Like Cats And Dogs – Episode 14
Like Cats And Dogs
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“Well done, skipper!” Tim said.
Blushing, she instinctively darted a look at Ged, busy behind the bar. He caught her eye and winked, looking unconcerned.
But that hug, and her reaction to it, confirmed that she was going to have to talk to Ged soon.
When she went up to the bar to get a celebratory round of drinks, Ged made a point of serving her himself, and cocked his head for her to follow him to the other end where it was quieter.
“Well done on the win tonight, Cally.”
“Thanks,” she said. “Tim turned out to be a mine of useful information!”
“I could see that. You two seem to get on well,” he went on, and she acknowledged it warily. Was he annoyed? Jealous?
He reached out and took her hand.
“Look, I’m just going to come straight out and say this. I can see the way you and Tim look at each other.”
As she opened her mouth to protest, he held up his hand to stop her.
“And it’s OK. You might not even know it yourselves yet, but I think the two of you could have something special if it’s given half a chance. So I’m going to bow out gracefully and leave the way clear.”
For his sake, Cally felt that she should argue, and the words were on the tip of her tongue, but Ged forestalled her with a good-humoured chuckle.
“Don’t worry, I’m not secretly nursing a broken heart or anything. My pride and my considerable ego are still intact! It was fun, but neither of us would pretend it was ever going anywhere, was it?But maybe it could with Tim, so . . .” He gave an expressive shrug.
Cally was overwhelmed.
“Thanks, Ged. I knew you were a great guy.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek, and as she turned she found Tim’s eyes on her.
He watched her as she brought their drinks to the table and slid on to the seat beside him.
“Is that your boyfriend?” he asked.
“Ex-boyfriend, actually,” she said quickly, and saw a spark in his eyes.
For a second she was sure he was going to ask her out and she held her breath, but the moment passed and she was left feeling puzzled and a little hurt.
****
The feeling lasted for the next half an hour while they finished off their drinks, and then she and Tim were walking back to the car park.
It was late and the village had fallen quiet, but earlier it had been bustling and they’d had to park at the far end, up near the church.
As they neared the car, the silence between them was heavy with things unsaid. Cally didn’t know how to break it.
But she didn’t have to, because Tim spoke.
“Can you hear that? I think I can hear someone yelling,” he said with a frown.
They halted, their ears straining, trying to locate the sound.
Tim turned and pointed at the church.
“It’s coming from over there.”
Quickly they crunched up the gravel path to the church, its tower a tall dark shadow in the late evening gloom. The noise was coming from the foot of the tower.
Tim tried the wooden door. It didn’t give, but there was a sudden clamour of voices. Cally immediately recognised her friend Sheila’s among them.
“It’s the bell-ringers!” she exclaimed. “Sheila?” she yelled through the door.
“Cally? Oh, thank goodness you’re here!” Sheila yelled back. “We’ve been here for hours. Someone’s locked us in!”
