Chapter 36

That evening Jim made me spaghetti with tomato sauce, and I ate it on the sofa on a tray. He took his food upstairs and carried on working in the office.

When he brought his empty plate down later, he said, ‘Do you want to sleep in my bed again, and I'll crash here?'

He was being a real gentleman, and his kindness was a comfort.

‘Don't worry. I'll be fine here, thanks,' I said.

Frowning, he said, ‘Are you sure?'

‘If I'm struggling to sleep, I can watch TV here,' I said.

He sat on the coffee table and gestured for me to put my ankle in his lap. I'd removed the ice pack earlier, and the bruise had come out more. Most of my ankle was now a purple-black colour.

‘This is good progress,' he said. He pulled an elasticated white sock out of his pocket. ‘Here, put this on. It will help with the pain.'

He carefully slid the sock over my toes and up my foot, over the ankle. I tried not to show how much I was savouring his touch and said, ‘Thanks for looking after me so well, Jim.'

‘Hope you manage to get some sleep. Goodnight.'

‘Goodnight, Jim.'

When I woke up the next morning I hopped into the kitchen and made a cup of tea. My ankle didn't feel great, and I could barely walk on it.

While the kettle was boiling, I looked out of the window at the back garden, which joined with mine, and thought about filling the terracotta pots with geraniums and roses and lavender. I could plant some herbs too. Deborah had always kept a nice patio garden and I'd helped her with it when I was younger. Miles's flat didn't have a garden, and in the summer when it was hot I'd longed for outside space. My thoughts running away with me, I didn't hear Jim come into the kitchen, and jumped when he said, ‘Morning, Claire.'

Turning round, I said, ‘Oh hi, Jim.'

‘How's the ankle?'

‘Not great.'

‘Oh dear. You just need to keep off it. The snow might start to thaw this afternoon, and I'll go and grit the path through the rose garden at some point today.'

Not wanting our period of forced proximity to end, I said, ‘That's good.'

‘Guess you'll have to stay here until your boiler is fixed though,' he said.

‘I'll call a plumber on Monday. Can I use yours?'

‘Sure, I'll send you the number.'

‘Would you like a cup of tea?' I said.

‘Yeah, thanks.'

I made tea for us both, knowing by now that, unlike Miles, Jim wasn't picky about how strong it was or the amount of milk used. Jim carried the mugs into the living room and I hobbled back in with him, resuming my position on the sofa. He took the armchair opposite.

‘So, do you want to go sledging?' he said.

I rolled my eyes, and he laughed.

‘Seriously, I am sorry though, Claire,' he said.

‘I appreciate you trying to get me out of the house and have some actual fun.'

‘So, you're glad you went, despite the injury?'

How could I not be when it had meant getting to experience him running his hand over my foot so tenderly? I was quite enjoying all his attention.

‘Of course I am. And to be honest, it's made me feel better about Saturday night. I was feeling so bad about it and am so sorry.'

‘Let's forget it,' he said.

‘It's no excuse, but can I tell you why it happened?' I said.

He lifted his eyebrows.

‘Go on then, tell me.'

‘I bumped into an old university friend of Miles' and well, she told me something…' A tear ran down my face. What was wrong with me?

‘What, oh no, are you crying?' He got up and handed me a handkerchief from his pocket. ‘It's clean, don't worry.'

It was so embarrassing, but all the events from the past few weeks seemed to have come to a head and I burst into tears.

Jim went quiet while I sobbed my heart out. I wiped my eyes, but I must have looked a right old mess. Somehow this didn't bother me as it usually would. It wasn't like me to cry in front of anyone, but I was comfortable in Jim's presence. He was my friend.

When I eventually stopped, he said, ‘What did this person tell you?'

‘Miles had been seeing his ex while we were together and she's pregnant.'

Jim shook his head, his eyes filling with fury. ‘What?'

‘Yeah, she's probably moved into the flat I spent years making nice for her.'

‘I'm sorry. That must have been difficult to hear, especially at a party where you didn't know anyone.'

