‘OK.’
Bertie gobbled his breakfast up faster than I’d ever seen. He fiddled with his spoon, twirling it round in his fingers and tapping it against the table.
‘Bertie, is it possible you’re a little bit excited about helping with the animals today?’
Bertie’s mouth spread into a grin. ‘Just a bit.’
‘You’ll have to work hard. Harry is expecting an assistant, not a hanger-on.’
‘I’ll be the best assistant she’s ever had,’ said Bertie. Given the enthusiasm on display, I didn’t doubt it.
‘Knock knock.’
An involuntary flush crept up my neck as Seb appeared in the doorway. I tried to get my emotions under control. There was nothing about Seb that usually attracted me. The beanie he wore had several holes, his jacket was covered in stains, and that beard of his would be horribly scratchy to kiss.Stop it, I told myself.You’re a married woman. Sort of.
‘Sorry I’m early, but the weather’s supposed to turn around midday, so I thought it might help to get an early start.’
‘Sure, no problem. I’ll just go up and grab Bertie’s coat, then I’ll be ready.’
‘Great.’
When I came back downstairs with Bertie’s coat, I found Seb and Harry, their heads nestled together, frowning at something on Harry’s phone. Something about the way they stood, close together, at ease, made me wonder if there was more to their relationship than simply friendship. I pushed down the feelings of jealousy that threatened to erupt in my stomach. Who was I to care? It wasn’t like I was a free agent myself.
‘Everything OK?’
‘Yeah,’ said Harry, looking up from her phone. ‘Just another in a never-ending list of things to sort out at the farm.’
Her tone was nothing like the easy-going woman who’d chatted over dinner. She sounded world weary, worn-down, and far older than her smooth skin suggested.
‘Come on,’ said Seb. ‘Let’s get going and beat the weather.’
‘Are you sure it’s all right to leave Bertie here?’
‘Of course,’ said Harry. ‘I’ve got plenty to keep him busy.’
Seb and I stepped outside and were hit by the kind of cold that burrowed through your thick socks and laughed in the face of all your layers. I shivered and hugged my arms around myself.
‘I thought we’d start at the furthest point and work our way back. That OK?’
‘Yes. Hang on, we’re not going on that, are we?’ I pointed to an ancient muddy quad bike sitting in the driveway.
‘Up to you. Either we go on that or walk miles in the cold. The choice is yours.’
‘I’ve never been on a quad bike before.’
‘It’s easy,’ said Seb, walking over and climbing on. ‘Just sit behind me. You can either hold on to the rail at the back, or put your arms around me. Whatever’s most comfortable.’
Comfortable? There was nothing comfortable about the idea of clinging to Seb’s waist. I shivered at the thought, convincing myself it was from the cold.
Seb handed me a helmet and helped me squeeze it on my head. ‘I’ve not needed a helmet yet,’ he said, ‘but it’s better safe than sorry. Besides, the last thing the farm needs is a personal injury claim.’
I felt stung that he had me down as someone who’d sue over a broken arm. ‘Where are we going first?’
‘The lake. In some ways, that’s the most exciting part of the farm. It’s where all the potential lies.’
‘Sounds intriguing,’ I said, although Seb didn’t hear me over the noise of the engine.
Seb drove around to the back of the house, then picked up speed as we bumped and skidded across a muddy field. The view stretched out in front of me, woodland leading down to a ribbon of water, glittering beneath the weak winter sun.
