Chapter 11 #2
The aromas rising from under their feet as they trod their path were distinct and heightened in the early morning air.
Curry plant and wild garlic were just two she could identify immediately.
She breathed deeply and closed her eyes to try and work out what some of the other scents were but hit a wall of muscle she wasn’t expecting.
Alex turned round, and she had no trouble mistaking his annoyance in the silvery light.
‘What on earth are you doing?’
His voice was a whisper, but he didn’t sound pleased. She could just as well be asking why he’d stopped still in the middle of her path?
‘Closing my eyes to work out which plants we’re treading on. Why did you stop like that?’
‘I’d just passed a rabbit hole and was worried you might fall down it.’
‘Don’t worry about me. I know what I’m doing.’
As soon as she’d said the words, she did just that, put her foot into said hole and lurched to one side, only prevented from falling by Alex grabbing her round the waist.
As he pulled her back upright, they were virtually nose to nose for a moment. He moved away quickly, like he’d been stung. What was wrong with the guy that he was so worried about human interaction?
‘Maybe keep your eyes open for a while?’
Vicky nodded into the dark. For half an hour all she could hear were Alex’s footsteps in front of her.
Little by little the sun was coming up over the sea, waving goodbye to the moon.
She worked out that they’d almost completed the perimeter and were now walking back towards the familiar white buildings with the beach on their left.
After a couple more steps, Alex stopped abruptly again and made for a large flat rock overlooking the sea.
‘Let’s have a break and watch the sun come up. An island sunrise is one of the best sights in the world.’
If he’d said, ‘I’m secretly the King of Greece’, she would hardly have been more surprised. The man was showing a distinctly softer side. She hoped he wasn’t ill.
He patted the space next to him, and Vicky sat down as directed.
The sky glowed a deep orange, which she knew from experience would become paler and paler as the sun rose, and take on tinges of pink.
Broken sleep and recurring nightmares meant she often saw the sunrise from the sanctuary.
It was indeed a wondrous thing to behold.
She wasn’t about to disagree with him, but she was just a little surprised they had anything in common, other than a love for animals.
Alex reached into his rucksack and pulled out something that looked suspiciously like breakfast, along with a Thermos of coffee.
‘I thought we deserved this.’
He ripped open a paper bag, releasing the smell of fresh baking and sugar into the air, causing Vicky’s stomach to rumble loudly.
Alex pointed to the squat cigar-shaped parcels.
‘These are bougatsa, a traditional Greek snack of filo pastry stuffed with custard and dusted with icing sugar. Take one.’
Vicky didn’t need telling twice. The sweet custard inside the crunchy pastry was a revelation.
‘Oooh, that’s gorgeous. And they’re still a little warm.’
‘I’ve got a mate at the bakery, and I could see the lights were already on when I came past, so I thought I’d treat us.’
‘You certainly did that.’
Alex had poured them out a small cup of coffee each. The steam from the hot drink rose into the air as he passed hers to her.
‘Lovely, thanks.’
‘Take another bougatsa. I’m going to.’
Vicky dug in again and washed the mouthful down with the strong coffee.
It was the best al fresco breakfast she’d ever had, simple but highly effective.
You could keep your fancy hotel spreads; this was stupendous, and all the better for being unexpected.
Whichever mate it was who worked at the bakery was a craftsman.
She was suddenly hungry for information about the man beside her.
‘You mentioned playing up at the ruined mansion as a child. Have you ever lived anywhere other than here?’
It was easier to ask questions when they were seated side by side.
‘I went to university in Athens. And then I spent a year travelling, mainly across Southeast Asia, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia…’
‘I adore Vietnamese food.’
It wasn’t the most articulate of responses, but at least it was honest.
‘Me too. There’s actually a place in town that does Asian food, including authentic Vietnamese dishes.’
‘Is there? I’d love to go sometime.’
The pause told her that he’d assumed she was asking him to take her.
‘Not that I’m suggesting we go together or anything.’
‘It’s not such a bad idea.’
She could hear the smile in his voice.
‘My daughter Tasha is a vet, you know.’
She’d blurted out the first thing that came into her head. Anything to stop him thinking she was suggesting a date.
‘Well, it’s a fantastic job. I can’t recommend it highly enough.’
He was bloody well enjoying this.
‘Is she practising in Britain?’
‘No, New Zealand. I don’t know when I’m going to see her again. Her boyfriend’s from there, and they might just stay forever.’
To her horror, a sob escaped her mouth, and tears had started to form in her eyes.
Where had that come from? She’d processed Tasha’s move in her mind.
She was happy for her and fully resigned to her choice.
After so long controlling her own narrative as a method of self-preservation, it was scary when the truth attempted to break free.
A hand patted hers.
‘Being apart from your family can be tough. One of my brothers lives and works in the Middle East. He’s been there for years. And my other brother is only on the mainland, but my parents miss him every day.’
He was giving her a conversational lifeline.
‘And are you the eldest?’
‘Yes, how did you know?’
‘Just a wild guess.’
Listing ‘your authoritarian manner, your conviction that you’re always right and your superiority complex’ wouldn’t have been useful.
‘What about you?’
‘Younger of two girls. My sister’s back in Liverpool, and my parents have been gone a long time, God bless them.’
‘Sorry to hear that. Mine are still very much alive, although frail, and the reason I came back to the island after many years in Athens. When the practice came up for sale, and the old vet retired, I was the dutiful son who returned to his roots to keep an eye on them.’
‘But you’re not unhappy here?’
‘No, I love my work, but I sometimes feel as if I didn’t have a choice. My middle brother’s never going to do it, and my younger brother has some “issues” which make him totally unsuitable.’
Vicky was tempted to ask more, but Alex had gone very quiet. She’d never heard him talk about anything personal before.
They both stared out to sea for a long while, all talking dispensed with. A feeling of peace stole over her for a few precious moments.
When she looked up again, Alex was on his feet, frenziedly stuffing things into his rucksack.
‘We’d better be getting back.’
‘Thank you again for my impromptu breakfast.’
‘You’re very welcome.’
His very occasional million-dollar smile came out for a moment.
The rest of the morning passed without incident, and she only caught a couple of glimpses of a set-faced Alex in the distance. It was almost like their earlier intimacy had been a dream.
Just as she was preparing for the lunchtime break, a woman rushed towards the office carrying a small dog in her arms. There was blood on her T-shirt, and her face was streaked with tears.
‘Someone help me, please!’
Vicky ran as fast as she could towards the woman, while shouting in the direction of the treatment room.
‘Alex! Where are you? Alex?’
Vicky stood stock still for a moment as she reached the woman and the animal.
The dog looked so like Scout, it took her breath away.
The animal’s matted and grubby fur was white, instead of Scout’s black coat, but the features were so similar.
It must be part poodle. She tried to focus on the crying woman.
‘I found her at the side of the road. She’d been hit by a car. They’d just left her there.’
Maeve came rushing out of one door and Alex from another.
Vicky’s nursing instinct kicked in. She needed to calm things down and assess the situation.
‘Shhh. Don’t worry. We’ll do all we can.’
She knew not to promise a miracle. The dog was obviously in a pretty poor condition.
Alex reached her side.
‘This is our vet. We can take it from here.’
Alex carefully took the dog from the woman’s arms, transferring blood onto his own clothes.
‘I need to do an examination, so we know what we’re dealing with.’
He turned to the woman.
‘Please go with Maeve here. We’ll let you know what happens.’
Maeve took the woman’s hand and led her away.
It was Vicky’s turn to feel his full focus.
‘Come with me. We might need to operate.’