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“Shit, that must have hurt like hell. When did it happen? It looks pretty recent?”

“Oh yeah, the evening before last.”

“I didn’t know you were a fan of squash.”

“I’m full of surprises me.”

“Who do you play with?”

“Look, can you stop with all the questions?” snapped Bob, making Kate jump.

Kate considered getting out of the car there and then. The angry side of Bob was back, and she didn’t like it one bit. “I’m not sure this is a good idea. Perhaps we should leave it for this week.”

“I’m so sorry, Kate, I don’t know what’s been getting into me lately. Just, got a lot on my plate.”

“And ferrying me around the place is adding to it.”

“I didn’t mean that. This is a pleasure, not a chore. It gives me a break from home.”

“Home?”

“Oh, you know, my laptop, files piling up.”

“You work too hard Bob Carter.”

“Then let’s redress the balance with a bit of fun,” he said, starting the engine.

*

Bob pulled the car into a National Trust car park. “Oooh, Larnidrock, this sounds posh,” said Kate.

Bob stared at her in disgust. “Crikey, I can see my work to turn you into a local is a long way from done. It’s Lanhydrock, there’s ahiin the middle.”

“OK, sorry. Hey, maybe next weekend you can take me to Polzeeeth.”

“It’s Polzeath, as inethnot… oh, you’re joking.”

“Got ya,” said Kate, grabbing her bag from the back seat.

Bob got out of the car and began unloading the bikes from the rack.

“Whose bike is that?” asked Kate, crossing her fingers it hadn’t belonged to his wife. For some reason, the thought of riding a dead woman’s bicycle gave her the shivers.

“It’s Mum’s. She’s fine with you borrowing it, she doesn’t use it these days. You can keep it till you’ve decided if you want to get one of your own.”

“That’s very kind of her, but I have a bike already.”

“That folding thing? You need a proper bike for where we’re going, trust me.”

Bob handed Kate a helmet and put one on himself. His large head looked ridiculous in the helmet, but Kate could tell he was feeling self-conscious and fought the urge to tease. He wheeled his bike through the car park and Kate followed. It was busy, men unloading muddy mountain bikes from trailers, kids whizzing round on balance bikes.

“We’ll start you off on the skills trail and see how you get on.”

Kate wasn’t sure whether to be touched or insulted by Bob’s show of masculine concern. She decided actions would speak louder than words, and jumped on her bike.

“Hey, wait for me,” called Bob as Kate flew round a corner, getting some air as she sped over a ramp. Kate waved her hand in the air, enjoying Bob’s shouts of protest as he raced to catch her up. Despite the odd patch of rust, her borrowed bike was an expensive make and Kate felt it’s value beneath her feet as she guided it over jumps and sent gravel spraying in her wake on the bends. The feeling of speed was a therapy in itself and she relished the air that rushed through her hair,blowing out the cobwebsher mum would’ve said.

On the fifth go round the skills track, Kate realised Bob was nowhere to be seen. She jumped off her bike and wandered through the woods until she found him sitting at a picnic bench sipping water from a flask. His face was beetroot, his thick greying hair wet with perspiration.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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