The Broken Hearts Book Club Read Online Free PDF Page A

problem!’
    Mum stared around her at the sodden carpets, walls and furniture, looking absolutely horrified.
    ‘You said you’d sort it! Look at it, there’s no way we can stay here! What are we going to do?’
    ‘Don’t you worry,’ Dad replied. ‘I’ve got a plan! I phoned The Purple Partridge and spoke to that nice young man who runs it. Jake, his name is. You’ll like him, Lucy. He’s going to let us stay there for a couple of nights while the place dries out.’
    Oh wonderful,
I thought,
I epically embarrass myself in front of the sexy barman by running out on him and now I’ll have to face him again.
    Then again, I said to myself with a smile, the thought of seeing those gorgeous arm muscles wasn’t entirely unpleasant…
    After a lot of hasty packing, the four of us traipsed over to The Purple Partridge where Fitty McFitterson – who I now knew as Jake – greeted us with a smile as we walked through the door, laden with bags and looking very sheepish. Everyone, that is, except Dad – who’d been the cause of it all. He looked as happy and carefree as usual, while Mum, George and I were all fed up and in need of a strong brew.
    Stepping out from behind the bar, Jake’s eyes briefly caught mine and he smiled in recognition.
    ‘Oh dear David, what have you been up to this time?’ he asked while grabbing a bag from Mum.
    Dad did an over-the-top gurn and shrugged his shoulders. ‘Flooded the bloody house, didn’t I?’
    ‘It’s like living with Norman Wisdom,’ Mum muttered. After realising we’d all heard her, she put on her best prim smile. ‘It’s ever so kind of you to put us up for a couple of nights, Jake. I’m sure we’ll be out of your hair by the weekend.’
    Jake shook his head. ‘It’s no problem, really. We’ve got a couple of spare rooms upstairs going begging, so there’s plenty of room.’
    Our eyes met again and I was sure I saw him smile.
    ‘Follow me guys, it’s just up here.’ He jabbed his thumb in the direction of the door leading to the pub’s upstairs area.
    Up the stairs, the main living quarters consisted of five main doors. One had a lock on it and a brass number one attached which I guessed led to Jake’s flat.
    ‘The bedrooms are just here.’ He gestured to the first three doors. ‘And that’s the bathroom there. The plumbing’s not the best, but should be all right for a couple of days at least. Enjoy your stay; anything you need, just ask.’
    He looked back at me as he retreated down the hall to return to the pub. A tiny raise of his eyebrows made my heart skip. This was going to be a
very
interesting couple of days.
    ***
    My theory was proven right on our first day at The Purple Partridge. After a surprisingly restful night’s sleep, I made a mad early-morning dash for the bathroom before Mum or George could occupy it for hours on end or Dad had a chance to flood it.
    When Jake said the plumbing ‘wasn’t the best’, he hadn’t been kidding. The taps were creaky, there was hardly any hot water and the pressure ranged from a drip to a deluge. However, there was a certain quirky charm about it and I reminded myself how lucky we were that Jake had been able to put us up.
    Jake.
    He popped into my mind uninvited and I felt my heart rate start to speed up. I’d never seen anyone quite so gorgeous for a long time and
those arm muscles…
I shook the thoughts free before I turned into a complete drooling mess. The last thing we needed was me making our temporary stay here more awkward than it needed to be by making eyes at the delectable landlord. Instead, I put my head back and allowed the tepid water to run down my hair and back – hoping some of my fears and anxieties about being back in Luna Bay would be washed away too.
    I stepped out of the shower, wrapped a fluffy white towel around myself and prepared to make the dash back to my room. There was still so much to think about. While staying in Luna Bay and carrying out Nana Lily’s wishes