Chapter 27
Ritchie followed her. She tried to ignore him, speeding up in the hope he’d get the message, but after five minutes, still sensing him following her, she spun round.
‘What are you doing?’
‘We need to talk.’
‘We don’t need to talk. Go back to the celebrations.’
‘I don’t want to go to the stupid celebrations.’
‘I know you don’t. That was never your reason for coming, was it?’
‘So stop and talk to me.’
‘I don’t want to.’
She faced forward again and picked up the pace.
She didn’t look back, and after a while she thought he might not be there.
But when she turned to check, she saw that he was walking a few paces behind in complete silence.
She gave a loud click of her tongue and carried on walking.
By now she was breathless from the pace she was setting, but she couldn’t be bothered to argue.
She’d make it to Kestrel Cottage before him, and if he thought he’d be following her inside, he was very much mistaken.
She’d lock the doors, and he could sit out there all night if he wanted because she wasn’t going to let him in.
But as they carried on and he showed no sign of giving up, her courage started to fail her.
She’d never been afraid of Ritchie in all the time she’d known him, but she had to admit to an emotion now that wasn’t exactly fear but had the shape of it.
Apprehension? Anxiety, perhaps? He could catch up if he really wanted to.
He could try to stop her from going home.
He could even decide to watch her house and wait until the next time she went out to accost her.
He’d never do something so extreme, would he?
She shook the thought. That was crazy. Things were heated now, blown out of proportion and not helped by the fact that she’d already been emotionally on the edge. This was Ritchie; she knew him. He’d never do anything as creepy as that.
The steep path that led to Daffodil Farm came into view.
She didn’t dare glance behind, but she knew he was there.
She considered phoning someone to come to her aid.
Who? What would she say? It was funny because now that she thought about it, the only person she wanted to come to her aid was the one person without a phone.
It wasn’t Alex or Heath or Simon or any of the men she could get hold of; it was Victor.
Lovely, dependable, old-fashioned gentleman Victor, the closest thing she had to a grandfather or an uncle here in Thimblebury.
She’d only have to say the word and he’d come to her rescue.
He’d know how to deal with Ritchie too – not in an alpha-male way but with a friendly, reassuring persuasion that would disarm anyone.
But Victor, like everyone else, was at the quincentenary. Nobody was going to help her, and so she’d have to deal with this mess herself. She had, after all, made it in the first place.
She marched harder still, up the hillside track that led to her home. All the while, she knew Ritchie was still there, and by the time she was at the crossroads between the path that led to Hilltop and the path that went to Daffodil Farm, she’d had enough.
She stopped and turned, planting her hands on her hips. ‘This is ridiculous! I told you I wanted to go home to get some peace, and that means from you as well.’
‘I want to look after you. You need someone, even if you don’t think you do.’
‘I don’t need you , Ritchie. I’m sorry. It’s hard to hear and it’s hard to say, but it’s the truth. If I did need someone, it wouldn’t be you.’
‘It’d be him ?’
‘Who? Who are you talking about? And what business is it of yours, even if there was a him ?’
‘None; I’m just asking. I want to know if we’re meant to be going out with new people?—’
‘I’ve been telling you for months to find a new girlfriend!’
‘I didn’t think you meant it.’
Zoe let out a breath of impatience. ‘Of course you didn’t,’ she said as she started to walk again. ‘I only said it because I like wasting my breath.’
‘Why are you being like this?’
‘Like what?’
‘Awkward.’
‘There’s nothing awkward about reminding you of our boundaries.’
‘Zo…’ He lunged forward to grab her by the arm and halted her progress. She snatched away from his grasp. And then a loud, low bark echoed across the hillside, and she saw Grizzle bounding towards them, Billie following from the direction of Hilltop.
‘Griz!’ Zoe went to meet him. She’d never been so pleased to see a dog and couldn’t have cared less as he leaped up, licking at her face and pawing at her dress.
‘Good boy! Are you out for a walk?’ she asked, glancing to see Billie on her way down to them.
She didn’t seem concerned that her dog had run ahead or that he was currently doing his best to get as much mud as he could onto Zoe’s clothes.
Ritchie watched, seemingly uncertain of his next move, even more so when he inched forward and Grizzle noticed, a low growl rumbling in his throat. Zoe had heard it said many times that dogs sensed when a situation was off, and apparently Grizzle was doing that right now.
‘Hey, Griz!’ Billie called, glancing from Zoe to Ritchie and then back again, her cool expression seeming to ask a question. Are you all right? ‘I thought you’d be at the five-hundred-year thing in the village,’ she said to Zoe.
