‘You seemed lost in thought then.’
‘Not really,’ she lied. ‘How’s the tractor?’
He thought for a moment. ‘It was fine when I dropped it off.’ He shook his head. ‘I don’t work there, if that’s what you were thinking. I just help occasionally in my spare time if my uncle needs me.’
Lettie was confused. ‘But I thought he had given you a job there.’ She tried to recall what he had told her. ‘Then you’re not a farmer?’
He shook his head. ‘Sorry, I meant he gave me work years ago when I first returned to the island. I haven’t worked there properly for years.’
‘You haven’t?’
‘No. I’m a firefighter.’
The image of Joe dressed up in his firefighting kit sprang into her mind. ‘Wow.’
He frowned. ‘Sorry?’
Mortified to have reacted without thinking, she laughed. ‘I was just, er, thinking.’
‘What about?’
Wanting to change the subject, Lettie said, ‘Isn’t it a dangerous job?’
He shrugged. ‘It can be, but we’re extremely well trained and don’t forget we have all the protective gear.’
‘Of course, you do.’ She felt her cheeks heating up and was relieved when just at that moment a door leading to the lavatories opened, until she realised it was Brodie who had stepped out. She was taken aback for a moment.
‘You all right?’ Joe asked, glancing in Brodie’s direction. ‘Someone I should be concerned about?’
Unsure what he meant by the question, Lettie frowned. ‘In what way?’
‘I caught him looking over. He’s not a jealous ex, or anything, is he?’
‘No, nothing like that,’ she insisted, unable to keep the amusement from her voice. Not that she would have minded Brodie having been her boyfriend at some time in the past. Brodie caught her eye as he passed their table and seemed hurt. She hoped he hadn’t realised she was talking about him.
‘Hi, Lettie,’ he said giving Joe a nod.
Joe smiled. ‘Hey, aren’t you the new vet?’
‘That’s right.’
‘How are you finding it around here?’
Lettie busied herself finding her lip salve in her small handbag as she listened to the small talk before realising Brodie must have sat at the table where the girl who had been looking at Joe was seated. She turned slightly to have a look and found the girl watching her.
Embarrassed to have been caught out, Lettie reached out to shake the girl’s hand. ‘Hi, I’m Lettie from Hollyhock Farm.’ She couldn’t help feeling envious that Brodie was out for a drink with someone else, albeit clearly not a date as they weren’t alone.
‘I’m Cathy.’
When the girl didn’t elaborate, Lettie gave her a smile before turning back to Joe who was watching her, an amused look on his face.
‘Shall we get out of here?’ he whispered. ‘It’s still light outside and we could go for a walk if you want.’
The place was filling up quickly but then it was the only pub in the village, so she knew she shouldn’t be surprised. She picked up her drink and finished before replying. ‘I’d like that.’
Joe smiled and drank his lager before standing and turning to Brodie, Cathy and their friend. ‘Nice to meet you. Hopefully we’ll see you again soon.’
She was unsure whether she liked the use of ‘we’, as if they were some sort of couple. But she reasoned that at least then Brodie might put any hint of jealousy she had shown in her face down to something else.
