Chapter 32
Rick glanced in the rear-view mirror as he drove along the forest lanes. The three lads in the back of the vehicle, each plugged into headphones and nodding to different musical beats, periodically elbowed each other to draw attention to something on one of their mobiles. There was a lot of sniggering.
‘I wonder what’s so funny,’ Rick muttered.
Beth looked over her shoulder. ‘I have no idea, but they seem happy enough.’
‘So do you,’ said Rick. There was a definite spring in her step since she’d come out of the stable with Lucy.
‘I am happy. I’ve had an exciting morning. Lucy reckons the stables would be great for a creative well-being centre. And the more I think about it, the more I think she’s right.’ She was literally bouncing with enthusiasm.
‘Tell me more.’
‘Well. We’ll start with a craft-based initiative, offering a series of creative well-being activities, hopefully with art therapists and counsellors. Not just for individuals looking for mental health support, but for families and friends trying to rebuild connections after the pandemic.’
‘Sounds interesting.’
‘When that’s up and running, we can add in extras.’
‘Like what?’
‘I thought we should make use of the countryside. There could be well-being walks through the forest and down to the coast. We could offer gardening projects and contact with the animals – the chickens and Pablo.’
Rick smiled. ‘People could have supervised walks with the llampacas if Jack’s up for running them. Getting Bert out regularly and socialising might stop him going AWOL.’
‘That would be brilliant.’
Rick joined the line of cars turning into the municipal tip and inched around a central area filled with big metal skips looking for a parking space. ‘What’s your first job then?’
‘We have to clear the stables. They are full of all sorts of junk. I’ll put in a planning application for material change of use tomorrow.’ The suppressed excitement in her voice was contagious, her words tumbling over each other.
‘That’s quick.’
‘I really want this to work. No point hanging about.’
Pulling on the handbrake, Rick looked across into her dancing eyes. ‘The old dairy building on my side of the fence is empty. Feel free to store junk in there, temporarily, if it helps.’
‘Thank you. I’ll take you up on that. I should probably ask you if you mind?’
‘Mind what?’
‘Having a well-being centre next door. It will bring more cars and people and stuff.’
‘Not that many, surely.’
‘Not crowds and crowds, but some. Although, I don’t think it’ll be particularly noisy.’
He laughed. ‘I’m from London, Beth. I’m used to people, cars and noise. Admittedly, I’ve developed a bit of a problem with crowds recently, but if all the action is on your side of the fence, I should be fine. And, anyway, I won’t be here forever.’ Her face fell and he mentally kicked himself. The last thing he wanted to do was bring down her mood. Turning to the teens in the back, he said, ‘Stir your stumps, lads. Time to empty that trailer. Make sure you check which container takes what type of material before you dump anything or the tip officer will tell you off.’
The sheer number of people milling around made Rick pause. They were all going up and down metal steps that lead to the ramps from which rubbish was thrown into big containers. He reached for his sunglasses.
I’ll keep my head down and keep moving. It’ll be fine.
They worked in harmony, clattering up and down the steps to dump junk, and the trailer emptied relatively quickly. Finally, Beth grabbed the last item, a wide sheet of plasterboard, and lifted it. She staggered.
‘Can you manage that?’ asked Rick.
‘Of course I can.’
The flash of defiance in her eyes reminded Rick of when she’d stabbed him in the chest with a pointy finger. He backed away to give her room to manoeuvre and watched her struggle up the stairs, following a few steps behind. Just as she reached the top, a gust of wind threatened to sweep both her and the board off the walkway entirely. Rick dashed forward. Steadying Beth with one hand, he flipped the board over the rail and into the skip with the other. His sunglasses clattered to the walkway.
‘You didn’t have to do that,’ said Beth. ‘I was fine.’
‘Sure you were, but I didn’t want to have to climb into the skip to haul you out. I doubt the lads would notice you disappearing. Look at them.’ Further along the walkway, Jack and Kyle were trying to rugby tackle Tyler into one of the other containers. ‘Oi! You three! Cut it out.’ Rick bent to pick up his sunglasses and caught an expression on Beth’s face that he couldn’t read. ‘What?’
‘Nothing. I’m just not used to people looking out for me.’
One step down from her on the staircase, Rick’s eyes were on the same level as hers. She didn’t look away. Neither did he and, without realising he was going to do it, he leaned in and dropped a kiss on her lips.
‘Oh!’ The blush that spread across her cheeks made him want to kiss her again.
‘’Scuse I,’ grumbled a voice from behind. An older woman attempted to squeeze her aircraft carrier proportions past them. ‘Some of us have stuff to do today.’
A short, spindly man bobbed along in the aircraft carrier’s wake. ‘Yeah, you two, get a room.’
Rick stepped away from Beth. She grabbed his T-shirt and pulled him back. ‘Are you single?’
‘Yes.’
‘What about David’s mother?’
‘Anna? She left me eight years ago.’
‘In that case.’ She tugged on his T-shirt. He stepped closer. She tentatively touched her mouth to his.
Rick’s whole world concertinaed. It felt like he only existed at those points where he touched her. All his noble plans to stay away evaporated. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, and surrendered to electric sensations.
‘’Scuse I.’ The aircraft carrier was back. They broke apart as the woman’s bulk swept them ahead of her down the stairs. Rick held on to Beth’s hand. The simple gesture felt natural and right.
‘Hang on,’ the aircraft carrier thrust her face towards Rick. ‘Don’t I know you?’
The fragile bubble of happiness around his heart burst. He dropped Beth’s hand and turned away, shoving his sunglasses back on. ‘I don’t think so.’
‘I’ve seen your face somewhere. For certain.’
‘You’re mistaken.’ Rick’s heart thumped in his chest. He could see Beth darting concerned glances at him.
The woman turned and bellowed, ‘Gary, remember that bloke what showed us that photo?’
The man ambled over. He poked a finger into a gap between his shirt buttons and scratched his belly, deep in thought. ‘Umm. You mean the one looking for that doctor fella?’
‘Yes! Him. Where was it? I know. Ambleford. That was it. The day before yesterday. I never forget a face. It was definitely you.’
‘He was mighty keen to find you and all,’ said Gary.
‘Right, thanks.’ Rick nodded, nausea stirring low down in his belly. He called up to Jack, Kyle and Tyler, who were still busy wrestling each other on the walkway. ‘Come on, lads. Time to go.’ He was grateful that Beth stayed silent as she slid into the passenger seat. In the rear-view mirror, he could see the couple staring as he put the car in gear and pulled away.