‘I was, but I’d had enough.’
Billie looked at Ritchie. ‘This your husband?’
‘Yes,’ he said.
‘Soon to be ex,’ Zoe corrected. ‘When the paperwork has gone through. He was about to leave.’
Ritchie hesitated. It was obvious he hadn’t been ready to give up yet but perhaps was starting to realise his efforts weren’t going to get him anywhere.
‘Right then,’ Billie said. She put a hand up to Ritchie and raised her eyebrows. ‘Ta-ta…’
It was so full of sarcasm that if Zoe hadn’t been feeling so delicate, she’d have laughed.
‘I’ll call you,’ Ritchie said to Zoe, but she didn’t reply; she simply bent to fuss Grizzle, who’d now calmed down and was sitting at her feet. When she looked up again, Ritchie was walking towards the track that would take him down the hill to the village.
‘You were married to him?’ Billie asked, her tone taking Zoe by surprise. ‘Wow.’
‘Is that a good wow or a bad one?’
‘I don’t know. I’m surprised. Did you have to put up with a lot of that bullshit, or is it a new thing?’
Zoe gave a strained smile. ‘Now that I think back, I probably put up with more of it than I realised. I know one thing: I was so glad to see you and Grizzle.’
‘He was going mad for his walk. I nearly didn’t take him; thought Dad could do it later. Luckily, he was a pain in the arse and I got fed up of his whining by the door.’
‘Lucky for me.’
‘Was your ex bothering you? Do you think you ought to phone the police or something?’
‘He’ll go home and cool off and realise he was out of order. Ritchie’s harmless, all bark and no bite.’
‘Like Griz.’
‘Like Griz.’ Zoe’s smile was brighter now. ‘Griz has a decent growl on him though. That might be the answer: I should get a dog.’
Billie folded her arms, as if she was looking for an escape from their conversation. And though she didn’t want to be annoyingly insistent, especially after the way Ritchie had been with her, Zoe did wonder if this would be her best opportunity to talk to Billie about the adoption.
‘Your dad told me about your plans for the baby.’
‘He was pissed at you.’
‘Yes, I got that. Both barrels, as it happens.’
‘Sorry.’
Zoe had to wonder if Billie had been more calculating than she was letting on. Had Alex told her about his date with Zoe and she’d somehow sought to put a spanner in the works? She decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. ‘You’ve made up your mind? You don’t want to talk it over?’
‘You told me I could do it if I wanted to.’
‘I did, and you can. I also said it was one of many choices.’
‘Like what?’
‘Do you want to come to Kestrel Cottage for a drink and a chat?’
‘Not really. I have to take Griz for his walk.’
‘He could wait half an hour? I’d make a fuss of him at my place, and I’m sure he’d be fine for a bit. I’d really appreciate the company, if I’m being honest. And if you’re there, Ritchie won’t be tempted to come back.’
Billie seemed torn, but then she nodded. ‘Only for a bit. I think you should do something about him,’ she continued as they started in the direction of Kestrel Cottage.
‘I think you’re right. It’s my fault he’s like this, really. I think I let him believe we might at some point get back together. I don’t know why he’d want to, but…’
‘So you’re not going out with my dad?’
‘No,’ Zoe said, which pained her to admit. She wondered whether the news was welcome to Billie or not.
‘Only he asked you.’
‘He told you about that?’
‘Of course.’
‘You didn’t mind?’
‘It’s none of my business.’
Zoe didn’t think that was true at all, and there was a lot in Billie’s manner that suggested she didn’t believe what she’d said either.
‘It was only a date, to see how things went.’
‘Yeah, I know. But now it’s not happening.’
‘Not at the moment. At least, I don’t think so. I don’t think I’m your dad’s favourite person right now. He blames me for your decision to give up the baby.’
‘Oh. What should I do?’
‘Do? What do you mean?’
‘Should I tell him it’s not your fault?’
‘No. It’s not your job to put him straight. But he does know you’re an adult, right?’
‘I think sometimes he does forget. He feels like he has to be both my parents and that I still need protecting like a little girl. I think sometimes he wishes I was still little.’
‘Because that would mean he’d have his old life back? Like going back in time? So he’d have you and your mum and you’d all be together again?’
‘I don’t know. I didn’t think of that.’
‘Do you think that’s why he’s so upset about the adoption? Because he feels as if he’s lost enough already and now he’s going to lose someone else?’
‘Is that what he said to you?’