Worth the Risk(58)
Ally frowned. ‘Well, it won’t be that easy.’
‘Try telling him that.’ Mary stared down at her empty coffee-cup. ‘I don’t know what to do. I’m at my wit’s end, frankly.’
‘If he doesn’t come and see me in surgery I’ll call and see him here,’ Ally promised, standing up and picking up her bag.
‘Thanks, Dr McGuire.’ Mary gave her a tired smile and showed her to the door.
* * *
By considerable effort on her part Ally managed to avoid Sean for most of the week, but there was no escape on Friday when she pulled up outside the barn and saw him standing with Charlie, staring at the fells.
‘Hero’s gone, Mum.’
Ally locked the car door, avoiding Sean’s penetrating gaze. ‘What do you mean, he’s gone? Where’s Grandma?’ Why was Sean looking after her child instead of her mother?
‘Someone on the farm broke his arm and Grandma had to go, so Sean said he’d stay with me.’ Charlie’s face was blotched with tears and she was clutching Sean’s hand. ‘Hero was playing in the garden but he jumped the fence again and he hasn’t been back all afternoon.’
Ally slipped her arms round her daughter and gave her a hug. ‘He won’t come to any harm, sweetheart. He’s probably just gone for a walk. He’ll come back.’
‘But it’s snowed!’ Charlie’s face was anxious and Ally kissed her and then stood up.
‘He’s got fur, darling. Fur keeps him warm.’
Charlie stared across the fields. ‘Sean says he’ll go and look for him.’
Ally’s mouth tightened and her chin lifted slightly. ‘Sean’s busy, darling. Hero will find his own way home. He’s done it before.’
‘Yes, but not when it’s snowed.’ Charlie tugged at her arm. ‘Can’t Sean go and look, Mummy?’
Ally gritted her teeth. ‘No, sweetheart. Sean’s got other things to do. Now, you and I are going to cook some dinner and Sean has to go home.’
Sean dropped down to Charlie’s level, his dark eyes gentle. ‘I’ll tell you what—you make dinner with your mum, and if he hasn’t come home by the time you go to bed then you give me a shout and I’ll take a look.’
‘That won’t be necessary.’ Ally gave him a cool smile, careful not to look at the hard line of his jaw, that firm mouth or the breadth of his shoulders. It was all too painful…
She hurried Charlie indoors and spent the evening playing with her daughter and doing one chore after another. Every corner of the barn gleamed as she dusted and cleaned, and a delicious smell of casserole wafted out of the kitchen. Just as she was laying the table for supper she heard Hero bark.
Relief washed over her as she called to her daughter. ‘There you are, darling, he’s home.’
‘Oh, Mum!’ Charlie leapt from her stool and dashed to the front door, falling on the dog who stood there wagging his tail.
Ally dried him off, settled Charlie into bed and had a quick bath herself, wrapping her wet hair in a towel before returning to the living room where the dog was sprawled in front of the blazing fire.
‘You’re in big trouble, mate,’ she muttered, taking a handful of fur and pulling it gently.
Hero whined and stuck his nose in her hand. The whine turned to a growl and he barked as someone rapped on the door.
Ally froze. Sean, of course. Well, she could hardly ignore it, could she? At least she’d pulled her jeans back on after her bath, instead of getting ready for bed.
Pulling herself together, she padded across the wooden floor and jerked open the front door.
‘Is he back?’ Sean came straight to the point and she nodded.
‘Half an hour ago. Thanks for looking after Charlie…’ She gave him a polite smile and went to close the door, but he was too quick for her, planting a foot in the door and shouldering his way past her.
‘I’ve let you avoid me for a week. That’s long enough.’
Her heart galloped uncontrollably and she gripped the doorhandle. ‘I’m not avoiding you, I just—’
‘Close the door, Ally, you’re letting out the heat.’ His expression was grim. She hesitated and did as he ordered.
‘I think Geoff Thompson might be depressed.’ Maybe if she kept the conversation professional she could avoid having to talk about more painful things. Like the fact he didn’t love her and never would. ‘Mary says he’s—’
‘I don’t give a damn about the Thompsons. I want to talk about us.’
His legs were planted firmly apart in a gesture of pure male domination and she wrapped her arms round her body and gave a little shiver. It was because she’d just come out of the bath, of course. ‘There is no us.’