Chapter 37
37
Aiden woke up late on his first morning home. He hadn’t set the alarm and the painkillers he’d taken the previous evening must have knocked him out. He got out of bed and limped across to the window to see what sort of day it was. Bloody hell, he felt sore. He drew back the curtains and saw bright sunlight. Beyond his garden he could see mist curling off the fields that led down to the river. So far, July was as blazing as June had been.
He thought about Jade’s visit. It had been good to see her. He was no longer kidding himself that Jade would ever feel the same about him as he felt about her, but he longed for them to be friends again. Also, she’d mentioned that Finn would be gone by the end of the summer. That was good news too. He knew he’d never feel comfortable around Finn.
When he went to collect his recycling bins, Emily was just getting hers.
‘Aiden, how are you, love?’
‘I’m getting there. Thanks for the card. How did you know I was in hospital?’
‘That nice young vet told me when he brought your jeep back. Now, you are going to take it easy for a few days, aren’t you? No dashing about.’
‘I don’t think I’ll be dashing anywhere for a while.’
‘Poor lamb. It’ll do you good to slow down. You work far too hard.’ She put her head on one side so that he could see the coil of her grey plait and added casually, ‘You could pop by the animal sanctuary, couldn’t you, dear? See how young Jade is.’
He grinned. ‘Young Jade came to see me in hospital.’
‘That sounds promising.’
‘Don’t get too excited. I don’t think there’ll be any more candlelit meals, somehow.’
‘Maybe there wouldn’t have been even if you hadn’t thumped her lodger,’ Emily mused. ‘My Kate’s coming over to see me later. She likes animals. Talking about getting a horse, she is. Maybe you could take her along to the sanctuary with you.’
‘Maybe,’ Aiden said, although he knew it was the last thing he’d do. Women were not top of his agenda right now. ‘I might see if I can bring Fang home for a while,’ he went on. ‘Seeing as I’m going to be here a few days. It would do her good.’
‘Kate likes dogs, too.’
‘Does she?’ Aiden gave her a quick smile and closed the door. He made himself breakfast and dressed with difficulty. The doctor at the hospital had advised him to take at least a week off work, not least because it would be difficult to drive. Getting to Duck Pond Rescue was going to be tricky, but Aiden was firmly of the opinion that anything was possible if you wanted it enough, and Jade had invited him. If he waited, she might have second thoughts and tell him not to come.
He got there just after eleven and found a very harassed Jade trying to do several things at once.
‘Where is everyone?’ he asked as she fielded phone calls and advised various walkers which dogs could be walked together without a fight.
‘Dawn’s looking after her grandchildren today and Finn’s gone to Nottingham to see his dad. He’s worried about him. He has health problems.’
‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ Aiden said, although he certainly wasn’t sorry that Finn wasn’t around. ‘Let me answer the phone for you. I can’t do much else at the moment, but I can sit in here, no problem.’
‘Are you sure, Aiden?’
‘Course I’m sure. Go on, you get up the yard and do whatever needs doing. I’ll be fine.’ He eased himself into the chair and, with a grateful glance at him, Jade disappeared out of the door.
He watched her go, deciding that fate moved in mysterious ways. When she’d banned him from the sanctuary, he’d hit rock bottom and when that blasted goat had attacked him, he’d thought things couldn’t get any worse. But now it all seemed rather fortuitous. It was a shame about Finn’s dad, but apart from that, he thought with a sigh of contentment, the timing was absolutely perfect.
Jade was shattered. It had been one of the busiest Saturdays she could remember. They’d had an influx of dogs, which often happened in the holiday season. It amazed her how many people would rather re-home their dogs than pay out for kennel fees.
Aiden grinned at her as she went into reception. ‘You look worn out, Jade. Do you fancy coming for a pint and a pie up the road? Save cooking?’
What she really wanted was to collapse in exhaustion, but she couldn’t because she had a home check in Salisbury. She looked at Aiden doubtfully.
