Country Loving

by Cathy Woodman

  ‘Have I offended my landlady in some way?’ he asks.

  ‘No,’ I say a little too quickly.

  ‘I’m sorry about last night – I didn’t think. It’s your home. The last thing you want is a load of strangers wandering about.’

  ‘We’re going to have to get used to it when we open up the farm to visitors.’

  ‘Are you sure nothing’s happened to upset you?’

  ‘Perfectly sure.’

  ‘Cecil told me he was calling the vet out.’

  ‘I assumed you weren’t on duty.’

  ‘And you’re right, but I’ve had a look at the cow. What’s her name again?’

  ‘Wily. You didn’t have to.’

  ‘I didn’t have a choice.’ He smiles. ‘Alex is duty vet today – he rang to see if I could check on her because he’s been caught up with an emergency. She’s got a slight fever, milk drop and mild bellyache. You know how they grunt sometimes if they aren’t right.’

  ‘Poor cow,’ I say. ‘What can we do?’

  ‘I’ve given her a shot of antibiotic and painkiller. Now, we’ll have to wait and see. I have a hunch, although I can’t be sure, that she might have hardware disease.’

  ‘The wire, you mean?’

  ‘That’s it. If I was a betting man, I’d put money on her having swallowed some metal object that’s beginning to migrate through the stomach wall. I hope you don’t mind, but I dosed her with a magnet. Cecil says you don’t use them routinely.’

  ‘It’s pretty serious, isn’t it?’

  ‘If I’ve got it right and you’ve caught it in time, the magnet will draw the wire or whatever it is back into the reticulum and keep it there.’

  The reticulum is one of the chambers of the cow’s stomach. It seems odd to think Wily will spend the rest of her life carrying a magnet around inside her. ‘It gives new meaning to the term “animal magnetism”,’ I say, with a rueful smile.

  Leo’s appearance is pretty magnetic, drawing my gaze and keeping my attention focused on his shorts and strong, muscular limbs.

  ‘What if it’s gone too far?’ I ask.

  ‘She’ll have to go,’ Leo says gently. ‘I wouldn’t recommend surgery.’

  I’m angry now. I blame my father for the rubbish that’s been left lying around the farm.

  ‘What about the other cows? Shouldn’t they all have magnets too?’

  ‘Prevention’s always better than cure.’

  ‘We’ve never used them before.’ I bite my lip. It’s another expense I hadn’t counted on. ‘Please tell me I can administer the magnets myself?’

  ‘You can, but I’ll give you a hand. It’s all right, I won’t tell Alex I’m moonlighting.’ Leo raises his hands. ‘And don’t say, “You don’t have to.” I know I don’t have to. I want to.’

  ‘Come on then.’ Smiling, I get up and offer my hand to help pull him up. ‘No more slacking.’ I feel the sensation of the hairs on his arm against my skin, sending a frisson of longing through my loins. So what if there are other women in Leo’s life? I’m here now and they are not.

  Leo and I work along the rows side by side.

  ‘I’ve never done this before,’ he says, stopping to wipe the back of his hand across his forehead.

  ‘And you a farmer’s son,’ I comment. I’m glad it’s hot – it excuses the flush his presence brings to my cheeks.

  ‘I don’t remember making hay. I drove the combine to harvest the wheat.’

  ‘Keep going,’ I say.

  ‘You’re a hard taskmaster, Stevie.’

  By seven, we’re almost there, right at the furthest corner of the field where the stream runs along the base of the hedge, widening into a small pool edged with hawthorn and brambles and dammed off by a bank of stones that my brother and I built over one long summer when we were about twelve and fourteen.

  I put my pitchfork down and gaze at the water. It’s pretty clear – I can see the mud at the bottom – and it’s very tempting.

  ‘I’m going for a paddle,’ I tell Leo. I take off my trainers and walk to the edge, sliding my toes into the cool, soft mud, and creating swirling red clouds in the pool.

  ‘How deep is it?’ Leo asks.

  ‘I remember it being chest deep in the middle, but it might have silted up over the years.’

  ‘I’ll test it.’ Leo strips off his T-shirt, revealing a well-toned torso with a six-pack. He turns away to slip out of his shorts. ‘You don’t mind?’

