‘And your sense of responsibility. I mean who leaves a stable door open?’
Whoops, he’d clearly heard her but now she was properly riled. ‘Responsibility? I could teach you about responsibility!’
Fraser laughed. ‘You have no idea.’
‘Try me.’ She beckoned him on with her hands.
‘I’ve been looking after Granny and Effie for the past three years since…’ His jaw was tense like he’d clamped his teeth together. He swallowed. ‘No matter.’ He walked around the side of the hotel and Liv went after him.
‘I know about your uncle being killed. And I’m sorry. But that doesn’t give you an excuse to be an arsehole.’ That probably wasn’t the best way to show her sympathy for his loss.
‘You are completely and utterly unbelievable.’ He shook his head and stormed off.
‘Me? You’re the one who…’ But she couldn’t see him anymore, which was particularly frustrating when she was finding her stride. He’d disappeared through the steam billowing out from the boiler vent on the wall. There was no snow here either thanks to the warm air. ‘Fraser?’ She stood and waited for a moment, seething gently.
He strode towards her through the steam like a hero in a film, and she had to check herself so that she didn’t swoon. This was the bastard who had ghosted her. But he was also the person who twenty minutes ago tenderly kissed her but now he was back to being a grumpy arse. Perhaps it was a bit like Stockholm syndrome when people who were kidnapped fell in love with their kidnappers. She was being forced to share space with him so that was kind of the same. It was hard to deny that she definitely felt a flutter of something at the sight of him, although it was confusing because she also wanted to deck him. There were a lot of emotions fighting for attention and the dry ice effect of the steam wasn’t helping.
‘What?’ said Fraser throwing up his arms.
‘You’re an arse,’ she said.
He seemed taken aback. ‘I’ve done nothing but help you.’
‘I know. You keep reminding me of that.’
‘You’re infuriating!’ he said getting quite close.
‘Hi!’ called Shanie, interrupting them as she tottered across the yard in very high heels. ‘There’s a car on its way for me, ETA thirty minutes, so I just wanted to ask—’
Shanie didn’t get to finish her sentence because they were all alerted to the sound of fast approaching hooves on stone as Ginger came thundering across the yard towards them. Instinctively Liv went to grab Shanie and pull her out of danger. The only trouble was Fraser had had the same thought and he made a lunge for Liv. The force of them both pulling and the muddy ground underfoot sent them all flying backwards. Fraser hit the sludge with a squelch. Liv landed half on him and half in the mud with Shanie on top of her.
‘Argh!’ screamed Shanie as Ginger hurtled towards them and they tried to scramble out of the way.
Ginger came to an abrupt halt. Snorted at the sight of the three of them writhing about in the mud and trotted off to her stable.
23
They looked like an upturned caterpillar with all the many legs that were waving about. ‘Do you think you could get off me?’ asked Fraser testily.
‘Do you not think I’m trying?’ snapped back Liv, writhing about and a little conscious that she was probably grinding her shoulder blade into his groin.
‘I’m all muddy,’ moaned Shanie with a wobble in her voice. ‘And my car is on its way. I can’t look like this. What did you do to me?’
‘Silly cow,’ said Liv with feeling.
‘Excuse me?’ Shanie was disgruntled and dug an elbow in Liv’s middle as she tried to get up.
‘Ow! I was saying Ginger is the silly cow that caused this. Nobody else.’
‘But still. It’s your fault that I’m all messy. You pulled me over. I’ve got an important interview and I’ve no time to change. This is a disaster.’ Shanie’s voice was rising rapidly.
‘Don’t panic. Can you at least get up?’ Liv asked Shanie.
Shanie nodded and with a bit of effort and more mud on her hands she scrambled to her feet. She stood there looking sad with her hands bobbing in front of her. ‘I’m so muddy.’
‘That can all be sorted out. If I can just…’ Very inelegantly Liv stuffed her hand into the mud and pushed herself up and off Fraser, although on her first attempt she flopped back down and landed in his lap with a thud.
‘Oomph,’ was all that came from Fraser.
