Chapter 8
Up with the proverbial lark the next morning, and wheeling the bicycle back out of the greenhouse, I tried to ignore Minnie, who was looking at me accusingly and refusing all offers to tempt her back inside to eat her breakfast.
‘I really won’t be all that long,’ I promised her. ‘You’ll hardly notice I’m gone.’
She barked back a curt little response and I glanced apprehensively towards the empty lane. I was really going to have to watch this whole ‘in conversation with’ thing I was developing. I knew society in general viewed Crazy Cat Ladies with a certain degree of affection, but I wasn’t sure what the Wynbridge locals would make of the ‘cuckoo’ talking to her recently repatriated terrier.
Fortunately the lane was free of spectators and I went back inside to change, feeling grateful that David had secured an early appointment at the bank. At least I would be able to get the first half of the journey under my belt before the heat of the day really hit home. I slipped on the coolest, cotton frock I could find, pulled my hair into a sleek, neat ponytail and set my mind to dreaming up the most innovative way to bribe Minnie back into the cottage.
Needless to say, my efforts failed and I set off, in a somewhat wobbly fashion, with Minnie proudly perched in the basket along with my bag and keys. I hadn’t realised before that dogs could pull off smug, but looking at her perky expression she’d totally nailed it.
‘You didn’t win,’ I told her as I swerved around a particularly deep pothole. ‘I just changed my mind, that’s all.’
Her yappy response suggested she didn’t believe a word, but I wasn’t going to get drawn into an argument. I needed to keep my eyes on the road. It was already getting hot, but not unbearably so, and we hadn’t gone all that much further when I began to relax and look about me, taking in the wider landscape beyond the edges of the narrow road and high verges which were packed with wild flowers.
‘Now, Minnie,’ I whispered when we had gone on a little further, ‘what do you suppose that could be?’
I could clearly make out some movement in the verge ahead, a definite rustling in the long grass that was in no way the result of the light breeze that had so far stopped me from overheating. I had almost reached the spot when out hopped the biggest hare I had ever seen.
The next few seconds became a confused blur. I looked at the ginormous hare, which seemed to be growing with every revolution of the pedals, and the hare looked at me, its wild, amber eyes wide with surprise. Clearly it was shocked to find another silent traveller on the otherwise deserted road. At that precise moment Minnie began to yap excitedly and wag her tail and a distant, but fast-approaching, roar of an engine met my ears.
The hare darted with lightning speed back into the verge, and I steered the bike as close as I possibly could to the side of the road, while simultaneously making a grab for Minnie’s lead should she mistake my slowing down for stopping and attempt to jump out of the basket.
A black truck, which I instantly recognised as Will’s, flashed by with little more than inches to spare, its horn blaring and the rush of air and disturbed dust it left in its wake almost enough to knock us clean into the ditch. I yanked on the bike’s brakes, my bare legs brushing against the nettle-filled verge and stinging even before I’d had a chance to swear.
I jumped off the bike, pulling Minnie into my arms, and danced about in the road, partly in pain, but mostly in anger. Will had disappeared out of sight; the only evidence that he was somewhere ahead was the thick cloud of dust he left in his wake. I didn’t care what Mags, Ed and David had said in his defence; this guy was really going out of his way to piss me off.
‘Are you all right?’
So preoccupied with swearing at the vehicle which was little more than a speck in the distance, I hadn’t noticed the one which had crept up behind us.
‘Did you just see what that idiot did?’ I raged, rushing round to the driver’s window, keen to secure myself an ally.
‘He didn’t exactly leave you much room, did he?’ said the driver. ‘Here,’ he added, quickly turning off the engine and jumping out. ‘Let me give you a hand. I’m Matt, by the way, and I reckon you must be Lottie, the girl who’s just moved into lovely Gwen’s old place. Am I right?’
‘Yes,’ I croaked, momentarily thrown by the sparkling azure eyes, deep tan, sun-bleached hair and Sherlockesque powers of deduction. ‘That’s me. I’m Lottie Foster.’
‘Well, I’m pleased to meet you,’ he grinned, dazzling me with his almost too perfect smile. ‘Although of course the circumstances could be better, for you at least.’
I have to admit I’d almost forgotten about the pain in my legs, Will’s irresponsible driving and how relieved I was that another passer-by had called me by my real name rather than my derogatory nickname.
‘I take it you knew Gwen then?’ I asked, jiggling Minnie, who was more than a little agitated, in my arms.
‘Yes,’ he said. ‘Yes, I did. I’m so sorry for your loss,’ he added kindly.
‘Thank you,’ I nodded.
I couldn’t help thinking how wily Gwen had been to surround herself with such handsome, young friends. It was a comfort to know she was still mischievous even though she had been drawing her pension for decades. Minxy, Gran had always called her.
