Let's Just Be Friends

LET’S JUST BE FRIENDS The perfect, feel-good romance KATY TURNER Joffe Books, London www.joffebooks.com First published in Great Britain in 2023 © Katherine Turner This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places and events are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental. The spelling used is British English except where fidelity to the author’s rendering of accent or dialect supersedes this. The right of Katherine Turner to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. We love to hear from our readers! Please email any feedback you have to: [email protected] Cover art by The Brewster Project ISBN: 978-1-80405-829-9 To Jake Chapter 1 You know that feeling when the rug has been pulled out from under you? That was exactly what Holly was experiencing. Although in her case the rug had been rolled up, ready to chuck in the back of a transit van. ‘A year in Scotland?’ She repeated Judith’s words. ‘It’ll positively fly by,’ said Judith. ‘It’s a real shame that the vet who you were taking over from decided to stay in Ascot. Something to do with her husband having a last-minute change of heart, and him doing one more year in the London office. But she’s another former student of mine and she swears they’ll make the move to Manchester next year. And then the job will be yours, I promise.’ Holly put her fist in her mouth, trying to contain her frustration. She had to get out of London. Until about five minutes ago, she thought she was about to. This new role at VetCo Ascot had been the answer to her desperate prayers. When her last job had gone disastrously tits-up, Judith, her old lecturer from university and Holly’s mentor, had immediately pointed her to the Ascot position. It had sounded perfect. When Holly didn’t respond, Judith carried on. ‘And Eastercraig is one of the loveliest places in the British Isles. A little corner of paradise.’ Little corners of paradise were all very well, but — Holly frantically found a map on her laptop — Eastercraig was a long way from Ascot. In fact, it looked a long way from anywhere. She stared around her room, looking at the towers of boxes containing all her worldly possessions. ‘I was ready to dive right in.’ Holly tried not to sound desperate. ‘And . . . I’ve had my things packed up ready to move for ages.’ She bit her lip. Forget rugs being pulled — the ground beneath her was crumbling away. Ten minutes ago, when she had answered the phone to Judith, she’d expected a few friendly pointers about the surgery. What her new colleagues were like, or dirt on the main clientele. She had not expected to be told that instead of moving into the jaw-droppingly amazing VetCo Ascot in Berkshire she was headed off to some far-flung backwater she’d never heard of in the Highlands. For an entire year. ‘I’ve just emailed a contract over. You just need to print it and scan it back to me with your signature,’ Judith was saying. Holly winced. A contract. She hadn’t actually signed a contract with VetCo, but in her defence it had sounded like a done deal. The lead vet had told her told there was a flat for the locums she could stay in, that the job would start in a month and that she came highly recommended. It had sounded like her stars had aligned, and Holly had no reason to believe the job wasn’t hers. It had been offered. The contract was a mere formality, ready to be signed on her first day. Had she really misread the situation so badly? Mind you, it wasn’t the first time she had assumed she had scored a job, only to find out she hadn’t. More fool Holly. Perhaps in her haste to get out of London she had jumped the gun, with the job in Ascot the shiny pinnacle of wishful thinking. There was a pause. When Judith spoke again, she sounded warm but unwavering. ‘I know it’s a bit of a surprise. The position does come with a fully furnished cottage, so I can look after anything you don’t want to take with you — I’ve got space here in an outbuilding for them. And you said you’d not worked with big animals since uni — I thought you’d appreciate the chance to do so.’ This was something else Holly wasn’t ready for. ‘But the job description and interview . . . I thought Ascot was a small animal role.’ ‘Holly, love, it’s a senior vet role, and a senior vet needs to know exactly what’s what in every situation. A solid reference or letter of recommendation stating you’re a good all-rounder will do wonders when the Ascot job comes up again. Lots of ponies round there, that sort of thing. Besides, the Eastercraig position — it’s a favour to an old friend of mine from my uni days. Last locum left abruptly and he needs someone in quick-sharp.’ Holly rubbed her eyes and ran through the immediate pros and cons. Pro: it wasn’t as if she had any other job to go to, so she could start straight away, saving herself the worry of a few months with no income. Con: it didn’t sound as if she had a say in the matter. ‘I suppose it could be nice,’ she managed. ‘In your CV you claim to enjoy a challenge.’ Damn it! Judith had used Holly’s own words against her! ‘I do. Although—’ ‘And it said you like the great outdoors.’ ‘I love it. I just—’ ‘Then you will love Eastercraig. Shall I tell Hugh you’ll start in a week?’ asked Judith. ‘I guess so,’ Holly tried not to sound too downtrodden. A job was a job,