Live the Dream Read Free Page A

eyes were her best feature, though—deepest blue with a naughty twinkle. Small of build, she had a slight figure, and it only took a few minutes of knowing her to realise she had a warm, open heart.
    Daisy knew what Amy would order, but she asked all the same. 'You'd best make your mind up,' she urged. 'Any minute now, I could be rushed off my feet.'
    Amy looked about the half-empty cafe: there was the man by the window; a little old couple in the corner, Daisy and herself. 'I don't think there's any danger of that just yet,' she teased, 'but just in case, I'll have a pot of tea…and one of your toasted barm cakes.'
    Daisy shook her head. 'Sorry, no can do. The toaster blew up. We're waiting for the fella to come and mend it.' She laughed. 'You should have seen it this time…there was a big bang and the bloody toast went flying in all directions. Come and look.'
    Amused, Amy followed her. 'Not again! That's the third time.'
    Daisy shrugged. 'There must be a fault somewhere.'
    Smiling, Amy shook her head in disbelief. 'It's you. You're the "fault". You're not supposed to snatch the plug from the wall every time you think the toast is done enough. You have to switch it off first.'
    'Then it burns the toast!'
    'That's because you haven't got the setting right.'
    'It's a nuisance! I don't like the bloody thing. I never have.'
    'So, use the grill instead.'
    'Mrs Tooley won't let me. She says she's not spending good money on new things for me to ignore them. That toaster is her pride and joy. I'm to use it, and that's an end to it. I did use the grill once, when the toaster went wrong and she tore me off a strip for making a mess everywhere.'
    'But Mrs Tooley only comes of an evening to collect her takings.'
    'What's that got to do with it?'
    Amy explained, 'Well, now that she's got her new fancy man, she hardly ever shows up here during the day, so she won't know you're using the grill—not if you clean it up half an hour before she arrives.'
    As the possibilities dawned on her, Daisy's frown became a wide, cunning grin. 'You're right!' she gasped. 'I'll use the old things and clean 'em up before she gets here!'
    'I'm glad that's settled!' Amy knew how to put a smile on Daisy's face. 'So now, can I please have my tea and barm cake?' Feeling mischievous, she teased, 'And while you're gone, I'll have a word with the stranger. I'll find out who he is and where he's from. Oh, and you'll want to know if he's married or if he's got a girlfriend, and whether he's well off or stony-broke, in which case you won't want to know any more about him and we'll all get some peace. OK?'
    Daisy knew she was being teased and went along with it. 'While you're at it, happen you'd best ask if he lives local, 'cos I followed him one time and he suddenly disappeared—went down a side street and was gone like will-o'-the-wisp.' She threw her arms wide and opened her hands to demonstrate.
    Amy was surprised. You never told me you followed him!'
    'No, because you'd have told me off good and proper.'
    'Quite right too.' Amy put on her most severe, reprimanding look. 'Following men down alleyways…what if he'd turned round and attacked you?'
    Daisy chuckled. 'I should be so lucky!' She glanced through the kitchen door at the man. 'Anyhow, does he look like the sort who would attack anyone?'
    Amy followed her glance. 'Maybe not, but you never know.'
    He was certainly a mystery, she thought. Although as Daisy said, he didn't seem like the sort who would turn on a woman. There was a kind of gentle strength about him that would protect rather than hurt.
    'I'll get your order,' Daisy said, adding hopefully, 'I bet you won't dare speak to him while I'm gone.'
    Amy continued the charade. 'If I do, and providing he gives all the right answers, I'll ask him if he'll take you on a date, because you fancy him summat rotten.'
    'Oh, I wish you would,' Daisy sighed. 'Three whole months he's been coming here. Almost every Tuesday without fail, and I don't even know his