‘Go on.’
Lettie told her about Thistle and what had happened, amused to see her best friend’s delight.
‘Did you kiss him?’ Tina whispered, barely managing to contain her excitement.
‘Yes,’ she admitted, aware that Tina knew her well enough to sense if she was fibbing. ‘But don’t get excited, it was only twice.’
Tina clasped her hands together and went to say something, stopping when something caught her attention. She lowered her head slightly and discreetly pointed in the direction of the shop. ‘He’s there.’
‘Who?’
‘Your vet.’
‘He’s not my vet,’ Lettie hissed, wishing Tina would stop referring to him in that way.
‘Will you shut up and talk to him? I want to watch and see how he reacts to you.’
Lettie had no intention of behaving like a teenager just for her friend’s entertainment. ‘No, I won’t. Anyway I need to get to the shop before it closes. I’ll catch up with you sometime soon.’
‘Spoilsport.’
Lettie began walking to the shop entrance. She smiled at Brodie as he walked in her direction. ‘Hi.’
He looked her way. ‘Hi.’
She expected him to at least stop and speak to her but instead he gave a polite smile like one she imagined he might give to a client and hurried on his way, presumably back to his cottage. Embarrassed to have been pretty much ignored, Lettie cast a glance behind her to see if Tina was still there, mortified to discover that her friend had witnessed everything and was looking bemused.
Not wishing to feel more embarrassed than she already was, Lettie forced a smile before heading into the shop.
Why had he acted as if they barely knew each other? Had she been foolish to assume that after their enjoyable evening together they were at least friends now? It was very confusing and, she had to admit, hurtful. Clearly any messages she had picked up and interpreted as meaning he might be even slightly attracted to her must have been wrong. What a fool she had been to even let herself think there could be something between them.
She shook away the thought of him and forced herself to focus on finding something for supper. Then, turning the corner at the end of an aisle, Lettie came face to face with Joe.
‘Hello there,’ he said beaming at her and looking as delighted to see her as she wished Brodie had been. ‘Fancy seeing you here.’
Unable to help herself, Lettie was amused. ‘What, in a food shop?’ She noticed his basket filled with food.
He grinned. ‘Good point.’ He raised the basket. ‘My turn to cook for the crew tomorrow night. Thought I’d make us a beef curry.’
Lettie felt even hungrier at the thought of how that might taste. ‘Lucky crew.’
‘You haven’t tasted my cooking yet, so I wouldn’t assume they’ll enjoy this all that much.’ He stared at her, smiling. ‘I enjoyed today.’
‘Me too. Thanks again for all your help.’
‘It’s no problem at all. I’m glad to be useful. Hey, if you’re looking for supper, why don’t we go to the pub and eat something together?’
She didn’t see why she shouldn’t. It was late and every part of her body ached. The effort of making food, even something heated up in the microwave, had disappeared. And now that Brodie had shown how uninterested he was in her for the second time in her life after they had kissed, she needed something to take her mind off him and her humiliation. Brodie Murray just wasn’t worth her time and she had no intention of wasting any of it mooning after him. Not after wasting so many years over him years before.
‘But what about your shopping?’
He cocked his head to one side. ‘I can buy it tomorrow. Give me a sec and I’ll put all this back and then we can go and eat.’
She liked the idea. ‘The pub does do good food,’ she said pretending she needed to contemplate his suggestion.
‘It does, and I met Tina outside. She was just telling me that it’s curry night there tonight. I love a tasty curry.’
She hadn’t realised he knew Tina and said so.
