Page 33 of A Cosy Christmas with the Village Vet

‘You’re not kidding,’ said Brogan. ‘You know there’s no way you can go back to Willow Cottage with the state it’s in, don’t you? On top of everything else that’s wrong with it, it’ll take months to properly dry out, you’d get ill.’

‘I know.’ He heaved a sigh. ‘I’d ask to stay with my parents or my brother, Matt, but with them living way over on the other side of York it’s not exactly ideal for commuting over here, never mind being on call for the surgery. There’s the winter weather to think about too. I’ll just have to intensify my searches; I’m sure I’ll find something.’

A beat passed before Brogan spoke again. ‘You know, you and Maudie are welcome to stay here as long as you need. I appreciate how difficult it is to find rental property round here.’ She took a sip of her hot chocolate, her green eyes peering over the top of her mug.

Nick was touched by her offer and, much as it was tempting, he said, ‘That’s really kind of you, but I don’t know how long it’s going to take to find somewhere new, and I wouldn’t want to put you out, or for you to regret offering. I mean, Maudie hadn’t been here five minutes and she’d kicked poor old Wilf off his bed.’

Brogan laughed, the pair of them turning to the dogs who were spread across both cushions, Wilf’s leg resting on Maudie’s as they slept contentedly. ‘Ahh, I don’t think Wilf’s complaining much, do you?’ she asked.

A smile spread across Nick’s face as he observed how settled Maudie was, suddenly realising it had been a whole day since she’d treated him to one of her haughty looks. ‘I don’t think Maudie is either, come to think of it,’ he said fondly.

‘Well, then, you’ve both had a rotten few days, so if it helps take the pressure off, my offer to stay here stands. It’s just Wilf and me rattling round the place on our own; somehow seems a bit wrong not to let you have use of a room ’til you get sorted with somewhere new.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘I am.’ She nodded.

‘Well, in that case, I think I can speak on behalf of Miss Snooty-Pants over there when I say, we’d love to take you up on it – but we’ll be sure not to outstay our welcome; I’ll get onto house-hunting right away.’ The relief he felt was palpable, like a huge weight being lifted from his shoulders. It had been a day of contrasts, that was for sure.

‘That’s settled then. And I’m happy to help you bring your stuff over from Willow Cottage. Hopefully, most of it will be salvageable.’ She beamed at him.

Nick beamed back, thinking that whatever it was that had brought this extraordinary woman into his life, he’d be eternally grateful. She truly was a breath of fresh air, there was no edge to her, no hidden agenda. She was kind and decent, and her presence in his life made it a better place, that was for sure. He hoped she’d be in it for a long time.

Before long, Brogan was declaring she was tired and needed to get to bed. Much as Nick was reluctant to leave her company, he had to agree; he felt suddenly exhausted, the events of the last few days catching up with him.

After helping her wash their mugs, he bid goodnight to Maudie and Wilf then glanced across at Brogan who’d just finished checking the porch door was locked properly. ‘Thanks again for your offer, Brogan. You’ve no idea how much easier you’ve made things for Maudie and me.’

She met his gaze, looking up at him. ‘Hey, don’t mention it, I’m happy to help.’ She flashed him a smile.

‘Not many people would offer a roof over their head to someone they barely know. I really appreciate it.’

‘I feel as if I do know you,’ she said, almost shyly.

His eyes roved over her face, his heart started pounding. What was she saying? Was she referring to their time at the wedding? Or did she feel it too? This powerful connection that almost overwhelmed him, pulling them together? He didn’t dare ask, not wanting to get it wrong, not wanting to risk making things awkward between them. ‘Yeah, I know what you mean,’ was all he could think of to say, his mind all over the place. Before he was tempted to elaborate, he bent and kissed her cheek, her auburn waves brushing his face, her soft skin and the scent of her shampoo adding to the heady mix of emotions that were swirling like crazy inside him. ‘Night, Brogan. Sleep tight.’

‘Nigh, Nick. You too.’ She smiled up at him.

He smiled back before turning and taking his wayward thoughts to bed.

25

BROGAN

Brogan woke with a start, her eyes pinging open and her heart pounding as she lay still, listening in the darkness, the sound of her pulse whooshing in her ears. She was sure she’d heard Wilf barking downstairs in the kitchen and couldn’t work out if that was what had roused her from her sleep or something else; something that had caused him to bark. She had a nagging feeling in her sleep-fuddled brain she’d heard the sound of a car door closing. But with Wilf now silent, the only other noise was the bed creaking in the next room as Nick turned over.

Her mind went to the van the locals had been talking about and her pulse rate surged. She felt suddenly glad that she wasn’t on her own tonight.

Reaching for her alarm clock on the bedside table she saw it was twenty-past two; she’d only been asleep for a few hours. She slipped out from beneath her duvet and crept silently over to the window in her pyjamas, avoiding the floorboards she knew would complain at being stepped on. Cautiously, she peered through a chink in the curtain to see that the wind had dropped and feathery snowflakes were falling steadily from the sky. The light in the yard revealed nothing unusual. Beyond, the surrounding area was swathed in darkness, but she couldn’t see anything that looked suspicious; no flashing torch lights, no unfamiliar sounds.

After spending ten minutes at the window, the cold was starting to creep in and she was shivering. Content that it was probably just some nocturnal creature hunting around for food that had woken her and made Wilf bark, she tiptoed back to bed, snuggling down under the duvet, thankful it had retained some of its warmth. She closed her eyes, but her mind decided it would be a good time to take a trip down the road that led to Nick’s ex and the reason for her call. It kept sleep at bay for a good forty-five minutes, Brogan finally convincing herself them getting back together was inevitable. Why else did she keep getting in touch with him? She clearly wanted his attention. Since her split with Archie, Brogan hadn’t contacted him once.

* * *

Bundledup well against the cold and with the fans blowing out much-needed warm air, Brogan and Nick trundled down the track from Pond Farm, tyres crunching over the snow. Maudie and Wilf were in the boot space where they’d curled up together straight away. Up above, the first glimmers of daybreak were just becoming visible in the still-dark sky.

Though she’d been a little surprised when she’d found herself overcome with the urge to offer Nick somewhere to stay, Brogan hadn’t regretted it. It had felt like the right thing to do, but more than that, she’d really enjoyed being in his company. The cottage had somehow felt happier having him there;she’dfelt happier, and Wilf certainly seemed to be enjoying having Maudie around.

They were almost half-way down the lane when Brogan picked out what appeared to be traces of tyre tracks and foot prints in the snow. Her heart clenched as she peered out of the windscreen, her eyes straining to get a better look. From what she could tell it didn’t seem to have snowed much more since she’d been woken in the early hours, and the imprints had been frozen as the temperature had plummeted.

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