‘She’d asked me if I’d do some work for her at the cottage this summer,’ Matt went on, ‘but I’m afraid I never got round to it before she . . . ’
‘Oh?’ I cut in, to save him having to say the words.
‘Sorry,’ he said, shaking his head when he realised I had no idea what sort of ‘work’ he was referring to. ‘I’m a builder.’
‘Oh right,’ I said. ‘I see.’
‘But I can turn my hand to anything really,’ he added.
Yes, I thought, surreptitiously looking him up and down, I could well imagine that he could.
‘When you’ve had a chance to settle in I’ll pop round and let you know what she had in mind, if you like.’
‘Thank you.’ I smiled, ‘I’d appreciate that. I’ve already come up with one or two things myself,’ I added, thinking of the dodgy shower, but definitely not of the embarrassing details of my first dousing.
‘Well, your plans might be different to what Gwen had in mind, but if I give you my number . . . ’
Whatever he planned to say or do next was quickly forgotten as Minnie tried to lunge towards him, clearly intent on taking a chunk out of his hand, arm or anything else she could reach. When I held firm, she settled back down, but I could feel a deep-throated growl resonating through her fiery little body.
‘She hasn’t changed then,’ laughed Matt, who had taken a hasty step back.
‘No,’ I sighed, thinking how this was more like the old Minnie I had known, but definitely not loved. ‘I’m sorry about that. She’s fine with some people,’ I said, thinking of Mags and Ed. ‘But I’m obviously still going to have to keep an eye on her.’
I plonked her down on the road, keeping tight hold of her lead, and gave my tingling calves a cursory rub. They were bright red and covered in so many spots there were barely any gaps. Having noticed the state of them, they began to throb all the harder and I winced from the pain.
‘Here,’ said Matt. ‘Let me take a look.’
‘I’d forgotten just how much nettle stings hurt,’ I said, hoping he didn’t think I was a complete wimp. ‘I don’t think I’ve had a brush with them since I was about ten years old. Horrid plants.’
‘Actually,’ he said, bending down to get a closer look, but keeping well out of Minnie’s reach, ‘they’re really good for you. They’re a great source of fibre, although I’d recommend cooking them before you eat them, of course.’
‘Now you come to mention it, I think I’ve seen something on the telly about a nettle-eating competition . . . ’ the words died in my throat as Matt lightly ran his hand over my leg and the tingling intensified tenfold and shot through my entire body.
‘I think I might have something in the van that could help with the pain,’ he said, straightening back up. ‘Unless you fancy trawling the verge for some dock leaves, of course?’
I wasn’t sure if he was joking or not.
‘Anything you can offer will be most gratefully received,’ I blushed, trying not to simper or succumb to the sudden weakness in my knees.
I made a point of smoothing down my dress and running a hand over my hair while Matt was out of sight, and tried to ignore the withering look from Minnie who was clearly less than enthralled by my efforts to impress.
I certainly wasn’t trying to bag myself a date, because I was happy settling in to my new life without a ‘fella’, as Chris put it, but I wasn’t going to scupper my chances of making at least a half-decent impression on the first good-looking guy who came along. Second, if you counted Will, which of course I didn’t. And besides, he might have been a stranger to me but he had obviously been close to Gwen if she had trusted him enough to have him lined up to work on her beloved cottage. Handsome and handy around the house was looking like a perfect combo in my mind.
‘Here you go,’ said Matt, reappearing from the van with a brand new tube of calamine cream. ‘That’s the best I can offer, I’m afraid. It won’t completely take the pain away, but it should dull it a bit.’
‘Thank you,’ I said, while attempting to juggle Minnie’s lead and open the tube. ‘Do you always travel with a first-aid kit?’
‘Of course,’ he grinned. ‘A chap should always be prepared!’
‘You sound like a boy scout,’ I teased.
‘More of an opportunist really,’ he winked. ‘You never know when you might come across a pretty damsel in distress.’
I wasn’t sure I would have assigned myself that particular title, but I was grateful for the cream and sympathy nonetheless.
‘So,’ I asked, passing back the tube, ‘tell me how you know my name.’
‘You’d better keep hold of that,’ he said kindly. ‘You’ll probably need a top-up in a little while.’
‘Thank you,’ I said, reaching down to put it in the bike basket. ‘You’re probably right, but you didn’t answer my question. How is it that you know who I am?’
‘Well, for a start,’ he said, shaking his head, ‘I can’t imagine there’s anyone in the world that would be crazy enough to take on Minnie, unless they absolutely had to.’
‘Ah yes,’ I nodded. ‘I see.’
‘And secondly, rumour spreads like wildfire through these parts,’ he smiled broadly. ‘Especially amongst us single guys when there’s a pretty new girl in the neighbourhood.’
‘Oh right,’ I said, blushing again, but hating myself for reacting to such a cheesy line.
