Page 23 of A Cosy Christmas with the Village Vet

Molly reached into the basket of logs by the hearth and threw one on the fire, sending sparks shooting up the chimney and the tang of woodsmoke into the air. The dogs watched with interest as flames started dancing in the grate. Nick found himself wishing there was an open fire at Willow Cottage, at least the house would be warm, electricity or no electricity.

‘Oh, and while I remember, Jimby and I are having a party at our house on Friday; you’re very welcome to come along,’ said Vi.

‘Thanks. That sounds great. Do I need to bring anything?’ A smile lit up his face. It felt great to be included.

‘Just a hot date, if you’ve got one, that is,’ Jimby said with a chuckle.

Nick felt his eyes drawn to Brogan who hurriedly looked away, but not quickly enough and he’d still had chance to catch that same intriguing spark he remembered from their first meeting.

* * *

Jonty calledlast orders at the bar to the few stragglers that were left at the pub. Nick had been hanging back, hoping to snatch a quick word with Brogan and was relieved when he heard the landlord say, ‘You might as well get yourself home, Brogan, my dear. I know you’ve got an early start; we can finish up here.’

‘Oh, well, if you’re sure,’ she said, finishing stacking glasses on a tray.

With their goodbyes said, more quickly than Nick was expecting with it being Brogan’s last shift – he got the impression she didn’t want to hang around and risk getting emotional all over again – he and Brogan headed towards the door together, Wilf and Maudie in tow, his mind spinning with all he wanted to say to her.

Outside, the temperature had plummeted. The sleet that had been falling earlier had frozen hard and was now sparkling in the glow of the moon that poured over the village.

‘Brr!’ Brogan shivered, steam spilling from her mouth. Though the wind had dropped, it was still bitterly cold.

Now probably wasn’t the best time to start a conversation, thought Nick feeling a pang of disappointment. He wasn’t ready to say goodnight to her yet and he really wanted to set her straight on something.

‘Brogan, before I head off, I just want you to know I wasn’t stalking you by coming here tonight. I mean, I know I could’ve gone to the Fox and Hounds at Danskelfe, but their reputation for food isn’t anywhere near as good as the Sunne’s, and I really wanted something appetising to eat.’ After the evening he’d had at Willow Cottage, he wasn’t exaggerating and he really wanted her to believe him.

‘Hey, you don’t have to explain yourself to me, and Bea’s food is awesome, I can understand why you were tempted to try it, especially with the problems you’ve had with the cottage.’ She smiled up at him.

He felt relief wash over him. ‘Right, well, I’ll see you in the morning.’ He gave her a bright smile, unable to think what else to say.

‘Yep, see you in the morning, you too, Maudie.’ She bent to ruffle Maudie’s ears.

There it was, that unmistakable charge that filled the air when he was with her. Surely she could feel it too, he thought, as he struggled with the urge to ask her.

Nick let Maudie have a sniff around while he watched Brogan walk to her car, his mind going over the events of the evening. It had been fun; Brogan’s friends were great and incredibly welcoming. For the first time since his split with Loretta, he hadn’t noticed the empty feeling that normally engulfed him, made him feel totally rubbish about himself. Instead, he’d laughed and felt normal again.Progress!

Hoping she didn’t think he was staring, Nick watched Brogan spray de-icer over the windows of her car. It was the sort of thing he’d always done for Loretta; he’d flick the engine on of her little smart car so it cleared the windows and was warm when she was ready to climb in and set off for work. She’d come to expect it; didn’t seem that grateful. Not that he minded, he was happy to do it.

He made his way over to his own car and opened the passenger door for Maudie who didn’t waste a moment before she jumped in. As he was walking round to the driver’s side, he noticed a spluttering sound echoing down the road from Brogan’s vehicle. He stopped, listening while the same thing happened again, and again. This didn’t bode well.

As he was crossing the road, she jumped out of her car, frustration written all over her face, her breathing heavy. ‘Bloody car! Why did it have to do this to me now?’ She threw her arms up in the air.

‘Hey, it’s no trouble, I can drop you home.’

She stood looking at him, her hands on her hips, clearly mulling over his offer. ‘But it’s out of your way.’

‘Like I said, it’s no trouble.’

She frowned, nibbling on her bottom lip. ‘But how am I going to get to work in the morning when my car’s here?’

‘I can come and get you,’ he said. Again she took a moment to consider this.

‘I could always ask Kristy or…’

‘There’s really no need, I honestly don’t mind.’

She huffed out a noisy breath, mist curling around her face in the glow of the streetlight. ‘Well… if you’re sure? I’ll ring the garage first thing.’

‘I’m very sure. Come on, let’s get out of this freezing cold and into my car.’

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