Page 52 of Someone For Everyone

‘Go away,’ she said, her voice muffled. ‘I don’t want you to see me like this.’

‘Don’t be daft,’ he said softly, rubbing her back. ‘I’m not leaving you. I need to know you’re okay. Can you sit up?’

He wasn’t sure she was going to comply, but eventually she rolled onto her back and clumsily sat upright. He almost laughed. Her ponytail was lopsided, she was covered in dead leaves, and her cardigan was stained with mud. At least, he hoped it was mud.

Suki gave her a quick sniff, looked unimpressed and wandered off to explore.

He removed the leaves from her hair. ‘Why are you upset?’

Her eyes dropped to her lap. ‘I’m fine. I’m just… venting. You don’t need to worry about me. I’ll get over it.’

‘I’m sure you will, but it doesn’t mean you’re okay right at this moment.’ He brushed mud from her sleeve. ‘Is it your family? Is someone ill?’

She shook her head. ‘Nothing like that.’

‘Then what? Because something’s wrong.’

Her eyes were still downcast. ‘My cousin Beth phoned this morning. She had news about my ex, Tristan.’

‘What’s the bastard done now? Sold your kidneys on the black market?’

She looked up, startled. For an awful moment, he feared he might have misjudged the situation and she was about to start crying again – or worse, hit him with the discarded branch. But she surprised him by laughing. ‘You’re right, he is a bastard. A complete and utter selfish arsehole of a bastard.’

‘No argument from me.’

But then her smile faded and she started crying again.Oh, hell. He reached out to touch her arm and realised her cardigan was damp. She was shaking from the cold as much as from being upset.

He got to his feet and offered her his hand. ‘Let’s get you to the car, you’re freezing.’

She allowed him to pull her upright. ‘I have no idea where I am,’ she said, gazing around the misty forest. ‘I don’t even know how I got here.’

‘Just as well we found you then.’ He steered her towards the path. ‘This way.’

She looked disorientated. ‘We?’

‘Me and Suki.’ The dog bounded over when she heard her name but, having deduced there were no treats on offer, wandered off again in disgust.

‘Sorry, my brain’s a bit fuzzy. I didn’t sleep well.’

Deciding she didn’t look stable on her feet, he risked sliding an arm around her waist to steady her. She didn’t object. In fact, she leant against him, as if content to let him take the lead.

When they reached the car, he called the dog, who gave him a dirty look at having her walk cut short… until he fed her a treat, and just like that he was back in her good books. She was a fickle creature.

Having propped Kate against the car, he fetched a blanket and his spare jacket from the boot. ‘Take off your cardigan and put this on,’ he said, handing her the puffer jacket.

Her hands were shaking so badly, he had to unclasp the fastening for her. Even her neck was cold. His fingers felt burning hot as they brushed against her skin. She had flecks of mud speckled across her cheeks and he had a strange urge to wipe them away.

Instead, he busied himself shoving the wet cardigan in the boot, waiting until she’d lowered herself into the passenger seat before draping the blanket over her knees.

‘How come you have a blanket?’ she said, her voice shaky. She looked cute in his jacket.

‘I was stuck in a snowstorm a few years back and had to spend the night in my car. It was bloody freezing. After that, I make sure I always have stuff in the boot, in case it happens again. Better?’

‘Much better.’ She looked up and smiled, and he almost hit his head on the door in his haste to retreat.

He gestured for Suki to jump in the back. The dog wasn’t happy about not riding shotgun on the way home, so he pacified her with another treat. Suki must cost Geraldine a fortune in dog treats.

Settling into the driver’s seat, he started the engine and turned up the heating. ‘You should warm up soon.’ He handed her a bottle of water. ‘It’ll help if you drink something.’

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