Chapter 26
Lettie waved goodbye to Joe as he left to go home and shower before starting his shift, hoping he hadn’t overdone things when he had his own job to get to. It had been kind of him to come and help with the watering in the polytunnels and then going with her to deliver the goats’ milk to several of their clients. Seeing that she had little food in the house she decided to take a stroll to the village before getting too settled. She quickly showered and taking her purse and a shopping bag walked the ten-minute distance there.
‘Lettie, hey wait a sec.’
Hearing Tina’s voice, she turned to her. ‘Hi there, you’re looking happy.’
‘I am, very.’
Intrigued, Lettie gave her friend a quizzical look. ‘Well, are you going to tell me why, or keep me guessing?’
Tina gave her a thoughtful look. ‘It’s the job at the practice.’
Supposing she was enjoying it, Lettie thought it best to ask to be certain.
‘I’m loving it. In fact, I’d work there full-time if I didn’t have Noah at home to look after.’ She lowered her voice as a couple of women passed them. ‘That vet of yours is such a cutie.’
Lettie doubted Brodie would be impressed with that description of himself. ‘I’m not so sure that’s how I would describe him.’ She grinned at the thought of him hearing them.
‘How would you describe him then?’
Now she was on the spot. Lettie gave Tina’s question some thought. ‘I suppose I’d say he’s, um…’
‘Hot?’
Lettie sighed recalling his unexpected appearance at the farm a couple of weeks ago and wondering what he had made of it. ‘I wouldn’t have used that word exactly, but I have to agree with you.’
‘You do still like him then?’ Tina whispered looking, Lettie thought, very pleased with herself. ‘I knew he was your type. Mind you, I gather you’ve been seeing quite a bit of that cute firefighter. Are you going to tell me what’s going on?’ Tina folded her arms and waited impatiently.
Lettie raised a finger to her mouth to quieten Tina in case anyone overheard their conversation. ‘It’s a bit complicated,’ she said unsure how else to explain their situation. Suspecting her friend might conjure up a plan to orchestrate her and Brodie going out on a date, she decided to put her straight. ‘I’m not really sure, to be honest with you. I have been to his cottage for supper.’
‘Whose? Brodie’s?’ Lettie nodded. Tina gasped, clearly delighted with this unexpected development. ‘When?’
‘A couple of weeks ago.’
‘That’s so exciting. How?’
Confused, Lettie frowned. ‘What do you mean how?’
Tina nudged her. ‘How did you wrangle an invitation to dinner?’
‘I didn’t wrangle anything.’ Lettie shook her head, not wishing Tina to get carried away. ‘It wasn’t a big deal and it just happened. You know how it is…’
‘I’ve been with Kyle so long that I can barely remember how these things are.’
Lettie didn’t like being questioned and being made to think more deeply about her situation with both men. Not when she was battling having so much to contend with running the farm. ‘It was very relaxed and unplanned. Nothing exciting.’
‘Go on.’
Lettie told her about Thistle and what had happened, amused to see her best friend’s delight.
‘Did you kiss him?’ Tina whispered, barely managing to contain her excitement.
‘Yes,’ she admitted, aware that Tina knew her well enough to sense if she was fibbing. ‘But don’t get excited, it was only twice.’
Tina clasped her hands together and went to say something, stopping when something caught her attention. She lowered her head slightly and discreetly pointed in the direction of the shop. ‘He’s there.’
‘Who?’
‘Your vet.’
‘He’s not my vet,’ Lettie hissed, wishing Tina would stop referring to him in that way.
‘Will you shut up and talk to him? I want to watch and see how he reacts to you.’
Lettie had no intention of behaving like a teenager just for her friend’s entertainment. ‘No, I won’t. Anyway I need to get to the shop before it closes. I’ll catch up with you sometime soon.’
‘Spoilsport.’
Lettie began walking to the shop entrance. She smiled at Brodie as he walked in her direction. ‘Hi.’
He looked her way. ‘Hi.’
She expected him to at least stop and speak to her but instead he gave a polite smile like one she imagined he might give to a client and hurried on his way, presumably back to his cottage. Embarrassed to have been pretty much ignored, Lettie cast a glance behind her to see if Tina was still there, mortified to discover that her friend had witnessed everything and was looking bemused.
Not wishing to feel more embarrassed than she already was, Lettie forced a smile before heading into the shop.
Why had he acted as if they barely knew each other? Had she been foolish to assume that after their enjoyable evening together they were at least friends now? It was very confusing and, she had to admit, hurtful. Clearly any messages she had picked up and interpreted as meaning he might be even slightly attracted to her must have been wrong. What a fool she had been to even let herself think there could be something between them.
She shook away the thought of him and forced herself to focus on finding something for supper. Then, turning the corner at the end of an aisle, Lettie came face to face with Joe.
