The Child's Secret

by Amanda Brooke

  ‘This is Jasper,’ Selina announced. ‘He’s only six months old.’

  Sam put the takeaway on the ground and, when he crouched down, the dog bounded over to him, tugging the leash from Selina’s unsteady grasp. ‘He’s a cocker spaniel, isn’t he?’ he asked. ‘Whose is he, Selina?’

  ‘Ours.’

  Sam had been rubbing the puppy fiercely behind one of his ears and the dog collapsed in pleasure. ‘Selina, what have you done?’

  ‘We were talking about getting a dog,’ she retorted. ‘And then I had an offer that I couldn’t refuse. Dot’s son bought him a few months ago but he’s had second thoughts now that he realizes how much of a responsibility they are. So I said we’d take him.’

  ‘Since when were you thinking of getting a dog?’ Anna asked Sam.

  Sam gave Selina a warning glare as he told Anna a barefaced lie. ‘I might have mentioned it in passing, but I was never seriously considering it.’

  While Sam had been happy to share the details of Jasmine’s wishes with his landlady, he wasn’t prepared to share any more of the little girl’s notes with his girlfriend. Selina was one step removed, while Anna was Jasmine’s teacher. She knew the girl and the family too well, or at least that was how he was justifying his reluctance to open up to her.

  The latest plea from the little girl had been a tough one and Sam had told Selina that he couldn’t and wouldn’t help Finn find permanent work. When Sam had phoned Jack to ask if he was thinking of keeping Finn on the books, his old friend didn’t even hesitate. He wouldn’t be reemploying Finn and Sam hadn’t asked why. He hadn’t needed to.

  But Sam hadn’t wanted to fail Jasmine completely and had wondered how he could grant her at least one wish, the one she had been willing to forego for the sake of her father. Yet how could he justify giving a dog to the Petersons when Finn would soon be unemployed? He sighed. It would seem his landlady had taken matters into her own hands.

  ‘Well, if you don’t want it, maybe you could ask that family you took to the caravan if they want a puppy,’ Selina said, giving Sam a not-so-subtle wink. ‘You said yourself how the little girl was besotted with the dog she was taking for walks.’

  ‘Jasmine?’ Anna asked.

  Sam wouldn’t look at her and continued to make a fuss of Jasper. ‘I suppose it’s an idea, but let’s not get carried away.’

  ‘Yes, Sam, let’s not get carried away,’ Anna said coldly. ‘You’ve done more than enough for that family as it is and now you want to shower them with gifts? Don’t you think it’s time you started concentrating on your own life?’

  There was a subtext to the conversation that neither Sam nor Anna would speak about directly. As long as Sam refused to open his heart to her, Anna was always going to feel excluded and therefore exposed. She had perceived a threat from his ex-wife and now she was becoming jealous of Laura too, helped along no doubt by Finn’s accusations.

  ‘It’s one dog, Anna,’ Sam said. He was losing patience. ‘That’s hardly showering them with gifts and it’s not like I’d planned any of this.’

  Selina squirmed under the glare he gave her but she refused to repent. ‘So we’ll keep him, then. I can look after him while you’re at work and you can have him the rest of the time. He’ll be good company for both of us – and just look at the two of you.’ The puppy had been jumping up to lick Sam’s face, threatening to knock him over. ‘You were made for each other.’

  Anna scowled but Sam was smiling when he said, ‘You are irresistible, aren’t you laddie?’ He sighed, if only to let Selina know he was agreeing under duress. ‘OK then, let’s see how it goes.’

  Presuming the matter closed, Selina said, ‘Oh, and I saw Pat today. She’s in complete shock. She can’t believe how much work you all put into her garden and I think she’d marry you, Sam, given half the chance.’

  ‘She’ll have to wait in line,’ Anna said under her breath.

  Sam pretended not to hear the remark and busied himself keeping Jasper away from the takeaway bag. ‘Hey, get your nose out.’

  Selina laughed. ‘He is a ball of energy, but you could always take him out running with you.’

  ‘Not a bad idea. I might just take him out for a run now and see if I can tire him out. But when I get back, we need to sort out exactly how this new arrangement might work.’

