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“When is Josh back?” Kitty asked, partially digging for information, partially on the hunt for a solution.

“He’ll be back before Ammy’s bedtime. He’s taken her to the dairy farm.”

The corners of Kitty’s mouth curled up as she remembered Josh with his arm inside the cow. She said she’d never unsee that image. A momentary flash of worry crossed her brow.

“He’s okay, isn’t he? He hasn’t replied to any of my texts.”

Thea’s face blanched.

“He’s fine, just under the pump. Today was his first ‘run of the mill’ day all week. He knows you’ve been away and busy.I’ve kept him updated.”

The placid smile on her lips seemed forced, and jitters attacked Kitty’s hands as she wondered what was happening behind it.

“How did London go?” Thea asked, changing the subject.

Kitty told Thea about her time away. The job she described sounded amazing, so why wasn’t the prospect as enticing as before?What she didn’t describe was the terrible loneliness she’d felt when she was on her own, back at her hotel.

Daniel had been amazing. He’d checked on her often and even sent a fantastic bunch of peonies to her hotel. His flirty texts had been the only thing that kept her sane. But she’d rather have heard from Thea’s brother.

Instead of dwelling on Josh, or the lack of him, a need to assist Thea grabbed Kitty. To help her write out a business development plan and save the sanctuary. It would be a way to kill two birds with one stone. She’d be helping Thea keep Small Oaks going, plus keep herself occupied until she left to go back to London.

That she may run into Josh now and then was a bonus.

After a morning of clearing and cleaning out enclosures and re-organising the food stores that’d become messy, Kitty spent an hour and a half with Thea questioning her on the minutest details about the sanctuary. They talked about her hopes and dreams to grow the place and all the limitations and potential opportunities. Satisfied she had enough information, Kitty promised she’d go away and come up with something Thea could show to the bank.

39

KITTY

That evening,Kitty had a dinner date with Daniel. They were going to a small French restaurant in the next village. He’d described the food as orgasmic. Under his persistent texting, she’d agreed to the date, and as she applied dark eyeliner to already smoky shadowed eyes, her thoughts, as always, drifted to Josh.

He hadn’t contacted her. She’d given up analysing the minutiae of their last conversation. Now she was just plain cross with him. Her thoughts and stomach churning, Kitty almost stabbed herself in the eye with her kohl pencil when her phone pinged on the side of the sink.

She checked the notification, expecting it to be Daniel asking her not to wear knickers or something equally silly, but the name that flashed up on the screen had Kitty’s heart skitter. With shaking hands, she opened the message.

Josh:I delivered a foal today. Thought of you.

That was all he had to say?Kitty’s temper flared. He hadn’t contacted her for a week after their wonderful day together, and then, when she finallydidhear from him, this was all he had to say.Kitty replied with:

Kitty:???

It took only seconds for him to respond.

Josh:Legs x

Did his words mean he liked her legs, or did he mean her knees were knobbly? Hoping he meant they were long and coltish, Kitty couldn’t contain her smile as she stroked the screen of her phone. Maybe things would be okay. Maybe hehadjust been busy. She’d track him down tomorrow.

A horn beeped outside, signalling that Daniel had arrived, and sweeping another layer of gloss over her lips, Kitty checked out her bottom in the dress she wore. It was a black satin sheath, high-necked at the front but cut tantalisingly low at the back.

She popped her hand down on the side, balancing while she added black stilettos to her outfit. Something hard poked into her skin, and she glanced down to see her broken glasses. They’d remained on the side in the bathroom since trivia night. Kitty couldn’t throw them out. It was as if they signified a part of her life, a stability to which she wanted to hang on. With a widening grin, she picked them up, threw them into the bin and walked out to meet her date.

* * *

After what felt morelike a ride in a rocket than a car, Daniel drove them into the restaurant carpark and turned off the engine.

He liked to go fast in more ways than one.

Daniel activated the roof to retract over them, and Kitty ran her fingers through her hair to remove the tangles created by the wind. She wrote a mental note to herself to bring a sleek 1950s headscarf or even a beanie when travelling with Daniel Cunningham.