Homeward Bound

Homeward Bound Chapter 15

'Drop me in the town,' I said the minute we were back in the land rover.

'Okay, got business in town?' he asked me, now making progress back that way.

'Why do you need to know,' I snapped out.

'Well, because I'm concerned, or doesn't that count, would you prefer it I backed off and went back to my farm and told Lizzy you're fine?'

I made no reply to that and Gideon seemed to get the message. What he did was to drive through the main high street and parked up towards the road that would go out towards the moor where I assume he had his farm.

'Thank you for the lunch out,' I said as I made to get out.

'Fine, I take it that we are even now,' he replied stiffly.

I sighed and felt so frustrated with him. I knew he was cross with me for fighting him over that call.

'Look, Gideon, I appreciate all you've done for mum and what you might do in the future, with or without meg in tow, I had touched by the flowers, even though they are from the Coop. I am even touched by your romantic side but I don't need you to interfere with my personal life,' I stated.

'Even if someone is threatening you,' he pointed out.

'It's...' I paused and half wished I could confined in him but what stopped me was that phone call. 'Complicated.'

'Life is always complicated, Cara, it's whether you feel you can reach out to the right person,' he quoted, as a mobile phone went off and it wasn't mine.

He reached across the dash and picked up a small phone that looked very out of date. He looked at he screen then sighed.

'Sorry, I've got to get back,' he apologised.

'The farm comes first,' I guessed.

'It has to,' he confessed and then sighed, smiling at me. 'Look, Cara, if you need a friend call me or Lizzy, but I won't make an effort to come and bother you. I'll see you at the funeral.'

With that depressing thought, I got the message and got out the land rover. I stood on the pavement and watched him drive off up the road and out of the town. I turned and without looking I bumped into Margo again.

'I thought it was you,' she said with glee. I reminded mute, hoping she might just leave me in peace but I wasn't going to be given the option. 'That was one of the O'Malley's? I don't know how they eek a living out on that hill farm.'

'Mrs Brockhurst, excuse me, but I have some shopping to do,' I finally replied.

'So do I, we can talk as we shop,' she suggested, much to my horror and before I could shoot off the other way, she linked arms with me and pulled me with her.

It was like being stove over by a steamroller with no breaks. She had me in the coop before I could get free of her.

'Now, how is your mum?' she asked me, almost crowding me into the chiller where the milk was, while wheeling a basket with the skill of a clumsy giant.

'She's...' I begin.

'Coping well I see, in the brown cow café more than once this week, she must be loaded. Mind you that David Carpenter has a knack of turning women's heads of all ages. I couldn't help but see you were in there too, having lunch with him,' she cut over me in her loud brash way.

'He's doing the wake for us,' I explained, thinking I really had to defend not just us but David too.

'Oh really, I thought you might have the town hall, or aren't you expecting anyone knowing how... I don't want to speak ill of the dead, but your dad was a man of certain words.'