Silver Spurs and a Twelve Pound Heart by Helen Newman Wood

Author:Helen Newman Wood
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Contemporary romance
Publisher: Troubador Publishing
Published: 2023-02-27T00:00:00+00:00

Seventeen

Victoria dropped Roger off at the Hall late that afternoon. He had grade three concussion and had been sent home with a clutch of leaflets and told not to undertake any sporting activities for three weeks.

‘Bloody stupid,’ he complained to Shelley on the phone that evening. ‘I’ve been knocked out lots of times and just carried on as normal.’

‘Maybe all those bangs on the head go some way to explaining why you’re so cantankerous,’ she replied.

Ignoring the jibe, he asked her if Katie was there.

‘Yes, and Tom,’ she said after a pause.

‘Tom?’ Roger was opening a packet of paracetamol; the headache was quite spectacular.

‘Petra’s fired him.’

‘Fired him?’ Roger filled a mug with water. ‘What on earth for?’

‘Someone’s snitched that he was riding Warrior on the beach yesterday. Old Golden Knickers feels it was a “conflict of interests”.’ Shelley imitated Petra’s screechy drawl perfectly.

‘She can’t do that,’ said Roger, feeling dreadfully guilty for Tom’s dismissal.

‘She has. Roger,’ Shelley hesitated, ‘he’s going to stay with us for a while, just until he finds somewhere to live. Caitlyn thinks there might be a few shifts going at the Kettle.’

‘I’ll ring Jonny Bell – he might have something temporarily; Tom’s really too heavy to be riding racehorses.’

‘Thanks, he’ll appreciate it. Did you want to speak to Pink Knickers?’

Roger yawned. ‘No, ask her to come up, would you? But she better make it quick because I don’t think I can stay awake much longer.’

It was another warm and sticky evening and, noticing the drooping leaves on the cherry trees as she walked to the Hall, Katie realised she couldn’t remember the last time it had rained. The sound of the combine harvester was coming from the village, and she could smell and taste the wheat dust on the air. There was hardly a breath of wind. The perfect night for sitting outside laughing with friends and a few bottles of wine, but after so much alcohol on Saturday night and Roger’s fall and Tom without a job, Katie, Shelley and Tom didn’t much feel like it.

She watched the cyclist pedalling down the drive from East Lodge and knew by the yellow Lycra leggings and matching vest top that it was Jules’s mum.

‘Hello, Katie.’ Pippa stopped, took her feet off the cleats on the pedals and placed them on the ground. ‘How’s Roger? Sounds like he had a lucky escape.’

‘I’m just off to find out. How did you know?’

Pippa was spinning the pedals around, ready to restart her ride. ‘Jules told me. Give him my best wishes, won’t you?’

‘Yes, of course I will. How far are you going tonight?’

‘Not far.’ Pippa smiled. ‘Just a quick whizz through here and back home. It’s so peaceful cycling around here, no traffic to worry about. Must go, calories to burn!’

Katie watched her cycle away, then turned back towards the Hall. Otter came running out of the open door wagging his tail, and she saw Roger in the doorway.

‘Evening.’ He was holding out a vodka and tonic.

‘You should be taking it easy.

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