Through the Garden Gate or the Girl Next Door

By Catherine Carson

Lorrie Belmont has known Iain Maxwell all her life as their parents have lived next door to each since before she was born.
She was an only child and was seven years younger than the boy next door and had always considered him the big brother she never had….that is until she reached her teens and realised that her feelings went way, way beyond brotherly love.
Iain’s younger sister Hannah was the same age as Lorrie and he had watched over them as a big brother should; but after an incident when Lorrie was eighteen he fought to keep his feelings in check and on a brotherly level.
Lorrie was resigned to always being the girl next door and Iain stubbornly stuck to his principals that it was wrong for them to be anything other than good neighbours.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Dec 3, 2014
• ISBN: 9781326107581

Book preview

Through the Garden Gate or the Girl Next Door

Through the Garden Gate or The Girl Next Door

by

Catherine Carson

Content Copyright © Catherine Carson

ISBN 978-1-326-10753-6 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-326-10758-1 (eBook)

About the author

Born in Scotland I now live with my husband in the North West of England.  We have three children who, between them, have given us six wonderful grandchildren.

During the years I became something of a letter writer as friends and family lived in many parts of the country.  Often friends and family would tell me…..‘You could write a book’ to which I always replied…..‘But would anyone read it’. 

When my granddaughter asked if I would write a book especially for her I told my good friend Lisa Schmidt and she told me to go for it.  That book became the first of many stories which had been lurking in my imagination for a good number of years.

Once started I found the stories simply kept coming and often an overheard conversation or a glimpse from the passenger seat of the car would trigger a likely scenario which my imagination would then elaborate and weave into a story.

My hope is that my writing brings a little pleasure into the reader’s life and allows them to leave the mundane world behind for a few hours as they meet the characters I adore creating.

A young me - Copy.jpg

www.facebook.com/catherinecarsonbooks.uk

www.catherinerenacarson.jimdo.com

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my supportive friends who always want to know when the next story is going to be written. 

The characters in this book are completely fictional and bear no resemblance to any living person.

Other books by this author

The Mouse in the Library

~~~~~

Family Ties

~~~~~

Tapestry of Love (Book 1)       

Twins Exchanged (Book 2) 

Highland Feud (Book 3)         

~~~~~

Overall Construction

Wounded Wolf

Coffee and Cakes

Memories Rekindled

Wholesale Love

Hope’s Conflict

Estates of the Heart

Sibling Rivalry

Fighting for Custody

~~~~~

Soil, Seed & Betrayal (Book 1)

Desert Prince, Exiled Princess (Book 2

Body Language (Book 3)

~~~~~

White Knight Black Knight

Through the Garden Gate or The Girl Next Door

~~~~~

An Open Book (Book 1)

Afraid to Love (Book 2)

~~~~~

A Second Chance (Book 1)

Taming the Playboy (Book2)

~~~~~

Love Lost and Found

Highland Bachelors

Chapter 1

Pushing open the communicating gate between the two gardens Lorrie was met by Pubah the sleek elderly black cat who condescended to stay with the Maxwell family. 

Hannah and she had found him with his head stuck inside an empty tin of salmon when he was a tiny starving stray kitten. It was probably the only time that Lorrie and Hannah had ever fallen out as they fought over which one of them would take the kitten home.  Iain, Hannah’s elder brother had literally stepped in and taken charge declaring that the kitten would make his own choice as to which girl would be allowed to care for him.  From that moment Lorrie vowed she would hate Iain Maxwell forever, as the kitten rubbed his small body round both girls’ legs before settling at the feet of Hannah.

Hello traitor.  Lorrie bent to stroke the silky black head which was gently nudging against her calve.  You know I never come to visit without a treat so you can stop pretending you love me.  Lorrie laughed as she bent to give Pubah his treat.

Your treats won’t work; Pubah still prefers to stay with us.  The deep laughing voice of Iain Maxwell drew the same feelings within Lorrie as they had all those years ago when he had stepped between Hannah and her.

If you hadn’t interfered he would be named Silky and you would not get anywhere near him.  His laughter followed her as she walked along the pathway to towards the kitchen door of the Maxwell home.

***

Their parents had moved into adjoining homes on the same day and a strong friendship had been forged between them. 

Walt Maxwell had moved his family from Scotland in order to take up a job at the local car plant.  His height and girth together with his red hair always held Lorrie in awe but in his tiny wife Jean’s hands, he became a teddy bear. 

Iain had been five years old at the time but being a true chip off the old block apart from hair colouring, he had the height and build of a boy of eight and over the years reached and overtook his father for height. 

