Chapter Four #2
‘Thank you so much, Callum. It was good of you to turn out so early to see him,’ she said, giving the Labrador’s broad chest a rub as he sat quietly on the consulting table in Carrenporth’s veterinary practice. ‘That will teach him to go off chasing rabbits.’
‘A pleasure,’ the young vet said. ‘Actually, you can thank Luke. I owed him a favour.’
Cat nodded, wondering exactly what this favour might be. Yet another follower to add to this impossible man’s ever growing fan club.
‘Luckily, the cut wasn’t too deep,’ the vet said as he moved over to his computer terminal and keyed in his password.
‘I’ve given him a shot of antibiotics, but keep an eye on the leg and bring him back if you have any concerns.
Now, I just need to book you a follow up appointment to remove the stitches.
’ Cat nodded, watching as he consulted the practice’s electronic booking system.
‘Ten thirty, Thursday week okay?’ he asked.
‘Gulliver’s wound should have healed by then. ’
Cat pulled her mobile from the back pocket of her cut offs and pulled up her electronic diary. She checked the date and with a nod, keyed in the appointment.
‘Well, I think you can go home now, old boy,’ Callum said, making a final check on the dog’s bandaged left front leg before he lifted him off the table and placed him gently on the floor.
Cat unbuckled her belt to create a makeshift lead.
She slipped it through Gulliver’s collar and followed Callum out into the waiting area where Luke waited with Gussie.
At the sight of her son, the old dog got up and waddled over to sniff him.
Gulliver’s tail began to wag. No doubt, being reunited with his mother reassured him they were heading for home.
Luke got to his feet and Cat waited while he thanked Callum, making arrangements to meet up for a drink later that week. The little group left, with Luke pulling keys from his pocket, Gulliver towing Cat across the car park and Gussie plodding sedately behind.
Opening the door of the pickup, Luke lifted both dogs into the back while Cat climbed into the passenger seat.
‘I’ll drop you back at the hotel,’ he said, sliding in next to her and slotting the key into the ignition.
‘Thank you.’ Cat managed a smile. ‘I don’t know what we would have done without you.’
‘Only too pleased to help.’ He smiled back and then his voice took on a serious edge.
‘Can I just suggest it might be a good idea to keep him on a lead in future? He’s a little boisterous and I can imagine how it didn’t take much for him to set off after that rabbit.
I wouldn’t want anything to happen to him.
’ He turned around and gave Gulliver a pat. ‘He’s a lovely dog.’
Cat bristled. How dare he make her feel like an incompetent child?
The dogs were regularly walked along the cliff without leads by all the family, including her father.
This morning’s incident had been a one in a million chance.
She sucked in an angry breath. Just as she’d begun to revise her opinion of him he’d gone and opened his mouth and ruined everything.
His comments and the tone in which they were delivered reminded her of their first encounter.
Despite his help, it appeared he really was an arrogant know-all.
And no doubt, any woman in his life would need to be dumb and adoring.
Heaven forbid she should have her own thoughts or opinions.
She opened her mouth, ready to tell him she’d prefer to walk, then quickly changed her mind.
They were over a mile from the hotel; it would be impossible to walk two dogs, one elderly and one injured, that far.
Better to suffer in silence than create a problem for herself.
She fastened her seat belt and sat quietly, staring ahead, her hands in her lap.
No way did she plan to engage this frustrating man in any form of conversation.
Not now. Not ever. Luke started the engine and pulled out of the veterinary car park, turning left and climbing out of the village towards the hotel.
If he noticed her silence it didn’t appear to bother him and then …
‘I hear you got an apology from Kieran.’
‘Yes.’
‘And a drink?’
‘Champagne, actually. I …’ She turned to look at him, unexpectedly catching a slight air of satisfaction in his expression.
‘It wasn’t the other techs that made him apologise, it was you, wasn’t it?’
‘I simply told him he was out of order, that’s all. He’s done it before, hasn’t he?’
‘What are you suggesting?’ she snapped. ‘That I’m his regular grope?’
‘No, of course not. I asked around. Being a bit too free and easy with his hands is something he has a reputation for, right?’
