A Taste of Home by Heidi Swain (the beginning after the end read novel TXT) 📕

‘I know when it was.’

I didn’t know why but he clearly didn’t approve of my choice of dinner date and neither did I now. Going out with Anthony had been a huge mistake and it hadn’t stopped Eliot and I falling further for each other either. Truth be told, I didn’t think there was anything that could.

I woke to rain on Friday which was no bad thing because it stopped me splitting my focus even further. Unable to pick any fruit, I could justifiably divide my time between dressing the barn and prepping dishes.

Even with Bec’s help, I still had a mountain of jobs to get through, pretty much all of the most important ones, and time was running out. Marco had always teased me about being a control freak and I was beginning to wonder if he was right. Maybe I should try delegating a little more.

‘Commis chef, porter and general dogsbody reporting for duty,’ grinned Eliot as his face appeared around the kitchen door.

‘What?’ I snapped, looking up from my lists.

I didn’t have time for messing about, and to be honest, whatever guise Eliot had turned up in, I didn’t have time to spare for mooning about over him either. More than anything I needed to remain calm and collected and the reaction of my head and my heart to his sudden appearance rendered me incapable of either.

‘Sorry,’ he said, sensing the tone and dialling it down. ‘Not the time?’

‘Definitely not the time,’ I agreed.

‘In that case,’ he said, turning around, ‘let me try that again. I was only clinging to humour to make our first meeting after the snog-gate part deux debacle less excruciating, but I read it wrong. Hold on. Wait there. Don’t move.’

He walked back out and I shook my head.

‘I really don’t have time for this,’ I called after him, but I was smiling as I said it.

A few seconds passed.

‘Hi,’ he said, walking back in and looking a little damper than he had been before. ‘I had a feeling that you might be busy today so, as it’s my day off, I thought I’d come over and see if I could lend you a hand.’

‘Idiot,’ I muttered, but I was still smiling.

‘I’m going to sort the internet,’ he carried on, ‘but then I’m at your disposal to chop fruit, arrange tables and carry boxes.’

‘The ideal dogsbody.’

‘Exactly. And I absolutely promise not to kiss you or even mention what happened before because that would make it awkward again…’

I raised my eyebrows and bit my lip.

‘Bugger,’ he groaned. ‘I almost had it, didn’t I? Hold on.’

He went to walk back out again.

‘Enough,’ I said, holding up my hands in a gesture of surrender. ‘You’ve worn me down. You’ve got the job because the last thing I need are more damp footprints trailing in and out of my kitchen.’

‘Excellent,’ he grinned. ‘And just as well because I’ve got no way of getting home until Bec picks me up.’

‘No bike today?’

So preoccupied with my plans I hadn’t noticed he was wearing civvies.

‘Not in this weather. I’m not a fair-weather biker, but it’s been a while since it rained and the roads are pretty greasy. So, what can I do?’

While he faffed and fiddled setting up the internet and swore a bit at Grandad’s laptop in the dining room, I settled to making the strawberry semifreddo which was going to be the following evening’s star turn. I also baked half a dozen small strawberry loaves and prepped three trays of meringues. They would take ages in the oven so could be left to their own devices while we dressed the barn.

‘This is driving me crazy,’ said Eliot, coming back into the kitchen and washing his hands.

‘Can’t you get it to work?’

‘What?’

‘The internet.’

I hoped he could because I really wanted to talk to the Rossis before the main event.

‘Not that,’ he said. ‘That’s all sorted. You’re up and running.’

‘Oh, yay!’ I beamed, resisting the urge to cover him in kisses. ‘What’s driving you crazy then?’

‘The fabulous smells coming from this kitchen, of course,’ he drawled. ‘You probably can’t smell them because you’ve been in here all morning, but they are divine.’

‘Just as well I made an extra strawberry loaf for lunch then, isn’t it?’ I grinned. ‘Although, this one has no glaze. I’ll be doing that tomorrow along with dipping some strawberries in chocolate.’

Eliot licked his lips and I hastily looked away. I wondered what redcurrants dipped in chocolate would taste like.

‘In case you hadn’t worked it out,’ I said, piling the used pots and bowls together and gladly focusing on a different fruit, ‘tomorrow’s theme is strawberries.’

‘Very apt,’ he grinned. ‘The perfect fruit to kick your new business off.’

Hearing someone else say it, and so close to the event, made it all feel very real and my heart gave a little flutter.

‘Shall we get this lot washed up before we eat?’ Eliot suggested, reaching for the washing up liquid.

‘No,’ I said, feeling wobbly. ‘Let’s eat first. I’m famished.’

As soon as we’d eaten our fill, which took ages because Eliot and Grandad were determined to demolish the entire loaf and sing the praises of every mouthful, not that I objected to their praise because it was just the confidence boost I needed, we tidied away. Then I went to finish setting up the barn, and Eliot followed on a few minutes later.

Grandad was in charge of keeping an eye on the meringues, but I’d set a timer on my phone, just in case he got distracted. He hadn’t seemed quite himself since Louise’s visit and Anthony had left something behind in the ether which affected the atmosphere too. After Saturday I would try and get to the bottom of it all, but for the moment I had to stay on task.

Eliot and I were soon immersed in things and it felt like no time at all before Grandad was calling from the house and my phone alarm buzzed in my pocket.

‘I’ll be back in a