Dixie decided to take a break from sewing– she’d definitely earned one. She came out from the van, which must have made Arnold jump, as she was sitting on the roof munching on a walnut. The squirrel instantly started screeching and flapping her tail about. Dixie darted away from the van. The last thing she needed was to be attacked and get a squirrel stuck in her hair.
‘The walnuts are from me,’ said Dixie but Arnold was still very cross. ‘Fine. I’m off for a walk.’ She left Arnold shouting squirrel abuse after her and went for a stroll. Dixie loved how the sunlight dappled through the trees and cast patterns on the woodland floor. And how pretty flowers were dotted around. There hadn’t been any rain for a few days and the woods smelled different for it. Gone was the earthy, damp smell, replaced by something fresher and slightly floral. Dixie was careful where she walked because she’d been stung by nettles and scratchedby brambles before in an area she now referred to as Prickly Patch. Naming the different places made it feel more homely to her. She wandered for a while, pointing out to herself the plants Ned had introduced her to. There was no need to forage today because she had bought some pasta for tea from the services and a sad-looking salad. Plus she still had some chocolate left over.
She reached the clearing and took a moment to enjoy the view. She called this area Tidy Trees because it wasn’t the same as the dense woodland: the trees were different and smaller and almost in lines. The wonky rows of trees drew her eyes across to the undulating hills in a patchwork of greens. It really was very pretty. In the distance sheep were grazing. She couldn’t see them well, just groups of white dots on the hillside. But somehow it made her feel more alone. Even the sheep had each other. She was about to turn back when she noticed movement at the base of a nearby tree. It was a squirrel. Was it Arnold? It was hard to tell.
Dixie watched as the squirrel dug a hole and pulled something out. She wondered if it was a nut it had buried earlier. But the squirrel had a nibble and then quickly dropped whatever it was before bounding off to dig somewhere else. Curiosity got to her and she went to investigate what the squirrel had discarded so disdainfully. She crouched down and picked it up. It was covered in mud but she knew instantly what it was.
*
Back at the beach, Nora found Jay and Bruce playing tug of war with the bag the windbreak had come in. She waved and saw Jay exchange the bag for a piece of chicken. When she got closer, Bruce spotted her and got excited. Dogs were lovely creatures– always so pleased to see you and consistently loyal, unlike some people. Jay grabbed Bruce’s collar and hung on as the dog pulled him along the sand like a water-skier while at the same time bashing Jay’s groin with his tail.
Nora sped up to greet them both and received an enthusiastic welcome from Bruce.
‘You’re back sooner than I thought you’d be,’ said Jay cheerily, trying to avoid Bruce’s tail, which was now rhythmically bashing into his thigh. ‘How did it go with Mickey?’
‘Not great,’ said Nora. ‘He thought we were going back to his for afternoon delights.’
‘Not quite the long-term commitment you were looking for then?’
‘Ha ha. But at least I know I did the right thing the first time around by ending things. I just feel for the women who get sucked in.’
‘I fear there might be quite a few of those,’ said Jay. They exchanged knowing looks. ‘Oh well. Time for lunch,’ he added breezily as he unzipped his large cool bag and began decanting tasty offerings on to the rug. Bruce was glued to his every move.
‘I’ve probably dodged all sorts of nasties if he’s still sleeping around,’ said Nora, a little distracted, as she sat down.
‘Sticky sausage?’ he asked.
‘Most likely,’ said Nora, pulling a face.
‘Sticky honey and mustard cocktail sausages,’ said Jay, waving a Tupperware container under her nose.
‘Oh, sorry. Actually, no. I couldn’t face a sausage right now, but thanks.’
She’d had a lucky escape but somehow she felt a little down. Perhaps it was because she had fewer and fewer possibilities in her back catalogue. That was number eight ticked off. Liam was still pending. That left just one more potential match and she didn’t like her odds at all.
Nora ate a sandwich while Bruce inhaled some kibble then settled down to concentrate on chewing his roast-beef-flavoured indestructible bone– he loved a challenge. After their picnic Jay did an excellent job of jollying her out of the doldrums with a game of badminton. He’d avoided tennis because he thought Bruce would steal the ball. It seemed a shuttlecock was equally worth pinching as the dog intercepted it a few times and ran off as far as his long lead would let him. But the chicken treats were working because he came back every time to swap the shuttlecock. They didn’t have a net, which was also causing some issues.
‘There’s no way that was over the net,’ said Jay, pointing at an imaginary line.
‘Let’s check with the digital umpire,’ said Nora, putting a finger to her ear as if receiving information. ‘Umpire says it was fine.’ She grinned at Jay, who shook his head.
Jay served and after a few returns Nora hit a drop shot. Jay dived for it and his racquet just connected and tipped the shuttlecock on to Nora’s side of the line.
‘I win!’ declared a puffed-out Jay.
‘No way! That wasunderthe net, not over it.’
‘Hang on.’ Jay put his finger to his ear. ‘Digital umpire says… I’m the winner.’
‘But Bruce and I say you’re a cheater,’ said Nora, tickling Jay’s ribs and making him squirm. He was the most ticklish person she’d ever met. Bruce didn’t know what was going on but he was keen to join in, and Jay lying down was fair game so the dog piled on top. Nora laughed until she had a stitch and was covered head to toe in sand.
It was getting warm so they decided a dip in the sea would be a good idea and would also help to keep Bruce cool. They stripped off and ran down the beach with Bruce barking at their heels. That was until their toes met the water and all three of them came to an abrupt halt.
‘Blimey, that’s like ice,’ said Jay, creeping backwards.
‘It’s not that bad,’ said Nora, although it certainly wasn’t warm.
Bruce licked the water and shook his head. His expression said he’d definitely not tasted seawater before. Nora reversed into the sea and tried to coax him in. The dog looked over his shoulder at Jay. ‘Come on, you need to set an example,’ said Nora, as a gentle wave kissed her bum cheeks and made her suck in a breath.
