‘That disgusting piece of crap,’ Keith growled from the front.
‘Yeah, I know,’ Bex agreed. ‘Though that disgusting piece of crap is also your relative.’
‘What?’
Maybe she should’ve waited for Duncan to spread the news. But she couldn’t cope with everything she was holding in. She didn’t have it in her to keep any more secrets. After all, if these really were panic attacks she’d been experiencing, then there was a good chance it was linked to the stress of the last couple of weeks.
‘Yeah,’ Bex said. ‘He’s Duncan’s first cousin removed. It’s true, Fergus was Duncan’s grandfather.’
It was only afterwards that Bex realised that telling Keith about his son’s and first wife’s lineage while he was driving at seventy miles an hour down a dual carriageway probably hadn’t been the most sensible thing to do. But it was done now.
‘How’s he coping?’ Carrie asked. ‘Duncan, is he okay?’
A flutter of guilt flitted through Bex. ‘I’m not sure. I saw him this morning. We were together when he found out the news. And he was as okay as you could be. He said he needed some space, so… I was going to pop in and see him this evening, but then… well, you know what happened there.’
‘It’s disgusting,’ Carrie growled. ‘And not just Kieron, mind you. That company of yours. After all you’ve done for them, sacrificing your relationship as you fly here, there and everywhere. You’d think they’d show y’all a little more respect.’
Bex smiled. ‘That’s what Lorna said too.’
‘Well, yeah. I raised my lil’ girl right.’
Speaking of which, Bex remembered all the missed calls she’d had from Lorna while she’d been waiting to board. There had been a message asking Bex to ring her when she landed, but she’d still not had her head on straight when she’d read it. Now that she could finally think again, she picked up her phone and dialled her friend’s number.
‘Bex, thank God. Hold on. Aren’t you still meant to be on your flight now? What happened?’
‘It’s a long story.’ Bex’s stomach tightened as she expected more probing questions.
‘But you’re still in Scotland?’ Lorna said instead.
‘I am.’
‘Thank God.’ Lorna’s sigh rattled out the speakers. ‘Well, you need to get back here fast. As fast as possible.’
Tension gripped Bex’s ribs as a now familiar sensation began to take control. If it happened again, she was going to have a hard time convincing Carrie, or herself, that these weren’t panic attacks after all. Even now, the evidence was fairly damning.
She forced the air out of her lungs as she spoke. ‘What’s happened? Is it Duncan? Kieron?’
With her face crumpled in concern, Carrie reached into the back and squeezed her knee. Bex offered her a watery smile, but it was fleeting. She needed to focus on what Lorna was saying. Finally, her friend spoke again.
‘No, it’s not Duncan,’ Lorna said. ‘It’s not to do with any of that. It’s Ruby. You need to get back here for Ruby.’
38
Bex knew that speeding in foggy icy weather was always a terrible idea. And considering that a little over twelve hours ago she’d done exactly that and almost hit a deer, it was the last thing she should have wanted to do on a public road where there were other cars and drivers about. But God, she wished they could go faster.
Fortunately, Keith was very much sticking to the speed limit.
‘Lorna. What’s wrong with Ruby? What’s happened?’ Terror filled her voice. She couldn’t lose Ruby. Not now. The dog had saved her life. Ruby was the only reason that she was still breathing right now. That couldn’t have come at the expense of her own health. It just couldn’t. There was no way Bex would be able to forgive herself if that happened.
‘I need to go,’ Lorna said. ‘The door’s just gone. It’s either Duncan or the vet.’
‘The vet? Can you just let me?—’
Bex didn’t even bother finishing the sentence; the line was already dead.
‘You got this, darlin’, just keep breathing, nice and steady,’ Carrie said gently. She was back to using that soft, calming tone, clearly worried that at any second she was going to descend into another panic attack. And it was true. Her heart was pounding, and her hands definitely had a sheen to them. If these really were panic attacks, then she knew the first step was that she had to keep breathing. She had to keep her head clear. But it was so much easier said than done with the way the temperature was climbing and the air felt as if it were growing thinner and thinner.
‘Duncan knows the vet well.’ Carrie’s voice became a focal point for Bex to train her focus on. ‘You know that whatever Ruby needs, she’s going to get the best treatment there is.’
