Page 20 of A Fresh Start at Bramble Cottage
“This time it’s for good. And I thought when he comes round looking for me and I’m not there, it’ll serve him right for being such a pig.”
“What did he do?”
“He was talking to Caroline Bailey at Tamsin’s party — all night! And when I had a go at him about it, he said I was being stupid and she was just a friend. Well, she’s not my friend, and if she wants him she can have him and good luck to her!”
She folded her mouth tightly, and for a few moments there was blessed silence in the car.
Vicky ignored the first turn-off for Sturcombe — much to the satnav’s annoyance. She took the next junction and drove down the long hill towards the village. Tom’s cows were grazing in the field beside the road — a couple of them lifted their heads to stare with benign disinterest at the car as it passed.
Turning into the lane, she felt a little glow of pleasure as the cottage came into view. Hers. At least for now.
Jayde was less than impressed. “Is that it?”
“Yes.”
Her sister looked as if she’d swallowed a wasp. “I didn’t think it would be so small.”
“It’s got three bedrooms,” Vicky protested. “And a really nice garden.”
“It’s practically falling down.”
“Not quite.” The tyres crunched on the drive as she turned through the gate. “It does need quite a lot of work, but once that’s done it’ll be great.”
Jayde grunted something unintelligible and opened her door — and squawked loudly as she took a step up the path, wobblingon the gravel in her precariously high heels. “Damn! If I break these heels you have to pay for them.”
Vicky sighed. “Just walk carefully — you’ll be okay.”
“Huh!” She tottered up the path, leaving Vicky to bring her suitcase from the car.
She was no more impressed when they got inside. She gazed around the kitchen, wrinkling her nose. “It smells.”
“It is a bit musty,” Vicky conceded. “There were some vegetables left in the cupboard when I arrived. I’ve thrown them out, but the smell still sticks around. Come on, I’ll show you your room. I’ve been sleeping in the spare room, so you can have Molly’s.”
That seemed to cheer her sister — until she saw the room. “You don’t expect me to sleep inhere,do you? It’s hideous — all those roses! And the smell makes me want to puke. And just look at that picture — it’s like the most gruesome thing I’ve ever seen in my life. It’ll give me nightmares.”
Vicky rolled her eyes behind her sister’s back. “Okay — we’ll swap rooms. I’ll just need to change the sheets on the other bed.”
Jayde didn’t offer to help. Instead she wheeled her suitcase into the smaller room and began to unpack it, shoving Vicky’s clothes aside to hang hers in the wardrobe.
Suddenly she paused and looked out of the window. “Is that him?”
Vicky glanced over to check. Tom was walking round the field, going to each cow in turn, stroking its neck gently and talking to it. The cows seemed to respond, rubbing their heads against his arm.
“Yes. That’s him.”
“Wow — how could you say he isn’t, like, a hunk? Were you worried Jeremy would find out?”
“Find out what?” Hopefully her sister was too distracted to notice the slight catch in her voice. “There’s nothing to find out. He’s just a rather annoying neighbour.”
As if he was aware of them watching him, Tom glanced up briefly at the window. Jayde waved, but he had already turned his attention back to the cows.
Jayde continued to stand there, staring at him unashamedly. “Does he ever take his T-shirt off?”
“What? No. At least I’ve never seen him. I suppose he takes it off in the shower.”
Jayde giggled. “Ah, now there’s a thought.”
Vicky felt a stab of irritation. She could only hope that Jayde wouldn’t embarrass her while she was here.
