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‘Great. Okay, so I better go before the actual owner finds me here.’
He nods again and guides the horse away, up the path and around the corner. She waits until he’s gone before she closes her eyes and bumps her head against the car window.
‘What the hell was all that?’ Maybe if she’d been prepared she could have come out with something a little more intellectual than mentioning the fact she’s trespassing then rambling on like a nervous teenager. Great way to leave an impression for all the wrong reasons.
She pulls open the door and climbs inside. Probably best she avoids this place for a few days. Maybe given enough time he might just forget the entire conversation. Not that it could really be called a conversation. More like an embarrassing interaction.
Still cursing herself, Chloe turns the key but the engine whines and dies. She glares at the centre of the steering wheel and tries again. Same whine then nothing. She slams her hand against the wheel, jumping when the horn blares out.
‘Oh come on!’ She tries again and again, cursing the vehicle and anything else she can think off.
Finally giving up, she rests her head against the steering wheel and closes her eyes. She screams as a knock sounds on the window. Chloe frowns at the figure beside the car but her brain takes a ridiculously long time to make the connection. The man tilts his head down to look in the window as his horse watches from just behind him.
She rolls down the window and smiles apologetically. ‘Sorry. I hope I didn’t startle your horse.’
‘He’s fine. You okay?’
‘Yeah. Well, no actually. The damn thing won’t start.’
‘Open the bonnet.’
She bends down and locates the lever, watching out the window as he disappears under the front of the pickup. ‘Is it serious?’
The man grunts from under the bonnet. ‘Try it again.’ The same irritating whine then silence. ‘Just the battery. It’ll need a jump.’ He slams the bonnet closed and wipes his hands on his jeans. ‘You got someone you can call?’
Chloe checks her watch and makes a face. ‘It’s seven in the morning. I’ll ring a garage later and get it sorted.’
He nods and scratches his jaw. ‘You live nearby?’
Chloe points up the track. ‘Top of the hill. Cove View Cottage.’
He leans against the load bed and crosses his arms as he scrutinises her. Chloe can feel her cheeks burn as he looks over at her, but she can’t turn away. His eyes are the most incredible shade of dark blue she’s seen. And it not like she’s being rude by staring. He’s doing a pretty good job of that himself.
‘So you must be Dorothy’s granddaughter.’
Chloe nods, releasing the breath she was holding when he finally looks away from her to his horse. He whistles and the horse stops sniffing whatever had caught its attention and walks back over to him.
‘Yeah. You know my gran?’
‘Everyone around here does. She mentioned you’d be coming to stay for a bit.’
‘I’m Chloe. Nice to meet you.’ She smiles awkwardly as he frowns again but doesn’t offer his name. ‘Do you have a name?’
‘You want to know my name?’
‘Well, only if you want to tell me.’
He mulls over that for longer than necessary. It’s just his name. It’s not like she’s asking for his phone number. Not that she wouldn’t mind if he gave it to her. After her disastrous initial meeting, the odds of getting his number aren’t worth mentioning.
Chloe smiles and points over her shoulder to the track back to the road. ‘Well, I better get back. Thanks for your help.’
‘Tate.’
‘I’m sorry?’
‘My name is Tate.’
‘Oh. Right. That’s a lovely name.’
