‘I’m impressed. How do you know so much about puffins?’
‘My granny was obsessed with puffins and I’m a veterinary assistant. Not that there’s many puffins where I live.’
‘Do you have references?’
‘I do. I have paper copies in the van’—she pointed behind her—‘or I can email them across.’
Pete nodded. ‘Paper copies work. I’m not one for technology.’
‘I’ll go now then and bring them straight back.’ Verity nearly tripped up as she walked backwards. ‘Don’t go anywhere! And by the way, I’m sure you smiled then, just a little.’
His smile widened. ‘Don’t go counting your pufflings before they’ve hatched. I want to see your references first. And where are you staying? On the island?’
Verity had to think fast on her feet as she didn’t want to mention Sam after witnessing this afternoon’s incident in the village hall. ‘In my travelling van.’ She pointed towards the garage but passed it and hurried back to Cosy Nook Cottage, where the references were tucked safely inside her rucksack. Even though she was on a high, there was a possibility Sam would be there. As she practically ran down the coastal path, she wondered exactly what he was going to say to her, knowing that she’d heard exactly what he’d said about her.
ChapterTen
Standing on the step outside Cosy Nook Cottage, Verity didn’t know whether to knock or let herself in with the key. But before she could make a decision the front door opened and Sam was standing there. ‘You can come in, you know.’
It felt like he’d been waiting for her. Sam stepped aside and she walked past him. He’d changed his clothes since this morning and Verity tried not to give him a once-over as she walked past, even though his delicious aroma got her every time. Determined not to let him off the hook lightly, or make this easy for him, she stood in the middle of the living room. As soon as Jimmy got wind the front door had been opened, he bounded in and launched himself at her. She ruffled his head and smiled at the adorable dog before he ran off through the kitchen into the garden.
‘He likes to sit at the back gate, watching the world go by.’
You couldn’t mistake the tension in the air but Verity wasn’t going to be the one to address it first. She waited.
‘You’re mad at me, I can tell.’ Sam looked rather sheepish.
‘Why would I possibly be mad at you? Oh wait, perhaps it could be the fact you called me an idiot quite a few times in front of the whole island?’ she said pointedly.
‘I wasn’t really calling you’—he held out his hands towards her—‘an idiot, as such…’
‘As such?’ She cocked an eyebrow. ‘It sounded very clear to me exactly what you were calling me.’
‘I was just making a point that people don’t take enough notice of the tide times, and it costs money. If there were barriers?—’
‘I’ve already heard your speech. The way you spoke to Pete in front of everyone was unforgivable.’
‘You don’t know the whole situation so who are you to judge?’
Verity could see the mention of Pete had instantly maddened him.
‘What’s the situation?’
Sam didn’t answer.
‘Sometimes it’s good to talk to someone who isn’t involved in said situation.’
For a second Sam looked as if he might say something but then he changed his mind.
‘Whatever has gone on between you two, there are ways of talking to people and that wasn’t kind, especially in front of everyone. You don’t know what battles he’s fighting; no one knows what’s going on in anyone’s life.’
‘Unbelievable. You’ve only been here two minutes and without knowing all the facts have decided I’m in the wrong.’
‘So tell me the facts.’ Verity thought she saw a look of sadness flash across his face.
‘It’s private business but what he did was unforgivable and I have to live with the consequences every day.’ He paused. ‘But I’m sorry if you thought I made you out to be an?—’
‘Idiot,’ she interrupted. ‘You know it was a genuine mistake and you could have used me as a positive example.’ She projected her voice. ‘“Only this morning, Verity, who is visiting the island, got stuck on the causeway and had to be rescued. Unfortunately, the clock had stopped in her van and she thought it was safe to cross. If the barriers had been there, it would have stopped her driving on to the causeway.” Instead, you made me out to be some sort of halfwit.’
