Carrot and Coriander Read Free

and had started her own business. Her reputation was such that she’d had no trouble attracting the first few clients, even without invoking the wrath of her previous employer by poaching their accounts. She had soon been bringing in enough each month to keep her afloat, and maybe she could step it all up a little later on, once the baby was here and she was settled again.
    Somehow she hadn’t quite reached that stage yet, but she was content. She was comfortable. And she had her wonderful little boy.
    And now, at least for the next few days, she had a rather wonderful big boy too. But best not to let him know she’d been watching him. It wouldn’t do to embarrass him, after all. Or herself.
    * * * *
    “Could you move your van, please. I need to get out.”
    Callum straightened, wiped perspiration from his forehead as he turned to his client. She looked remarkably fresh this morning, and had a sort of slightly damp, just showered look about her. While he just felt minging. No hot shower at Kev’s place, no hot water at all since the electricity had gotten cut off. He so needed to move.
    “Right.” He didn’t apologize for blocking her in, just groped in his jeans pocket for the keys to his battered old black Transit and strolled past her. She trailed him around the side of the house to the front, where Jacob was already strapped into his child seat in the back of his mum’s Ford Fiesta. Nice car, he mused, very serviceable. Like its owner. Except she wasn’t about to let him service her any time soon. Pity.
    He smiled at the kid as he passed and hopped up into his own van. He backed it out of the drive, then waited in the road for the Fiesta to emerge from the gate. When she’d gone he maneuvered his van back into the driveway, tucked it around the side of the house out of her way, then got back to work.
    The low growl of her diesel engine about twenty minutes later told him she was back. The crunch of tires on gravel as she pulled into the drive. The engine died and seconds later the car door slammed shut. Just one car door, so that meant she hadn’t brought the kid back with her. School? No, too young, surely. Nursery then. He shrugged and got on with piling soil into his, or rather her, wheelbarrow.

Chapter Two
    “I’ve got soup.”
    The quiet, feminine voice startled him. He hadn’t heard her approach, so she must have come out of the back door this time. Watching him when she thought he couldn’t see her, and now sneaking up behind him. She made him uneasy, edgy even. Truth was, he was itching to get his hands on her. His grubby, rough hands all over her smooth perfection. Not that he would. Well, not unless she asked very nicely.
    She shifted, dropped her gaze again as she started to back away. Callum realized he’d been glaring at her. Shit—no good came of scaring his customers. But there was something about her manner, her shyness, that appealed. That seemed familiar. Surely she wasn’t…? Wouldn’t…? Would she?
    “I’m sorry. I was miles away. What did you say?” He pushed his lips into a grin of sorts. The friendliest he could conjure up at short notice. But he was trying.
    “Soup. Carrot and coriander. I made it. Lots of it. Too much just for me and Jacob. I wondered if you’d like some. For lunch or maybe you could take some with you…”
    Her voice trailed away, and he pulled himself up short as he caught himself glaring again. Bad habit. But soup! Did he look like the carrot and coriander sort? He was about to refuse, as politely as he could manage, but something stopped him. Maybe her obvious nervousness around him—was she actually shaking? And he did like carrots at least. Occasionally.
    “Thank you. Soup would be…nice.” Had he actually just said that?
    Apparently he had because she smiled, her face lighting up before she dropped her gaze again. But not before he noticed she had green eyes, reminding him of a rather nice BMW he’d once nicked. Her hair was a definite red