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Working together, they found a solution. Jack reached down, scooping the mud up, while Cass shoved it as far from Ben as she could. As they worked, she became bolder, no longer shy of Jack’s body. Using his strength to lever her own against, bracing her legs across his.
It was exhausting work. Ben was beginning to get really cold now and started to cry again, and Jack talked to him, encouraging him. Or was it Cass that he encouraged? She hardly knew, just that the sound of his voice kept her going, despite the growing ache in her arms.
‘What do you reckon?’ His eyes seemed almost brighter, warmer, now that the rest of him was almost entirely covered in mud.
‘Yeah. Let’s try it.’
‘Okay. Be ready to take him.’ Jack wrapped his arms around Ben. Gently, carefully, he began to lift him. Ben’s feet came out of his wellingtons, leaving them stuck in the muddy pit, and Jack hoisted him clear.
A tremulous, excited babble of voices sounded behind them. Cass had almost forgotten that anyone else was here.
‘Got him...?’ Jack passed Ben over to her and the boy grabbed her, whimpering with cold and exhaustion.
‘Yeah.’
‘Okay, you shift over on to the door and I’ll pull you both back.’ Jack manoeuvred around her, working his way carefully back, and Cass felt him grip her ankles, pulling her back after him.
Her limbs were shaking with fatigue and Cass didn’t know where Jack found the strength to drag her those few short feet. But he did, taking Ben out of her arms as soon as they were back on the grass and carrying him over to the SUV that was waiting to take them the short distance to the village. Laura and Pete followed, desperate to hold their son.
A hand gripped hers, hauling her to her feet. People clustered around her, patting her on the back and enquiring whether she was okay. Cass nodded shakily and, as she made for the car, a path opened up in front of her, everyone stumbling backwards to get out of the way.
Ben was in his mother’s arms on the back seat of the car, Scruffy sitting close to him. The boy was wet, cold, very muddy, but seemingly otherwise unscathed. Jack gave Cass a nod in answer to her silent question. He was okay.
‘We’ll get him back now...’ He signalled to the driver and got into the car next to Ben, Laura and the little dog. Pete pushed Cass into the front seat.
‘Don’t you want to go?’
‘I’ll see you up there...’ Pete’s eyes were glistening with tears. ‘Go and get yourself dry.’
They drove to the vicarage and Martin ushered Jack upstairs, Ben in his arms. Laura followed and Sue propelled Cass into the kitchen.
‘I’d hug you if you weren’t so filthy...’ Sue stripped off her jacket and sweatshirt, nodding when she found that the T-shirt underneath was dry. ‘Sit.’
Cass sat down, half in a dream. Sue’s businesslike ministrations were just what she needed. She didn’t need Jack to help her out of her overtrousers; he had other things to do. But a part of her wished that he didn’t and that after the struggle that they’d shared so intimately they could have just a little time together.
‘Feet wet...?’ Sue loosened the laces of one of her boots, sliding two fingers inside as if she were a child. ‘They feel all right. Drink this...’
Hot soup. Fabulous. ‘Thanks, Sue.’
She sipped the soup, letting the warmth of the kitchen seep back into her bones. Then she laid her head on her hands. Just for a moment. She was so tired.
* * *
‘Sorry about all the mess, Sue.’ It seemed that Jack’s voice alone, amongst all the other comings and goings in the kitchen, had the power to pull her back to consciousness. Cass looked up and saw him standing in the doorway. He’d taken off his muddy jacket and sweatshirt and his arms and face had been washed clean, presumably as a preliminary to examining Ben. His short hair glistened with a few stray drops of moisture.
‘Nonsense.’ Sue glared at him. ‘How’s Ben?’
‘We’ve cleaned him up and I examined him. He’s pretty tired now, and he had a nasty fright. But, physically, I can’t find anything wrong with him.’
‘Good. Anything I should do?’
‘Plenty of liquids, something to eat. Keep him warm. Old-fashioned care.’
Sue smirked. ‘I can do that. You two go and get cleaned up.’
Cass got to her feet and walked over to the sink. She’d got mud on the table where she’d laid her head down. Sue whipped the wash cloth out of her hand.
‘Leave that to me. Go.’
