Free Forget-Me-Nots in September by Clare Revell

she’d discovered a talent for it. Several of her pictures hung on the walls, including his favorite of a kingfisher. He kissed her cheek. “Have fun. See you later.”
    ~*~
    Jude glared at the paperwork. The figures were once again mocking her. She was making stupid mistake after stupid mistake because her mind was elsewhere. Modernizing the house could mean only one thing. Mrs. Bowen would be selling Jude’s home from under her. Or increase the rent to cover the renovations. Or both.
    Yes, the place desperately needed it. The bathroom, though functional, was pre-war with the cistern half way up the wall. The heating was plug in oil filled heaters or a gas fire in the lounge. The kitchen had a free standing gas stove and a stone sink in the corner. But she loved it.
    There was no way she could afford a rent raise. Or a mortgage. Every spare penny she had went back into the bakery. Is this Your way of telling me it’s time to move on, Lord? Sell the shop and go and do something else with my life ?
    Kate tapped on the door. “I’m off, Jude. See you tomorrow.”
    Jude nodded. “I’ll be here. Is everything off?”
    “Yup. Night.”
    “Night.” Jude looked back down at the book, forcing her mind to concentrate. She managed for about ten seconds before she heard Bev’s voice in the shop. She pushed upright and went to the doorway. “Hello. I wasn’t expecting you just yet.”
    “I’m early, yes, but I need to take you shopping.”
    Jude tilted her head. “For…”
    “Paint and paper,” he said, a smile crossing his face. “You ought to get some say in what color I decorate the house as you live there.”
    For now . “I can’t tonight. There’s too much to do here. The paperwork is mounting up.”
    “Oh.” Disappointment crossed his face. “OK. Ummm, well what colors should I avoid?”
    “I like most stuff, but don’t really want the bedroom dark red.”
    “OK. I want to start tomorrow with the lounge. We’ve arranged for your dad to give us a quote for the kitchen, so he’ll be up tomorrow at some point to do that as well. And Elliott Wallac from church will come and give us a quote for the bathroom and heating.” He paused. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?”
    She nodded.
    Bev took her hand. “What’s wrong? You look so sad. Almost as if your heart is breaking, and I can’t have that.”
    “I can’t afford a rent increase,” she said honestly. There wasn’t any point in sugar coating it, or avoiding the issue. “Your gran is about to pour thousands of pounds into the house, and I know it needs it and has done for a long time, along with heating. She’ll either want to sell the place or hike the rent to recoup the money. I can’t afford either, so, no. Thank you for the offer, but I don’t want to go and chose the décor for a house that won’t be my home for much longer.”
    Bev’s face was a picture as conflicting emotions covered it in a rapid succession. “Now, hold on a moment. Even if Gran did want to sell, which I know for a fact she doesn’t, then how do you know the new owner wouldn’t allow the sitting tenant to stay?”
    “Would you if it were your house?”
    He hesitated before answering. “If I were still in the army, then yes. It depends where I was based, but being the unit CO and single, it’s far easier to live on the base. Besides which, I can be deployed for up to nine months at a time. That’s a long time to leave a house sitting empty. So please, come with me?”
    She sighed. She wanted to spend the time with him, but the accounts needed doing. “I can’t. I have a pile of work to do before I can leave.”
    “Then how about I pick you up on my way home and we’ll have pizza delivered. It’ll save you walking and cooking.”
    She smiled. “That would be good, thank you.” She saw him out and deadlocked the door behind him. Flicking off the lights, she headed back into the office, leaving the door ajar so she’d see him when he came