‘Is that him?’ Rach asked.
‘Yes,’ Keeley breathed, knowing she was sounding dangerously fangirl.
‘Well,’ Rach said, no nonsense, ‘you’d better introduce me.’
Keeley watched as Rach went striding off towards a table by the counter. It took a second for her to realise what was happening and she scuttered across the floor, reaching out to grab Rach’s jacket.
‘Rach! No.’ Keeley pulled her to a halt.
‘What?’ Rach asked. ‘You can’t have second thoughts about me meeting him now. I’m here and I want to see this guy you’ve hidden from me.’
‘I know,’ Keeley said. ‘But you’re going the wrong way.’ She turned Rach around a little, pointing her in the direction of Ethan, Jeanne and Bo-Bo. ‘They’re there.’
‘Oh,’ Rach said, her tone faltering a little.
What did that ‘oh’ represent? Keeley suddenly felt extraordinarily protective over Ethan. ‘Who were you expecting?’ she asked Rach. ‘Patrick Dempsey?’ She immediately felt guilt for sniping. And Rach wasn’t answering straightaway. Until:
‘If he was Patrick Dempsey I’d fight you for him,’ Rach answered with a sniff. ‘Come on then. Introduce me.’
Before either of them could make a move, Bo-Bo jumped down from the chair he was sitting on and came bounding over, leaping up at Keeley, all long limbs and energy, attempting to lick her face.
‘Oh! Oh, no, Bo-Bo, don’t lick my hair,’ Keeley begged, trying to get the pet to calm down. ‘Rach, help me. He’s already had one near-death experience, I don’t want him poisoned by the traces of hair products.’
‘Bo-Bo, down!’
It was Ethan, coming to their rescue, Jeanne rushing up behind him with the lead and a cross look on her face.
‘Don’t shout at him,’ the girl ordered, snapping on the lead and somehow managing to bring him to heel.
‘Bonjour,’ Ethan said, directing the greeting and those incredible eyes at Keeley.
‘Bonjour,’ Keeley answered, her cheeks heating up like a roaring log fire.
‘Bo-Bo’s alive,’ Jeanne announced, all teeth that looked like they were coated in cake.
‘I can see that,’ Keeley said, smiling and petting the dog’s head. Her touch only made Bo-Bo all excited again and she retracted her hand in a bid to stop the jumping that had to be distracting for those customers trying to have a relaxed time.
‘Bonjour, I’m Rach,’ Rach said, sticking her hand out to Ethan.
Jeanne grabbed hold of it first, shaking hard. ‘Jeanne.’
‘Jeanne,’ Ethan said. ‘Take Bo-Bo back to the table and give him some more cake.’
‘We might need another cake if these two are going to want to eat,’ Jeanne suggested. She grinned again and pulled Bo-Bo back towards the table in the corner.
‘Ethan Bouchard,’ Ethan said, taking Rach’s hand in his and giving it a shake.
‘Is that your daughter?’ Rach queried.
‘No,’ Ethan said quickly. ‘God, no.’
‘Then who is she?’
‘She’s a friend,’ Keeley jumped in. ‘The daughter of a friend. Did you say there was cake?’ She headed into the deeper warmth of the café, enjoying the eclectic mix of items on the shelves. It really was a case of more was more here.
*
‘It is nice to meet you,’ Ethan said to Rach. He swallowed. He got the feeling that this woman did not trust him for some reason. She seemed to be inspecting him like she was trying to work out if he was a real person or a waxwork. He also got the impression that if he stood still long enough and led her to think he was indeed fake, she would then expect him to break out of that mould at any second and relieve her of her handbag.
‘I’m not going to lie. It’s strange to meet you,’ Rach answered.
‘Strange?’ he enquired. He looked to his table, checking that Keeley had got there and that Jeanne wasn’t dipping her fingers into anything she shouldn’t be.
‘Keeley doesn’t meet men on the street and start up a relationship with them that she hides from her best friend.’
‘A relationship?’ Ethan said, unable to stop a laugh from leaking out. ‘We—’
‘You had dinner with her. That’s a date. You went running with her. That’s a date too,’ Rach carried on. ‘Keeley’s very particular about who she lets in. Very particular. Get it?’
‘I am… getting it,’ Ethan answered. He swallowed. He wasn’t getting it. Was he being warned off? Warned off from what? He didn’t even know he was getting himself involved with anything like a relationship. Except, somehow, he did know. The anxiety he was currently trying to batten down was testament to the fact that it was definitely something.
‘You screw her around and I will come for you. Do you get that too?’ Rach asked, stepping towards him.
‘Got that,’ he answered.
Then, all at once, Rach’s expression altered and she smiled at him. ‘Good.’
‘May I get you some coffee? Or something stronger?’ Ethan offered.
‘Stronger coffee will be fine for me. Keeley, she’ll have decaf.’
Thirty-Eight
‘You were right about believing in Bo-Bo,’ Jeanne said, gleefully rubbing the dog’s head as Keeley sipped at her coffee.
There was something not quite right about this coffee. Since Keeley had been in Paris she had really enjoyed the French style of coffee, slurping up as many cups of it as she could. But this… she couldn’t quite put her finger on why it wasn’t quite as satisfying. It tasted a little like the decaf brand Lizzie thought she was still drinking.
‘I know,’ Keeley answered. ‘And I am very glad I was right.’
‘He surprised us all,’ Ethan added. ‘Pretending to be so sick and then arising like a Jack In the Box I am told.’
‘I’m sure it’s got fleas,’ Rach remarked, pulling up her jumper sleeves and scratching.
‘Oh, non,’ Jeanne said merrily. ‘That is most likely to be me.’ She swirled her straw in a large chocolate milkshake she was now drinking. ‘Parasites can actually help a little with the harsh weather in the winter. Keeping you warm.’
‘I hope you’re joking,’ Rach answered. She inched her seat away and focused on Ethan. ‘So, Ethan, what do you do for work?’
‘Rach!’ Keeley exclaimed. It sounded like her friend had turned into an overprotective parent who was sussing out the worthiness of a partner who wanted to propose.
‘He owns a hotel,’ Jeanne blurted out.
Keeley took a breath. That was not the occupation she was expecting. And a hotel owner. Somehow the two things didn’t marry up in her mind. Ethan’s slightly devil-may-care attitude and the organisational skill set a hotelier would need to succeed.
‘I am a part-owner,’ Ethan jumped in. ‘A very small stake in the business.’
‘But he’s a big enough deal to give me a room to live in.’
‘Jeanne. I—’ Ethan started.
‘What hotel?’ Rach jumped in. ‘How many stars?’