‘Eleanor, I?—’
Taking a shuddering breath, Ellie pushed herself back to standing. She needed to get out of here, she needed some fresh air, she needed to be alone. ‘It’s okay. I’m glad I found out how little I mean to him now rather than in a few months’ or years’ time. I’m going to get home now.’
‘I’ll come with you.’ Standing up, Kathy pulled a thin cardigan hung from a hook on the back of the door and shrugged into it.
‘No. Thanks, but I need to be alone.’ Taking the few short steps to the door, Ellie pulled it open.
‘You shouldn’t be alone. Not now, not after?—’
‘Please, Mum.’
Kathy nodded before walking towards her and pulling her into her arms. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for this to happen. I don’t like seeing you upset.’
‘I know you didn’t.’ Wiping her hands across her cheeks, Ellie dried her tears. ‘I’ll be okay. I just need a bit of space.’
‘Okay, love. Ring me if you need me.’ Lowering her arms, Kathy stepped back.
‘I will.’ Nodding, Ellie pulled the door open and hurried out onto the landing.
30
As she pulled away from the kerb, Ellie forced herself to focus on the road ahead. Meadowfield was quiet this evening, and for that she was grateful. The last thing she needed right now was to have to try to avoid the village cycle club or the running group racing across the road. No, she had enough thoughts going through her mind right now.
Her mum had forced Murray away. He’d gone because of what she’d said. Yes, Kathy hadn’t meant for that to be the outcome of their conversation, but it had been. There was no escaping the fact that if her mum hadn’t shown up, if she hadn’t spoken to Murray, then he’d still be here. Right now, he’d be in her cottage, sharing a takeaway, and they’d be chatting.
Right now. Instead, she felt as though, once again, her whole world had shifted. Once again, he’d abandoned her. Left her. And what was worse was that he’d left this time for no reason. He wasn’t planning a trip overseas in a bid to rescue a family member’s business, he wasn’t putting his half-brothers’ well-being before his own and subsequently hers. He’d just left because he hadn’t wanted to hurt her again.
Pulling up the hem of her T-shirt, she dried the tears which had begun falling again. He’d left for no reason. It could all have been avoided. And by leaving her, he’d done the very thing he’d been trying not to which was to hurt her.
None of it made any sense. Nothing made any sense anymore.
Flicking her indicator on, she began to turn the corner, slamming her brakes on as a large fluffy white cloud appeared in the road. With the car stopping inches from Claudette, Ellie gripped the steering wheel, half-expecting for the airbag to go off. When it didn’t, she relaxed her shoulders and slowly opened the door and got out.
Claudette had been rounded up after the village meeting, she was sure she had, so what was the sheep doing standing nonchalantly in the middle of the road?
‘Ellie! I’m so sorry! Are you okay?’
Turning, she watched as Nicola jogged down the street towards her, Claudette running in the opposite direction as soon as she spotted her. ‘I think so.’
‘I couldn’t believe it when I saw your car coming round the corner. I really thought that was the end for poor Claudette.’ Reaching her, Nicola gripped her by the shoulders and looked her up and down. ‘You’re really okay? No whiplash or anything?’
‘Nope, I’m fine.’ Ellie shook her head, grateful when her hair settled in a fashion that covered half her face and hopefully her tear-stained and puffy cheeks. ‘I just wasn’t expecting to turn the corner and find a sheep in the road.’
‘Oh, I know. The little minx escaped again, and I’ve been tracking her ever since. Charlie’s on his way as we speak.’ Letting go of Ellie’s shoulders, Nicola glanced around. ‘I’ve lost her again.’
‘Umm…’ Spinning around, Ellie pointed to a splodge of white disappearing inside a garden.
‘Phew! Thank you.’ Nicola raced off towards the sheep, making sure to slow to a walk before she reached her.
Standing in the middle of the road, Ellie glanced from her car, which she’d abandoned halfway around the corner, to Nicola, who was slowly approaching Claudette. Should she help? Whether she chose to or not, she couldn’t just leave her car where it was. If someone drove up behind her, they might not see her little Ford Fiesta in time to stop before ploughing into the back of it.
Retreating to her car, she started the ignition again and pulled forward, slowing to a stop a few metres behind where she’d pointed Claudette out to Nicola. Getting out of the car again, she walked quickly towards the garden she’d seen Claudette vanish into. Pausing, she looked around. There was no sign of Nicola or the runaway sheep.
Ellie shielded her eyes from the setting sun and looked up and down the road. Nope, nothing. Nicola must have secured Claudette somewhere to wait for Charlie, or else herded her into the next street to his waiting truck. Either way, both the sheep and Nicola were gone.
Back inside her car, Ellie lowered her forehead to the steering wheel. What was she supposed to do now? Just go home? Go back to her little cottage and get on with her life? Try to forget that Murray had reappeared in her life a short time ago only to disappear just as rapidly?
Maybe that would be the best thing, to just put the whole failed fledgling romance out of her mind, to pretend it hadn’t existed, to pretend she hadn’t felt that connection, that spark with Murray again.
