Page 9 of A Cosy Christmas with the Village Vet

There was something about being around this young woman that made things feel right, made him feel uplifted. He couldn’t put it into words, but he’d felt it when they’d first met. It had made him glad he’d decided to go to the wedding. They’d clicked instantly; something unspoken had made him feel he could just be himself with her. He’d never felt so at ease with someone, especially someone he’d only just met. Though he wasn’t certain of where she was from, it was what had originally made him question his decision to go to the Dales. Until she’d just disappeared, leaving him with no way of contacting her. His newly uplifted spirits had taken a nose-dive then.

* * *

Nick had beenin two minds about going to the wedding on his own since he and Loretta were no longer a couple, but his older brother, Matt, had talked him into it. A couple of days before the ceremony was due to take place in a swanky hotel on the outskirts of York, the pair were chewing the fat over a pint in The Golden Fleece pub in Middleton-le-Moors.

‘You’ll have a great time, Nick. And it’ll do you good; you could do with letting your hair down after what Loretta did to you. And you never know, you might get lucky with one of the bridesmaids,’ Matt said, waggling his eyebrows and giving Nick a teasing nudge. ‘You know what they say about getting back on the horse…’

‘Hmph! Not so sure about that, or your analogy.’ The bridesmaids in question popped into Nick’s mind. One had a reputation for being prickly and, from what he’d heard, she was no stranger to throwing the odd right hook when she’d had a few drinks down her. He didn’t relish getting involved in anything likethat. Two, he knew, were already married. Which had left Nina, who, as far as he could gather, was single. The downside – and it was a really big downside – was that she worked with his ex, which put her firmly out of the equation. From what Loretta had told him, she and Nina couldn’t stand the sight of each other. After introducing them at her work’s Christmas function, Loretta was convinced Nina had the hots for Nick, which, as far as he was concerned, was even more reason to steer clear. The mere thought of what Loretta would have to say if she got wind that he’d been up close and personal with Nina was enough to make his toes curl. It wouldn’t matter that they’d broken up, she’d accuse him of hooking up with her nemesis just to get back at her. He wasn’t strong enough to face Loretta on the warpath. No, Nina was to be avoided at all costs. And besides, he really wasn’t in the mood for a dalliance of any kind. His heart was wounded, as was his pride. Plus, he’d be rubbish company.

‘You’ve got to go, Toby’s a good mate of yours. And you don’t have to hang around for the evening do, as long as you show your face at the wedding and the reception afterwards; that’s the main thing – trust me, I know from what it cost Brooke and me at that place we got hitched, the amount they’ll be forking out per head for the food will be eye-watering; it’d be seriously bad form not to turn up. At least they had time to arrange someone to take Loretta’s place, but three days before the big day is too short notice, I’m afraid, Nick. Once the reception’s over and done with, you can get the hell out of there if you find you’re really not enjoying yourself.’

Nick dragged a hand down his face. The sooner he moved on, got on with his life and put Loretta out of his mind, the better. He heaved a sigh. ‘Yeah, I suppose you’re right. I’ll go.’

‘That’s the spirit.’ Matt gave him a sound pat on the arm.

Toby hadn’t been too surprised nor devastated when Nick had told him Loretta wasn’t going to be joining him. In fact, Nick could’ve sworn he looked relieved. ‘Hey, no need to apologise, mate. Me and Ciara heard what had happened. We feel really bad for the way she treated you; it’s shameful. And we’d rather have you at the ceremony than her,’ he’d said, a sympathetic expression on his face. ‘Honest, don’t give it another thought. I think Ciara has someone in mind who might be able to fill her shoes – I don’t mean as a date for you,’ he’d said, hurriedly. ‘It’s mainly for the meal at the reception; it’d be a shame for it to go to waste.’

‘Thanks for being so understanding, Tobes.’ Nick had been relieved to hear they’d got someone lined up to take Loretta’s place; they’d obviously discussed what to do if she wasn’t going to join him, and he’d been able to understand their situation. He only hoped it wouldn’t be too short notice for the “someone” they had in mind.

Still, he couldn’t help but think what he’d much rather do on Saturday was take Maudie for a cobweb-clearing walk on the moors and get lost in his own thoughts, running through his mind the things he still had to do in preparation for his new life in the Dales. His “fresh start” – which actually didn’t feel very “fresh” at all. It felt more like he was running away, but, hey, maybe that would be better for him; put some distance between him and Loretta. He could finish the day off nicely with a takeaway from his favourite Indian restaurant in Middleton-le-Moors. Yep, that was way more appealing than going to a wedding in some fancy hotel and socialising with a bunch of people he hardly knew or had never met before; making small talk was way down his list of things he’d like to do. Having a romantic encounter with a stranger was even lower. In fact, it was so low, it hadn’t even made it onto the list.

