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‘We made our peace. I thought we already had done that a couple of days ago at the Bothy but when I realised he’d gone missing, I was petrified.’
‘Did he say why he went up to the cave again?’
‘I think he wanted to visit one last time before he went home,’ Katie said. If Ned wanted to elaborate to Jess at a future date, that was his business. Katie and Ned’s parting words would stay between them. ‘Will you see him in London?’
‘I don’t know. Maybe at some point but not until – not until I feel differently about him, if I ever do.’ Jess put on a brave smile that made Katie’s heart ache for her. ‘Don’t worry about me. From now on, the best gift we can give each other is to be honest.’
Jess was so wise. ‘Yes … Thank you for being a wonderful friend.’
‘You too,’ Jess said, turning on to the fast road that led back into the heart of the Lakes. ‘You must be shattered. I hardly slept so I’ve no idea how you must have felt at the hospital.’
‘I couldn’t sleep until I knew he’d be OK. I guess I snatched a few naps in various chairs among people being sick and lairy. I’m also high on caffeine and chocolate bars.’
‘Why don’t you try and get some sleep? You’ll have Wanda to deal with when you get home and no amount of wild swimming and hiking is going to combat the fretting she’s done over the past twelve hours.’
Katie groaned. ‘Oh God. She always thinks something bad will happen and the moment she let go of her fears, something disastrous does. I hope we’re not back to square one.’
Wanda’s worries weren’t funny but Jess and Katie went off into fits of giggles anyway. It was the release of tension but was still heartening for Katie.
When they’d stopped laughing, they sank into a silence born of sheer exhaustion. Katie rested her eyes on the passing mountains. Could Arlo be her main character? Was it possible to know after such a short time? Even if it was, should she tell him?
Ned had urged her to. Perhaps, she thought, feeling sleep finally wrap around her, Ned knew her a hell of a lot better than she’d realised.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Standing on the island jetty, Arlo threw a ball for Pongo. The late-morning sun was weak and the air crisp. He’d delivered Jess and Katie back to the Island House about half an hour previously.
Even exhausted and still wearing the old sweatshirt he’d loaned her en route to the hospital, she looked beautiful to him. She and Jess had gone straight into the house yet Arlo had lingered, unwilling to return home. Somehow, the Lodge didn’t feel as much like home these past couple of weeks as it had before.
The ball had dropped into the edge of the lake but Pongo hesitated.
Arlo crossed his arms. ‘Don’t like getting your feet wet? That’s not great for a gun dog, is it?’
Pongo tipped his head this way and that as if to say he had never been near a gun in his life nor had he any intention of being a working dog.
With a smile, Arlo fished the ball out of the shallows himself and threw it back towards the trees. ‘Try this. You can keep your paws dry.’
While Pongo rooted around, Arlo breathed in the cool air and tried to calm himself. He hadn’t expected to get much rest after returning from the hospital but he’d finally fallen asleep on the sofa in the Lodge with Pongo for a duvet.
Even though he’d found it traumatic to enter the cave, it gave him some peace of mind to know that, when lives had been on the line, he had been able to overcome his worst fears. Perhaps that’s why he’d managed to sleep. However, now that another terrifying day had almost come, he had a whole new challenge that was even more difficult to face: Katie was leaving and he was in love with her.
Pongo brought the ball back to him and he threw it towards the copse again, harder than he’d meant.
‘Thanks!’ Katie rubbed the knee of her jeans and picked up the ball.
‘Sorry!’ Arlo said, hurrying to meet her halfway between the trees and the jetty.
‘I’ll probably have a huge bruise.’ She grinned. ‘I already have bruised knees, though, so I won’t even notice. Here you go, Pongo!’
She flung the ball towards the lake and Pongo, of course, leapt in and retrieved it immediately.
‘He refused to go in the water for me,’ Arlo said, watching the dog shake his coat like a demented corkscrew.
Katie laughed.
‘Is there any update on how Ned’s doing?’ he asked.
‘OK. He’s much more comfortable and his sister’s with him.’ She held the ball tightly as if Pongo might leap up and snatch it away. ‘He wanted me to thank you for helping him.’