  Selina was unfazed by the veiled threat and marched up the steps to the front door, leaving Sam to sort everything else out.

  ‘I thought you were exhausted?’ Anna said with a hand on her hip. ‘Taking care of a dog is hardly going to make your life easier.’

  Sam gave the dog one final rub along his back and then stood up and stretched. ‘A good run will do us both good and I have a takeaway to look forward to when I get back, thanks to you.’

  Anna tried to smile. ‘It’s good to know I’m useful for something. I suppose I’d better go then and leave you and man’s best friend to get to know each other.’

  Sam wanted to reach out to Anna, to hold her in his arms and reassure her, but he knew if he did he would struggle to extricate himself from her clutches. She deserved better, he told himself, and not for the first time.

  On a positive note, Jasper was already house-trained, although there were no other apparent signs of obedience training. On their first attempt at a run together, the puppy wove in and out of Sam’s legs, twisting the leash around him and tripping him up more than once. After five minutes Sam had to concede that they would have to learn to walk together before they could run – and there was another reason to start his training sooner rather than later. If there was any chance of persuading the Petersons to take him, Jasper was going to have to be on his best behaviour.

  The first chance Sam had to start in earnest was Saturday morning, and because Anna had stayed over, she was dragged along for their first session too, albeit reluctantly. After completing a full circuit of the park, the puppy was showing signs of responding to Sam’s voice. He recognized the harsh tone whenever he was disobedient and became deliriously happy when Sam praised him.

  ‘I think if we go around the park one more time, he might finally get the message.’

  ‘Again?’ Anna groaned. ‘He must be tired out by now. I know I am.’

  Jasper strained at his leash to keep going and whimpered his own plea.

  ‘Jasper, stay!’ Sam said and the dog calmed, if only for a second. ‘I tell you what. Why don’t you go back to the apartment and I’ll take him on my own? It’s not like I’ve been great company anyway – I’ve spent most of the time talking to the dog.’

  ‘I’ve noticed,’ Anna replied with a sigh. Her body swayed from side to side as she waited for Sam to register her need for attention.

  When he took a step closer, she nuzzled into his neck while surreptitiously using a foot to push away the puppy who was determined to wriggle between them. ‘I’m jealous,’ she admitted. ‘I want you to myself.’

  ‘I know.’

  ‘So, I was thinking … As compensation for being half ignored, how about I don’t go home today? It’s the bank holiday weekend and we should be making the most of it.’

  Sam gritted his teeth. ‘I’ve got a lot on.’

  ‘Such as?’

  ‘More puppy training tomorrow.’

  ‘Would you rather I found my amusements elsewhere? I can, you know. I’ve had offers,’ she said with a pout.

  Sam’s first thought was that that might be for the best and briefly considered telling her so, but Anna was already backtracking. ‘Look, why don’t we take him to the beach or, I know, a trip to Delamere Forest? We could find a dog-friendly pub for lunch.’

  ‘Yeah, OK,’ Sam said, prepared to accept that it wasn’t a bad idea. ‘But then I have park ranger stuff on Monday.’

  ‘All day?’

  ‘I have a tour lined up in the afternoon,’ he said. He also had plans for the morning, which he didn’t think Anna would approve of, but while he tried to think up a way of skirting around the issue, Anna was
already making new arrangements.

  ‘Which means you’ll be free until Monday lunchtime. Perfect,’ she said, as if they had both decided. ‘I’ll stay until then and I’ll even pick up a few things on my way back now so I can make us a nice meal tonight.’

  Sam scratched his head as he watched Anna disappear along the path and out of sight. ‘What am I to do, Jasper?’ he muttered. The dog whined. ‘I’m totally screwed up, I know. She’s a lovely lass and I shouldn’t be messing her around like this, should I?’

  Jasper wagged his tail and pulled on his leash in response.

  ‘OK, let’s leave that problem for another day. Now, what are we going to do with you?’ Sam asked as he turned his back on the path Anna had taken and headed in the opposite direction.

