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    The Gentleman & the Tramps
    The Gentleman & the Tramps
    The Gentleman & the Tramps
    Ebook73 pages1 hour

    The Gentleman & the Tramps

    By Tess Dacre

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    About this ebook

    Despondent and lonely after the death of his wife, helping tramps transforms his life and helps him find love again. Restorative justice is a tense game, but fun and satisfying, leading them to meet new exciting people and lifetime friends.
    I’d just shut off the mower and emptied the grass box for the last time when a car drew up. I looked up, as it stopped right outside our house. Funny that I already thought of it as “our” house. Out of the driver’s seat stepped a stunning petite brunette. I’m sure my eyes must have widened, but she was too polite to comment – or perhaps she was just used to it. Then I noticed the resemblance to Kate. But surely she was far too young to be Kate’s Gran? More like her Mum’s age, so it must be an aunt.
    I held out my hand. “You must be related to Kate? Pleased to meet you.”
    “Hello. Yes, I’m Kate’s Gran, Liz.”
    I must have looked startled, because she smiled as she continued.
    “Thank you so much for taking her in. I can’t believe what she’s been through and I’m devastated to have been out of contact when she needed me so badly. I came as soon as I got her message.”
    “I didn’t know she’d left a message. I ... er ... I’m James.” I think I must have been beet red and definitely tongue tied. I felt like I was attempting to ask my first girl for a dance. I couldn’t understand what the hell was happening to me. How I managed to make enough sense to offer her the facilities and show her through the house out to the back, I don’t know.
    The cooking was fun. The eating was fun. And somehow there was music, and Estelle and Kate were dancing. Liz wasn’t far behind, and I was enjoying watching them. Well mainly Liz if I was honest, and if I hadn’t kept my mouth shut I’m sure I would have been drooling. Her jeans looked as if they were painted on. She was slim, small breasted, tanned, and her auburn hair shimmered in the light. I couldn’t have told you what colour her eyes were; perhaps green; maybe blue? And the sinuous movements of the dance showed off her musculature in a way that was having a stiffening effect on me. Looking good for a woman of her age? Hell she looked spectacular for a woman half her age. In short, out of my league.
    Suddenly Estelle swept over to me and yanked me out of the chair. We danced as a four, or rather they danced and I wriggled, until the end of the song. As it ended, Estelle moved towards Kate and took her hands. They started dancing together, and I realised she had known that the next song was a slow one. She’d set me up. Was I pleased. Yes. Embarrassed. Certainly. Was I going to pass up this opportunity? Well, if I’d been the teenager I felt, yes. But I was ancient, which gives you a bit more gravitas. So was I going to pass up this opportunity? Hell no!
    I took Liz in my arms, she rested her shiny curls on my chest and sighed in contentment. I thought “God, I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
    Liz’s head came up, her eyes twinkling at me. “Well I’m enjoying it.”
    I blushed again. Just like being a teenager. “I can’t believe I said that out loud.” But her laugh was infectious. This time I was able to speak.
    “You are so out of my league, but I wasn’t going to pass up a heaven sent opportunity.” As I looked down at her, I was struck anew by her appearance. “God, you are so beautiful.” And quite naturally, I bent my head and brushed my lips over hers.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTess Dacre
    Release dateNov 1, 2012
    ISBN9781301627912
    The Gentleman & the Tramps
    Author

    Tess Dacre

    I love to read. One day I found I was bored with reading, and thought "why not give writing a try?" Now I love to write too. I've done some, and it's given me a huge admiration for those who write full length books. My imagination and tenacity gives out at about 25,000 words! I've garnered some lovely comments on my writing. Thank you all. I hope you enjoy reading my stories as much as I've enjoyed writing them. If you did, please review. Thank you.

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      Book preview

      The Gentleman & the Tramps - Tess Dacre

      The Gentleman & the Tramps

      By Tess Dacre

      Copyright 2009 - 2012 Tess Dacre

      Smashwords Edition

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Cover photo credit: kk+ / Foter / CC BY-SA

      ######

      Chapter 1 - Rescue

      I turned away from the grave with tears pouring down my face. My best buddy Ken put an arm round my shoulders and handed me his, thankfully clean, handkerchief. Whomever it was that said men didn’t cry was entirely wrong in my case. I teared up at emotional stories. And now I was weeping for my loss. We’d been married for nearly forty years and best of friends. It was doubly hard, because we’d planned a very special fortieth celebration, and I had to cancel. It wasn’t that I minded missing it. I minded missing it with her.

      Life goes on. I went back to work. I was lucky to have a part time job I loved. I rattled around in the house a bit. It crossed my mind to sell it and move, but was conscious of the received wisdom not to make changes too soon. Most of all, I was lonely in the house.

      The life insurance meant that the house was paid for with a substantial sum besides. I’d given away a tithe of it (ten percent), something we’d always done. Some of it went to a charity we’d supported for years that is run by a good friend in a town quite a way from us. It is a town centre coffee shop for mothers and pre-school children. It’s deliberately in the bad end of town, and serves not only proper coffee shop coffee, but also dirt cheap instant, as it’s aimed at destitute mothers. You probably wouldn’t believe some of the things our friend told us. Mums come in and when she asks whether they’d like a drink, they refuse, as otherwise they wouldn’t have enough money for food for their evening meal, And in the winter, several of them come in as soon as the coffee shop opens, and leave when it closes so that they’re not at home in the cold – heating’s too expensive.

      Why have I told you all this? Well, it explains what happened to me about six months later. I was driving home from the airport late after a long business trip. It was a bitter evening, and I had the heater turned right up. As I drove past a bus stop, I saw this dejected looking figure hunched up on the seat with bags at their feet. I’m ashamed to say that I drove on. Well, you know what they say about picking up strangers. But things started bothering me. First I realised that the figure I had seen must be frozen stiff – no coat. Then I realised that there were no more buses that evening. Then those coffee shop mothers flitted through my brain.

      I swore, and turned round. What was the point in supporting my friend’s charity helping people in a town far away if I wasn’t prepared to put myself out for local people? As I drove back, I was turning over in my mind the best approach. I knew it would be kind of scary to be approached in the dark by a stranger.

      I drew up before the bus stop, figuring that it was less intimidating if the car was a way away. As I walked towards the figure, I could see that my approach was causing a certain amount of tension, but the figure remained hunched up. Nearer, I could see long dark hair – not necessarily female, but likely.

      Excuse me. I stopped several feet away to try to reduce the tension.

      It’s OK. I’ll move on.

      The voice was despairing, and female. I wasn’t trying to move her on. She started to get up, and I was shocked and suddenly aware of why she was hunched. She was trying to protect a baby from the cold. Her coat swaddled the baby, and she was shivering.

      Excuse me, miss. I’m not trying to move you on. I’m offering help.

      She snorted. I don’t need your kind of help.

      I was at a complete loss to understand what she meant. I’m sorry?

      I’m not a prostitute. Please leave me and my baby alone. She whispered.

      I was shocked. It hadn’t even entered my mind that she might think that. I ... I ... I didn’t mean to upset you. I ... well I just wondered if you needed a lift, as there aren’t any more buses tonight. I stuttered. I couldn’t leave you out in the cold with no coat. I could see that I’d surprised her.

      Listen, I’ve got a blanket in the car. If I can’t help you in any other way, at least let me give you that.

      You’d give me that?

      "Of course I would. Then at least you’d have

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