Their father groaned. ‘You think most things are worth celebrating. I have stuff to do, so don’t let me hold you back.’
As much as Lettie liked her brother’s idea, she wanted to start as she meant to go on. Proving herself to her father was going to take some work she now realised. ‘Maybe later, Zac. I’m going to stay here with Dad and pick up as much as I can before he retires.’
She knew she had said the right thing when her father gave a satisfied nod. ‘That’s what I like to hear. Right, Lettie, you come with me. Leonard, I’ll chat to you a bit later.’ He walked over to his brother and shook his hand. ‘I appreciate you doing this for Lettie, thank you.’
‘No need to thank me.’ He turned to Lettie. ‘If you need anything from your old uncle, just shout.’
Lettie ran over to him and hugged him. ‘Thanks so much.’
Zac laughed. ‘I just hope you don’t end up regretting that offer.’
Lettie nudged him. ‘Shut up.’
‘No, you shut up.’ Zac pulled a face. ‘Right, I’m off. I’ll be back later though, Letts. Then we can take a stroll to the village and have a celebratory drink in the pub if that suits you.’
‘I’d love that.’
Lettie followed her father and uncle outside when Zac left. As she watched her brother go, she mused about how much she had missed his company. He was always the boisterous one out of the two of them, always encouraging her to do things she might not have the confidence to try. It was enjoyable with them both being at home. She was happy that he wasn’t away working and was grateful to him for having her back with this situation. She decided she would join him at the pub as soon as she was finished on the farm.
4
BRODIE
Brodie sat nursing his pint at the pub near the veterinary practice he had taken over only a few months before. He was enjoying living back on the island, but having lived in Devon since qualifying as a vet he was still getting used to bumping into people he had known years before. He had left Jersey to go study for his veterinary degree at Bristol University. Following it with two years working for a large veterinary practice in the South West of England before his father tipped him off that the local vet – who everyone referred to as Old Man Winter – was retiring and needed someone to take over his practice.
Brodie leapt at the chance to return home, back to the place where he could settle in a village not far from the sea, closer to his parents and family and, with a loan from his grandfather, took on the lease for the practice and the cottage that went with it, where he now lived.
Brodie listened to Bethan, the practice nurse and receptionist. She had taken over from the elderly lady who had done the job for over four decades before deciding that it was time she retired when Old Man Winter sold up. Bethan was extremely efficient and likedby everyone, probably because she knew most people who came in with their pets. Brodie was also relieved to discover that she was very knowledgeable and it had been she who had persuaded him to join her at the pub for a few drinks.
‘You need to get to know the locals again,’ she had insisted that lunchtime when he had tried to turn down her suggestion of an after-work drink. ‘Learn to relax at the end of a long, tedious day.’
Now he was here, it felt good to be sitting at one of the oak tables listening to the chatter around him.
Bethan seemed to know everyone. She was chatty and confident and couldn’t do enough for him, and he decided he was very lucky to have her working for him at the practice. He watched as she said her goodbyes to her friend by the bar before returning to join him at the table.
‘My friend was telling me that her mother’s cousin’s youngest daughter was speaking to someone who had brought their tabby to the surgery a couple of weeks ago.’
‘Sorry, what?’ Brodie wasn’t sure if it was because he was tired, or that Bethan simply talked in riddles.
She didn’t explain further, but leant over the table slightly and lowered her voice. ‘She only brought the cat to you because she couldn’t get an appointment at any other surgery.’
Was telling him this supposed to be inspiring confidence in him? Brodie had no idea, or where the conversation was going. Hoping she might be going somewhere with her thoughts, Brodie kept eye contact with her and concentrated on listening. ‘That doesn’t sound very complimentary.’
She shook her head. ‘No. I mean, it is. Listen, I’m getting to the point.’
He wished she would. ‘OK, go on.’
‘She said that she was extremely impressed with the new vet.’ She pointed at him unnecessarily. ‘And will be bringing her cat tous should she need to in future.’ He went to reply, but Bethan raised her hand to stop him. ‘And, that’s not all. She’s going to tell all her friends to bring their animals to you, too.’ She lowered her hand indicating she had finished. ‘That’s good, isn’t it?’
Brodie nodded enthusiastically, mostly because he presumed that’s what Bethan expected of him. ‘Very good. Yes. Nice of your friend to tell you all that.’
‘I thought so.’ Bethan sat back looking satisfied and took a sip of her lager before looking up and catching his eye.
The door opened and a man walked in, closely followed by a woman he thought he vaguely recognised. She followed the man over to the bar, both scanning the room. The bloke spotted Bethan and raised his head before motioning for the girl to go over to their table.
Who was she? Brodie wondered, racking his brains to try and picture where he might know her from.
Bethan clocked him staring and turned in her seat, immediately waving for them to join her and Brodie. ‘I’d heard she was on the island again. Lettie, come and sit with us.’