  A thick blanket of dirty white cloud covered the sky and there was a chill in the air that had more than a hint of autumn despite it being August. Not that the weather put off the determined crowd who had turned up for Sam’s guided tour of Calderstones Park. His final stop, as always, was at the thousand-year-old tree, and although there were a few children in the group, Sam kept to the approved script. This was the Allerton Oak, after all, a place where Liverpool’s ancestors held court before the city had even existed. There wasn’t a single historical suggestion that the tree might have special powers.

  A few people hung back once the tour was over to ask the odd question, but soon after, there remained only one other person and a dog, both of whom had been standing some distance away from the group. The old lady’s skin was as weathered as the tree, her wrinkles almost as deep as the cuts in its bark and, like the tree, her outward frailty belied an inner strength. She was perhaps a little easier to fell, as Jasper almost proved when Sam called him over.

  ‘That bloody dog!’ Selina cried, only just managing to stay on her feet.

  Sam was laughing as he caught hold of the leash that had been yanked from her hand. ‘He was your bright idea!’

  ‘But he’s your dog, now.’

  ‘Maybe, maybe not,’ Sam said.

  ‘Do you think Jasmine will be allowed to keep him?’

  Sam shrugged. He really didn’t know. ‘I suspect it’ll depend on Finn’s mood.’

  ‘Are you still going, then?’

  Sam had asked Selina to bring the dog over to the park when his tour was finished so he didn’t have to waste more time going back to the house. ‘I would have preferred to have gone over to see them this morning, more chance of them being in,’ he explained.

  Sam had told Selina enough for her to understand the real reason. ‘More chance of him being sober, you mean,’ she said shrewdly.

  ‘The longer the day wears on the more apparent it’ll be if he has fallen off the wagon, I suppose,’ he said. When Jasper jumped up to get his attention, he added, ‘But if he is back on the booze, it’s better that I know now. I don’t see how I could offer them the dog in that case, even if Jasmine does fall in love with him.’

  ‘Which she will. What eight-year-old wouldn’t?’

  Sam tried to smile. ‘Yes, she will.’

  ‘I just wish I could be there to see the look on her face when she sees him,’ Selina said wistfully.

  ‘You could come with me if you like.’ The offer was genuine. Sam had a feeling he would need reinforcements and his wily landlady was an expert at manipulating people into doing her will.

  ‘I don’t think so,’ she said. ‘This is your good deed, not mine.’

  Sam would beg to differ!

  The Petersons lived in a tidy little terraced house that was easy to spot. The hanging baskets on each side of the front door were a mass of colour; bright pink and purple petunias, trailing red fuchsias and blue lobelia. They went some way to compensate for the narrow patch of concrete that constituted a front garden.

  Sam rang the doorbell and told Jasper to sit. When the dog obliged, he was rewarded with a treat, only to stand up again as soon as the door opened.

  ‘Hello, Sam.’ Finn looked surprised but genuinely happy to see him. ‘Come in.’

  ‘Are you sure? I’ve got a visitor with me and even though he’s pretty well behaved, he’s still in training.’

  They both looked down at the puppy and, to Sam’s relief, Finn reached over and stroked him. ‘Oh, don’t worry about that. If we were bothered about bad behaviour in this house then I’d never get over the threshold. The girls are out shopping but they shouldn’t be long. I’m glad you called, I wanted to catch up with you anyway.’

  Sam hadn’t been inside the house before and as he stepped into the hall, all his preconceptions about the Petersons’ home fell away. He had imagined a house that would reflect the women of the household, modest and understated, but the cool blue colour scheme running down the hallway was followed through into the living room where it became stronger and more vibrant with cobalt blue and silver accents that provided the perfect balance.

  ‘This is Jasper. Thanks to my landlady, Selina, we’ve somehow managed to adopt him although it’s only a temporary arrangement until we can get him re-homed. In the meantime I’m in charge of taking him for walks,’ Sam explained, deciding not to labour the point about his need for intensive training. ‘We were just passing and I thought I’d call in and thank you again for helping out with the garden. Pat was thrilled with it by all accounts.’