‘It was. I went to the bar and knocked back a few drinks very swiftly, missed the last train and my phone battery ran out. I meant to charge my phone and send you a text, but was quite drunk. Ed said I could sleep on the sofa in his room. Nothing?—'

‘I don't need to know,' Jim said.

‘Nothing happened. I'm just telling you that because I want to. In the morning, I plugged in my phone and saw all your messages. Jim, I felt so terrible for putting you through that.'

‘It's understandable, and all done now. Let's move on. More importantly, are you okay?'

‘Not really, but I will be,' I said.

I was confident saying this. Being in Gatley had brought me strength I didn't know I had.

‘If you need to talk, you know where I am. I'll go out for a walk this morning, after gritting the paths, and make a note of what needs doing on Monday. Then, I was thinking I could make us a nice lunch, and we could watch a film?'

‘That sounds good to me.'

‘Okay. Let's get some more ice on that ankle before I go then.'

Jim went into the kitchen and came back with a bag of ice. He was fitting it round my ankle when the doorbell rang.

‘Who could that be?' he said.

He got up to open the door.

‘Darling,' a woman said, and it was Samantha's voice. My heart sank.

‘Hey, how did you get here?' he said.

‘I managed to get the 4x4 down the drive. The nanny is staying so I thought it might be a nice opportunity to come and see you. Good surprise?'

‘You could have texted first.'

‘Sorry, I didn't want to do that and not be able to get here. Wanna go upstairs?' she said.

‘Err.' He stepped back, and she came into the cottage, clocking me on the sofa. Her face dropped.

‘Oh. This looks very cosy.'

‘Claire sprained her ankle, and her boiler is broken, so she's been staying here.'

‘How sweet of you to accommodate her,' Samantha said, throwing me one of those smiles that doesn't reflect in the eyes.

I reciprocated.

‘Well, this is a bit awkward,' she said.

‘Isn't it?' Jim said, sliding his hands into the pockets of his Trackie Bs.

As I tried to fasten the ice pack round my ankle, he said, ‘Let me finish sorting that out, Claire. Samantha, why don't you get yourself a drink? I'll see you in the kitchen in a minute.'

Dismissed, she flounced into the kitchen, the heels on her tan-brown riding boots tapping the wooden floor.

As Jim sorted out the ice pack, I said in a low voice, ‘What are you going to do?'

He shrugged and I sensed he didn't want her to be here. Had he been enjoying our forced proximity as much as me?

‘I don't know yet.'

‘I'm sure you'd like to take Samantha upstairs, and…'

‘Well, I can't do that with you here, can I?' he said.

‘Do you want me to go next door?'

He shook his head. ‘If she'd messaged, I would have told her not to come over.'

‘But she's here now, and after all that effort too.'

‘Perhaps I'll take her for a walk.'

‘You could always do it in the shed, although it might be a bit chilly in there.'

Grinning, he stood up. ‘See you in a minute.'

He went into the kitchen, and the two of them spoke in low voices. I couldn't make out what they were saying but the conversation seemed strained. They reappeared.

‘We're going for a walk,' Jim said.

‘Okay,' I said. ‘Have a nice time. Maybe you should take Samantha sledging,' I couldn't help adding.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head, and they went out of the front door, leaving me alone.

An hour or so later, Jim returned, alone, thankfully.

‘Where's Samantha?' I said.

‘She's going home,' he said.

‘Oh, I'm sorry.'

Was I heck.

‘She couldn't really have stayed over with you being here,' he said.

‘I feel responsible for depriving you of fulfilling your needs,' I said.

He threw me a look, his lips forming a half-smile.

‘Let's not talk about it, shall we?'

‘Okay.'

‘She's giving me a lift into Gatley to get supplies, and I'll bring the pick-up truck back. Apparently, everything is open as they've cleared the road in and out of the village for the bus route. It's just the driveway that needs to thaw, and hopefully that'll happen soon. Some of the snow has melted already.'

‘I'll give you some money.'

He dismissed my suggestion with the wave of a hand. ‘Get that ankle rested, and I'll be back in a bit.'