I continue to stare after his car, long after it’s turned the corner and disappeared back down the lane. He’s not the sort of man to use a word like love in a throwaway context, but ten days ago, before Chloe’s summer fair, he was asking for space – some time to process everything. If I hadn’t had my accident, would we even be talking now? There have been moments, countless moments over the last week while he’s been looking after me, when I’ve felt perilously close to telling Will that I love him. But I’m too scared to. Not because I think he’s got anything to do with the accident or the messages, but because it’s been so long since I truly trusted anyone. My barriers have been up for so many years that I don’t know if I’m even capable of bringing them down any more. There’s a part of me that thinks it was wrong of me to accept Will’s offer to stay with him and Chloe. If PC Barnham is right and the person who ran me off the road was deliberately trying to harm me, then I’m putting Will and Chloe at risk.

I turn away from the road and return Angharad’s wave as she gets out of her car.

“Have you got a minute, Jane?”

I stop typing and glance round. Sheila is peering around the door of the staffroom. “What’s up?”

“Nothing urgent. I just want a chat, that’s all.”

“Do you want to read the advert I just wrote for Willow for our Facebook page? I’m desperate to find her a home. She’s been here too long.”

“I know. I’ll take a look at it in a second.” She nods towards reception. “Could you come with me? It won’t take long.”

“Okay.” I wheel the chair back from the desk and stand up. “Is this about the dry food order? I was going to put it in this morning but I needed to—”

“It’s not about the food.” Sheila takes me by the elbow and guides me down the corridor towards reception. I stop short when a dozen beaming faces stare back at me from across the counter. “It’s about you and how we wanted to do something to help after your accident.”

“Sheila—”

“No, don’t say anything.” She scans the crowd of faces in front of us and frowns. “Where’s Angharad?”

Everyone looks around blankly. Several people shrug their shoulders.