‘That’s such a lovely idea. There are always dogs needing homes and who better to take one in than a qualified vet?’
He was glad she thought so. ‘It might take a while though. I’ll have to find out who to contact to find this new housemate.’
Lettie laughed. ‘I’m sure there will be many people offering to help you.’
‘Maybe you could help me choose one?’ He wasn’t sure why he had said that but knew he didn’t want their connection to end too soon. Regardless of his promise to himself he now knew that he liked having Lettie around and even if she was seeing someone else and they could only be friends it would have to be enough. ‘What do you think?’
‘I’d like that.’
He was delighted to hear her say so. ‘Great, then we can start looking into it soon.’ He thought of Bethan and how she seemed to know everyone on the island, or at least a lot of them. ‘Maybe Bethan can help lead us in the right direction.’
‘We’ll have to ask her.’
Thistle yawned and took a long, slow languorous stretch before falling back to sleep. ‘I have to admit I’m already enjoying having Thistle in the house,’ he said not meaning to voice his thoughts.
‘You are?’
Hearing Lettie’s surprise, he turned to her. ‘I shouldn’t let myself get attached to him.’ He said it mostly to remind himself.
‘No, I suppose you shouldn’t.’ Lettie looked at Thistle and smiled. ‘Then again, I can see why you would. He’s a character, isn’t he?’
‘He is.’ Brodie saw she had finished eating and stood to take her plate, waking Thistle. ‘Sorry, boy, you go back to sleep.’
The dog did as he suggested and, surprised to have been listened to, Brodie looked at Lettie and they both laughed, keeping their voices quiet. ‘Listen to us trying not to disturb the dog who neither of us knew existed before this evening.’
‘He’s a prince among strays though and assumes we know our place.’
Brodie agreed. He stood and took her plate through to the kitchen, laughing to himself. This evening was turning out far better than he could ever have dared imagine. He turned on the tap to fill the sink and recalled his promise not to become involved with a client. What had he been thinking kissing her like that? What had he started? It was a stupid mistake and he couldn’t help feeling it was a shame that tonight and their kiss could only be a one-off.
24
LETTIE
As she drove back to the farm Lettie recalled how wonderful it had been to be in Brodie’s arms and finally kiss him again. Thinking about it now made her go all tingly inside. She sighed. She was sure she wasn’t imagining things but his demeanour seemed to have changed in between Brodie carrying their plates to the kitchen and returning to the living room.
She hoped she was imagining things and pushed her concerns aside as being caused by her tiredness. Lettie couldn’t help wondering how different things might have been if Brodie had texted her back and they had struck up a relationship all those years before. She sensed that having Brodie as a boyfriend would be completely different to being with someone controlling like her ex – Scott. She remembered only too well how difficult her last relationship had been. He was only her second real boyfriend and it still surprised her how someone as initially thoughtful and seemingly kind as Scott could end up making her feel uncomfortable and causing her to have to secretly plan to move out of the flat they shared.
Growing up with her quiet, hard-working father who althoughstrict was gentle, and her noisy, slightly annoyingly chaotic brother, it had never occurred to her that she would end up being in a relationship with someone underhanded like Scott.
She thought of Nessa, her flatmate in London, and felt guilty for moving out especially after she had gone with Lettie to help her pack her things and moved her from Scott’s flat where she had only been living for a few weeks. If it wasn’t for Nessa and her boyfriend, where would she be now? Lettie shuddered, slamming on the brakes in fright when something flew at her windscreen.
It was only a barn owl, she realised. She drew up the lane and saw her uncle wave at her as his car turned onto the road, grateful to him for looking after the place while she was out for most of the morning. As she made her way down the long driveway to the farm Lettie was still spooked by the thought of Scott and the shock of the owl flying towards her so unexpectedly. Suddenly being alone in the large farmhouse wasn’t such a welcome one. Spending time with Brodie in his cosy little cottage made her yearn for something similar. Somewhere she knew there were only a few doors and windows that needed checking.
The lights pinged on around the yard as she approached, making her feel a bit safer. At least her father had ensured there was little chance of someone, or something, creeping up on the house without bright lights flashing on and scaring them half witless.
She stepped out of the car and locked it, reminding herself that she might be alone at the farmhouse but she had Spud with her and he was a pretty good guard dog. She was also in Jersey and doubted that even Scott would chance coming here. He had only visited once with her and her father had taken an instant dislike to him, as had Zac. She wished she had listened to them now when they and her mother had tried to warn her.
‘That’s all in the past now,’ she said unlocking the front doorand going into the house. She switched on the hall lights and locked the door behind her. She really had scared herself, she thought, irritated that her ex still had such an effect on her even a year after they had parted. Someone, probably Nessa had told her he had found a new girlfriend very soon after they had split, so hopefully he had long forgotten about her anyway. The thought relaxed her slightly.
She thought about making a drink of something hot but seeing that it was now almost eleven, decided to take a shower and go straight to bed.
Joe had said he would come to the farm to shear the alpacas as soon as his shift was over the following day. He was so kind and also, she mused, different to Brodie in so many ways, yet both were attractive and keen to be helpful, which she appreciated.
An hour later as she lay in her bed staring at the ceiling, a familiar anxiety about the farm filled her stomach and throat, and she wondered if maybe she should give up trying to get any sleep and get up instead.
Lettie must have fallen asleep because the next thing she knew the cockerel was crowing and she was sitting bolt upright in bed. It took her a moment to figure out where she was and that she was alone in the house. She hoped her parents would enjoy their time on the ship and that the cruise would turn out to be everything they hoped.
She rubbed her eyes lightly and kicked off her duvet.