Cathie and Shaun Belmont took possession of their new home on return from their honeymoon and Jean Maxwell had wasted no time in inviting them round to their home for tea and cakes.  Shaun was a surveyor for the local council and Cathie worked in the typing pool and it was whilst querying one of his reports that they met, fell in love and as they say…..the rest was history.

When it was discovered that both Cathie and Jean were pregnant and that their babies were due at the same time the friendship grew stronger and when both women had daughters within days of each other it was a foregone conclusion that they would be friends too.

The two girls could not have been closer if they had in fact been sisters, Hannah had taken her father’s hair colouring and green eyes and her mother’s build and with her peaches and cream complexion was always popular with the opposite sex.  Lorrie too was small in stature but her mousy brown hair had a tendency to never quite do her bidding and therefore she kept it tied back in a pony tail which accentuated her high cheek bones and wide eyes, but in her opinion, her rather stubby nose too.

Iain had grown into his gangly frame and was now a broad shouldered giant with dark almost black hair which had a tendency to fall over his forehead and had to be constantly pushed away from his deep chocolate brown eyes.  

Over the years the friendship between the two girls had brought them their fair share of boyfriends and admirers and even when Hannah went off to university their strong bond stood the test of time. 

Now a fully qualified teacher Hannah had returned to Wellthorpe and taken up a position at the local high school teaching French and German. 

Lorrie had attended the local college taking a course in business management and was now employed by a local building contractor running the office almost singlehandedly. 

Iain too had gone to university but unlike his younger sister he had not come home but had taken up a position with a city architectural practice and at thirty two had risen to become a junior partner in the practice.  His visits to Wellthorpe were infrequent only coming home for short visits and Lorrie wondered what had brought him home this particular weekend.

***

Knowing it would hurt Jean if she showed her animosity towards Iain; Lorrie put a smile on her face as she knocked gently on the kitchen door before entering.

Hello dear you’ll find Hannah in the dining room with Sylvia they are looking for some ideas on the internet.  Jean Maxwell was loading the dishwasher as she spoke and barely lifted her head and therefore could not see the reaction Lorrie had at the mention of Sylvia Purvis, Iain’s fiancée.

It wasn’t that she disliked Sylvia; it was simply a case of wondering what on earth she saw in the great oaf who, in Lorrie’s eyes had no saving graces.

Opening the door to the dining room she found both girls sitting at the polished table with a laptop in front of them.  Hi, come and help.  Sylvia has asked me to be her bridesmaid and we have been looking at some dresses on line.

Why Lorrie should suddenly feel her heart thudding and dropping to her toes at the mention of bridesmaids’ dresses she had no idea.

Chapter 2

I hear Iain and Sylvia have finally set a date for their wedding.  Cathie Belmont observed as she placed the dish of mashed potatoes back in the centre of the table.

About time too, that lad should have married that girl long ago.  His excuse of wanting to establish himself was nothing short of prevarication.  Shaun Belmont did not believe in the modern way of young people living together before marriage. 

Dad, to be fair I don’t think it was entirely his fault.  From what Hannah said Sylvia wasn’t ready to take the final step.  Lorrie did not really want to talk about Iain’s forthcoming marriage; she was still trying to come to terms with her reaction to seeing the excitement on Hannah’s face at the prospect of being a bridesmaid at her beloved brother’s wedding.

If we all waited until we were ready to take that final step there would be no marriages, but then I suppose there would be no divorce either.  Cathie glared at her husband and when he caught her eye he felt it was probably better to let the subject of marriage and divorce drop.

Helping her mother load the dishwasher later Lorrie saw Rusty looking hopefully at his lead hanging on the back of the kitchen door and told her mother she would take him for a walk.

Rusty had been a rescue dog and it was the colour of his coat which had determined his name.  He was what was commonly known as a mongrel as there were no defining traits in his make-up to determine which breed he had originated from.  It had always been Lorrie’s belief that he had Labrador or Retriever genes somewhere in his mix as he was a fairly large dog with a great deal of strength, which with his colouring probably meant he had Terrier or Beagle in there too.

Realising how much it had upset their daughter when Pubah had chosen Hannah, Cathie and Shaun had taken her to the local dog rescue centre and Rusty had been chosen as her new pet. Like Pubah he was now a lot older but still a very active dog and he enjoyed long walks along the canal banks. 

Passing the Maxwell home Lorrie saw the expensive car parked in their driveway and knew that Iain and Sylvia were still inside and probably enjoying a family meal and discussing the preparations for their wedding in six months time. 

Rusty knew exactly where he was going and Lorrie had to keep a