‘Keep me out of trouble, you mean.’ He smiled.
‘Exactly.’
Liberty sat back. She tried to think if there was any more news she could share with her friend, but the last few weeks had been exciting in a low-key way. Alex had moved into Damselfly Cottage (she’d decluttered to make room for his stuff, but it turned out he didn’t have many possessions – only a handful of motorbikes) and their time had been filled with walking Charlie together, spending cosy nights in. Nothing to write home about, yet she couldn’t imagine anything more perfect.
Alex looked at his watch. ‘Do you think we should make tracks? I need to start thinking about getting the food into the oven.’
Liberty nodded. She squeezed Carys’s hand and leaned forward to kiss her cheek—
Then blinked and looked down.
Had she felt her own fingers being squeezed?
She looked at Carys’s hand in hers. Was it a muscle spasm? Was that even possible for someone in a coma? Carys’s fingers uncurled, and her thumb rubbed Liberty’s ever so slightly.
She gasped.
‘Did you say something?’ Alex stopped at the door and glanced back at her.
‘Wait,’ she said breathlessly, and beckoned him over. ‘I think – I thought I felt something. Carys? Car?’
Her friend’s eyelashes fluttered a little, then lifted and closed again.
Liberty gasped again. She was vaguely aware of Alex standing behind her. ‘Did you see that?’ she asked, without taking her eyes off Carys.
‘I did,’ he whispered.
‘Carys?’ she said, a little louder. She was gripping her friend’s hand in excitement now.
‘Should I get a nur—’ Alex began.
Carys’s eyelids opened again. This time they stayed open, and her gaze slowly turned towards Liberty.
Liberty couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t move or even speak. Excitement brimmed in her. Their eyes connected, and her heart somersaulted. She was certain – no doubt at all – that Carys could see her. Properly. She was fully conscious.
‘You’re back,’ she whispered. A sob of happy laughter choked her, and tears made her friend’s face swim.
Alex squeezed her shoulders. ‘Looks like you need to introduce us.’
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Acknowledgements
Apologies to all the friends and family I complained to when I was writing this book because I thought I’d never finish it on time. You were right – I did.
Thank you to all my wonderful Facebook friends who gave me stories of naughty things their dogs had done, and especially Lizi Pepper and Mike Collins whose dog Frankie inspired Charlie’s cheeky antics.
Thanks to Marian Keall and Maureen Scapens for checking the sewing bits. Also, love and thanks to Bowdon Quilters.
As always, thanks to Jacqui Cooper for her encouragement and support.
And I’m so grateful to Adrian Leach who chatted to me about motorbikes and patiently answered my long list of questions (any mistakes are mine).
Thanks to my mum, Brigitte, for checking the French spellings.
Finally, thanks to my agent Megan Carroll and editor Kimberley Atkins for being so wonderful to work with and for believing in me and my books.
Stay in touch …
@sclairewriter
/sophieclairewriter
@sophieclairewrites
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A Winter's Dream Page 36