A Safe Pair of Hands Ch. 09-10

She had once said to Nick that she had never been able to look at a person and tell what they were really like, but with Nick she realised that she already knew what he was like, that what you saw with him, was exactly what you got.

He would never have a hidden agenda, he would always be upfront and honest with her; and she knew that he would never to anything to hurt her... at least not consciously.

*

Nick helped her out of the car and then taking her hand in his, they walked into the pub, which seemed to embrace them with a blanket of warmth, after the chill outside.

"Good morning, folks - what can I do for you," the young man behind the bar greeted them cheerfully.

"Good morning, we were hoping to get an early lunch?" Nick returned the greeting, with a friendly smile.

"If you would like to pick a table - I'll sort you out some menus."

They ordered a couple of soft drinks, and as Sadie studied the menu she found that she was quite hungry. Maybe it was the cold weather, and her body was doing its best to keep itself warm?

She ordered a jacket potato with a side salad, and brown bread and butter, and sipped at her drink while Nick ordered his food.

The place was quiet with only a couple of other patrons and as Sadie felt herself relaxing she gazed idly out of the window.

The snow blanketed the ground, giving everywhere a clean fairytale look, she could see one or two people moving around and as she watched one man walking towards this place, her attention became rigid on him.

His walk, and the way that he held himself, she knew him, she recognised him.

But her mind was shying away from the identity of him. She so did not want it to be him, to have him intruding into her life once more, especially not now - not at this moment.

But as he looked up suddenly and seemed to look straight at her - she could not hide away from it any more - she could not deny her eyes any longer.

The man heading straight towards her was her ex-husband - Rick.