Chapter FIVE
Sylvia was turning left now, at the end of the lane, and picking up speed along the residential street that led to the main road through Sunnybrook. Panting, my lungs aching, I was haring along. But Rob was faster and I prayed he could get there in time, before she turned onto the high street and zoomed away into the night, completely unaware of the damage to her tyres.
At last, Rob caught up and banged hard on the boot, and to my relief, I saw the brake lights come on. He ran round to Sylvia’s window and as I joined him, gasping for breath, I heard him telling her about the nails.
They all got out and we examined the damage.
‘The other two tyres look fine. I must have run over both of those nails at some point,’
murmured Sylvia, looking mystified.
‘I wonder how long they’ve been there. I can’t believe I didn’t notice them. Thank goodness you stopped us, Rob.’
He shrugged.
‘It was dark. I’m amazed I noticed them myself, to be honest. Look, why don’t I reverse the car back up the lane to the car park? Then we can give you all a lift home?’
I nodded.
‘Good idea. Then we can work out what to do about the car tomorrow.’
‘Are you sure?’
Celia looked worried.
‘I don’t want to put you out. I can easily get a taxi?’
Sylvia nodded.
‘And Mick and I are just a five-minute walk away so you don’t have to worry about us. I only brought the car because I went to see Celia before the Pudding Club to talk about the wedding, and I brought her along here.’
‘It’s dark,’
I pointed out.
‘And it’s no trouble at all.’
Rob agreed and insisted on dropping Sylvia and Mick home before travelling on to Celia’s house, which was on a luxury modern development a few miles out of Sunnybrook.
‘What a lovely house!’
I exclaimed when we drew up outside. The large detached home was one of a handful of beautiful, spacious properties that had views over the fields at the back.
‘Thank you. Yes. I only moved here a few months ago and it suits me very well. I lived in London for quite a while, thinking it would be more convenient for my TV work, but I never really liked it. It’s so peaceful and quiet here and I love that I can walk into the village if I ever find myself with time to spare.’
I turned round in the passenger seat to smile at her.
‘I can’t imagine you have much time off, what with your floristry business and your TV work.’
She chuckled.
‘Very true. But I suppose it’s nice to be busy. Listen, thank you so much for the lift.’
‘No problem at all,’
called Rob, as Celia got out of the car.
She leaned down to my window.
‘I’ll see you at the wedding, if I don’t see you before then.’
‘Definitely.’
We waited until she’d opened the front door and turned to wave and smile at us before we drove away.
‘What a lovely woman Celia is,’
I murmured.
‘But rattling around in that huge house all on her own? I don’t think I’d like that at all.’
‘Are you sure?’
I chuckled.
‘Well, maybe a couple of days of peace and quiet would be nice. So I could catch up on some sleep.’
‘We’ll be rattling around in our house tonight, without Lottie and Liam.’
‘So we will.’
I smiled at him and gave his thigh a squeeze.
‘We’d better make the most of it, then. That’s if I don’t fall asleep the minute my head touches the pillow.’
He gave a throaty laugh.
‘I can think of a few ways to keep you awake.’
‘Oh, yes?’
My whole body tingled as desire surged through me. We rarely spent time alone together these days, just Rob and I. But we had the whole night to ourselves, and the morning as well before we collected the twins.
Rob reached for my hand and squeezed, and I smiled across at him.
‘Home, driver. And make it snappy,’
I said, with a wicked twinkle in my eye.
Celia