  Finn’s smile was broad. ‘She was that excited when she turned up on Saturday I thought she might pee in her pants. She even had a go of that rope swing.’

  Sam shook his head as he laughed. ‘Why am I not surprised?’

  ‘And she’s said we can all go back again next year for a holiday if we want. There’s a method in her madness, of course. The garden will need a bit of maintenance by then, but why not?’ He caught the look on Sam’s face, which told him exactly why not. ‘Look, I know I lost it for a while there. Things get on top of me sometimes, not that that’s an excuse for behaving like an idiot, but I want you to know that I’ve got my act together now and I’m working hard. The future’s looking good, Sam.’

  ‘How’s the job going?’

  ‘We’ve probably got another month’s work on site and I won’t lie, I’m worried that it might all come to an end then,’ he said and then gave Sam a pointed look. ‘Which is why I’m counting on you to put in a good word with Jack for me.’

  ‘I’ll see what I can do,’ Sam promised, his face giving no hint of the lie.

  ‘Sorry, where are my manners? Do you want a drink?’ He smiled when he added, ‘Tea? Coffee?’

  ‘No, thanks. We won’t stay long,’ Sam said. ‘This laddie’s keeping me on my toes although they say dogs can be therapeutic.’

  ‘Unless you’re allergic to them.’

  The thought had never occurred to Sam. ‘Are you?’ he asked.

  Finn gave a short laugh. ‘Why? If you were thinking of off-loading the mutt onto me then think again. It’s hard enough providing for the family I already have. I don’t need another mouth to feed.’

  Sam pursed his lips. There was a part of him that was relieved. He had come to the house with a single purpose, to make another of Jasmine’s wishes come true, but now that he was alone with Finn, Sam was having second thoughts. Even a puppy as cute as Jasper wasn’t going to be the magic ingredient that would make a happy family, especially not with the hard times that lay ahead when Finn realized he shouldn’t be pinning all his hopes on Jack keeping him on. Sam didn’t want to leave Jasper here. He could hardly bear the thought of leaving Laura and Jasmine.

  ‘I really need this job, Sam,’ Finn continued.

  ‘I realize that, Finn, but a lot of the major landscaping work is seasonal. Like I’ve said before, your best bet is to impress Jack as much as you can in the next few weeks and then maybe he’ll take you on next year.’

  ‘Next year doesn’t see us through Christmas.’

  Jasper, who had been sniffing the rich woven rug in the centre of the room, ventured towards the sound of Finn’s frustrated sigh but Finn was i
n no mood for the pup’s sympathy and pushed him away a little too harshly.

  ‘We’d better get going,’ Sam said. He would have liked to wait to see Jasmine and Laura, but he could feel the colour draining from the room until the dull grey world outside felt suddenly inviting. ‘But I’ll keep in touch and let you know if I do hear anything. I hate to say it, but maybe you should start some serious job hunting.’

  Without even trying to persuade Sam to stay longer, Finn saw him to the door.

  Sam had somehow taken on the responsibility of not only satisfying Jasmine’s wishes but her father’s too. Finn had wanted Sam to tell him that his job was secure, but Sam had only succeeded in denting Finn’s fragile optimism. From the little Sam knew of the man, it didn’t bode well for his family so he tried again to reassure Finn. ‘Look, I’ll do my best,’ he said.

  Finn shrugged as he opened the front door. ‘Thanks, mate, I appreciate it.’

  The cold air held the promise of rain, matching Sam’s spirits which were already dampened. When he said goodbye, both men were subdued – and then from out of nowhere there was a flash of colour and the world brightened.

  Sam wasn’t sure who saw who first. Jasper’s body rippled with so much excitement that it forced a high-pitched whine from the pup’s throat the moment Jasmine jumped out of the car that had pulled up outside the house. She dropped to her knees in front of him, gasping in surprise as Jasper licked her face and nibbled her ears. Strands of blonde hair wrapped around his snout and his shiny coat reflected the bright yellow of her jumper.

  Eventually she lifted her head towards Sam, her smile too wide to hold back her giggles as the puppy continued to jump up at her, licking her chin. ‘Is he yours?’ she asked.