So that was it. ‘Tomorrow isn’t a good day.’ She held up her bottle before taking a mouthful. ‘My parents leave to go on their cruise tomorrow and there’s bound to be all the last-minute panicking about passports, times to leave for the airport, check-in, and all that stuff, and I know my dad will be wanting to go over everything he thinks I need to know about, for the hundredth time.’
‘I can imagine there’ll be a lot to go through then. Well, I wouldn’t want to interrupt all that fun. OK then, the following day. I’ll wait for you to tell me what a good time will be.’
Lettie thought about her first day working alone. ‘I’m going to be working from early morning until the evening I imagine, so I’d better not commit to anything just yet. Let’s leave it for now and maybe catch up in a week or so, if that’s OK?’
He beamed at her. ‘No problem at all.’
‘I just wish I had more of a clue about what I was doing and don’t want to mess everything up.’
Joe put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her gently to him. ‘Good luck tomorrow. I’m sure you’ll be fine and will soon get the hang of running the farm.’ He put a finger under her chin and lifted it slightly so she caught his eye. ‘You might discover that it isn’t for you after all.’ He smiled. ‘Your bags could be packed and the car revving to take you away on the day your parents return for all you know.’
Lettie doubted it but he could have a point. She playfully pushed him away. ‘That won’t happen.’
‘Can you be certain of that?’
She knew she couldn’t but had no intention of entertaining the notion. She had made a promise to herself to make this work and that’s what she intended to do.
21
BRODIE
‘Brodie?’ He heard his name being called somewhere in the distance, then realised it was Cathy who was speaking to him from across the pub table. He hadn’t meant to drift off again, but couldn’t seem to help it. Lettie Torel had got right under his skin somehow without even trying.
He finished his soft drink. ‘Sorry, I was miles away then.’
She gave him an amused grin. ‘I didn’t need to be a genius to work that out.’
‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude.’
She leant back in her chair. ‘Look, if you’d rather go I won’t be offended.’
Embarrassed to think he had given that impression, Brodie shook his head. ‘No. Why don’t I fetch us another drink and you can tell me whatever it was I’ve just missed.’
Cathy reached out and rested her hand on his. ‘I know we’re only here because your sister engineered it. We don’t have to stay until the end of the evening, if you’d rather call it a night now.’
He would like nothing better, he decided, still shaken to haveseen Lettie out on a date with someone. He hated making people feel bad and suspected that was what he had done here. His sister had made her excuses to leave soon after Lettie’s departure, leaving him and Cathy together. Cathy seemed like a lovely woman. She was polite and charming and, actually, he thought looking at her properly for the first time, very attractive. Was Lettie playing on his mind because he was jealous seeing her out with that guy? Probably. He didn’t recognise him. What was his name again? Ah, yes, Joe. Another farmer, he imagined. Brodie sighed inwardly. The two of them seemed to have a lot to talk about and clearly enjoyed each other’s company.
Cathy lowered her drink and the movement snapped him back to the present. Aware he was being rude again, Brodie apologised.
‘It’s fine. You didn’t ask to have me dumped on you.’
He winced at her comment. ‘You make it sound as if I was forced into coming out with you tonight.’
‘You weren’t?’ she asked, eyebrows raised. ‘Not even a little bit.’
Brodie realised she was trying to make light of their situation. ‘No, I wasn’t.’ He shrugged. ‘But if I’m honest it’s been a long day and I’m happy to go home, if that’s what you’d prefer.’
‘It is.’
‘I’m disappointed in you,’ Maddie grumbled later when she arrived at his cottage and interrupted the film he was dozing through. ‘Cathy’s lovely and enormous fun. I expected the two of you to be well suited. I can’t believe you left soon after I did. That’s so disappointing.’
Irritated with her interfering, Brodie glared at her. ‘Maddie, I love you, but right now not very much. I felt dreadful when youengineered the drink at the pub. Poor woman would have far rather been doing anything else than spending time with me.’
Maddie folded her arms and glowered at him. ‘And she said that, did she?’
He wished she would go home and leave him alone. ‘No, of course she didn’t but I’m sure she was only being polite staying at the pub after you’d done a runner.’ He pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose.
‘Brodie, I don’t know why you underestimate yourself, but girls seem to like you.’