‘Hello there,’ he said beaming at her and looking as delighted to see her as she wished Brodie had been. ‘Fancy seeing you here.’
Unable to help herself, Lettie was amused. ‘What, in a food shop?’ She noticed his basket filled with food.
He grinned. ‘Good point.’ He raised the basket. ‘My turn to cook for the crew tomorrow night. Thought I’d make us a beef curry.’
Lettie felt even hungrier at the thought of how that might taste. ‘Lucky crew.’
‘You haven’t tasted my cooking yet, so I wouldn’t assume they’ll enjoy this all that much.’ He stared at her, smiling. ‘I enjoyed today.’
‘Me too. Thanks again for all your help.’
‘It’s no problem at all. I’m glad to be useful. Hey, if you’re looking for supper, why don’t we go to the pub and eat something together?’
She didn’t see why she shouldn’t. It was late and every part of her body ached. The effort of making food, even something heated up in the microwave, had disappeared. And now that Brodie had shown how uninterested he was in her for the second time in her life after they had kissed, she needed something to take her mind off him and her humiliation. Brodie Murray just wasn’t worth her time and she had no intention of wasting any of it mooning after him. Not after wasting so many years over him years before.
‘But what about your shopping?’
He cocked his head to one side. ‘I can buy it tomorrow. Give me a sec and I’ll put all this back and then we can go and eat.’
She liked the idea. ‘The pub does do good food,’ she said pretending she needed to contemplate his suggestion.
‘It does, and I met Tina outside. She was just telling me that it’s curry night there tonight. I love a tasty curry.’
She hadn’t realised he knew Tina and said so.
‘I don’t really know her, but I do know her husband Kyle slightly. I met her for the first time at the antique market in St Aubin a few months ago.’
‘She’s one of my oldest friends,’ Lettie said reminded how small the island was and how different it was living here where most people knew each other as opposed to the anonymity she mostly felt living in London. She decided liked the idea of a curry and didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to enjoy one. ‘You’re on then. What time do they start serving, do you know?’
He checked his watch. ‘In about ten minutes. We could go and have a drink while we wait and at least we should get a good table.’
‘Let’s go then,’ she said feeling much better than she had when she’d entered the shop.
Just as she had expected it would be, supper at the pub was not only delicious but also enormous fun. Joe’s jokes were silly but funny and she managed to put Brodie’s blanking of her to the back of her mind for most of the evening.
He looked thoughtful and was staring at her plate just when the bar staff took them from their table. ‘What is it?’
Joe watched the plate as it was taken away. ‘I wish I’d chosen the chicken curry like you did. How was it?’
‘I’m sure you can have it next time,’ she said. ‘Anyway, yours looked tasty enough.’
‘There’ll be a next time?’
She couldn’t miss the glint in his eyes. ‘Maybe, if I ever have enough energy after another day’s work. To answer your question the chicken curry was wonderful.’
‘Will you join me when I come here again? They serve a pretty mean cottage pie.’
She saw the unmistakable mischievous look on his face and shook her head, smiling. ‘So that’s it.’
‘What?’ He laughed when she didn’t immediately answer.
‘You just want a dinner companion, don’t you?’
He looked up towards the ceiling, and his hand went to his chest as he pretended to be hurt by her insinuation. ‘I’ve no idea what gave you that idea.’
She drank some of her cider. ‘Are you saying I’m wrong?’
‘Yes.’ He dropped the act. ‘And stop avoiding the question. Will you join me here again?’
How could she say no, especially after all he had done to help her at the farm? Anyway, she mused, why would she want to? It might be Brodie who made her heart flutter, but Joe was great fun and adorable. As long as he didn’t get the wrong idea about them seeing each other, it would be fun to spend more time with him. ‘I’d love to.’
‘Good, that’s tomorrow’s supper sorted then.’
It was her turn to sit open-mouthed. ‘Tomorrow? I was thinking more like sometime next week.’
‘What?’ He laughed. ‘Are you telling me you’re busy elsewhere tomorrow night?’
‘Yes, the way I feel right now I’ll probably be collapsed on my sofa after another exhausting day on the farm.’ She shook her head. ‘Anyway, I usually spend my evenings with Spud.’
‘I love your dog.’
She sighed, happy to hear him say so.
‘But I’m sure Spud will be perfectly fine by himself for another evening. Another drink before we go?’
Why not, she thought. ‘Just the one then,’ she said standing. ‘And as it’s my round I’ll buy it.’
He tried to argue but she wasn’t having any of it. She also intended paying for their meal when they were at the bar. She realised that even if they were in a relationship she would do the same. Somehow though it mattered more now she had decided there was to be nothing romantic between them.