To plant a garden is to believe in the future, that's what Dove Hallam's grandmother always told her. But at twenty-two, Dove has neither. Stuck in a dead-end relationship and a job she hates, her life is going nowhere until she meets Marlene Grande.
Although Marlene is in her seventies, her appetite for hot men and spending money knows no bounds, even if her matchmaking skills leave a bit to be desired. But as Dove embraces her new life, someone isn't so keen on her having fun.
Marlene's solution? Hire a private investigator with a nice ass. Now Dove has two problems to deal with—the monster wreaking havoc on the Arndale estate and Zander Graves, a smart-mouthed womaniser she really doesn't want to like.
Will there be anything left of her heart by the time they've finished with it?
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Excerpt – The job:
“Good afternoon.” The lady’s accent was American, her voice a breathy whisper that reminded me of Marilyn Monroe.
“Hello, uh…” I really hadn’t thought this through, had I?
“Sorry for the delay. I couldn’t find my phone.”
“That’s no problem. Uh, I’m calling about the advert? In the City Voice? For a gardener?”
Boy, she might have sounded like a lady when she spoke, but her filthy laugh belonged to a lady of the night. “The City Voice?”
“The free paper in London?” Right now, I seemed incapable of speaking in anything but questions. “On page forty-seven?”
“Oh my goodness. Ivy must have placed that the night we drank one too many sherries. What does it say?”
Who was Ivy? I read the copy back to her, cringing when I got to the “if you’d like to get dirty” line.
That laugh came again. “Oh, sweet Norma Jean. That explains the strange calls I’ve been getting this morning. One young lady offered to do something unpleasant with a bunch of tulips.”
“So the advert was a joke? You’re not looking for a gardener?”
She paused for an unbearably long time before she answered. Enough time for me to realise how much I wanted the job to exist. Whatever her answer, I needed to find a way out of my life with Wes. A desire to take the easy path in life had brought me to this point, but every day I spent in that relationship was a day wasted. A day I’d never get back. The time had come for me to woman up and grab what I wanted from life rather than gathering lint in the corner.
Finally, the lady spoke. “I didn’t plan on looking for another month or so, when the tennis court’s finished, but maybe it’s fate. After all, I’m not getting any younger.”
Excerpt – Zander:
Another man came in, and Marlene gave a small jerk of her head. “But that one, he’s free.”
I glanced at the newcomer—the same height as Nye but a lighter build. Although that was relative, because judging by the way his grey T-shirt stretched over his chest, he clearly worked out.
“And who’s he?”
“Zander Graves. A friend of Nye’s.”
I tried not to stare as I drank him in. Thick light-brown hair, clean shaven, a dimple in his chin. I couldn’t quite see the colour of his eyes, but when he focused in my direction, I quickly looked away.
Then looked back again as a blur of turquoise flew past me.
“You asshole!” The blonde in the bright blue dress slapped Zander hard enough to turn every head in the room.
He held both hands up. “Hey, I never said I’d call.”
“How can you show your face here tonight?”
“I was invited.” He tried to take her by the elbow and lead her out of the room, but she shook him off. “Melissa…”
“My name’s Clarissa,” she snapped, hands on hips.
Nye burst out laughing. “Smooth, mate. Real smooth.”
CONTENT WARNINGS
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