NICK

SATURDAY 19THNOVEMBER

Nick ran his finger around his collar; he was feeling decidedly uncomfortable in the stiflingly hot ceremony room, his plus-one glaringly noticeable by her absence. Classical music burbled away softly in the background. He cast his gaze around, taking in the registrar who was standing before a large bay window that was festooned with elaborate swagged curtains. There was a huge floral display in the centre, its heady perfume filling the room. The registrar was smiling as she said something to Toby and his brother – who was also his best man – and the three of them laughed. Nick turned his attention to the congregation, his eye alighting on a pretty young woman in an emerald-green silk dress who was sitting over on the bride’s side. She had full lips and striking auburn hair that fell over her shoulders in luxurious waves. As if sensing him watching her, she turned and met his gaze, their eyes locking for a moment. She smiled and a bolt of attraction shot through him with such force it took his breath away.Wow! What the heck’s going on here?This was a first for him. Transfixed, he returned her smile, his heart taking off with a gallop.

The ceremony passed by in a blur, with thoughts of the beautiful redhead and the feelings she’d aroused taking up every inch of space in his mind. He’d been unable to resist the urge to steal another look at her – well, several actually – and, each time, that same feeling came rushing back, surging through him.Bloody hell!He raked his fingers through his hair. It was intoxicating. She’d caught him watching, but he still couldn’t stop himself, couldn’t tear his eyes away from her. The only time his thoughts had been occupied by someone else was when it was time to sing along to one of the songs in the Order of Service. The lady standing behind him had a voice so loud and so eye-wateringly harsh, Nick had almost jumped out of his skin when she’d started singing. She’d let rip with such force, he'd actually been able to feel her breath on the back of his neck. He’d caught the redhead’s eye and they’d both struggled to stifle their giggles like a couple of mischievous kids in a school assembly. And judging by the snorts that were going on around them, they weren’t the only ones.

Before the ceremony was over, Nick had found himself determined to seek out the beautiful stranger, but as they’d all filed out and made their way into the garden for photos, he’d lost sight of her and had found himself drawn into a conversation with the lady with the “voice” and her husband, all the while scanning the garden for the mystery redhead. He couldn’t recall a word the couple had said, his mind had been so full of this captivating stranger. Before he knew it, it was time for the reception and he was cursing that he still hadn’t seen her.

Nick was the first one to his table and had just sat down when his eyes alighted on the mystery redhead, who rather fortuitously, appeared to be heading his way. He watched as she worked her way around the seats before picking up the name card at the empty space next to him. ‘Oh, at last! I was beginning to think they’d forgotten to include me.’ She smiled, holding up the card that said “Brogan Hopwood” in a cursive hand. ‘I’ve so been looking forward to the meal; I’m absolutely starving.’

His spirits soared as he watched her pull out the chair and sit down. He sent up a silent thank you. Maybe coming here wasn’t such a bad idea after all, he mused.

‘Hi, Brogan Hopwood,’ he said, holding out his hand. ‘I’m Nick. Nick Heuston. Good to meet you.’

‘Wow! Nick Heuston, that’s a really cool name. You sound like you’re an astronaut or have a job in something wildly exciting like space exploration.’ She gave him a wide smile and took his hand. ‘Good to meet you too.’

Her small hand felt soft and cool in his, her touch sending a frisson of excitement through him. ‘Ah, I hate to disappoint you, but I’m afraid I’m not an astronaut. In fact, I’m nothing even remotely like an astronaut, nor do I have anything to do with space exploration, but it was one of the jobs I wanted to do when I was a little boy, if that counts?’

‘Hmm.’ She pursed her lips and tipped her head to one side as if giving his suggestion some serious consideration. ‘You know, I reckon it could just about scrape through.’ The throaty giggle that followed was delicious and made his stomach leap.

‘Well, thank goodness for that,’ he said.

Brogan tucked her bag under her seat and turned to him. ‘So, the burning question is, have your ears managed to recover from the “singing” – or should I say caterwauling?’

‘Only just,’ he said, laughing. ‘It really was quite something.’ And it’s not the only thing, he thought as he admired Brogan’s dark green eyes, flecked with burnished gold.

‘Your face when she first started was hilarious! It made me want to burst out laughing more than the singing itself.’ She pressed her hand to her mouth to suppress a bubble of laughter.

Oh, there was that giggle again. It instilled an instant feeling of joy in him, and it was infectious. ‘Sorry about that, but her voice came out with such force it just about took the skin off the back of my neck,’ he said, laughing and catching her eye.

‘Wow! That’s some talent; exfoliate the person in front while you sing. Novel.’ She nodded.

‘Indeed,’ he said, his eyebrows raised in agreement, his eyes drawn to her full mouth.

‘Don’t see it catching on though, do you?’ she asked, resting her elbows on the table and picking up her name card, fiddling with it, twisting it around between her fingers. He noticed she had short, neat nails, free of varnish. In fact, she didn’t appear to be wearing much make-up at all, maybe something on her lips; they looked glossy. Not that he was an expert, of course, but he recalled all the kit Loretta would use to get ready for a night out. She’d had brushes for this, brushes for that; she even had odd-shaped sponges – he hadn’t a clue what she’d used them for. He’d found it mind boggling, especially when, in his opinion, she didn’t need it. He much preferred her fresh-faced rather than all sculpted with huge “coloured-in” eyebrows that sat above her eyes like a couple of chunky caterpillars. Not that he’d ever voiced this to her. His eyes ran over Brogan’s face, taking in her fresh complexion and the crop of freckles that ran across her nose and cheeks.Mmm.She was clearly unaware of how attractive she was.

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