Mills & Boon Christmas Delights Collection. Rebecca Winters

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       Chapter Fifteen

      Unlike many of my clients, Michael didn’t actually have acres of clothing. Once he’d scooted around the house and gathered up various items that had never made it back to the wardrobe, there was certainly more than I’d seen on my first visit, but it still wasn’t as intimidating a pile as many I’d seen. Going through everything, choosing what to keep, didn’t take that long either. Michael was actually getting pretty good at this now. He’d even started tossing out the shapeless T-shirts he was invariably dressed in, as well as the worn out shirts. When he hesitated on one particular shirt, it was clear that there was something bothering him.

      ‘What is it?’ I asked, as I sat on the floor, folding T-shirts for the keep pile, Pilot’s head resting on my thigh.

      ‘Nothing.’ He hung the shirt up but his hand hovered before moving on to the next.

      ‘Come on. There’s obviously something. You’ve been flying through the rest of the stuff.’

      ‘Nothing. It’s stupid. Really.’

      ‘I’m sure it’s not,’ I replied. ‘Tell me.’ I tugged on his jeans leg for emphasis and he glanced down at me.

      ‘Should you be sitting on the floor?’

      ‘Pardon?’

      ‘I just…you always look so nice when you come here and then you go scrambling up into cupboards or plop yourself down on the floor. Shouldn’t you be in jeans or joggers or something?’

      ‘I’ve never met a cupboard I couldn’t tackle however I’m dressed and I prefer this for work. Now, stop changing the subject.’

      He tipped his head. ‘Huh. You caught that, then?’

      ‘I did. And I’m still waiting. What’s the story behind the shirt?’

      Michael flipped the sleeve of the shirt. ‘It’s the one I wore on my wedding day.’

      Oh.

      ‘But I shouldn’t throw out a perfectly good shirt just because of that, should I? I mean, I could wear it any time.

      ‘You could, you’re right. The question is, will you and more to the point, do you want to?’

      ‘I do like it.’

      ‘Well, maybe you can give it a new association. Put it on when you’re doing something nice, going somewhere special. But if you’re always, in the back of your mind, going to associate it with something that no longer makes you happy, then it’s like we talked about with the curtains – it’s that first feeling you get when you see something. It has to be a good one, not ambiguous and certainly not bad.’

      I tipped up onto my knees and Michael automatically put his hand down to help me up. Pilot whined.

      ‘She can’t act as your pillow all day, you lazy mutt.’

      Pilot let out a resigned sigh and slid into a seated position by the door.

      ‘I can see he’s regretting moving out of the kennels. Poor, hard done by dog.’

      I grinned, shaking my head.

      ‘I can’t tell you how happy I am you decided to take him.’

      Looking down at me, Michael laughed. ‘You don’t need to. You’re practically bouncing up and down. Are you always this happy when a dog gets rehomed?’

      ‘No. I mean, yes! Yes, of course I’m thrilled! It’s just that some dogs really get to you. The moment I saw him, I fell for him.’

      ‘So basically you got me to take him just so you could come round and cuddle him?’

      ‘No,’ I laughed, batting his arm, ‘he was perfect for you. And you know it. Otherwise you wouldn’t have taken him, no matter what I thought.’

      He gave me a look.

      ‘It’s all right. I’m not offended!’

      ‘Really. A woman who doesn’t go into a huff if I don’t agree with her?’

      ‘I can’t promise that every time, but on this occasion…’

      Michael nodded. ‘Then I will take that.’ He turned, took the shirt off the rail and put it on the donate pile.

      ‘Sure?’ I asked.

      ‘Absolutely.’ He bent and gave his new companion a tickle. ‘New start for everyone.’

      ‘OK, then let’s get this stuff put away.’

      Michael checked his watch. ‘Don’t you have to be getting ready?’

      ‘Oh no, I’ve got ages…’ He put his wrist in front of my face. ‘What?’ I said, grabbing his arm. ‘How did that happen?’

      ‘Time flies when you’re having СКАЧАТЬ