I couldn’t help thinking that if he and the other local bachelors carried on talking like that they were destined to be single for a long time, irrespective of whether they had Chris trying to play the part of Cilla Black and find them a date.
‘Well,’ I said, feeling thankful that he wasn’t one of the suspicious locals looking to run me out of town, ‘thank you for your help. Will obviously wasn’t going to stop.’
So much for him being the good guy Mags, Ed and David had suggested he was.
‘No,’ said Matt. ‘He can be an arrogant sod sometimes. Shame he’s your nearest neighbour really.’
‘Yes,’ I agreed. ‘That thought has already crossed my mind on more than one occasion.’
Matt picked up the bike and gave it a quick check over as I scooped up the still growling Minnie again and plonked her in the basket facing the opposite direction.
‘Don’t mind the state of the bike,’ I said, mindful of its appalling condition. ‘This is just a stopgap until I order a new one.’
‘You’d be better off with a car really,’ he said, applying some pressure to the rear tyre with the heel of his hand.
I was beginning to think that everyone who had suggested as much was probably right, but how on earth would I squeeze by the demon driver on four wheels if I could barely manage it on two?
‘I would offer to give you a lift,’ he added, taking another cautious step back, ‘but I think she’d savage me before we even reached the next bend in the road!’
‘Unfortunately I think you’re right,’ I said, giving Minnie a light tap on the nose. ‘I’m sorry about her, but please don’t worry about the lift. I’m actually enjoying the ride, or I was until our local unfriendly vet ran me off the road.’
‘Do have a think about getting yourself a little car, won’t you?’ Matt said seriously. ‘You really can’t live out in the sticks with just a bike to rattle around on. It won’t be summer forever, you know.’
‘I know,’ I said, my stomach rolling again at the thought of climbing behind the wheel.
‘I’ll ask about the town if you like,’ he offered helpfully. ‘There’s bound to be someone selling something.’
‘Thanks,’ I called after him. ‘Great.’
As a result of Will’s dangerous driving and Matt’s subsequent rescue, I had to pedal hard and fast to make it to town on time and my lungs were burning so much I didn’t need to worry about my poor disfigured calves any more. Thanks to the build-up of lactic acid, I could barely feel them.
‘I was beginning to get worried,’ said David, who had clearly been clock-watching while waiting for me to arrive. ‘Oh, and you have Minnie with you, how lovely.’
‘Not through choice,’ I quickly explained as I struggled to catch my breath. ‘She refused to be left behind.’
‘Is that what held you up?’ he asked, looking accusingly at Minnie and then at his watch. ‘Or was the journey a bit more of a stretch than you thought it would be in this heat?’
‘It was neither actually,’ I said defensively, even though it was far further than I had estimated with the sun beating down. ‘Minnie was as good as gold, once she got her own way, and I was well ahead of schedule until Will drove by at his apparently trademark lunatic speed and put us down a ditch.’
‘He what?’ gasped David. ‘He actually ran you off the road?’
He sounded justifiably outraged.
‘As good as,’ I backtracked, thinking I needed to temper my temper. ‘Look at the state of my legs.’
They were even redder now and as I looked at them the throbbing and burning began to intensify again.
‘That’s terrible,’ said David, shaking his head. ‘Look at the colour of them.’
‘I know,’ I winced, trying not to give in to the temptation to have a good scratch.
‘Well, we can’t possibly go to the bank before we’ve found you something to put on them,’ he insisted, making for the door. ‘Let me ask Iris what she would suggest.’
‘It’s all right,’ I said quickly. ‘A chap in a van stopped to help and as luck would have it he had a first-aid kit with some calamine cream in it. He insisted I kept the tube, so if you give me a second I’ll just grab it and slap some more on before we go.’
‘Well now, that was a stroke of luck,’ said David thoughtfully. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever owned a first-aid kit that came with calamine.’
‘Me neither,’ I agreed, ‘but I’m awfully grateful that this one did.’
‘Perhaps it was fate,’ smiled David. ‘You must have been meant to meet him, Lottie.’
What was it with the men in this town? First Chris and now David had taken up the role of Cupid. Perhaps I should have made up a boyfriend and told them I’d left my heart behind in Lincolnshire?
‘Who knows,’ I said with what I hoped was a dismissive shrug. ‘Anyway, I’m more annoyed with Will than interested in the contents of this chap’s first-aid kit.’
‘As am I,’ said David, picking up the thread. ‘I’m certain he must have had a reason for driving like that, but I’m going to have serious words with him about it nonetheless.’
‘Thank you,’ I said, rubbing my itchy calves together and biting my lip. ‘I’d appreciate that. I would be doing it myself if I was still talking to him.’
‘You haven’t really fallen out with him, have you?’ frowned David.
I thought back to the shower scene, the Minnie incident and now this latest painful run-in.
‘Let’s just say he isn’t exactly top of my Christmas card list,’ I said pointedly.