AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She wondered if he wanted to stay here the way she did. But he had other priorities at the moment. ‘I’ll leave you to it, you’ve got your hands full.’
He looked about to protest but then puffed air from between his cheeks, accepting there was no way around it other than to divert his attentions.
* * *
Hazel had been organised and full of energy today, especially since seeing Gus down on the beach. It had been an unexpected surprise and one she wouldn’t mind repeating sometime soon. Since returning from her ride on Sherbert, she’d taken another hay delivery, mucked out stables, refilled hay nets, swept the yard and the middle of the stable block, reordered stock and returned phone calls, including one to her mum, who wanted to know how Cinnamon was doing. And now, as early evening descended, she and Arnold had already finished grilled tuna for dinner and with the horses in the paddocks, it was time to kick back for a while.
‘Hard day?’ she asked Arnold, pouring him a glass of wine. Sometimes she hated asking that question, but she was more relaxed than she’d been in a long while. She blamed the sea air for her blurting out the question before she could filter.
Thankfully Arnold seemed as relaxed as she was tonight. Perhaps, like her, it was the relief of no more dramas, no injured horses or riders. It was a good day. ‘Not a bad day, as it happens, although Mum’s phone calls to check up on us get a bit much.’
‘She had you checking the fence again?’
‘Yup,’ he laughed. Both of them knew it wasn’t that she doubted her children, it was more that these horses were hers and their dad’s, or at least they belonged to all of them, and Hazel knew while the paperwork and the admin were one thing to let go of, their parents would never let go of caring for the animals they’d loved over the years.
‘I suppose it’s nice Mum and Dad are still invested in Heritage View,’ said Hazel. ‘It’s nice we have the support.’
Arnold sipped his wine but then looked at her. ‘Don’t tell me you’re going to bring up that guy James brought in, are you?’
‘The proposed hired help, you mean? No, wasn’t going to say a thing.’
‘What’s going on with you? You look… happy, relaxed.’
‘And that’s a bad thing?’ She sipped her glass of red. ‘I had a good morning on Sherbert, that’s all.’ She wasn’t going to tell him she’d also bumped into Gus on the beach. She saw him a lot at the stables but seeing him elsewhere always felt that bit more exhilarating.
‘You haven’t hired someone without me knowing?’ Arnold was suspicious, especially when he added, ‘Don’t tell me, you’re back with James, you’re in love all over again.’
Another sip of wine. ‘Now you’re being crazy. And stop trying to read too much into me not being miserable.’
‘He’s desperate for you to get back with him, you know. You must see that.’
‘How would you feel if we got back together?’ she wondered.
‘Not up to me,’ he shrugged.
‘Don’t you like him?’
‘I don’t mind him, if he makes you happy.’
‘He did, once. And since when have either of us confided in the other about our love lives?’
He sipped his wine. ‘That’s a good point.’ He patted his stomach as though they hadn’t already had dinner and he looked heavenward when he saw the oven timer and realised he still had fifteen minutes to wait for dessert, the apple crumble still warming. ‘But while we’re on the subject, should we talk about the other man in your life, then?’
‘What other man?’
‘A certain village vet.’
‘Arnold, seriously.’ She picked up her glass of wine, mostly to hide her reaction, lest it gave something away. ‘He’s a client, a very important one for our finances. And a bit of a knight in shining armour for Cinnamon.’
‘He did a good job with Cinnamon. I won’t deny that. And I wouldn’t like to be in his shoes if he hadn’t.’ He ducked out of the way when Hazel went to swipe him around the ear at his teasing. ‘He’s keen, I’m telling you.’
‘He’s only interested in me because Denby lives here and he wants me to teach Abigail.’
‘Let me guess, you still won’t.’ He held up his hands as he pushed his chair back from the table and went to get the bowls ready for the dessert.
‘I’m trying.’
‘How, Hazel?’ She tried to gauge whether he was as irritated as he sounded. One minute they were okay, the next he remembered how she was making life difficult around here. ‘We’re losing business and I’m worried James is going to persuade you that you’re so helpless you need this outsider to step in. Which is not what I want, and I know you don’t deep down.’