Misreading her expression, he said, ‘I mean as friends, Jade. No strings attached. I admit I used to hope it could be more, but those days are gone. Truly.’
‘I could meet you there later, if you like. I must owe you several drinks after today. How about eight o’clock?’
‘Great. See you there.’
As she drove to Salisbury, Jade wondered if she should have agreed, but Aiden had seemed genuine and she was tired of looking for ulterior motives where probably none existed. They’d have their own vehicles and she wouldn’t stop long. Besides, going out had to be better than being alone in the cottage and jumping out of her skin every time the mobile rang in case it was Finn.
The home check took longer than she expected. The woman, a sweet old lady who Dawn had recommended, wanted to chat, and Jade didn’t want to rush her, but she finally got away. At this rate, she was going to be at least half an hour behind Aiden. She hoped he wouldn’t think he’d stood her up.
It wasn’t until Aiden was home and trying to shower without getting any water on his stitches that he remembered he hadn’t asked Jade about Fang. He’d mention it later, he decided, wincing as he moved too quickly. Rather to his consternation, the prospect of meeting Jade at the Red Lion, with no Finn around to muck things up, did not give him the pleasure he’d anticipated. True, he’d told her there were no strings attached, but he hadn’t realised he’d meant it quite so unequivocally.
It had been great to see her again, but some of the bittersweet pain he always felt when he was around her, that ‘so near, so far’ feeling, had been missing. It was as if somehow the time they’d spent apart had dulled his feelings, taken the edge off his passion, and it hadn’t really sunk in until today. A self-defence mechanism, maybe, now that he knew they were never going to be more than friends. He wiped the mirror clean of steam and shaved.
Perhaps Emily was right and he was finally acknowledging the truth. Jade wouldn’t have ended up declaring undying love to him, even if he hadn’t thumped Finn.
He was rinsing out his mouth with Listerine when the doorbell rang. Deciding to ignore it, he spat into the sink and dabbed his mouth dry, but the caller was persistent. Frowning in irritation, he pulled his bathrobe from the back of the door and, twisting the cord around his waist, limped along the landing and went carefully downstairs.
Pulling open the front door, words of irritation half formed on his lips, he stopped dead in his tracks. A gorgeous redhead was standing on his doorstep. She looked familiar and he frowned, trying to remember where he’d seen her before.
‘Sorry, have I called at a bad time? I’m Kate, Emily’s granddaughter. She said you wouldn’t mind if I called round and saw your new dog. I know you from somewhere, don’t I?’
‘Kate.’ Aiden’s mind was spinning. It was something to do with horses, something to do with Jade. ‘Come in,’ he said, deciding now was not the time to confess that Fang wasn’t actually in residence. If he didn’t let her in now, he might never see her again. ‘Go through to the lounge and make yourself at home. I’ll just get dressed. Won’t be two minutes.’
Upstairs again, he dressed as quickly as he could, splashed liberal amounts of Tom Ford over himself and went out on to the landing. Deep breaths. No need to get flustered, she was just Emily’s granddaughter. Why hadn’t Emily told him how gorgeous she was? Come to think of it, Emily had probably been pretty gorgeous herself in her younger days. She had the high cheekbones of timeless beauty and she still had long hair, albeit grey and plaited and coiled up on top of her head. He should have guessed Kate would be lovely too. He wished he could remember where he’d seen her.
Outside the lounge door, which Kate had closed behind her, he took more deep breaths and then went casually into the room. She was standing by the French windows, her back to him, her long hair cascading like a mane of gold in the evening sunlight.
‘What a beautiful garden you have.’ She turned and smiled at him. ‘You must spend hours on it.’
‘It’s a hobby,’ he murmured, moving to stand beside her.
‘And now you’re going to have a little dog racing about digging up the flower beds. Won’t that be an awful pain?’
‘I love dogs and she’ll soon learn where she’s not supposed to go.’
‘I love dogs too. Where is she, then?’
