with Andy.
Andy smiled as he saw her approach. “So you’re off to see your new country estate then. I took a quick look with Guy a couple of days ago, and I reckon you’re going to love it, pet.”
Gina obviously loved the way Andy had referred to her as “pet” in that great Scots accent. She smiled up at him, her eyes twinkling as if flattered by the endearment.
“I didn’t realize it was in the ‘estate’ category. Guy, did you sell me short on the description?”
“No, no, that’s just my friend’s weird sense of humor. Andy, you know how these Americans are. She’ll probably sue me for misrepresentation or something.”
Andy laughed. “You can afford it, man.”
Gina scowled. “Hey, not all us Americans are like that, you know.”
“I know, love. But you’re really easy to wind up, though.” Andy leaned over and ran a finger down her cheek. “Only kidding.”
The three of them regarded each other and then started to laugh.
“Go along with you, my children,” Andy encouraged. “I’ll see you back here for lunch. It’s spotted dick for desert today.”
Gina looked up at Andy in astonishment, her coat half on, her arms still up in the air. “ Spotted dick? Are you kidding? What in the hell is that? Oh, wait a minute. This is another windup, right? Okay, very funny.” She finished putting on her coat.
Guy raised one eyebrow and smiled. “No, actually it’s a traditional English pudding. It’s probably going to take you quite a while to get used some of our quaint English food and traditions.”
“No kidding,” she replied, returning his smile with one of her own.
He took her hand, and as they made their way out of the bar area, he turned his head and yelled at Andy, who was heading in the direction of the kitchen. “We’ll be back around twelve thirty. Keep the toad in the hole warm.”
He glanced at Gina, who was looking amazed at what he had said. “Yep—toad in the hole. Yet another great British tradition.”
She frowned. “Okay, I guess I can hardly wait, then.”
Guy laughed and led her through the huge old oak doors into the bright, frosty sunshine.
Gina glanced down at his large hand grasping her smaller one, and even though it might be just a friendly gesture, she admitted to herself that she hoped it might actually mean more than that. Five minutes later, he was steering his Jaguar round some pretty tight bends, and Gina was soaking up the gorgeous English countryside.
“You know, I studied Jane Austen at school. What, with the inn, and my room, and all this…” She swept her hand in front of her. “Any minute now, I expect to see Mr. Darcy come galloping across those fields in search of Elizabeth.”
Guy smiled, keeping his eyes on the road as he negotiated a particularly narrow piece of road. “Hmm, well, it’s more likely to be the local under-twelve’s riding group trotting across the fields on a bunch of fat ponies, but I get the idea.”
Gina laughed. He really was easy to be around. She took in those muscular thighs, encased in blue jeans, and the dark sweater accentuating wide shoulders and big arms. God, this was not the time to start indulging in the possibility of the two of them getting together.
She tore her gaze away and returned to the spectacular countryside. The overnight frost had covered everything in a brilliant white sheen. Huge old trees and open fields surrounded them as Guy skillfully navigated the car along narrow roads, with deep ditches on either side.
The sky was a brilliant blue, and the bright December sunshine made the magnificent view like something you’d find on an old-fashioned postcard.
Gina looked back through the front windshield just in time to see a truck coming down the road toward them. She had assumed, because of the narrowness of the road, it was one way only. But the truck continued rumbling in their direction. She glanced nervously at Guy, who seemed totally unconcerned, and then she let out a gasp as
Savannah Stuart, Katie Reus