I'm Virtually Yours by Jennifer Bohnet

morning to pick up her and the two dogs.
    â€œHow long will it take to reach the moor?” she asked, settling herself in and snapping her seatbelt on.
    â€œAbout half an hour,” Will said. “Shouldn’t be too much traffic around this time of the morning.”
    Will was right and they were soon speeding through picturesque villages with their thatched roofs and colourful cottage gardens. Rattling over a cattle grid onto the moor proper the scenery began to change as Will drove further inland. Enclosures with granite stone walls and gnarled wind-battered old trees gave way to open moorland.
    Pulling into a gravelled parking area, Will finally stopped the Land Rover.
    â€œThat’s some view,” Polly said gazing at the wide panorama before her. “So much space.”
    Clipping Solo and Rosie onto their leads, Will and Polly took the right hand path out of the car park which soon petered out and they were walking across the moor itself. The grass here had been nibbled almost out of existence by the various animals that roamed freely over the moor.
    As they walked Will asked, “So tell me about yourself, Polly Jones. Any brothers or sisters?”
    Polly shook her head. “No. Spoilt only child that’s me.” She shortened Rosie’s extended lead slightly pulling her back from some foul smelling mess she’d wanted to roll in.
    â€œAnyway, there’s not a lot to tell — I’m quite boring really. Hate boats as you know, but love the countryside. This to me is wonderful,” she said looking around. “Had various office jobs after college before landing my last job managing a travel agents. Did that for three years before I was made redundant. I used the redundancy money to set up my business. —so now I’m a virtual assistant to whoever wants to pay me. Your turn.”
    â€œWell, for a start I can’t imagine my life without boats in it, although I also love all this countryside,” Will said. “I’ve never been to college although I did manage a couple of A levels. Dad wouldn’t let me join Robertsons straight from school. Insisted I needed to get some experience away from here. So I did some yacht deliveries and saw the world. But now I’m back home and I’m staying.” He glanced at her. “And, just for the record, you are not boring, Miss Pollyanna.”
    At the unexpected use of a name nobody had called her for years, Polly felt the tears welling up. Biting her lip, she scrambled in her pocket for a tissue.
    Will looked at her, concerned. “What did I say?”
    Polly shook her head. “Sorry. It’s nothing. It’s just my dad used to call me that when he was teasing me.” She gave an unladylike sniff. “I’m fine.”
    â€œSure? I promise not to use it again if it upsets you,” Will said.
    Polly smiled. “It was nice hearing it again actually,” she said. “Now which way do we go?”
    â€œWe’re making for that tor,” Will said pointing to a bundle of large rocks on the horizon. “And then we’ll pick up the old china clay railway track to head back to the car. With luck we should see some Dartmoor ponies along the way.”
    â€œOoh,” Polly said. “That would be good.”
    â€œYeah, Angie told me you were into horses.”
    He’d been talking to Angie about her again? Inwardly Polly speculated about what else Angie might have told him.
    They walked past ancient stone circles, a small reservoir, groups of sheep, and then to Polly’s amazement the ground began to slope away and within minutes they were standing on a narrow strip of sandy beach alongside a stream.
    â€œThis place is full of surprises,” she said, laughing as Solo chased Rosie into the water and got their leads tangled. “I thought it was going to be all bogs and granite outcrops.”
    â€œWe have to cross the stream via those stepping