by Lucy Daniels
‘I said yes,’ he said. His voice was strangely distant. There was a long pause. ‘Do you think it’s too soon?’ he asked.
Mandy risked a glance over at him. Though he looked troubled, there was also something about the set of his shoulders that told her he was determined to do the right thing. ‘James, you’ve dated before now,’ she pointed out.
‘Yes, but this is different.’ He sounded nervous.
‘Because you actually like him?’
‘Yes.’ This time there was no hesitation.
‘Well, in that case, I think you need to go with your feelings,’ Mandy said, her voice calm. ‘If you like Raj, then go along and see what happens. I don’t think Paul would mind.’
When she glanced around again, James was looking straight forward at the road ahead. He turned and caught her glance and smiled, though she could see unshed tears glittering in his eyes. ‘I trust your judgement,’ he said. ‘Thank you.’ Despite the tears, his voice was steady.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
‘I’ll ask Nicole if she can do an extra day.’ Mandy put down her hot chocolate and bent to write it on her list. A barely touched plate of biscuits lay on the kitchen table between her and Adam. They had set aside some time to work out how they were going to juggle Mum’s work between them, but it wasn’t proving easy.
‘We could work out a way of paying her,’ Adam offered.
Mandy shook her head, her mouth set. ‘We agreed we’d keep costs strictly separate,’ she reminded him. With Emily out of action at Animal Ark, the business would already be under pressure. She lifted her mug and took another sip. ‘Seb knows not to send any more animals my way at the moment. And for now, I won’t accept any new rescues. We’ll send them to Walton or York as we used to.’
‘And if you need to …’ Adam raised his eyebrows.
Despite her good intentions, Mandy let out a sigh. ‘If I need to, I’ll ask Seb if he can help find places for the animals that are already here.’
Adam reached out and squeezed her hand. ‘It’s good it’ll be summer soon,’ he said. Summer had always been quieter than spring at Animal Ark. Hope Meadows would have been entering its busiest time as they went into the holidays, but there was nothing Mandy could do. She couldn’t afford to pay for extra help and she had to put all her efforts into her vet work for now. It wasn’t just the additional work she was worried about. If Emily saw that they were under pressure, Mandy wasn’t sure she would be able to resist. Mandy didn’t want her mum to feel guilty that she couldn’t help.
‘So is there anything else?’ Mandy lifted her mug and drained the last of the hot chocolate. The allocated hour was almost over and she had a call waiting.
‘There is something actually,’ her dad told her. Mandy settled back into the chair to hear what he had to say. ‘It’s about the night work. We’re going to employ a telephone answering service. They’ll take the calls when one of us is out. We should have done it years ago. That way, when it’s your night off, you’ll be properly off.’
‘Sounds like a good idea,’ Mandy said. She had grown up with the overnight telephones. Even when the Royal College had begun to allow on-call vets to take calls on their mobiles, Emily and Adam had preferred to field any contact themselves so the working vet wasn’t disturbed when they were with an animal. It had been best for the clients to speak to someone they knew, but it was tiring.
‘So …’ Adam continued, ‘I’ve been talking to your mum. We both definitely want you to move into Wildacre.’
Mandy looked at him. ‘When do we begin with the service?’ she asked.
‘Tonight.’ Adam sounded pleased. ‘I called them yesterday and it’s already set up.’
‘That’s good.’ Mandy spoke slowly. Half of her wanted to move out. The other half was sure she should stay and help.
‘You’ve worked so hard with Wildacre,’ Adam told her. ‘You deserve to enjoy it. And it is only ten minutes away.’ He gazed at her, his eyes willing her to agree.
Mandy bit her lip. ‘Are you sure, Dad? Really sure? You’ve thought through everything Mum might need?’
‘I have. It’s an order, love. You need to make your own life.’
Mandy’s eyes filled with tears and she got up and threw her arms around Adam. He reeled, and then laughed.
‘We’ll be all right, Mandy. I promise.’
Jimmy called her just before lunchtime when she was driving homewards. She pulled the car into the side, then rang him back. ‘Would you like to come over?’ he asked.
‘I’m just on my way home with a blood sample,’ she said, ‘then I’ll be there.’ She would put the blood in the fridge and send it off later, she thought. It would be lovely to have lunch with Jimmy. She put the car in gear and set off down the lane.
Jimmy and Simba met her at the door when she arrived at Mistletoe Cottage twenty minutes later. Both seemed equally delighted. Simba bounded round the garden with Sky. Jimmy opened his arms and they hugged. ‘How’s Zoe?’ Mandy asked when they finally pulled apart. The husky had been doing well since coming home, as had her pup. Each time Mandy visited, the puppy was a little bigger. She was now nearly two weeks old. ‘She’s great,’ Jimmy said. ‘Come and see.’
They walked together through into the sitting room. Zoe stood up slowly and stretched then licked Mandy’s hand. Mandy reached out to stroke her but Zoe turned away, intent on her puppy. It was no longer as tiny and helpless as it had been. Mandy knelt down to take a closer look. ‘Her eyes are open,’ she gasped.
‘They are,’ Jimmy grinned.
