Sweetly Isolated (The Swallow Barn Cottage Series, Book 1)

Basket Case

There was no old darling, nor a travel blogger, nor even a grocer outside Tina's door.

"Hiya," a lad of about fifteen announced and pointed at a large gift basket on Tina's threshold. "Delivery."

Tina cringed. Bugger. It's this time of bloody year, innit?

"Thank you," she muttered and picked up the hamper.

The lad saluted her and went back to his van.

"Oh, is this an Eco Fleckney Luxury Holiday Hamper?" Holyoake said behind her.

Tina squealed and dropped the hamper on her foot. Something sadly clanked inside the 'supreme recycled cotton knit basket'. Probably, one of those reusable glass bottles with a cork sleeve with the disgusting organic jujube drink inside. Tina started hopping on one foot, hissing and rubbing the injured toes with her hand.

"Sorry, love!" Holyoake stretched his hand to her, but she emitted an especially loud hiss and bounced inside the cottage. "Do you want me to take the hamper in?" he called after her.

"I don't bloody care!" she barked back.

She plopped on the sofa and rubbed her toes more. He carried the hamper in, put it on the coffee table, and squatted in front of her.

"You should take off your sock, we need to see if–" he murmured, once again stretching his hand to her extremity.

"We don't need to see anything!" Tina gritted through her teeth. "These are my toes!" You do realise you're lashing out at him because of the hamper, Tina? For once, it had nothing to do with the man in front of her. "Sorry," she muttered.

She pulled the sock off.

"Yeah, this looks bad," Holyoake said. "The home one and the beef one are going to swell for sure."

Tina gawked at the man. 'The home one' and 'the beef one?' What? She was so flabbergasted that she didn't even jerk when he carefully picked up the victim of the holiday hamper. The ball of her foot lay on his warm fingers.

"What did you just call them?" she said with a disbelieving laugh.

He looked up at her, and his lips twitched in a small smile.

"Don't you know? This piggy went to the market," he murmured and rubbed her big toe with his thumb. Oh! "And the next two are the one who stayed home and the one had roast beef." His shoulders started to shake in laughter. "I have two small nephews, remember? And don't worry, I won't touch the piggies. The twee things are probably in agony."

How can a man be both all dark and sexy - and an adorable numpty at the same time?! Sor-ce-ry!

"Can you get me some ice, please?" she asked.

She needed him to let go of her foot - blimey, his hands are scorching! - and remove his face from the proximity of her lips, because she had almost no self-control left! He's right here! Smiling tenderly and being all lush! T minus five seconds before she grabs him and snogs him!

"You don't have any ice," he laughed. "I reckon, it's time for frozen blueberries again."

He rose and left for the kitchen. Tina examined the piggies. Yeah, this barney isn't going away any time soon. The toes were already throbbing.

"So you know, I don't hurt myself at all when you aren't around!" she shouted, without lifting her head.

She heard a velvet chuckle above her, and the blueberry bag appeared in front of her nose. Tina settled her foot on the edge of the sofa and plopped the berries on top.