‘Don’t worry,’ Finn said, ‘we’ll keep you warm.’
They crested the top of a hill, and Tammy gasped when she saw the view in front of her: a crystal-clear lake surrounded by pines. In the bright blue water, a tiny boat was tied to a post at the edge.
‘Shimmying shrimps,’ she whispered. ‘It’s so beautiful.’
‘Let’s get you in that boat.’ She felt Finn’s hand on the base of her spine. Her body tingled with anticipation.
‘Are you sure this is safe?’ There were no holes in the boat, but as it swayed unsteadily from side to side, Tammy didn’t exactly feel secure.
‘Don’t worry, the piranhas in the lake only eat brunettes,’ Conor joked.
‘Not funny,’ Tammy said, followed by audible ‘humph’. She wasn’tactuallyannoyed though — it had been an amazing day, and the trip around the lake was the icing on the cake.
‘Seriously,’ Finn said, as he rowed them around the edge of the body of water, ‘it’s totally safe. Water’s not too cold either. Bjorn — the vet — jumps in every day. He’s even got Isla, who’s his Little, doing the same thing. They immerse themselves in it; they say it does wonders for the circulation.’
Tammy made a mental note of this. Cold water therapy wasn’t something she’d come across at medical school, but there could be something in it. Maybe she shouldn’t be so quick to complain about the lack of hot water in her house, after all…
‘I go swimming in this lake, too,’ Conor chipped in. ‘It’s about the only cardio that doesn’t hurt my leg these days.’
Tammy made a second mental note to ask Conor about his leg when it wasn’t the weekend. She knew the importance of keeping work life separate from her spare time.
‘It’s lovely,’ Tammy said, sighing deeply and sinking back into the boat.
‘Look,’ Finn said, ‘Tamster, we need to tell you something. Need to ask you something.’
Conor chipped in. ‘You know I’m not one for beatin’ around the bush. I like to be direct.’
‘You’re about as subtle as a fart,’ Finn said.
Tammy snorted a laugh.
‘Yeah, well, at least I don’t smell like one,’ Conor shot back. ‘Anyway, look, I don’t know how to ask this without just askin’. So. Tammy. Are you… single?’
She felt shocked. Suddenly, she was pulled out of her good mood and brought right back to that feeling of betrayal and abandonment that she’d felt all those years ago. What right did Conor have to ask her about her relationship status? Especially since he and Finn had abandoned her all those years ago. Had chosen not to be with her.
She felt small. Alone. ‘I think you should take me back to my place.’
‘But—’ Conor started.
‘She’s right,’ Finn said. ‘This is all wrong.’
The boat didn’t sink, but her heart did.
*
‘It’s just not good enough, Haze.’ Shay hadn’t been this furious for a long time. He’d struggled to keep his emotions under control for years, but some things triggered him so hard that he just couldn’t hold back.
It didn’t help that his finger was still hurting like hell.
I should have just stayed, let Tammy finish the bandage. But when have I ever done a single sensible thing?
‘I know it’s not good enough,’ Haze replied, shaking his head, ‘but it’s literally out of my control right now. I don’t have the manpower, don’t have the resources to magically make the whole town habitable with the click of my fingers.’
‘We’re not talking the whole town though, are we? You employ someone, and they should have an actual place to work. Not just a feckin’ shack. It’s a disgrace.’
‘The doctor’s surgery is hardly a shack. It’s got power.’
‘It’s about to fall down. There’s no heating. No proper equipment.’