Mandy lifted the puppy for a cuddle. The fuzzy brown fur was soft over the chunky little body. The white patches above her eyes gave the puppy a comical look. She nuzzled Mandy, the rounded little muzzle tickling under Mandy’s chin. ‘She’s so sweet,’ Mandy said.
Zoe hadn’t taken her eyes off her puppy. ‘You can have her back now,’ Mandy assured the attentive husky. She laid the tiny bundle back in the bed. Zoe lay down too and before long, the puppy was suckling contentedly.
‘Lunch is in the oven,’ Jimmy said.
Mandy stood up, brushing dog hair from her knees. ‘I’ll come and give you a hand,’ she said. Together they walked through into the kitchen.
‘So how’s your mum?’ Jimmy looked over his shoulder as he opened the oven door.
‘She seems a bit better,’ Mandy said. ‘They’ve started her on some steroids. Dad and I had a big chat this morning. About how it’s all going to work.’
Jimmy pulled a tray from the oven with two baguettes, which were filled with melting brie. ‘That’s good,’ he said, setting the food on the side. ‘Shall we take these through?’ he asked.
‘Yes please.’ It would be lovely to be with Zoe and her puppy while they ate.
‘So how was your discussion?’ Jimmy said, once they were sitting on the sofa. ‘When will you get a new vet?’
‘Dad’s not sure.’ Mandy lifted the sandwich. ‘The new graduates’ll be out soon. Mum and Dad are still trying to decide whether they want someone just out of university or whether it’d be better to have someone with experience.’
‘And how about Hope Meadows?’ Jimmy asked.
Mandy took a mouthful of the baguette, chewed it carefully and swallowed before she replied. ‘We’re scaling it back for now,’ she said, trying not to sigh. ‘I’ll keep the animals I have, but we won’t take any more till things are settled.’ She couldn’t help but feel sad.
Jimmy seemed to know how she was feeling. He reached out a hand and laid it on her knee. ‘I know it’s difficult,’ he said, gently, ‘but you’re right to put your family first. You’re doing a wonderful job with all the rescues you have just now. Once you’ve got your new vet, Hope Meadows’ll get back to normal.’ His hand was warm and reassuring. ‘Actually I might be able to help you with your scaling back,’ he said. ‘Well assuming you agree, of course.’
‘How’s that?’ Mandy asked. Over in the corner, the puppy had finished suckling. It stood up, staggered a few
steps, then flopped down with a sigh, fast asleep.
‘Belle and I have been talking.’ Jimmy’s eyes were also on the puppy. ‘We were wondering if we could adopt two of Mumma’s kittens for Abi and Max. They’d live here with me. Belle and I thought if they had pets of their own, it might help when the new baby arrives.’ He looked at Mandy, raised his eyebrows and smiled. ‘What do you think?’ he said. ‘I know it’ll be a houseful, but that way they’ll grow up with the puppy.’
Mandy threw open her arms and gave him a hug, almost sending her lunch flying. ‘That’s a lovely idea,’ she said.
She let him go and he laughed. ‘Glad you don’t mind the idea of having even more animals around,’ he said with a grin.
‘Was that ever in doubt?’ Mandy leaned over and pushed him with her shoulder.
‘Not really,’ Jimmy admitted.
Just then, his phone buzzed on the table in front of him and lit up with a text message. He read it and let out a short laugh. ‘Oh yes, that’s right,’ he told her. ‘The twins reminded me they have a question for you.’
‘Oh yes?’ Probably about Ganesh, she thought. Every time she’d seen Jimmy since their trip to the safari park, there had been messages and questions.
‘They’ve decided on a name for the puppy,’ Jimmy said. ‘What do you think of Emma?’
Mandy smiled. Liz Butler would be delighted when she told her. ‘That’s a lovely idea,’ she said. She reached out her hand for one of the slices of cake. Jimmy had warmed it through. It smelled wonderful. She took a bite.
‘There’s something else,’ Jimmy said. He lifted his own plate.
Mandy chewed her mouthful. The icing was just as delicious as it looked. Jimmy seemed to be waiting for a reply. She swallowed, washing the food down with a swig of coffee. ‘What?’ she asked.
His eyes were on her face. ‘They want to give her another name as well,’ he said. ‘But I said I’d have to ask you first. Would it be okay if we call her Emma Amanda?’
For a moment, Mandy thought she had misheard. Even if the twins had forgiven her for Zoe’s lost puppies, Jimmy knew the awful truth. Would he really not mind? She looked into his eyes and he looked back, his gaze steady.
‘Are you sure?’ she said. She could feel tears prickling behind her eyes.
‘I’m sure.’ He took the plate from her hand, set it on the table and pulled her into his arms for a kiss. ‘I don’t know anyone who deserves it more,’ he said.
Mandy was almost late back for afternoon surgery. She made it down the road by the skin of her teeth. Mrs Davey was waiting patiently with her hamster cage on her lap. ‘Come on in,’ Mandy gasped.
‘Roo Dhanjal popped in a few minutes ago,’ Helen told her an hour later when the waiting room was finally empty. The hamster had been followed by a vomiting cat, a dog with sore ears, a puppy vaccination and two parakeets that were moulting excessively. It had been an interesting afternoon.
