Free A Special Kind of Woman by Caroline Anderson Page A

and Owen got the distinct impression he was trying to hide his hurt.
    ‘Josh, it’s just coincidence. I didn’t deliberately go out of my way to find someone the moment you were gone, but I met her, and the time seemed right.’
    ‘Are you sleeping together?’
    He felt the shock of the question right down to his toes, and almost glanced over his shoulder to see if anyone else in the crowded restaurant had heard. It seemed unlikely.
    ‘Not that I think it’s any of your business,’ he said in a low voice, ‘but, no, I’m not. Not yet, at least.’
    ‘But you might.’
    ‘I might.’
    Josh speared him with a penetrating stare. ‘Would Mum approve of her?’
    He thought of Jill and Cait, so different and yet in many ways so similar, and he nodded slowly. ‘Yes, I think so.’
    ‘That’s all right, then. Just so long as you’re happy.’
    ‘I am,’ Owen said, and realised as he spoke that it was true. ‘I’m happier than I’ve been for years.’
    ‘Good.’ Josh changed the subject, obviously uncomfortable with it, and Owen eased out a sigh of relief and settled down to listen to the catalogue of wild parties and endless shenanigans the freshers had got up to since they’d last spoken.
    Good grief, he thought, Cait and I are going to have to get a great deal wilder to compete with that lot!
    ‘Just don’t spend all your money on alcohol,’ he cautioned, which was a rash thing to do, because he ended up shelling out for a set of textbooks that cost more than he would have believed possible.
    Ah, well, he thought, it’s only money. And then he wondered how Cait would provide for Milly, and thought again just how much she’d sacrificed to give the girl her chance in life.
    Suddenly he couldn’t wait to get back to her.
    ‘Will I do?’
    Cait twirled in front of him, the new gown she’d just completed swirling out around her and settling back with a silken whisper against her skin.
    It was a wonderful deep sapphire colour, perfect with her colouring, and it made her skin look like alabaster. Owen felt his body surge to life, and cleared his throat.
    ‘You look lovely,’ he said, his voice sounding strained to his ears, and she smiled diffidently and coloured, asoft wash of pale rose tinting her skin and bringing her to life. Lord, she was gorgeous. He hardly dared trust himself to touch her, but he helped her into her coat with fingers that trembled to caress her skin, and when he brushed her shoulder accidentally with the back of his hand, heat shot through him.
    ‘I’ve got my overnight things,’ she said, and he nodded curtly.
    ‘Fine. Let’s go, then. The taxi’s picking us up from home in fifteen minutes.’
    He hardly had time to put her bag in the spare room before the taxi beeped outside, and he ran down, patted the dogs absently and ushered her out.
    It was a clear night, crisp and cold, and he knew it would freeze later. He’d lit the fire—partly for the dogs, and partly so they would have a focus of warmth when they came back so they could sit up and drink coffee and talk into the wee small hours of the night.
    He wasn’t thinking beyond that, wasn’t letting his mind or his imagination run away with him. He didn’t dare. One thing at a time, he told himself. One thing at a time.
    The ball was everything Cait might have hoped for and more. Everyone was elegantly turned out, and she recognised some of her dresses in the crowd.
    While Owen was getting them drinks, one of her regulars saw her and did a mild double take. ‘Cait?’ she said, and smiled a broad welcome. ‘We don’t usually see you at these things! How nice to see you on the other side of the counter, as it were. What a gorgeous dress!’
    She turned to the tall and rather striking man beside her. ‘Darling, this is Cait Cooper—she’s got that wonderful ball gown hire shop in Wenham, and she makesthe most fabulous dresses. She’s amazing. Oh, that sounds so patronising, but it isn’t meant to be, Cait. You