Page 94 of Escape for Christmas
She burst out laughing, then realised she should probably be a bit quieter, with the sick animals recuperating next door. ‘Oh, I’m sorry. It’s the relief.’
‘Don’t apologise. I like to see you laughing again.’ He put his plate on the floor. He looked at her so tenderly that it sparked a ray of hope in her heart that Brody genuinely cared about her. It was a ray that she had to extinguish quickly.
‘Thank you for staying here, but I have to go home,’ Sophie said.
‘Of course. I have work to do too. Thanks for the food. Very thoughtful of you.’
‘You’re welcome. Bye.’
Sophie hurriedly grabbed her coat and rushed out of the vet’s to the safety of her car. She never wanted to be the ‘other woman’. Even if she hadn’t kissed or slept with Brody, she’d wanted to – she wanted Tegan not to be his fiancée, and that was wrong. It was exactly what had been done to her, and she could never inflict that kind of pain and humiliation on Tegan, no matter how much she herself would love to be with Brody.
From now on, she would resist all and every temptation to interact with him, beyond that of vet and client. In fact once the cats were fully recovered, it might be for the best to find another vet. However difficult it might prove, with them being neighbours, the more distance she put between her and Brody, the better.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Brody made it to Tegan’s parents in time for dinner the following evening. He’d stayed the night at the surgery before handing over to his colleague, leaving her in charge of discharging Jingle and Belle, who thankfully were on the road to recovery.
Once again, he’d come so close to doing something he’d regret: confessing all to Sophie.
Tegan hadn’t been impressed that he’d rushed off to help Sophie, and was even less impressed when she found out he’d decided to do an unscheduled overnight shift at the surgery. God knows what she would have said if she’d found out that Sophie had made a special journey to the practice with a food parcel … Tegan had decided to stay at her parents’ last night instead, and he’d had to promise to go over there for dinner today after work. It meant they’d have to share a room, but there was no getting out of it.
Brody greeted her father and mother, handing her some flowers that he’d picked up on the way over. Alan went into the kitchen to help Fiona with dinner, leaving Brody alone with Tegan in the lounge.
She stared at him. ‘You look tired,’ she said. ‘Tough night?’
‘Not too bad. I had to operate on a dog that had been in a car accident and he stayed in overnight.’
‘Poor thing,’ Tegan murmured. ‘How are the cats?’
This seemingly innocent comment set him on edge instantly, thinking it best not to tell her about Sophie’s visit. ‘They’re on the mend. It was touch and go, but they’ll be OK.’
‘I’m sure Sophie’s relieved.’
‘She is.’
‘And very grateful. You’re making a habit of rescuing her.’
‘I’ve hardly rescued her. I’m her vet, so I’ve treated her cats, like I’m paid to do. And it wasn’t Sophie having a baby,’ he replied, more brusquely than he’d intended.
‘OK, there’s no need to be so touchy.’ Tegan moved to stroke his arm and made a soothing noise, making him feel like one of Sophie’s cats.
She then burst out laughing, on her father walking into the dining room. A smile lit up Alan’s face too, yet Brody’s spirits plummeted. He shoved his hands in his pockets, feeling tired of playing the happy couple.
‘Sorry for interrupting, only your mother says the food is ready. I’ve laid the table, if you want to come in?’
They ate dinner, chatting about the annual New Year’s Eve ball that was held on one of the lake steamers.
Tegan tutted. ‘I think you’d be better with your feet up in front of the fire, Dad, than at a wild party. I’m worried it’ll be too much for you.’
Alan patted her hand. ‘Thank you for your concern, sweetheart, but I’m already absolutely sick of having myfeet up, and I’ll be stuck inside for ages after the op. And since when has the Steamer Ball ever been wild?’
‘There’s no point in trying to stop him,’ Fiona said with a shrug.
Alan rolled his eyes at Brody. ‘They want to keep me wrapped in cotton wool. Can you please tell them I’m tougher than they think?’
Brody held up his hands. ‘I’m staying well out of this, Alan. Sorry!’
‘Coward,’ Alan teased.
