Free Hold On to Me by Victoria Purman

and, in fact, didn’t sound Italian at all. That removed any hint that he’d called in favours from extended family. She saved the references to a folder titled Operation Survive and closed her laptop.
    Two hours later, Stella had finished dinner, cleaned up and poured herself a glass of wine to see the day out.
    It was eight thirty and the sun had almost set on summertime Port Elliot. A few local people sauntered by on their way to the pub, but there were no cars, only the whisper of the sea breeze in the street trees. And a demanding cat staring at her from the front window ledge.
    Stella set her wine glass on the coffee table and opened the front door. Mouse sauntered inside with a meow, languidly rubbing himself against Stella’s leg.
    â€˜Why come in. Do sit down.’
    Mouse obediently obliged by jumping onto the sofa. Stella sat next to the fluff ball with a deep sigh. While she was still sore, Summer’s massage had done wonders and she felt, miraculously, loose and relaxed. Which was truly a miracle after the week she’d had. And it was still Monday.
    She rubbed Mouse’s ears and the rumbling purr told Stella that the cat was in heaven. In her left hand, she held her phone. She checked the time again. Eight thirty-two.
    She could have simply replied to Luca’s email, but she hadn’t yet. She craved the secret thrill of hearing his voice again and anyway, she rationalised, he might not see an email until the morning and she needed to move things along. Immediately.
    Stella pressed his name and waited. She’d saved it into her contacts list when he’d called her the day of the fire. It rang twice and then connected. She began stroking Mouse’s tummy with a little too much force and the cat nipped her finger.
    â€˜Hey, Stella.’ The familiarity of his greeting caught her off guard. She’d been expecting an official ‘Luca Morelli speaking’ or perhaps even ‘Morelli Constructions’. It was supposed to be a business call, after all.
    â€˜Oh, hi, Luca. I got your email.’
    â€˜Sorry?’ he shouted down the line and she could barely hear him above the voices laughing and glasses tinkling in the background.
    â€˜I got your email. With your references.’ Stella looked around her living room as she spoke. Her house, like the town itself, was peaceful. Quiet. Sleepy, even. Just her and her cat. She was completely alone with a glass of wine for company and he was out doing young people things in the city. She suddenly felt like a grandma.
    â€˜Right. So are we a thing?’
    â€˜Yes. I’d like you to hire you for the job.’
    There was silence down the line. More laughter. A woman’s.
    â€˜Really? Hold on for a minute.’ And then the background noise slowly faded. ‘Don’t you want to see my quote? And what about your insurance? Have they given you the go-ahead?’
    â€˜Yes, that’s all sorted.’ Thank god for her insurance agent. On the strength of the police report, she’d been given the go-ahead to begin the structural repairs, as they assessed the damage would only get worse if the building continued to be exposed to the elements. Stella took a deep breath and bit back a comment about it being none of his business. It was his business now that she was hiring him. And no matter how much she enjoyed the flirting and his handsomeness, she wasn’t hiring him for that. It was about him being capable and just starting out in a business of his own. It was about his loyalty to his sister. And it was about the spark she’d seen in his eyes when he’d looked around her shop.
    â€˜So we’re in business.’
    â€˜Your references told me everything I need to know. I’ll need to check things with my insurance as we go along, but I need to get cracking. And frankly, if I don’t give you the job I think Anna will boycott my shop, and then I’ll be in real