‘He mistook me for someone else. I don’t think he would have dreamed of touching me had he known.’
‘A bit like you and me then.’ Luke’s mouth curved up in an amused smile as he took his eyes from the road for a moment.
‘Rubbish.’ Cat felt her cheeks warm. ‘What happened in the service bay? Definitely not the same. Totally different.’
‘I beg to differ.’ His infuriating grin was back again. ‘Not that I don’t appreciate women running their hands over my backside.’ He said, ‘Especially if they’re—’
‘What?’ Cat rounded on him. ‘Desperate? Jeez!’ She shook her head and gazed out of the window, thankful they had now turned off the main road and were heading down the driveway towards the hotel. Keep a lid on it, Cat, she told herself. Only a few seconds more and he’ll be out of your hair.
Luke brought the vehicle to a halt in front of the hotel. As he went to unclip his seat belt, Cat raised her hand to stop him.
‘There’s absolutely no need to get out,’ she said, pushing at her door, keen to escape.
‘I’m perfectly capable of retrieving my dogs.
Thank you so much for your help.’ She slammed her door then opened the back, easing Gussie out.
However, Gulliver, obviously eager to punish her for having to wear such a horrible contraption around his neck, managed to get wedged in the door.
Cat struggled to free him, cursing under her breath.
Then strong hands were there, pulling the door open wider, nudging her to one side and leaning in to lift Gulliver out with ease.
She stepped back, watching as Luke set the dog gently onto the tarmac.
‘I know what you think of me,’ he said, his eyes darkening as he unlooped her belt from Gulliver’s collar and handed it to her, ‘but you’ve got it all wrong.
You believe I’m patronising when I’m only trying to help.
I mean, I could quite easily label you aggressive but I don’t, I make allowances.
’ He gazed up at the hotel thoughtfully.
‘Working alongside your father and brother …’ His eyes rested on her again.
‘I guess you have to be tough to be part of the team. But you need to cut yourself some slack when you’re off-duty, Cat.
Who knows, there might be a real nice girl lurking under all that spit and fur. ’
Cat glared at him. God, the man couldn’t help himself.
‘Well, thank you for your wonderful insight into my character,’ she said, watching the dogs as they made their way to the entrance, no doubt eager for their breakfast. ‘Now, if you’ll excuse me.’
After settling the dogs in and relaying events to her father over breakfast, Cat called Jodie.
‘I need someone to talk to,’ she said. ‘I’ve had the most terrible morning and it’s all Luke Carrack’s fault.’ She went on to describe everything, including the conversation she’d had with him about Kieran.
‘You are so ungrateful, Cat,’ Jodie scolded, evidently having no sympathy for her. ‘Boy, what I wouldn’t give to have a man defend my honour. Especially one like Luke.’
‘The point is, I didn’t ask him to do that,’ Cat argued. ‘And it makes it look as if I’ve been having a bitch about it and I haven’t. If he hadn’t been in the service bay that day he would never have known.’
‘But he was, and he chose to do something about it on your behalf,’ Jodie reasoned. ‘And you must admit Kieran is a total pain. He may think his behaviour is hilarious but he’s a complete moron.’
Cat couldn’t honestly argue with that and she had to admit Luke’s intervention had taught him a lesson.
But being branded a telltale was something she could do without.
‘It’s not only that,’ she began, determined not to let go of this, ‘I don’t like the way he muscled in as if I’m some poor helpless creature who can’t look after herself.
I don’t need some testosterone-fuelled male to protect me.
I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself. But there, I think he got the message.’
Jodie sighed. ‘Now what have you done? No, don’t tell me. Given him another verbal battering, no doubt.’
‘I wasn’t going to, but then he decided to be patronising. I won’t tell you exactly what he said, only that my job in an all-male environment made me aggressive. According to him I’m all spit and fur.’
‘Oh, Cat.’ Jodie hooted with laughter.
‘Not funny, Jodie. No one else sees me like that.’
