nothing.
“Okay, then. If you insist. But let me know if you’d like a peg for the farts.”
8
THEA
After finishing her tea, Thea led Felix to the yard. She avoided the scenes of destruction in the hallway, instead taking him through the office that led from the kitchen. Kitty had worked there earlier. Thanks to her presence, there was every chance the room wouldn’t resemble the aftermath of a category-five tornado.
After marvelling at Kitty’s predictable tidiness, Thea stepped out onto the cobbles, the smell of spring flowers and cow poo mingling in her nostrils. Within seconds, Felix’s footsteps slowed behind her. She turned and found him glaring at the muddy stones as if they were hot lava and then down at his pristine shoes. His brogues were narrow and shiny, perfectly matching yet another impeccably tailored suit. He gave Ryan Reynolds on Oscar night a run for his money.
The corners of her mouth lifted. “I can find you some old boots. I don’t want to be responsible for another shoe slaying. Did your other ones recover from their trauma in the car park?”
Felix quirked a brow in her direction, but his scowl remained firmly in place. “I think so. I had four of my butlers polish them up nicely.”
Thea met his scowl with a little one of her own. “Just the four? Here at the farm, we rely on the cats to lick our shoes clean.” Felix all-out glared at her. She just couldn’t help jabbing back at him when he made such snarky remarks.
Thea moved to the small lean-to shed just beside the office door. It housed the spare gumboots. “Follow me, Cinderella. Let’s see if I can find something to fit you.” But the words died on her lips as she looked inside.
Kitty’s pink polka dot pair would’ve been her first choice. Felix would hate those. But they were nowhere to be seen. And neither were her own ancient bottle-green spares or Ammy’s Spiderman ones. The kids must’ve taken them, and Kitty probably wore hers home. The only remaining pair lay tucked into the corner amongst various trowels and garden tools.
Phil’s.
They were Phil’s old boots. The ones she’d bought him when they first launched the sanctuary together.
Thea’s hand hovered over them, her fingers twitching in the gloom. The only other person who’d borrowed them since he’d passed away was Kitty. She’d used them until Josh had bought her the pink ones, and since that day, Thea had tucked them away in the dark. Undisturbed. Like a sacred relic from the past.
And now she was going to lend them to Felix Walsh? Thea chewed on the edge of her lip. He couldn’t possibly see them from where he stood. He’d never know if she fibbed and told him he had to run the gauntlet in his catwalk-ready loafers.
Unbidden, an image of a miniature Kitty popped into Thea’s brain. She sat on her shoulder, like in a vintage cartoon, with a golden halo hovering over her head.You wouldn’t be so cruel, she said. Oh, but Thea would. These were Phil’s boots, and the last person who deserved to wear them was Felix-bloody-Walsh.
He and Phil were opposites. Her husband was a scattydreamer, full of big ideas, with little follow-through. Laser-focused would better describe Felix. On the mean side, and very opinionated. Phil would’ve loathed him. His wearing Phil’s boots amounted to sacrilege.
But he loves his son, mini-Kitty said, polishing her halo with a flick of her waist-length hair.
Thea mentally rolled her eyes. Of course, Felix loved his son, but he didn’t seem to have much affection for Lucas’s mother. Hadn’t he called her demanding?
What about his son’s mum, though?Thea countered, as if she could have a conversation with a figment of her imagination. Nobody mentioned her in the playground. According to gossip, no one had ever met her. Thea hated to think what field he’d buried her in.