The jigsaw pieces came together in his head. ‘That’s where I’ve seen you before. At Duck Pond Rescue.’ He’d clearly noticed her, even though she hadn’t had the same impact then as she was having now.
‘Wow, you’ve got a good memory.’ She was looking at him with those amazing eyes. They were the colour of Bournville, flecked with gold. ‘That’s right. I’m having a horse from her.’
‘It’s where my dog’s coming from, but I’m not picking her up until tomorrow.’ He shook himself. ‘Can I get you a drink of anything? Coffee? Or perhaps a glass of wine?’
‘Wine would be lovely,’ she said, showing no signs of wanting to dash off. ‘Is it all right if I go outside and have a look? I love gardens.’
Enchanted, Aiden unlocked the French windows for her.
‘I’m always telling Gran she should get someone to do her garden,’ Kate said, stepping out on to the immaculate lawn. ‘Is it all right to walk on this? I don’t want to leave heel marks. How do you get it to look so perfect?’
‘It is hard work,’ Aiden admitted, forgetting about the wine and following her outside. ‘Maybe I could give your gran a hand. I didn’t realise she needed someone.’
‘I’m sure she’d like that.’ Kate bent and slipped off her strappy sandals. She had slender brown feet with some sort of sparkly pink varnish on her toenails. ‘Oh, it feels just like walking on luxurious carpet, only cooler.’
‘Does it?’
She glanced at him. ‘Gran likes you, you know. She often mentions you when I visit. Strange we’ve never bumped into each other here before.’
‘I’m out working a lot.’ He followed her across the lawn to a rose bush where she dipped her head to the pink blooms. ‘These smell gorgeous. Most of the roses in florists don’t smell these days. I think it’s a dreadful shame.’
‘Me too. I’ll – er – just get the wine.’
When he came back with wine for her and coffee for him, she was sitting on the little wooden bench he’d found on Gumtree and restored to its former glory.
‘Shall we have it out here? It’s such a beautiful evening.’
‘Why not?’ He sat beside her awkwardly and saw concern spring into her eyes.
‘Gran said you’d had a problem with an ungrateful patient.’
‘I got savaged by a goat. Not my finest moment, I’m afraid. It’s a bit uncomfortable but I’m on some heavy-duty painkillers. Hence the coffee.’ He was suddenly aware his soreness was not the reason he no longer fancied Jade. Not if his reaction to this girl was anything to go by .
For a few moments, neither of them spoke. Then, putting his mug down for a moment, he got up, crossed to the rose bush and snipped off the most perfect yellow bloom with the secateurs he’d brought with him from the kitchen. He handed it to Kate.
‘Thank you, Aiden.’ She dipped her head and breathed in the scent of the rose, her eyes half closed. She had freckles on her nose, he saw wonderingly. And long eyelashes and full lips the colour of palest pink that turned up at the corners, even when her mouth was in repose. Why hadn’t he noticed how gorgeous she was when he’d seen her at Duck Pond Rescue?
He realised it was because he’d been too tied up with Jade.
When she looked back at him, she was smiling again, her eyes soft. Aiden felt his heart flip.
Jade got to the Red Lion at twenty to nine. She’d been stuck behind a tractor most of the way back. She hoped Aiden hadn’t got fed up with waiting. Parking the Land Rover, she tore into the Red Lion, glanced around the crowded bar and felt her heart sink. There was no sign of him. Waving over the head of a man in a deerstalker hat at the bar, she tried to get Mike’s attention. ‘Has Aiden been in at all?’
‘Haven’t seen him, Jade. Hey, didn’t the silly bugger have some run-in with a goat and end up having stitches in his behind? Are you sure he’s not still in hospital?’
‘Positive, he’s been at the rescue today.’ She felt annoyance rising at the amusement on Mike’s face. Why couldn’t he ever take anything seriously?
‘You’re looking a bit stressed yourself, love.’ He studied her and his expression changed to concern. ‘Want your usual?’
