A few laps around the winding path that looped around the quaint pond would do her fitness even more good, and enjoyingthe ducks quacking and splashing in the water would be an added benefit.
The park was busier around the pond area with dog walkers exercising their pets and a few joggers here and there, too. In a children’s play area on the far side of the pond, Courtney saw toddlers rampaging around and having fun while parents watched from the benches beside the climbing frame.
After her third loop around the pond, Courtney decided a sit down was in order to catch her breath. She veered towards a free wooden bench further along the path and let out a sigh of relief as she took the weight off her feet.
With the sun on her face and the ducks quacking in the pond and the sounds of squeals and laughter coming from the children playing nearby, Courtney felt pleasantly drowsy as she sat on the bench—and far more relaxed than she’d imagined was possible, considering she was barely two hours into her shocking and unexpected redundancy.
She closed her eyes, let the sun’s heat warm her skin, and let the gentle sounds of the park cocoon her.
This is nice,she thought.In this moment, all is well.
The sound of scampering claws had her opening her eyes a second later. A small scruffy dog came barrelling towards her, tongue lolling and ears flapping as it raced in her direction before skidding to a halt beside a discarded sandwich crust that lay beneath the bench not far from Courtney’s feet.
Noisy chomping followed as the little dog snaffled up the food with obvious glee.
“Elsa! You cheeky scamp! Come back here this instant!”
Courtney looked up from the dog that was munching on the remains of the sandwich and saw an older lady hurrying towards her with a dog lead flapping in her hand. The dog—Elsa, apparently—barely spared the woman a glance before devouring the rest of the sandwich crust in one bite.
“Oh, you naughty dog!” the woman muttered as she drew near. “If you have an upset tummy later, Elsa, you’ll only have yourself to blame.”
In one fluid motion, the woman leaned down and clipped the lead onto the dog’s collar. Having already finished its contraband snack, the animal didn’t seem particularly bothered about being recaptured. With a shake of her head, the woman gave Courtney an amused smile.
“This rascal seems determined to run me ragged today,” she said. “I should have expected she would seek out the most revolting bits of abandoned food the moment I let her off the lead.”
Courtney laughed. “I don’t think the piece of sandwich she ate looked too awful. It might only have been there for a few hours. I hope your dog won’t end up poorly, though.”
“She’s made of fairly stern stuff, but I suppose I’ll just have to wait and see how she fares during the rest of the day.” The woman gave the dog a philosophical look before returning her attention to Courtney. Her eyebrows bunched together, as if she was in deep thought. “You look familiar, dear. Do we know one another?”
Courtney studied the older lady’s kind face, taking in her sweep of silvery hair that was cut into a smart bob style, and her splash of pink lipstick that matched the blouse she wore beneath a spring green tailored jacket.
“I don’t think so,” Courtney replied. “I’m not from Hamblehurst. I’m just visiting for a while.”
The older lady thought about this, her gaze still on Courtney. “I feel sure I recognise your face, and…” Her eyes dropped to Courtney’s baby bump and then widened as if in recognition. “Wait a minute. Didn’t I see you last week at a birthday party on Foxglove Street?”
“Yes, that might be it,” Courtney said, a curious smile lifting her lips. “You were at the party for Colin Austin, at his daughter, Rosie’s, house?”
The woman nodded. “I was indeed, although only for a short while. I must admit I wasn’t actually invited to the party, as I don’t know Colin Austin at all, but I do know his mother-in-law, Janet, who dragged me in off the street and into the middle of the festivities in order to settle a disagreement she was having with another guest. It was all rather silly and complicated, I must say, although we did sort out the confusion in the end, which is the important thing.” The woman waved a hand and laughed. “But anyway, I think I might have glimpsed your face during the party, and I certainly remember briefly seeing a young pregnant lady arrive at the event just before I left. I’m sure it was you.”
“I think it must have been me. How strange, though, because I wasn’t supposed to be at Friday’s birthday party either. I was an, er, unexpected last-minute guest.”
The older lady chuckled. “It sounds like we have that much in common, in that case. Did you enjoy yourself at the party?”
“I did. Colin is my uncle and it was lovely to see him enjoying himself.”
“The birthday cake certainly was spectacular and very tasty. My friend, Janet, said that her granddaughter, Rosie, ordered the cake specially. I was most impressed with the slice I was served.” The woman gestured to the empty space on the bench beside Courtney. “Do you mind if I join you?”
“Of course not,” Courtney said with a smile.
The lady settled herself on the bench while the little dog sniffed and scampered at their feet, still searching for more tasty morsels to enjoy.
“I’m Olive Nimmo,” the woman said, holding out her hand.
“Courtney Flynn. Pleased to meet you.”
They shook hands and both laughed at the formal greeting exchanged in the relaxed setting of the park. Olive let out a soft sigh.
“This is nice,” she said, tilting her head back to enjoy the sunshine. “Sometimes it’s nice to take a minute and enjoy the world, rather than rushing off to the next thing that has to be done.”
