Page 34 of A Cosy Christmas with the Village Vet

‘Oh, my God! I knew I’d heard something last night,’ she said, anxiety creeping up her spine. ‘Somebody’s obviously come this far down the track then doubled back.’

‘What do you mean, you heard something last night?’ Nick brought the car to a slow halt and looked across at her, his eyebrows drawing together in a frown. ‘After we’d gone to bed?’

‘Yeah.’ Brogan explained how her sleep had been interrupted. ‘I dismissed it as an animal having a mooch about the yard, but it obviously wasn’t.’

‘I didn’t hear anything; I fell asleep straight away and woke up when my alarm went off,’ he said.

‘Sound travels really clearly round here; I’m used to all the familiar noises, it must’ve been something different to wake me up.’

‘Are you sure they’re not the tracks made by us yesterday?’ Nick asked, following her gaze, the car headlights illuminating the road ahead.

‘No, they’re more recent than ours, which you can barely see now; they’ve been pretty much covered by the snow. But those there, they’re much more visible, and it’s got nothing to do with how the snow’s been drifting either; this part of the road’s just as exposed as the rest of it, so if those tracks had been covered, then these would too.’

‘Yeah, I take your point.’ Nick nodded, driving steadily on. ‘I suppose it could’ve been someone who got lost, took a wrong turn and realised when they got so far down the track. Doesn’t explain what they’d be doing out and about in the early hours though.’

‘No, it doesn’t. But I don’t think it was someone lost; we’re off the beaten track. Who’d come down here? I think whoever it was knew where they were heading and I’ve got a horrible feeling it was the blokes in that van people have been talking about in the village.’ Goosebumps prickled over her skin as she uttered the words.

‘Right. And do you think Wilf’s barking scared them off?’

‘Maybe. But it could be because they were worried about getting stuck in the snow. It was coming down pretty heavily when I looked out; must’ve stopped not long after though.’ Brogan really didn’t like the uneasy feeling this was giving her.

‘Well, try not to worry about it too much for now. We can check the local social media pages, and ask around. And maybe text your friends, see if they’ve heard of anyone getting lost and asking for directions. I’m sure there’s a logical explanation for the tyre tracks; you’re probably feeling a bit jumpy about things like that with the reports about the van. It’s understandable.’

Brogan turned to him and smiled, his words and calm tone of voice making her feel instantly better. She needed to keep her worries in check, not let them get carried away. It was another reason to be glad to have Nick staying at the cottage, and not just that she felt happy being around him and that his presence appeared to be taking the edges off the pain of losing her grandparents. ‘Yeah, I’m sure you’re right.’

The smile he returned filled her with warmth and made her heart skip a beat. Was it wrong of her to secretly hope that it would take him a while to find somewhere new to rent? she wondered. That he and Maudie would have to stay with her and Wilf for a long while yet? She snuggled down into her scarf and turned to look out of the window, her mind drifting back to when he’d asked if he could kiss her. It filled her with a warm glow.

* * *

The morning flewby with Brogan squeezing time in her break to text around, asking if there’d been any further sightings of the suspicious-looking van and its occupants. She’d checked all local social media beforehand, noting a few reports of them over at Arkleby. Nobody had heard of anyone asking for directions, which, much as she tried not to let it, had worried her a little.

It was the first day she’d worked with Jo, the part-time receptionist, and Mia, the other vet nurse. She’d warmed to both instantly, particularly Mia with her straight-talking and down-to-earth sense of humour. ‘Tell you what, the new vet’s a bit of all right, isn’t he?’ she’d said in her gravelly North Yorkshire accent, a mischievous glint in her eye. ‘And from the way he looks at you, I reckon he thinks you are too.’

Brogan had felt her cheeks grow hot. ‘He’s definitely easy on the eye, but I think you’ve got it wrong about him liking me; he’s just friendly.’ What would Mia say when she found out he was staying with her at Pond Farm? She’d no doubt have some fun with that piece of information.

‘Hmm. We’ll see about that.’ Mia had eyed her knowingly.

It was also the first time she’d worked with the part-time vet Georgia who proved to be every bit as friendly and bubbly as Brogan had guessed she would be.

With morning surgery finished, Brogan was walking into the waiting room with Nick, the pair of them laughing about the escapades of a house rabbit he’d tried to examine as a newly qualified vet. Nick rested his hand on her shoulder as he told her how the buck rabbit had sprayed his scent all over him. ‘It went in my hair, everywhere. I stank of it for days. I learnt my lesson sharpish, I can tell you. My girlfriend at the time dumped me, said I had hygiene problems. I was mortified.’

‘I know the smell’s intense, but that’s a bit drastic. Though, I have to admit, it must’ve been hilarious to see,’ said Brogan, looking up at him and giggling.

‘Well, isn’t this cosy?’ said a female voice, heavily laced with sarcasm.

Brogan turned to see a tall, slim woman with blonde hair pulled back into a severe ponytail. Her glamorous clothing, perfect makeup and high-heeled boots looked at odds in such a rural setting.

‘Loretta! What are you doing here?’ asked Nick, his face falling.

Brogan glanced between them, sensing the growing tension as it dawned on her that the woman was Nick’s ex. Mia and Jo looked on, eyes wide with interest.

Loretta’s red, glossy lips were pulled into a sneer which made Brogan bristle instantly. She clenched her teeth in a bid to stay calm as Loretta arched an eyebrow and snorted a laugh.

‘You were the one who told me if I wanted my shoes, then I’d have to come and get them myself, which is exactly what I’ve done, only you neglected to share your address with me so I had no choice but to come here.’ She tapped her foot impatiently. ‘And judging by what I’ve just witnessed, I’m beginning to see what made you so reluctant to tear yourself away and head over to Middleton-le-Moors.’ She looked Brogan up and down and gave a disapproving sniff.

Nick blew out a sigh. ‘Loretta, I’ve tried numerous times to explain why I was struggling to get your shoes to you. I’ve been having a nightmare of a time, what with—’

‘So I see.’ Loretta looked pointedly at Brogan before turning back to Nick, pinning him with her icy gaze. ‘And my shoes are?’

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