Valentine's Day at the Star and Sixpence Read Online Free

face against the cool cotton pillow,
Nessie closed her eyes. Thank goodness Tilly had appeared before he’d actually managed to say it, she thought with a shudder. At least this way she could salvage a little pride.
    Sam arrived home with Alyssa and a car packed with equipment around midday. The journey had been pleasant, although Sam had spent a restless night tossing and turning in her
now unfamiliar bed so she let her companion do the talking. She pulled into the car park and stretched, before glancing quickly at her phone. Three missed calls from Nessie. What did that mean?
    Replacing her frown with a smile, Sam turned to Alyssa. ‘Let’s get you settled in.’
    Nessie met her at the door of the pub. ‘We need to talk.’
    Sam’s uneasiness grew. Nessie was prone to unnecessary worrying but there was something about her expression that made Sam pause. ‘What’s the problem? Is it about
tonight?’
    Nessie held up a copy of a tabloid newspaper. ‘You’re a cover star.’
    A sudden icy chill made Sam shiver as she gazed at the photo beneath the red banner. It was unmistakably her, Nick looming at her shoulder.
NICK’S MYSTERY WENCH!
screamed the
headline. She let out an exasperated groan – it must have been a slow news night for that to make the front page.
    Alyssa leaned forwards for a closer look. ‘I didn’t know you and Nick Borrowdale were a couple.’
    ‘We’re not,’ Sam said tersely. She glanced towards the bar. ‘I suppose Joss has seen it?’
    Nessie nodded. ‘And that’s not all. Some flowers came for you and I’m guessing from Joss’s reaction that they’re not from him. He’s not in the best mood . .
.’
    Flowers? Sam blinked. Who on earth would send her flowers on Valentine’s Day? Hardly anyone knew where she lived. Rubbing her eyes, she threw an apologetic glance Alyssa’s way.
‘Sorry, it’s not normally so dramatic around here. Why don’t I take you upstairs? It looks like I’ve got some damage limitation to do.’
    The flowers were on the living room table. Sam left Alyssa to unpack her overnight bag and went to investigate. She was surprised to discover there were not one but two bouquets.
    ‘One for each of us,’ Nessie explained, her cheeks turning rosy.
    Sam’s eyes widened. ‘From Owen?’
    ‘From Patrick,’ Nessie said. ‘Can you believe it?’
    It
was
hard to believe, Sam thought, especially when Nessie’s husband had conspicuously failed to bother with any kind of romantic gesture in the fifteen years before Nessie had
left him. But that was men, she supposed, always wanting what they couldn’t have.
    ‘How do you feel about it?’ she asked her sister warily. It would be just like Nessie to feel guilty.
    ‘It was a nice thing to do,’ Nessie replied, stroking a red rose petal. ‘The message on the card was quite sweet too. He hopes we’ll always be close.’
    Sam sniffed. ‘I bet he does. You’re not thinking about calling him, are you?’
    ‘No!’ Nessie exclaimed. ‘Of course not. It’s just . . .’ She let out a wistful sigh. ‘It’s just nice to know someone is thinking of you, even if it
isn’t the person you hoped.’
    She meant Owen of course, Sam realised. ‘Maybe he’ll give you something in person,’ she said. ‘Tonight.’
    Nessie shook her head. ‘I don’t think so. Aren’t you going to open yours?’ She fired a hard look Sam’s way. ‘I know Joss thinks they’re from Nick but I
hope you’re not that stupid.’
    ‘I’m not,’ Sam said, thinking back to Nick’s offer the night before. ‘I know it looks bad but there’s nothing like that going on.’
    ‘So who sent the flowers?’ Nessie asked. ‘They must have cost a fortune; they look much more expensive than mine.’
    A faint alarm bell started to ring at the back of Sam’s mind. She took a closer look at the huge bouquet – velvety red roses nestled next to gorgeous purple orchids and pale lilac
blooms she didn’t recognise. Who knew where she