First Love, Last Love

‘Really? Then I wouldn’t have let you go anyway.’

‘You wouldn’t?’ She turned from checking the vegetables. ‘You wouldn’t have any say in it if I’d wanted to go. I make my own mind up about things like that.’

Steve shook his head. ‘Not this time. You’re still a kid, Lauri, only seventeen, much too young to make those sort of decisions.’

‘And I suppose an old-timer like you knows all about these things?’ They had always found the eight years’ difference between them faintly amusing, more like brother and sister than uncle and niece.

‘That’s right.’ He stood up to ruffle her red-gold curls into disorder, tapping her lightly on the end of her freckled snub nose. ‘You’re just a baby.’

She grinned. ‘I’m old enough to have crashed your car for you.’

He sobered. ‘So you are. I’m still waiting for Blair to get back to me on that.’

‘Bit early, isn’t it?’

Steve shrugged. ‘I can’t see him driving around in a dented car for long.’

Neither could Lauri. It didn’t fit in with his impeccable appearance. Even after he had kissed her he had remained unruffled. But she didn’t want to think of that kiss—or her reaction to it!

‘Lauri?’

‘Mm? Sorry,’ she snapped out of her daze at Steve’s puzzled look. ‘It’s just been one of those days.’

‘Don’t I know it,’ he groaned. ‘Poor old Gertie will never be the same. The front of her looks—’

‘Shush!’ she hurriedly interrupted him. ‘I hear Jane’s key in the door,’ she explained at his indignant look. ‘And I don’t want her to know about the accident.’

He grimaced. ‘If she’s seen my car she’ll already know about it, there’s brown paint mixed up with the red.’

Lauri groaned. ‘You didn’t leave it parked outside?’

‘Of course I did. I’m going out later.’

‘Oh God! I’ll just have to hope Jane isn’t feeling very observant. Can you imagine what she would say if she knew I’d smashed into her boss’s car?’

‘I can,’ he grinned. ‘And he’s our boss too,’ he reminded her.

How could she forget it! ‘At least we don’t work for him directly. If he knew I was Jane’s niece …!’

‘Mm, I see your point. Okay, I’ll keep quiet unless directly asked.’

‘Now is that likely? There’s no reason why Jane should make the connection—Hello, Jane,’ Lauri turned to greet her young aunt. ‘Sit down, love,’ she encouraged, seeing her tired face. ‘You look worn out.’

Jane did as she suggested, literally collapsing into the chair. ‘I look worn out because I am worn out. Thanks, Lauri,’ she took the proffered cup of tea, and sipped gratefully. ‘Mr Blair was an absolute swine this morning.’

‘Perhaps his business trip to the States didn’t work out as he wanted it to.’ Lauri’s look was almost hopeful that that had been the reason.

‘Oh, it wasn’t that, that went fine,’ Jane instantly dismissed, slipping off her shoes to flex her tired feet. ‘No, it was something else that upset him.’

‘Oh?’ Lauri asked innocently.

‘Mm.’ Jane put her head back, closing her eyes. ‘Some idiot smashed into his car this morning.’

‘Some idiot—!’ Lauri echoed indignantly.

‘Is that what he said?’ chuckled Steve.

‘Mm,’ Jane murmured wearily. ‘God, he’s been impossible to work for all day. He’d just started to get over it lunchtime, but when he came back he was in an even worse mood.’