Her mother took a deep breath. ‘You’re right.’ She hugged Lettie. ‘Sorry, I’m nervous as well as excited for this trip.’
‘Just think, tonight you’ll be asleep in a comfortable hotel bed near the airport, refreshed for your early morning flight to Barcelona.’ She smiled. ‘This time tomorrow you’ll be on the ship, cocktail in hand ready to enjoy your two-month holiday.’
‘I am excited. I’ve wanted this for so long. I think I never expected it to truly happen.’
Gareth entered the room. ‘And it’s not going to if we arrive at the airport too late to catch today’s flight.’
‘I’ll go and make that tea,’ Lettie said without waiting for her mother to answer.
‘Thanks, and while you’re downstairs you may as well phone the bloke and arrange for him to come and shear the alpacas.’
Lettie dropped her parents at the airport. She had left a message on the shearer’s phone and hoped the person called back soon. She was on her way back to the farm. She was struggling not to cry although wasn’t sure why she felt so emotional watching her parents pulling their cases into the Departures Hall. Maybe it was the thought of not seeing them for a couple of months, or simply because she was anxious about what might happen in that time while she was looking after the farm. Lettie attempted to push away the overwhelming fear she might end up failing to prove she had what it took to step in for her father. She decided she needed to pull herself together and focus on her new role, starting with going home and checking on the animals. Start as she meant to go on.
After an exhausting day on the farm, Lettie was hungry butcouldn’t be bothered cooking much and decided to go to the village to buy something to pop in the microwave.
On her return, she was nearing the farm when she spotted movement in a bush. She wasn’t sure what it was, but it seemed to be the size of a lamb. It was black and she estimated to be only about a foot or two tall. Slowing down to try and get a better look, Lettie peered at the bush to see if she could work out what it might be and hoped that none of their animals had escaped. There were no other vehicles in the quiet lane. Lettie stopped the car and got out, moving quietly and slowly. She held her breath when something moved, and she stopped to see if it came out of its own accord. She didn’t fancy whatever it was biting her, but also couldn’t leave until she was certain that the animal wasn’t hurt in any way.
Lettie waited for a few minutes before turning and pretending not to be interested and walking slowly towards the car as if she intended leaving. When she reached the driver’s door Lettie peered in the wing mirror and saw it was a dog. A strange-looking dog at that. The poor thing was trembling and watched her nervously, its front right leg raised. It was clearly hurt but thankfully not too badly.
Turning very slowly, she crouched down and reached out her hand. ‘Are you lost, little one?’
The dog stared at her without moving.
Wondering if it was hungry, Lettie recalled having put a couple of gravy bone treats into her jacket pocket a few days before to try and persuade her father’s farm dog, Spud, to improve his recall to her. She slowly put her hand into her pocket and withdrew them, holding out her palm towards the injured animal and waiting for it to give in to temptation and take the treats.
Lettie’s leg muscles were aching and she was beginning to think she was wasting her time given how slowly the animal took its first tentative steps towards her. It was a sweet little thing with a shortsnout and legs that looked too long and skinny for its body, which was the shape of a collie’s or something similar.
‘You’re a sweet little chap, aren’t you?’
The dog stared at her then, deciding she could be trusted, stepped forward, lunged at her hand and snatched one of the gravy bones before scurrying a safe distance away to eat it.
By the time Lettie had fed it the second treat, her legs were almost numb but the dog seemed calmer. ‘Will you come with me?’
She gradually reached forward and stroked the dog’s head, then when it didn’t seem to mind, stroked its back a few times. She couldn’t take it back to the farm with her – she knew that much. This timid creature would probably be terrified of the noise from the other animals, and as for Spud with his territorial ways, she didn’t think it would be fair to expect the stray to have to deal with him. She had little choice but to take it to Brodie so that he could check it was all right.
It took a little while longer before Lettie was able to pick the dog up and place it in the car. As she began driving to The Village Practice, she realised her shoulders ached with tension. The dog was sweet and seemed interested in everything they passed. Slowly its fluffy black tail rose and even wagged at one point.
She arrived at Brodie’s practice and, finding a length of blue baler twine in the footwell in front of the passenger seat, she reached down and picked it up to tie it loosely around the dog’s neck. She couldn’t get this far with it, only for it to be spooked and run away.
She carefully got out of the car and encouraged the dog to go with her. It didn’t seem to mind the makeshift collar and lead but when they reached the front door of the surgery, she realised it was locked.
‘Damn. Now what are we going to do?’ she asked the dog who didn’t seem in the least bit concerned.
Lettie went to return to her car, stopping before she reached it when she recalled her mother once mentioning something about Old Man Winter living behind the practice in a cottage. Could Brodie live there now? It was worth a try. She noticed it was almost dusk and had little time to find an alternative. Hoping he didn’t have company and that she wasn’t interrupting a romantic evening with Cathy, she braced herself for his reaction and walked around the side of the building to the back where a sweet, but rather run-down cottage stood. It wasn’t very big and she wondered how someone with Brodie’s height coped with living in such a little place. Aware she couldn’t delay knocking on his door any longer, Lettie stepped forward and, seeing an anchor door knocker, lifted it and knocked twice, surprising the dog and causing it to pull back from her.
‘It’s all right,’ she said, wishing she had thought things through a little better. She held on tightly to the twine and crouched down, willing the dog to come to her so she could comfort it.
When there was no answer at the door, Lettie realised that there were no lights on inside either. Her heart raced as she tried not to panic while she worked out what to do next. For the first time she felt very alone on the island.
Maybe Bethan might have an idea, she thought hopefully as she led the dog back to her car.
23
BRODIE
Brodie pushed a hand through his salty, damp hair. He had lost track of time, the surf had been so perfect. It was the best surfing he had enjoyed since his return to live on the island. Exhilarated, Brodie wondered what he should do for the rest of his evening. He had some bills to sort through but that could wait until his lunch break the following day as nothing was urgent. He indicated and turned into his parking area behind the practice noticing a car parked there.
Unsure why anyone would park at the surgery after hours, he pulled in to park his car by the cottage and spotted someone with a dog on a lead. He turned off the ignition and got out of his car, seeing that it was in fact Lettie and she had a dog that he didn’t think was hers on the end of what looked like blue baler twine.
