Free You're the One by Angela Verdenius Page A

Christmas
pudding.”
    “Because
that’s not insensitive at all.”
    “Thirty years
later and we’re still together.”
    “That’s
something to be proud of.”
    “That’s a
miracle.” Penelope placed down several cuttings from a magazine.
“Can you get me these?”
    Picking up the
paper, Del studied the dresses. “Give me today to scout around my
usual haunts, I’ll let you know by tomorrow. I’m ninety nine point
ninety nine percent certain I can get them.” And if not, for the
price the dresses were selling for, she’d sew the damned things up
herself.
    “Lovely!”
Penelope daintily draped her handbag over her wrist. “Thank you,
Delia.”
    “No worries,
Penelope.” Del watched her leave the shop and head over the road to
the bookstore. “But Penny and Del would be so much easier to
say.”
    Putting in
several phone calls finally netted her the dresses in Penelope’s
size. Luckily thin was in and high fashion warehouses stocked
plenty of dresses in her size. Del ordered what was requested and
sat back with a sigh of contentment. The sale of just those dresses
would make her bank balance preen.
    Glancing at
the clock, she realised it was nearly lunch time and decided to
shut the shop five minutes early and go next door to Dee’s for
lunch. She’d just locked the door when she felt someone behind
her.
    Heart
stuttering at the thought that it might be Moz, she swung around
only to find Pierce Harding and Brand Dawson.
    “Hi,” she
said. “Did you want something from the shop?”
    A sale was a
sale, even if it was to snakes.
    Pierce leaned
his hand against the wall next to her ear, his smile a touch
unpleasant when combined with the hardness of his eyes. “I’m not
sure we’re welcome in your shop, Del.”
    “I’ve never
kicked your arse out, so I’m not sure why you would think
that.”
    Brand stood
almost sullenly, his hands in the pockets of his dirty, ripped
jeans. The sneer on his face was as unpleasant as his friend’s
smile. “Oh, I know we’re not welcome in your shop.”
    Del folded her
arms. “And why would that be?”
    “Got yourself
a new boyfriend, I see.”
    “A what?”
    “Boyfriend.
You know, muscle-head.”
    “Yeah, you’re
going to have try a little harder than that, Brand. Give me another
hint.”
    “Your
boyfriend, the interfering inspector.”
    “The
interfering - oh.” Enlightenment dawned on Del. “You mean Moz?”
    “Know anyone
else built like a brick shithouse with an attitude problem?”
    For one wild
second Del thought they’d seen the kiss, until commonsense kicked
in. No one could have seen them at the back of the shop. Relaxing,
she shrugged. “Moz isn’t my boyfriend.”
    “He sure acts
all territorial.” Pierce leaned closer. “You like men walking all
over you? ‘Cause that’s not how I remember you being, Del.”
    “No, I don’t
like men walking all over me.” She looked at him coolly. “And I
don’t like blokes crowding me, so I suggest you back off.”
    His gaze
slipped over her, lingered on her bosom before sweeping back up to
her face.
    If Moz had
looked at her like that she’d have had the wobbly-knees disease all
over again, but Pierce’s gaze just made her feel disgust. “Get a
good look?”
    “I could get a
better one if you’d come out with me.” Lifting his hand, he tucked
a strand of hair behind her ears.
    In a flash Del
grabbed his hand, twisting it back while digging her thumb into the
web between his thumb and forefinger.
    With a yelp of
pain, he half bent over as she twisted his arm around and up.
    Brand just
stood there shaking his head in loathing. “You always were a hard
arse.”
    Using her grip
on Pierce’s hand, Del shoved him away, sending him staggering back
as he clasped his hand in his other one.
    “Always have
been.” Del kept her gaze on Pierce. “Always will be.”
    Straightening,
Pierce cradled his hand to his chest. “You bitch!”
    “Next time you
touch me without an invite, Harding, I’ll