  I cover my face. ‘I won’t look,’ I say, peeking between my fingers. I’m ashamed to say that I can’t help but notice he has a well-muscled back and tight buttocks. I catch my breath as I watch him run into the water and dive beneath, popping up in the middle of the pool, shaking his head and scattering silver droplets through the air. ‘It’s deep enough,’ he calls. ‘Come on in. Don’t be shy. I won’t bite … unless you ask me to.’

  ‘Are you flirting with me now?’

  ‘Maybe.’ He ducks under the water again and surfaces to splash water at me. I scream and laugh and pretend to run away, but the temptation to join him is overwhelming.

  ‘Don’t look,’ I call, stripping down to my bra and pants. A little self-conscious of my body, although I’m looking pretty fit from working on the farm, I wade into the pool; we splash about, racing and diving, until I’m gasping for breath.

  ‘I think it’s time I went back,’ I say.

  ‘Do you have to?’ Leo reaches out for my hand underwater and links his fingers through mine.

  ‘Dad will be wondering where I am. I expect he’ll send out a search party soon.’ I pause. ‘Why don’t you come with me? My tea will be waiting for me in the Aga. There’s bound to be enough for two.’

  ‘Why don’t I take you out again?’

  ‘Because Mary doesn’t like wasting food,’ I say with mock sternness. ‘Come on, eat with me.’

  ‘Thanks, Stevie. Um, are you going to get out first, or shall I? I wouldn’t like to offend your sensibilities.’

  ‘Well, I’ve seen it all before. Not you, I mean, just naked men in general,’ I blunder on. Now I’ve made it sound as if I spend all my time in the company of naked men. ‘I’ll keep my eyes closed this time.’

  ‘This time? You mean you peeked when I was undressing just now?’ He chuckles and pulls me close, holding my waist and kissing me full on the lips, and I’m drowning with desire at the look of lust in his eyes. I slip my arms around his neck as he deepens the kiss.

  ‘Oh, Leo …’ I breathe, and I don’t know how long we embrace, oblivious to the approach of a tractor until it is right alongside the pool, its engine throbbing and the driver hanging out of the cab.

  ‘Oh no, it’s Guy,’ I groan.

  ‘It’s all right. Don’t mind me,’ he says with a huge grin on his face. ‘Jennie said you were in a bit of a fix, but I see you’ve managed without me. I was going to lend you the tractor – as a favour to my wife, not you, in case you were under any illusions.’

  ‘Thank you, Guy,’ I say, keeping my shoulders under water.

  ‘So you’ve finished in time to go skinny-dipping, I see. Well, I’m off indoors for my tea,’ he says before driving away.

  ‘Ohmigod,’ I say. ‘This is embarrassing.’

  ‘I think it’s a lot of fun.’ Leo keeps me close. ‘My hangover’s almost gone.’

  ‘I’m afraid there’s going to be a hangover for me from this incident – I can’t imagine Guy will keep it quiet.’ Reluctantly, I take a step back. ‘I really should be getting back.’

  Leo and I wade out of the water together and get dressed, Leo hiding discreetly behind a tree while I slip into my clothes further along the hedge. We walk down the field in the dusk side by side, holding hands.

  ‘Is there any particular reason why you don’t want anyone else to know about –’ Leo hesitates before continuing – ‘us?’

  ‘You know how this place is,’ I say lightly, ‘the gossips will have us married off by next May Day.’

  Leo sto
ps before we reach the gateway. I turn to face him.

  ‘Does it matter?’ he asks, reaching out and stroking my hair away from my face. ‘I don’t care if you don’t.’

  ‘I don’t,’ I murmur, desire pulsing in my throat. At this moment, I don’t care about anything except Leo, as he moves in for another electrifying kiss and my blood surges with the heat of passion.

  Chapter Twelve

  Summer Loving

  Leo’s been my boyfriend for almost three weeks now – twenty days to be precise, because I’m still counting – not only the days but my lucky stars too, because he’s wonderful, in my opinion anyway. He’s considerate, kind and sexy, although we haven’t actually slept together yet. I know Leo wants to and so do I, but I’m not ready. I can’t quite get my head around the idea that he is more than likely to leave at the end of the summer.

  I put him out of my thoughts while I’m milking the cows with Jennie’s son Adam. I’ve borrowed him so Cecil can go to the dentist to have his teeth fixed. While we’re getting the cows in, Adam confides in me about how he’s worried about another baby in the family.

