‘Well, I hope you have fun.’
She watched her parents leave the house and soon after drive away. Happy to be alone, Lettie walked outside looking forward to spending a few hours alone.
That evening she made the most of her parents before they left for their holiday. She was sitting outside in the beer garden at the back of the pub with Tina, and Lettie couldn’t help wishing Brodie had never returned to the island. Despite her best intentions, her emotions clearly had no plan to do what was best for her, and she still had a massive crush on him.
‘You’re very thoughtful,’ Tina said narrowing her eyes. ‘Are you going to tell me what’s happened, or am I going to have to guess?’
Lettie knew Tina would keep something to herself if she shared it with her. They had been best friends for years and she had to confide in someone. ‘The new vet.’
‘He’s gorgeous, isn’t he? I bumped into him at the store earlier and he has the bluest eyes. He looks extra cute wearing those glasses too, I thought.’
Lettie nodded her agreement. A bit too cute for her liking, she decided.
‘When he looked at me I briefly forgot why I had gone into the shop. Embarrassing it was, I can tell you.’
‘Only if he noticed.’ Lettie saw disappointment in Tina’s face and realised she had said the wrong thing. She knew only too wellhow it felt not to be noticed by him. ‘Remember that school Halloween disco when we were about fifteen?’
‘The one I missed because my dad had grounded me for staying out too late the previous weekend?’ Tina gasped. ‘Not the one where you had your first kiss?’
Tina knew her too well. ‘That’s the one.’
Tina gazed at her silently, tapping her finger against her lips thoughtfully before her eyes widened. ‘Don’t tell me he’s the guy who kissed you?’
Lettie closed her eyes, recalling the humiliation of that night when so much had seemed possible, but only for a very brief time. His rejection of her still stung. ‘That’s the one.’
Tina’s mouth dropped open. ‘No,’ she whispered.
‘I wish he wasn’t, but he is.’
Tina sat back in silence. She waited for Tina to think things through, then, seeing her friend’s expression change, she could tell Tina had worked out exactly why this was such a bad thing.
‘So, he’s not only gorgeous, and has already kissed you, but he doesn’t remember either you or that kiss? Is that it?’
Lettie let out a long, miserable sigh. ‘It is.’
Tina touched her arm sympathetically. ‘Oh Lettie, that’s horrible.’
‘Exactly. If that isn’t bad enough, imagine how mortified I’m going to be when he works out where he knows me from.’
Her friend shook her head. ‘Why would he do that?’ She took a sip of her drink. ‘If he hasn’t remembered you yet, then maybe it won’t ever come to him?’
If only life was as simple as that, Lettie thought wistfully. ‘Because when we first met, he was convinced he knew me from somewhere, that’s why.’
‘Ah, I see. Tricky.’
‘Yes.’ She covered her face with her hands. ‘Why does he have tobe the farm’s new flippin’ vet?’
‘Maybe when you’re in sole charge of the farm you could move to another veterinary practice?’
‘If only it was that easy,’ Lettie groaned. ‘I couldn’t do that.’
‘Why not?’
Lettie tried to picture Brodie’s reaction if she did go to another vet. It wouldn’t be fair, not when he was trying to build his reputation here and hadn’t actually done anything wrong. Anything he was aware of. ‘Because he would surely want to know why. And, even if he didn’t ask, I know my father would be angry. He already likes him and thinks he’s good at what he does, so it isn’t really an option.’
‘I’d never think of you as forgettable though,’ Tina said thoughtfully. ‘It’s very odd.’
‘Embarrassing, is what it is.’
