“Who?”
“The woman who gave me a lift today. She handed me a card for the Good Samaritans before I got out of the car. I think she thought I was fleeing an abusive boyfriend.”
Andrew rubbed a hand over his face. “And you didn’t think to enlighten her?”
“And say what? That I’d gone off in a strop and left my brother on top of Scafell Pike?”
“We weren’t even close to the top then.”
She laughed, something lightening inside her. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d talked like this with her brother. Maybe never.
“Rachel made it to the top,” he said as he opened the fridge again and peered inside. Claire had a feeling it was just a tactic to avoid looking at her.
“There’s nothing more in there since the last time you looked. Lily did too, I assume?”
Claire noticed Andrew’s quick, almost guilty look before he closed the fridge again. “Yes, of course. Lily too.”
“Hmm.” She decided not to tease him about Rachel. She didn’t even know how she felt about Andrew and Rachel as a concept. “I’m going to bed,” she said. “But I’m glad everyone got back in one piece.” She took a step towards him and laid a hand on his arm. “Thanks, Andrew.”
“For what?”
“For easing off a bit.”
He grimaced. “I must be really bad.”
“I know you mean well—”
“Ouch.”
“But I’m okay. Really. I’m okay.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, and then she went upstairs to bed.
The next morning, while Andrew slept in, Claire decided to do something for Rachel. She wanted to be helpful, and after recalling how Andrew had mooched about looking for something to eat last night, she decided to make a meal. Preferably something simple.
There were no trains running on a Sunday, so she walked to the village shop for ingredients, steeling herself against another abrupt encounter with her boss. At least she was a customer rather than an employee today, although Dan hadn’t shown himself to be particularly friendly to those, either.
“What are you doing here?” he asked as she came through the door. “You’re not working today.”
“I know. I’m a customer. I want to make a meal for Rachel Campbell. Macaroni and cheese, I think.”
Unsmiling, he pointed to the shelf Claire had dusted and stacked several times. “There’s a tin over there.”
Claire followed the direction of his pointing finger, and when she saw the tin with its picture of rubbery, orange macaroni and cheese, she burst out laughing. Dan stared at her nonplussed while she clapped a hand over her mouth.
“Sorry, sorry. I’m not laughing at you, honestly. It’s just...” She couldn’t explain what she found so funny, and Dan obviously didn’t see the humorous side to the situation.
“How about the beef stew with minty peas?” he asked, and then he actually cracked a smile.
Watching Dan Trenton smile was like seeing the snow melt in Narnia. Was it really happening, after all this time? Winter was over?
“Wait,” she dared to tease. “You actually have a sense of humor?”
“No. I just want to shift my inventory.” He jerked a thumb towards the back. “The milk and cheese are in the refrigerated section, you know.”
“Okay.” She walked over to the refrigerated section, conscious of Dan watching her. The shop felt smaller than usual, even when they shared the single room for eight hours at a stretch.
“So why are you making macaroni and cheese for this Rachel Campbell?” Dan asked.
“Her mother’s had a stroke. I thought she could use a meal.” Claire picked up a wedge of plastic-wrapped Cheddar. “Do you know her?”
