Page 51 of Tricks & Treats at The Cosy Cornish Bakery

It was only at the hospital’s entrance, when the cold air hit along with the shock, that she found herself close to tears. In all the confusion, Hannah and Tyler must have forgotten she’d arrived in the ambulance with Dulcie and had no way of getting home. Weariness washed over her. She was resignedly searching for a taxi, the screen blurred by exhausted tears, when someone barged into her, making her drop the phone. Crouching down, feeling very alone, she picked it up. It was the final trial, a tiny happening in a long, stressful day, and another pile-on in the wreckage of her life. It was all too much. Jasper’s betrayal, all she’d worked for in ashes, her mother suddenly becoming so vulnerable. She found herself kneeling on the ground, clutching her phone like a lifeline and sobbing.

After what seemed like days but was probably only moments, a gentle hand touched her elbow and helped her up. ‘Come on, love,’ Nik said. ‘Let’s get you out of here.’ He gathered her against his strong, wool-covered chest and led her away.

Nik sat in silence next to her.

Ziggy put two paws up onto the back of the seat and nudged into her neck, whimpering. Chloe turned and buried her face into his comforting fur. When she’d got to the gulping stage and was mopping herself up with a tissue, Nik passed her an old-fashioned white cotton handkerchief and flipped the passenger visor down. Eventually, feeling more recovered, she checked her appearance. ‘Sorry, boy.’ She caressed Ziggy’s ears. ‘I’m sure you didn’t want me weeping all over you.’ Giving Nik a tremulous and embarrassed smile, she apologised to him, too.

‘No problem,’ he replied equably. ‘Is Dulcie okay?’

Chloe nodded. ‘No heart attack but severe angina. It can be treated and there’ll be lifestyle changes, but it looks unlikely, unless it gets worse, that she’ll have to undergo surgery.’ She flapped her hand. ‘Sorry about back there. Think it was reaction or something. Been a long day. Sorry,’ she said yet again. ‘Were you on the way in to see her?’

‘I was.’

Chloe pulled a face. ‘To be honest I don’t think she’ll be up to it. She was half asleep when I left. Kind thought, though.’

‘And I thought you may need a lift home.’

For a second, Chloe’s breathing stopped at his thoughtfulness. ‘Now that I’ll take you up on.’ She looked about her, taking in her surroundings for the first time. The day’s light had gone and they were parked up in the hospital car park, the neon lights harsh and unsympathetic. She hadn’t registered the vehicle Nik had poured her into and looked around it now. ‘Is this yours? A campervan?’

‘She is.’

She managed a wobbly grin. ‘Oh, Nik. An orange VW campervan? Bit of a cliché, isn’t it? A surfer with a campervan.’

‘This is true,’ he said mildly. ‘But I’m very fond of Helga. Restored her myself.’

Smiling at the name, Chloe twisted round to have a look behind her. It smelled of the sea and damp spaniel. ‘Where do you sleep?’ Ziggy jumped up again and she batted him gently away.

‘The seats fold flat. Not the most roomy of spaces but I manage. The roof lifts up which gives me more headroom.’

‘And you can cook in here?’

‘There’s a small gas hob. And a sink and fridge.’

‘What, tucked away back there? Wow. And a loo and shower?’

‘Regretfully not.’

‘How do you manage, then?’ Chloe was genuinely intrigued. She never stayed anywhere that wasn’t en suite.

He raised one brow. ‘Use the camp site facilities. Or swim in the sea for a wash, go behind a bush–’

‘Ugh!’

He laughed. ‘I agree. It’s not everyone’s idea of fun but I love getting away in her. The more remote the better.’

‘That’s very Swedish,’ Chloe said solemnly.

He hooted. ‘I suppose it is. Although, with the winters I’ve experienced in Sweden, it’s better to have a few home comforts.’ He peered at her questioningly. ‘You’re looking better, more together. More the Chloe I know.’

‘Sorry.’

He rested a hand on hers. ‘Stop saying sorry. It must have been a hell of a day.’

Chloe exhaled sharply, making strands of hair blow. ‘You could say that.’ She wanted to tell him more but wasn’t sure she had the words. Better to let him think it was only her mother being ill that had caused the embarrassing tears. She was mortified. She hardly ever cried and never allowed herself to cry in front of others. ‘And you’re right. I do need a lift back to Wheal Kitty. I’d be very grateful.’

‘Did Hannah not offer to give you a ride home?’

‘Think they just forgot. And they left before me, anyway.’