She nodded. ‘Finn’s away. And I’ve had a nightmare of a day.’ She took the glass he gave her and carried it to a table by the window that a giggling couple had just vacated. It was the table where she’d seen Finn on the night she’d asked him if he wanted a job. He’d been staring out of the window, a pensive expression on his face.
She hoped he was OK – he’d texted earlier to say his father was fine and he’d call later, but he hadn’t yet. She knew it was stupid, but she couldn’t shake off the feeling that he might regret their night together once he saw Shona again. And even though she knew it shouldn’t have happened because it made everything a hundred times more complicated, she didn’t think she could bear it if he regretted it.
She glanced at her mobile. There were no missed calls or further messages. It was almost ten to nine and it was beginning to look as though Aiden wasn’t coming. She finished her drink, waited another ten minutes, then got up to go.
‘Tell Aiden I was here, if you see him,’ she called to Mike, who was collecting glasses. ‘But I’ve got to go. I’ve got a bit of a headache.’
He abandoned the glasses and came over and patted her arm and the gesture of kindness brought tears to her eyes. She must be more tired than she’d realised, she thought, turning away so he couldn’t see.
‘Take it easy, Jade. And I hope Aiden’s OK. He’s a decent bloke.’
‘Yes, he is. Thanks, Mike.’ She left the pub before she gave herself away, shivering as the coolness of the evening hit her. It was another clear night. Thousands of stars studded the velvet sky. The night when she and Finn had sat and counted them seemed a long time ago. As distant and as untouchable as the pale moon that hung in the sky above her.
The cottage seemed curiously empty because she knew Finn wasn’t in it. Even Mickey didn’t bother getting up from his basket, just gave her a cursory wag and went back to chewing what looked like one of Finn’s boots.
‘Bad dog,’ Jade chided half-heartedly, prising it out of his mouth. When she straightened, she saw, with a little jolt, that the answer machine light on the landline was flashing.
The first message was from a farmer wanting to know if she’d take a litter of puppies. His best working bitch had escaped during her season for a romp with the local stray and the resulting brood was no use to him at all. His voice was so accusing he sounded as if he held Jade personally responsible for the dalliance.
The second message was from Finn. He was somewhere noisy; it sounded like a busy restaurant. Jade could hear laughter and the clatter of cutlery on plates in the background. ‘Sorry I missed you, Jade, but just to let you know Dad’s fine. A case of crossed wires. See you in a couple of days. Bye.’
She replayed the message over and over. His voice was curt. Finn’s pet hate was leaving messages on answer-machines. Or maybe he just hadn’t wanted to phone her. Maybe he was out with Shona, comforting her because her husband had left her again.
Cursing herself for her overactive imagination, she rubbed her eyes, which felt gritty with tiredness, and picked up her mobile to call Sarah. But before the call could connect, she cancelled it because she had no idea what she would say. She didn’t want to tell Sarah her relationship with Finn had moved up a gear – that they’d slept together now and that it had felt so right, so gloriously, painfully right.
She phoned the farmer instead to tell him she’d take the puppies as soon as they could leave their mother.
‘They can leave their mother now, as far as I’m concerned. They’re all weaned.’
‘I’ll call you tomorrow to make some arrangements about when you can drop them off,’ she said crisply, not wanting him to think she was too much of a pushover.
He grunted a thanks and disconnected.
Jade’s thoughts returned to Finn. Maybe he wasn’t as keen as she was. Surely if he was, he’d have come back tonight and not just left her a message telling her he’d decided to stop in Nottingham for a couple of days. And, as she stood there, staring into space, all the old, old insecurities came flooding back. She wasn’t a nice enough person to interest anyone for long. She would always come second, never first in anyone’s life. Except for the animals, who depended on her.
She took Finn’s boot back out to the front door and then in a sudden burst of frustration hurled it at the wall. Feeling sadder and more alone than she had for years, she went upstairs.