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‘It’s his wing so he can’t fly and has just been hopping about. Of course, I couldn’t get over there yesterday, so I’m hoping he’s still okay.’ He shrugged. ‘I know a fox may have got him or something, but it’s worth a look, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, definitely. Where will you take him if you do catch him?’
‘I’ve spoken to Chris and Freya and they’re happy to look after him over at the sanctuary.’
‘A wildlife sanctuary?’
‘No, it’s a farm animal sanctuary, but they’ve got all sorts of animals there. Chris doesn’t turn away any animal. He’s obviously got sheep, pigs, hens, even a cow, but he’s also got numerous stray cats who have made their homes in the barns, two rabbits, an array of pigeons, a robin called Tilly, and ducks.’
‘Oh, wow.’
‘Freya is a previous volunteer from Elsie’s bakery too. Have you met her yet?’
‘No, not yet.’ Evie pulled the seatbelt a little away from her neck. Repositioning it on her shoulder. ‘Quite a few people are living in the bay who volunteered for Elsie by the sounds of it.’
Jack chuckled. ‘There is. Even Diane, Teresa and Wendy, who have worked there for a few years now, were volunteers originally.’
Evie watched as they turned down a narrow lane. ‘I didn’t realise that.’
‘Yep. Here we are.’ Jack pulled the car onto the grass verge in front of a gate. ‘We don’t have official access to the land tonight, so we’ll have to walk from here.’
‘We’re trespassing?’
‘Ha-ha, no, I got the okay from the farmer we just don’t have the track open for the car.’
‘Right.’ Unbuckling her seatbelt, Evie stepped out into the cold evening air.
‘I’ll bring this just in case. A bit of wishful thinking never hurt anyone, did it?’ Taking a cat carrier from the boot, Jack joined her at the gate. ‘You think it’s lame, don’t you? Me bringing you here to save a crow on our first date?’
Shutting the gate behind her, Evie looked at Jack and frowned. ‘I didn’t realise this was the date.’
Jack looked at the ground and rubbed the back of his neck. ‘Well, by date, I mean...’
Pausing, Evie looked back at Jack and grinned. ‘I’m only teasing. This is a lovely thing to do on a first date or not.’
‘Do you mean that? I was worried you’d think I was weird. A grown man visiting a woodland every evening in search of an injured crow, who might well either no longer be here or else have flown away, proving what a fool I am.’
‘All I see is a man caring enough about the wildlife around him to give up his evenings in search of an injured bird. You are definitely not a fool.’ Smiling, she reached out and touched the sleeve of his coat.
‘You’re probably used to men in suits taking you to posh restaurants.’ He glanced down at her hand on his sleeve before looking ahead. ‘Of course, I do wear a suit when I’m doing the wedding photography, but as for posh restaurants... I don’t think we have many around here.’
Evie scrunched up her nose. ‘I don’t really go on dates.’
‘Because you don’t believe in love?’
Shrugging, Evie ducked as they walked beneath a low-hanging tree trunk. ‘Maybe.’
‘But you came tonight?’ Holding back a group of tall stinging nettles with his arm, he grinned.
‘Yes, but in my defence, I didn’t realise it was a date.’ She grimaced.
‘Oh, right?’ Jack nodded. ‘A date it is no longer then.’
Looking across at him, Evie smiled as he walked into a clearing. The light from the moon illuminated a deep blush across his cheeks. She didn’t do dates. She hadn’t been on a date in years. A decade maybe, but there was something about Jack. Something different. He wasn’t like the men who asked her for a drink after work; he wasn’t like the men who tried to chat her up on the tube home. He was different. Kind. Funny. She shrugged. ‘I guess it can be a date.’
‘Really?’ Pausing, he frowned and ran his fingers through his hair. ‘I really can’t figure out what you’re thinking.’
‘That’ll be the result of years of practice.’
