By this stage, she was in a fit of giggles, spluttering out soap bubbles and helplessly flailing her arms about. “Hold still.” He was laughing too as he captured her chin with his hand and wiped her face with the tea towel. “Tongue,” he commanded. It was the only time she’d been told to stick out her tongue outside of a doctor’s office and she obeyed through the laughter. He wiped off her tongue and they both dissolved into a fit of laughter so intense, neither of them was making any noise.

That was when Cecily made her appearance.

“What on earth has got into you two?” Chloe glanced up at Cecily through her fringe from her doubled-over position. She and Archer straightened in unison, their laughter instantly subsiding. Maybe Archer was slightly afraid of Cecily too.

Cecily tutted and shooed them away from the sink. “Thank you for your help, Chloe. I’ll finish up.” Chloe was being dismissed, but she didn’t want to leave. This was the most fun she’d had in ages. And besides, Archer Frigging Tate! Just wait ’til she spoke to Lucy, who for some reason, the entire time she’d known her, had never once mentioned that she lived across the street from Archer Tate.

“Oh, sure, no problem.” Chloe removed the still-sudsy rubber gloves and placed them on the kitchen counter.

“You sure, Mum? We don’t mind helping out.”

Chloe was beyond surprised at what Cecily said next. “I’m fine with it, love. Why don’t you take Chloe on a walk around the village? She only arrived yesterday, and I’m sure she’d love to see more of it than the inside of this house.”

Was Cecily playing matchmaker?

Archer met Chloe’s eyes. “How does that sound?” he asked.

Hmm, let me have a think? What to do, what to do? What human being on the planet would say no?

“Sure, that sounds great,” Chloe replied, casually. No biggie—just going to mosey about the village with Archer Tate.

“Archer, I’ve that large umbrella in my wardrobe. You can take that,” Cecily said to him.

“Oh, right, perfect. Thanks, Mum.”

He disappeared, leaving Chloe alone with his mother. “You know,” said Cecily as she pulled the plug from the sink. “Archer just broke up with that horrid girl …”

Horrid girl? Oh, she means the aptly named Madison Strumpet. Chloe had seen the headlines splashed all over Women’s Monthly—a terrible name for a women’s magazine, she thought. “Oh?” Play it cool, play it cool.

Cecily turned to face her, wiping her hands on a fresh tea towel. “That Madison. She never deserved him, and she broke his heart running off with that actor.” She said the word “actor” as though it was akin to “devil”, clearly ignoring that her son was one too. “In any case, he’s single now—still nursing a bruised heart, but single. Just so you know.”

Chloe nodded. “Uh-huh.”

Yep, she’d definitely won over Cecily.

Chapter 10

Jules

“Hey,” Matt said, bursting back through the door from the stairwell, “thanks for keeping an eye on the wine.” He lifted the box from the floor and added, “I’m guessing you’re okay with your other bag?” Something clicked in Jules’s mind.