  ‘It should never have happened,’ he says, clapping his hands behind Domino’s rump to make her move up the lane and out of the hedge where she’s found a clump of dandelions.

  One of the cars queued up behind us sounds its horn. Adam turns and gives the driver a rude gesture with two fingers.

  ‘Adam!’ I say. ‘Is that necessary?’

  ‘They have no idea about living in the country,’ he grumbles. ‘What if they scare the cows and create a stampede? What if they do that behind my sisters and their ponies? They’ll cause an accident. Idiots!’

  He’s right, of course.

  ‘Anyway, this baby,’ he goes on. ‘It’s really annoying. Someone in my group in the sixth form –’ I notice he never describes himself as being at school – ‘his mum’s just had a baby girl and she’s driving them mad with her screaming. He says he hasn’t had a good night’s sleep for three months. He looks half dead and keeps falling asleep in double chemistry. Mind you, I do that anyway, it’s so boring.’

  ‘Your mum’s used to looking after babies,’ I point out.

  ‘What if she’s forgotten?’

  I whistle Bear back to heel as Adam continues. ‘This is all very embarrassing. Mum said it was an accident, but she and Guy must have known what they were doing. Ugh, they’re both too old to be doing that kind of thing.’

  ‘Having sex, you mean?’ I ask, amused at the way the colour rises up his neck. ‘Adam, maybe it wasn’t so much of an accident as your mum made out. It’s natural when you marry someone to want to have a child with them.’

  ‘But she should be going through the menopause by now.’

  ‘She isn’t quite ready for that,’ I chuckle. ‘She isn’t that old.’

  ‘What if the baby makes her sick?’

  ‘She’ll be fine.’ I try to reassure him.

  ‘She’s an older mother,’ Adam insists. ‘I looked it up on the internet. It isn’t right.’

  ‘There could be some benefits to having a baby in the family.’

  ‘I can’t see any. I expect I’ll get dragged in as the babysitter like I used to with Sophie.’

  ‘You’ll have to make sure you get paid.’

  He smiles and I smile back, relieved he’s feeling a bit better about the whole idea. It must be a bit of a shock when your mother suddenly announces she’s having a baby when you’re sixteen or seventeen.

  ‘What do Sophie and Georgia think?’ I ask.

  ‘Sophie’s really excited – well, she’s still a baby herself, the way she acts. Georgia isn’t sure – she says the only good thing about it is we’ll be able to have another pony. She’s told Guy to look out for a miniature Shetland for the baby to ride. I don’t want another pony – they take up so much time and energy and it’s all the girls ever talk about.’

  When I come back across the yard, having finished the milking with Adam, paid him generously and turfed the cows back out to graze, I find my dad outside the mobile home, chatting with Leo who’s leaning out of the window.

  ‘Young Alex Fox-Gifford can’t be working you hard enough,’ Dad says, leaning on his stick. ‘It’s gone ten o’clock.’

  ‘Dad, leave him alone. How many times?’ As I draw close, I go on, ‘Haven’t you got Dr Mackie coming out in half an hour?’

  ‘Indeed I have. Stevie, I’m being sociable, talking to our tenant.’

  ‘Please go inside now,’ I tell him sharply, and he gives me one of his looks before relenting and shuffling back into the house. I apologise to Leo who isn’t dressed. At least, he’s wearing nothing on his top half, revealing his lightly tanned muscular chest with a generous inverted triangle of hair.

  ‘It’s good to see my father getting out and about at last, but I’ve noticed how he’s spending rather a lot of time out here all of a sudden. It’s hardly the peace and quiet you were seeking.’

  ‘I expect the novelty will soon wear off.’

  ‘I didn’t hear you come back last night,’ I say, ‘and your car wasn’t here when I got up this morning.’

  ‘That’s because I didn’t get home until about an hour ago.’ Leo yawns. ‘I don’t know why, but it felt like half of Talyton’s cows had decided to calve at the same time. Would you like a coffee?’

  ‘Oh, I don’t know … I feel bad now, chasing my father off.’

  ‘Come in, Stevie.’ Leo moves round and opens the door.

  How can I refuse him, I think, smiling. I step inside and sit on the sofa in the living area.

  ‘This looks nice. What have you done to it?’ I ask.

  ‘I bought a couple of throws from the garden centre to brighten it up. I was passing by the other day and I thought I’d have a quick look around,’ Leo says. ‘Would you like coffee or tea?’

