Sam nodded. ‘Thanks to your straight talking. I’m not having anyone else call me immature.’
Verity laughed. ‘I think you’re being very mature speaking to Pete.’
Sam gathered Jimmy up in his arms, and they made their goodbyes.
Verity stood in the doorway and watched as Sam headed along the cliff path. As soon as he was out of sight, she texted Ava.
All very strange, I’ve seen Sam and it wasn’t in the least bit awkward. That was not what I was expecting.
Ava’s reply came instantly.
He made his intentions clear, there’s no need for it to be awkward.
Verity thought about Ava’s reply and decided she was right.
And in other news, I’m applying for the job!
You’ll definitely get it!
Verity hoped so. She opened her laptop, went to Cooper’s website and pressed on the link to apply for the job. After reading through the job description, she uploaded her CV and her references. She paused when the application asked for her personal details. They needed her address, which was normal, but whatwasher address right now? She decided on:
Verity Callaway
The Travelling Van
Parked between Cliff Top Cottage and Cliff Top Garage
Puffin Island
She smiled. She would either stand out from the crowd or her application would be dismissed because she had no permanent address.
She hit send, and with a whoosh the message was on its way. It was now only a matter of time before she knew one way or the other.
She closed the laptop and spent the next hour cleaning. After sterilising Jimmy’s crate, she disinfected all the worktops and gave the surgery a good mop round, then stood with her arms folded leaning against the operating table. She was really hoping that she would get an interview. This place had a good feel about it. Leaving everywhere spick and span and fully disinfected, she grabbed her laptop and the keys. She’d actually done it, applied for a job on the island, and she felt a spring in her step as she opened the surgery door.
‘The post,’ she muttered, grabbing the letters from the counter then locking the door behind her. Pete’s car was back, and she was just about to head towards his cottage with the post when she heard raised voices and stopped in her tracks. The arguing was coming from the open front door of Pete’s cottage. Unsure what to do, she hesitated. She didn’t mean to listen but it was difficult not to because the woman’s voice was getting louder.
‘How have you kept this to yourself? I thought I was your friend. How many times have I put my neck on the line for you?’she screamed, presumably at Pete.
‘And how have you kept that a secret frommefor all these years?’ Pete replied.
‘Because it wasn’t my secret to tell. I promised.’
Verity finally recognised the voice – it was Betty. Rooted to the spot, she watched as Pete stepped outside, visibly upset and dabbing his eyes with his handkerchief.
Damn. Whatever was going on between them, she didn’t want to get in the middle of it. Juggling the letters, she dropped them on the ground and quickly bent to scoop them up. There were three of them, and Verity stared at the bold type on the top one before glancing at the other two. Each was addressed the same: to ‘MrW.P. Fenwick’. Verity’s heart began thumping.
Fumbling with the keys, she turned and marched back to the surgery, quickly opened the door and threw open her laptop. ‘Come on,’ she murmured to herself, urging the internet to load and promising herself that as soon as she started earning a salary again, she would treat herself to a new laptop. Tapping ‘Veterinary Surgery Puffin Island’ into the search engine, she clinked on the link that popped up.
Clinical Director and Veterinary Surgeon of the Puffin Island Practice – Wallace Peter Fenwick.
All Verity could do was stare at the name. Her pulse was racing as well as her thoughts. She gazed at the photo of Pete. ‘Wallace,’ she murmured as the conversations with Pete began to click into place. Was it possible the postcard wasn’t from Joe? Was it actuallyPetewho had written to her grandmother?
Verity picked up the letters again and turned towards the door. Whilst Betty and Pete were together, she was going to take her chance. Hurrying towards the cottage, she stepped through the front door and found Pete and Betty standing in the living room.
‘I recognised the handwriting!’ Betty was shouting. As she turned to Verity she breathed out slowly, clearly uncomfortable with the situation.
Verity switched her gaze to Pete, finding a look of pure shock and disbelief on his face.
