Chapter 56
Never had a walk seemed longer, or colder. Shivering in just the hoodie and jeans she was wearing, with the snow rushing past her that was slicing her face to bits, Thea pressed on. At the very least, even if Nick was still cross with her, she knew he would offer her a lift home.
The snow was impeding her progress, though.
Her trainers didn’t have a lot of purchase on the newly covered road surface, and she was walking gingerly, trying not to add a sprained ankle or worse to her woes.
Hugging her arms tightly around herself, she pushed on.
It wasn’t much further; perhaps someone would drive by and offer her a lift in a minute.
She wasn’t surprised that she hadn’t seen any other cars since she’d broken down – this wasn’t the weather to be out and about, and Lower Brambleton wasn’t on a through road to anywhere.
‘You’d better be home when I get there,’ Thea muttered.
It would be sod’s law if Nick had gone to the pub to drown his sorrows.
She began shivering. What had seemed like a great idea before she left the house now seemed ridiculous.
They could have arranged to meet properly, talked things through like adults.
This daft, teenagerish mission was seeming less and less sensible with every step she took.
But maybe that was the point? She shook her head, exasperated with herself.
She’d spent so long thinking about everyone else’s happiness: her children’s, her grandmother’s, even Tristan’s.
Perhaps, for the first time in a long time, she was reconnecting with the teenage girl she used to be and acting on her own impulses and desires.
And sixteen-year-old Thea, who’d had a brief kiss with a good-looking farm boy at the top of the stairs at someone’s party, was cheering her on, reminding her that yes, she, too, deserved to be happy.
The bright, shining lamps of an oncoming vehicle distracted her attention from her own thoughts, and she shuffled in a little closer to the grass verge.
Its fog lights were on, and she was dazzled before it slowed down as it approached her.
In surprise, she realised it was flashing its headlights at her.
The lights were so bright that she couldn’t make out the licence plate, but in a few more seconds she realised the rickety old vehicle looked familiar.
Her heart thumped painfully in her chest, in a combination of relief and nervousness, when she caught sight of Nick behind the wheel.
‘What on earth are you doing walking on this road on a night like this?’ he asked as he opened the driver’s door and strode towards her. He, unlike Thea, was wearing sturdy boots against the weather.
‘My car broke down about half a mile back,’ Thea said, through chattering teeth. ‘I thought your place was closer than mine, so I’ve been walking.’
Nick whipped off his jacket and scarf and wrapped them around Thea’s shoulders.
‘You bloody idiot. There are no streetlights down here and dark blue is a stupid colour to wear at night in the winter, even without the snow.’ She felt the warmth from his body as he pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her.
Thea, grateful for the contact, found her eyes were welling with tears. ‘I know.’ It suddenly dawned on her how daft this decision really was. ‘But…’
‘But what?’ Nick looked her straight in the eye, and his gaze was so sincere that Thea couldn’t help the tears that started to fall. She moved towards him, wrapping her arms around him and feeling how warm, solid and safe he was.
‘I’ve been such a twat,’ she murmured. ‘But I’ve been listening to someone I hadn’t spoken to for a long time, and she made a lot of sense.’
‘Who?’ Nick asked. Thea could feel him tightening his arms around her, and she knew they should get out of the snow, but she needed to say something to him before they did.
‘My sixteen-year-old self.’ She looked up at Nick, who looked back down at her in surprise. ‘She told me to stop being so stubborn and just go for it. So that’s what I’m trying to do.’
Nick’s expression of bemusement made Thea smile. ‘It’s all right,’ she said gently. ‘I can explain later. But for now, can we get out of this bloody snow?’
‘Definitely!’ Nick released her from his arms, and they both scrambled up into the Land Rover.
As she opened her mouth to speak, Nick held up his phone. ‘Hang on a minute.’ He dialled, and the phone was answered immediately. ‘Hi Cora. Yes, she’s here. No, she’s fine. The car broke down. Yup, hang on.’
Nick passed the phone to Thea. ‘You should probably talk to her.’
Thea quirked an eyebrow. She quickly reassured Cora that she was fine, and the car would be, too, before letting her know she’d be home soon. Then, she handed the phone back to Nick.
‘Now I really do feel like a teenager, with you and Cora being the ones to keep tabs on me!’
Nick’s expression grew serious. ‘She answered your phone when I tried to ring earlier, said you’d come to see me, but got worried when you weren’t with me. I said I’d let her know the moment I found you.’
‘I’m so glad you did,’ Thea gave a nervous laugh. ‘I was freezing my arse off, out there.’
Nick gave an equally nervous chuckle, but then his face grew serious again. ‘Look, Thea, before you say anything else, do you mind if I do?’
Thea nodded. ‘You rescued me from the road – I think you’ve earned it!’ She looked at him, and she could see he was already finding a way to formulate the words. Patiently, snuggled into his jacket, she waited.