Free Bridge Over the Atlantic by Lisa J Hobman

sulky retort. There was a long pause on the other end of the phone then Sam suddenly burst out laughing.
    “You are one crazy Yorkshire terrier, do you know that? Hey, baby, I will get there ASAP. I promise.” His tone changed to a husky whisper, “and I can’t wait to get you on the rug in front of the fireplace and kiss every inch of that sexy body of yours. In fact, make sure the champagne is chilled, baby. I intend to get you good and drunk and take advantage of you tonight.” He growled that deep sexy way that made her legs turn to jelly and her lower regions quiver with anticipation.
    “Well make sure you do get up there ASAP. You have a lot of making up to do for this, Mister.” She gathered herself, glancing around to ensure no one could see the heat rising from her chest to her face.
    “I love ya, Miss Yorksher,” he whispered.
    “I love you too, Mr. Canada.” She smiled. It was impossible to stay mad at him.
    Her anger totally abated, Mallory joined the three men out at the truck to give them directions. When she got back to the house after waving off the truck filled with all of her worldly possessions, she stood in the lounge looking at the bare walls and floor. Tears stung the back of her eyes and she remembered back to the day she moved in…
     
    October 2001
     
    “Good grief, Mal! How much bloody stuff have you got?” Brad exclaimed as he humped another box from the self-hire van into the little house. Josie and Brad had been together forever, it seemed. He was tall, very muscular and had that dirty blonde ‘surfer dude’ floppy hair going on. He was ruggedly handsome and had a scar above his left eye where his brother had hit him with a Tonka truck when he was five. Mallory looked at him as the older brother she never had. Being an only child it was great to have someone tough looking out for her.
    “Ooooh, only another three hundred boxes, Brad don’t worry.” Josie laughed as she and Mallory had set to the unpacking.
    “I don’t get how you two are just allowed to sit there doing the easy bit. I am one man you know!” Brad moaned.
    “Ahhh, but what a man you are.” Josie jumped up and ran over to her man, reaching up and slinking her arms around his neck. She kissed him deeply.
    Mallory threw a cushion at the loved-up pair. “Aaargh, get a bloody room you guys.”
    “Hey, Westerman, I think a snog is the least I deserve for helping out,” Brad complained pulling a face at her.
    “Oh don’t worry, by the look of it you’ll be getting payment in kind from lusty lips there tonight.” Mallory laughed and Brad’s eyebrows wiggled suggestively at what she implied.
    They had finished unloading and unpacking by ten o’clock that night and were all completely and utterly enervated. Pizza was ordered, but when it arrived they were pretty much past the point of being hungry. Brad had commented that they should just save it until morning. After all, there was nothing, what so ever, wrong with pizza for breakfast. The girls had laughed hysterically whilst Brad tried to justify not wasting good pizza.
    Josie had produced a warm bottle of fake champagne and they had drunk it from mugs raising a toast to Mallory’s new home.
    “May you have many happy years here, sweetie pie.” Josie had hugged her friend hard. “Enjoy tonight because Sylvia will be here tomorrow to tell you that your taste in IKEA furniture is deplorable.” She laughed uncontrollably and Mallory knew that she was absolutely, unequivocally correct. She loved her Aunt so very much, but boy could she be cantankerous and opinionated. It was going to be an interesting visit.
    Aunt Sylvia had arrived the next morning sharply at nine. She was dressed in a lilac twin-set and her hair had a matching hue. Mallory stifled a giggle.
    “Daaaaahling!” Aunt Sylvia yelled in her usual pseudo-posh accent hugging Mallory hard as if years had passed since their last meeting; in actual fact, it had been the previous day when Mallory