Page 19 of Forgive Not Forget

“It’s nothing to overly worry about. Holly was with Lucy, so we all had a chat. Holly hasn’t noticed anything except what she’d already alerted me to.”

“His stubbornness to participate in physio.”

Katherine nodded. “She’s only been working with him for a few months and doesn’t know his cognitive ability as well as Lucy.”

“So what did Lucy say?” Anna asked, wishing Katherine would get to the point.

“She feels there is a marked difference in his cognitive state since his pneumonia that warrants some initial investigations.”

Anna fidgeted in her seat. This was all she needed.Poor dad.

Katherine walked to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder, sensing Anna’s irritability as she always seemed to do.

“Lucy couldn’t put her finger on anything specific, which is a good sign. He’d certainly not called her by the wrong name; she simply felt following his confusion yesterday and a niggling in the back of her mind as to his recent cognitive abilities it’s worth doing some tests, that’s all.”

Anna nodded, but her brain trying to process everything rendered her temporarily speechless.

Katherine placed her hands on either side of Anna’s face and leaned in for a kiss. “Let’s not worry until we have the results, yes?”

The touch of Katherine’s soft lips against her own was usually enough to wash away any worries. Not in this instance.

“Why are you home anyway?” Katherine asked.

Anna let out a sigh.

“Oh, what? Should I sit down too?” She lowered herself onto the stool beside Anna.

Anna turned to face her and slotted her knees between Katherine’s. “There’s been some vandalism at the abbey. Graffiti, and what looks like night hawks.”

“Night what?”

“Hawks. Metal detectorists,” Anna replied, exasperated by yet another person unfamiliar with vocabulary she really felt they should know. Anna watched Katherine for a moment as she silently processed her news.

“It’s not something to do with Sophie?”

“No, Carrie already checked.”

“I suppose we should report it to the police then. Can you get back to the site and make sure no one touches anything? Just in case they want to see.”

“You think they would investigate it?”

“I don’t know. Until they say otherwise, we should treat it as a crime scene.”

Anna stood and was about to leave when Katherine’s hands slid around her waist and pulled her back. She was about to point out that it was no time for funny business when she realised Katherine had rested her head against her stomach. She wrapped her arms around Katherine’s shoulders and held her tight.

Katherine finally let her go. “Have I told you how hot you look in that jacket?”

“Only a million times.” Anna laughed, relieved that Katherine was in good spirits.

“What a day, eh? And it’s not even eleven o’clock.”

Anna hummed in agreement. “Our two loves not in great places.”

“Let’s deal with the one in our control,” Katherine said, lifting her phone from the marble work surface. “Have you sent over the event schedule and budget yet?”

“On it. You’ll have it by lunchtime.” Anna kissed her head. “See you in a bit.”

CHAPTER9