as he said, ‘I looked up your home address at work. Sorry. It’s just… I tried to use my GPS, but it hasn’t been updated for a while and it led me to a field, so… I need your help.’
He needed to find an address! She had offered to help him with that, and though she’d told herself—harshly—not to spend time alone with Nathan Jones again, she was now reconsidering it. After hours of feeling herself being pulled down a dark tunnel towards all those thoughts that tortured her on a nightly basis—well, right now she welcomed his interruption. What else would she be doing anyway?
Not sleeping. That was what. The damn pills he’d given her just didn’t seem to be having the desired effect. Were they different from last year’s? She couldn’t remember.
Nathan though was the king of light and fluffy, and that was what she needed. Plus it would be interesting to see what he did at work. And she would be helping by telling him the way to go. Anything was better than sitting in this house for another night, staring at the walls, waiting for sleep to claim her.
‘Sure. I’ll just get my keys.’
She tried not to be amused by the look of shock on his face when she agreed. Instead she just grabbed her coat, locked up and headed out to his car—a beat-up four-wheel drive that, quite frankly, looked as if it deserved to be in a wrecker’s yard. There were dents, one panel of the car was a completely different colour from the rest of it, and where it wasn’t covered in rust it was covered in mud. Even the number-plate was half hanging off, looking as if it wanted to escape.
She looked at the vehicle uncertainly. ‘Does that actually work?’
He smiled fondly at it. ‘She’s old, but she always starts. I promise it’s clean on the inside.’ He rubbed the back of his neck.
Sydney almost laughed. ‘Don’t worry. I’ve got a matching one over there.’ She pointed at her own vehicle and saw him notice the dried sprays of mud—not just up the bodywork, but over the back windows too.
He smiled, relaxing a little. ‘That makes me feel much better.’
Sydney smiled and got into his car. ‘Where are we going?’
‘Long Wood Road?’
She nodded. ‘I know it. It’s a couple of miles from here. Take this road out of the village and when you get to the junction at the end turn right.’
‘Thanks.’ He gunned the engine and began to drive.
Strangely, she felt lighter. More in control. And it felt great not to be sitting in her cottage, staring at those pictures.
‘Who are you going to see?’
‘Eleanor Briggs?’
‘I know her. She has a Russian Blue cat called Misty.’
‘I’m not seeing her about Misty. I’m afraid I can’t say why. Patient confidentiality prohibits me sharing that with you.’
‘That’s okay.’ She smiled as he began heading to the outskirts of Silverdale.
It felt good next to him. Comfortable. Was that because this was business? And because he was working?
The focus isn’t on me. Or us. This is just one professional helping out another.
She’d never been comfortable with being the focus of people’s attention. Even as a child she’d tried to hide when she was in the school choir, or a school play. Trying her hardest not to be given a main role, trying not to be noticed. At university, when she’d had to give a solo presentation on the dangers of diabetes in dogs, she’d almost passed out from having to stand at the front of the lecture hall and present to her lecturers and tutor. The pressure!
But here they were, stuck in a car together, music on the radio, and she was much more relaxed. This was much better than being stuck at home, staring at old pictures that broke her heart.
Glancing at him driving, she noticed he’d rolled up his sleeves and that his forearms were lightly tanned, and filled with muscle as he changed gear. A chunky sports watch enveloped his wrist. He had good arms. Attractive arms. She glanced away.
A song came on that she knew and quietly she began singing and bobbing her head to the music.
Nathan looked over at her. ‘You like this?’
Sydney nodded and he turned up the sound. She began to sing louder as it got to the chorus, laughing suddenly as Nathan joined in. Out of tune and clearly tone deaf.
They began to drive down a country road.
Silverdale was Sydney’s whole life. A small pocket of English countryside that she felt was all hers. The place where she’d hoped to raise her daughter. In its community atmosphere where everyone looked out for one another.
Pushing the thought to one side, she turned back to Nathan. He was concentrating on the road now that the song was over and the DJ was babbling, his brow slightly furrowed, both hands gripping the wheel.
‘You need to take the next left. Long Woods Road.’
Nathan indicated, following the twists and turns of her directions, and soon she was pointing out Eleanor’s small cottage. They turned into the driveway and parked in front of the house. Killing the engine, he turned to her. ‘Thank you. I wouldn’t have got here without you.’
‘And I wouldn’t have had my eardrums assaulted.’
He raised an eyebrow.
‘Your singing.’
‘I have a lovely voice. I’ll have you know that when I was in my school choir I was the only child not selected to sing a solo.’
She smirked. ‘You should be proud.’
‘I am.’
Then he grinned and reached for his bag, which was down by her feet. She moved slightly, out of his way, as he lifted it up and past her.
He was smiling still. Looking at her. She watched as his gaze dropped to her mouth and instantly the atmosphere changed.
Sydney looked away, pretending that something out of the window had caught her eye.
‘Will you be okay for a while? I can leave the radio on.’
She didn’t look at him, but dug her phone from her pocket. ‘I’ve got my phone. I’m playing a word game against my veterinary nurse.’
Nathan said nothing, but got out of the car. Once he was gone, she suddenly felt alone. His presence had filled the car, and now that he was gone it seemed so empty. The only reminder a very faint aroma of cologne. She would never have thought that spending time with Nathan would be so easy, after their coffee together. But he’d been just what she needed tonight. Bad singing included.
In the sky above stars were beginning to filter through the dark, twinkling and shining. She looked for the biggest and brightest. Olivia’s star. The one she had once pointed out to her daughter as her very own special light. Just remembering that night with her daughter made her eyes sting with unshed tears, but she blinked them away.
I can’t keep crying. I’ve got to be stronger than this!
She switched on her phone and stared at the game she no longer wanted to play.
It was pitch-black along the country roads as they followed behind another four-wheel drive that was towing a horsebox. In the back, Sydney could see a large black horse, easily fifteen hands high. Was it the Daltons? They had a horse like that. Though she guessed it could be the Webbers’ horse. They had one like it too. Or maybe it wasn’t anyone she knew. She didn’t get called out to all the horses in the Silverdale area. There was a specialised equine veterinary service in Norton Town. Sometimes she worked alongside it.
As they drove back along Long Wood Road,