‘No they don’t, because you’re not antagonistic with them. But for some reason you are with Luke. Are you sure you haven’t a little bit of a thing—’
‘Are you mad? Of course not,’ Cat interrupted. ‘God, he’s the last man on earth—’
‘Never say never.’
She could almost see Jodie wagging a finger at her.
‘Cat, I think you and I need a girls’ night out to get all that tension out of your system.’
‘You’re probably right,’ Cat agreed, feeling too exhausted to argue.
‘Tell you what, let’s do something this evening. Get your glad rags on and I’ll pick you up around seven thirty. Don’t ask where we’re going, it’s a secret, but I can guarantee it will put a smile back on your face.’
Reluctantly, Cat agreed. She always found Jodie difficult to say no to and, besides, she had a point; she did need cheering up.
Life at the moment had become totally frustrating and the blame lay fairly and squarely with Luke Carrack.
She vowed to try and stay clear of him in future, but living in such a small community she knew that wasn’t going to be easy.
As he drove back to Carrenporth, Luke’s thoughts were on this morning’s events.
The last person he’d expected to run into again was Cat Trevelyan.
At the garage the other afternoon she looked different: T-shirt, jacket, her long blonde hair tied severely back from her face.
His anger with her had overridden any observations other than what an idiot she had been.
This morning things were different and he did pay attention.
Denim cut-offs revealing tanned legs; striped vest under a pale blue cotton hooded top.
But it was her hair that grabbed his attention.
Thick and blonde, today she had it twisted up and pinned with a tortoiseshell clip, tiny escaping tendrils teasing her face.
Casual but sexy. He liked that look. Spoilt only by the arrogant tilt of her head as her dark eyes locked on his.
Of course, being a Trevelyan gave her celebrity status around here.
She’d never known the fourteen-year-old who watched her from his window all those years ago, but he remembered her.
From the moment he arrived at Clyffe House, whenever his uncle and aunt had visitors, Evie insisted he stayed in his room.
The last thing she wanted was the embarrassment of her guests meeting the orphan who had been foisted on her.
But it hadn’t stopped him watching from his bedroom window each time anyone arrived.
He remembered the golden-haired girl he’d glimpsed then, full of self-assurance, and laughter as she held onto her father’s hand.
And now? Well, he hated to say it, but she’d turned out exactly like his cousin Jordan – spoilt, opinionated and extremely rude.
Luke had known his place in the world for a very long time.
He’d never known his real father. His mother refused to talk about him but he’d eventually learned it had been one of the mechanics at Arcadia.
Ross Carrick had been the only proper father he’d ever known.
For a time he’d bought stability into his young life.
But his death, followed almost a year later by his mother’s suicide, had swept all that security away.
At thirteen he found himself living at Clyffe House, the Hunter’s grand family home with an aunt who despised him and an uncle who although he meant well, never seemed to be around.
This gave Evie Hunter plenty of opportunity to bully and intimidate him, constantly reminding him he wasn’t quite one of them.
For her own son Jordan nothing was too much and Luke watched him grow into a spoilt, pampered youth.
Despite Evie’s constant harassment Luke excelled at school, had a keen interest in cars and as he grew older, began to help out at his uncle’s dealership.
He delayed university, choosing instead to get technical qualifications first. By the time he eventually headed for Exeter and a Management Degree his plan was to work for Gavin and pay him back all the financial support he’d been given.
Returning a couple of months ago from a two-year back packing trip around Australia and South East Asia, he’d already made the decision not to return to Clyffe House. It proved a wise choice. Time away had in no way mellowed Evie’s attitude; her dislike of him appeared even more intense.
Instead he’d found a safe haven in his mother’s old cottage.
Organising the refurbishment and refurnishing of the place a couple of years after her death, Gareth had used it as a holiday let.
Currently it stood empty, allowing him to move straight in.
The place was tidy but in need of updating; something which had currently become an on-going project.
Easing back into community life, he soon realised that in the time he had been gone, nothing had changed.
In the eyes of some of this small and very conservative community he was still regarded as the illegitimate son of Selina Hunter.
Which is exactly how, he thought disappointedly, Cat Trevelyan probably viewed him.