  ‘Coffee, please.’

  ‘Biscuits?’ He pulls a packet of chocolate fingers out of one of the cupboards. ‘I’ve run out of cereal.’

  ‘I love chocolate fingers,’ I say, taking two to stave off the pangs of hunger that are so strong I feel sick. ‘What are you going to do on your day off?’

  ‘This isn’t a day off. I start after lunch. Alex gave me the morning free because I’ve just had two nights in a row on call when I didn’t get to bed. I thought I’d chill for a while. How about you?’

  ‘I’m going into Exeter – I have an appointment at two to see an architect about the plans for the visitor centre.’

  ‘So it’s serious now, your idea for diversification?’

  ‘Of course it’s serious.’

  ‘So you aren’t merely playing at being the lady farmer?’ Leo scratches at the stubble on his cheek. ‘I thought—’

  ‘You thought wrong,’ I interrupt. ‘I’m not playing. I’m here for good and I’m going to save Nettlebed Farm one way or another. I’m determined.’ Why do I feel I have to prove myself to Leo, I wonder?

  ‘Have another finger,’ he says quickly, and I take three this time. Milking cows is hungry work. ‘Has the heifer taken you for a walk recently? I haven’t seen you out with her.’

  ‘A few times,’ I say, smiling. ‘She is calming down – she isn’t keen on the exercise, but she’ll stand for hours to be brushed.’

  ‘Will she be ready for the show?’

  I nod. ‘Will you be there? Has Alex asked you to judge the pet show?’

  ‘Alex is going to make the most of the hospitality in the members’ enclosure and I’m duty vet – I don’t mind because the extra cash is always useful. One of the vets from Otter House deals with the pets. It’s a bit of a poisoned chalice, I believe. I’ve been told there’s usually at least one appeal to the show committee.’

  We are interrupted by an enormous bang that makes both Leo and me leap up from our seats.

  ‘What the hell is that?’

  ‘It’s a gun, a .22, I’d guess,’ I say as we try to leave the mobile home via the narrow doorway at the same tim
e.

  ‘After you,’ Leo says. ‘No, wait.’ He grabs me by the shoulders. ‘It might be dangerous.’

  ‘It’ll be my dad.’ I go first, running around the side of the house and in via the lean-to with Leo hot on my heels. I push the living-room door open and there on his armchair, pushed up to the window with his back to us, is my father taking a pot shot at some poor bewildered pheasant that has had the audacity to stroll across the lawn in the bright sunshine.

  The shot misses.

  ‘Damn and blast it!’ Dad exclaims.

  ‘Dad! Dad! It’s me, Stevie.’ I reach to touch his shoulder – not a good idea it turns out, because Dad slowly turns to see what is going on, discharging the gun towards the ceiling. Pellets and plaster come showering down.

  ‘Put that gun down,’ I yell, furious with him for breaking the law yet again. ‘Do you want to go to prison? Because if you do, I won’t waste my breath trying to stop you this time. Put it down!’

  He breaks the gun and rests it awkwardly across his lap.

  ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I was always an excellent shot.’

  ‘I expect the pheasant’s relieved,’ Leo says, reminding me of his presence as I pick up the rifle.

  ‘Where did you get this one from?’ I ask.

  ‘I happened upon it.’

  ‘Where was it?’

  ‘Lying around.’

  ‘Dad, where?’ I stamp my foot.

  ‘Under the floorboards on the landing,’ he mumbles, looking down at his feet. ‘I thought I’d check it was still there – and then I picked it up, and it’s a lovely rifle and I couldn’t resist having one more shot with it before I handed it in to the police. I’m not allowed to keep a gun any longer,’ he adds in an aside to Leo. ‘I don’t know why.’

  ‘Probably because you appear to have a knack of firing indiscriminately,’ Leo suggests, looking up at the hole in the ceiling. ‘I’ll catch you later, Stevie,’ he adds, kissing me full on the lips before he leaves.

  On my way into Exeter, I drop the rifle and the gun from the cabinet in at the police station and leave them for PC Kevin to deal with. I meet with the architect, but it isn’t until later that I can concentrate properly on our mutual vision for the visitor attraction, which unfortunately doesn’t coincide with my father’s. Dad is sitting in his chair with the television on mute, the pictures flickering in the falling dusk. I switch on the standard lamp so I can see what I’m doing.