‘How is Roo?’ Mandy asked. She hadn’t seen Roo since the day Emily had collapsed, she realised. She must pop over and visit sometime.
‘She’s fine,’ Helen said. ‘She had some fantastic news, though. The factory is going ahead after all. Mr Chadwick’s offered Marissa Bowie his house.’ Helen sounded so thrilled that Mandy didn’t have the heart to say she already knew and had forgotten to tell everyone.
‘That’s great news,’ she said.
A movement at the door caught her eye. Tango was standing outside, staring in. With an audible sigh, Helen stood up and went to open it. The aged ginger car stalked in. He waited for Helen to close the door, then followed her to the reception desk.
‘So how did Roo know?’ Mandy asked.
Tango sat on the floor, looking up at Helen. For a moment, Mandy thought Helen was going to ignore him, but he was gazing at her. ‘What?’ Helen said, sending the cat a glare. ‘I’ve work to do,’ she said, ‘and you’ll only want to get down as soon as you’re up.’ Tango put his head on one side, then opened his mouth in a silent meow. He looked so sad that Mandy wanted to laugh. Helen growled. ‘Oh, for goodness’ sake,’ she said, reaching down and lifting him up onto the desk. ‘Just for a minute. What was it you said again?’ she asked Mandy.
‘I asked how Roo knew,’ Mandy said.
Helen frowned, trying to remember. ‘Well Roo had it from Gemma.’ Mandy could picture Gemma Moss, standing behind her post-office counter, gossiping away. ‘And Gemma got it from Mrs Jackson and Mrs Jackson got it from your gran,’ Helen laughed. ‘Something like that anyway.’
‘I’ll have to go and see Gemma,’ Mandy said.
‘Why?’ Helen’s eyes were wide. ‘Do you need more details?’ Helen asked.
It was Mandy’s turn to laugh. ‘No,’ she said. ‘I need to send off the blood sample from this morning.’
Collecting the blood sample from the fridge, she called to Sky. ‘I’ll be back soon,’ she told Helen, waving the package to show her.
‘See you.’
It was a very beautiful day, Mandy thought as she tramped down the lane. The hedgerows were filled with flowers. A warm spring breeze fluttered the leaves. The air smelled fresh as if it had rushed down from the high moors. Sky was enjoying herself. She trotted ahead, her nose to the ground, exploring everything in their path.
‘Hello Mandy, did you hear the news about the factory?’ Mandy turned. It was Sally Benster. She was looking a little bashful and nervous.
‘I have,’ Mandy assured her.
‘Isn’t it wonderful?’ Sally said.
‘It is.’
Sally bent down, stroked Sky’s head twice, then stood up. ‘Mandy, I’m sorry I gave you a hard time about the squirrels. I know you were only trying to do the right thing and I should have respected that.’
Mandy was surprised and touched by her frank apology. ‘That’s okay,’ she said. ‘I know why the factory is important. I’m just so pleased it’s all worked out.’
Sally departed with a smile.
‘Hello Mandy, have you heard the news?’ Gemma Moss in the post office looked delighted as well. She was wearing a blue flowery summer dress.
‘Isn’t it great?’ Mandy said.
‘I hear we have you to thank.’ Gemma beamed across the counter. ‘If you hadn’t got everyone together … I knew it would all come right in the end,’ she said. She held out a hand, took Mandy’s parcel and weighed it. ‘Three pounds forty, please.’
Mandy handed over the money and made her way back to the door.
‘Come on, Sky,’ she said. She had just passed the church when a green Range Rover roared up the lane and slowed to turn onto the road that led to Upper Welford Hall. It was Sam Western. Mandy was sure he had seen her, but he kept his eyes on the road and drove past with a face like thunder. Once he had passed, she couldn’t suppress a grin. She would have to face him soon enough on the farm. For now he seemed to be the only person in the village who wasn’t sharing in the general jubilation. Her faith in Welford was well and truly restored.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
‘Mandy.’ Adam’s voice echoed up the stairs. Mandy was lying on her bed texting Jimmy. It was almost lunchtime and the shared Saturday morning shift was nearly over. She let her head fall back onto the pillow for a moment. Jimmy had just suggested a walk by the river, but from the urgency in her dad’s voice, there was more work to do before she would be free. Pushing herself off the bed, she cantered downstairs.
‘Sorry.’ Adam smiled at her, his eyes apologetic. ‘I was just on my way to a foaling, but there’s another urgent call, I’m afraid.’
‘Not a problem, Dad.’ Mandy found her smile without difficulty.
‘It’s a lambing ewe.’ Adam frowned. ‘Must be a really late one,’ he said. ‘It’s Mr Thomas’s at Ainthrop. Daffodil. He says you’ve seen her before?’
Mandy’s mind went back to her meeting with Mr Thomas at the show. He’d said then that Daffodil was expecting. ‘She’s a Portland,’ Mandy explained. ‘They lamb year round.’
Had he noticed she’d been avoiding obstetrics, Mandy wondered? She still felt jittery after Zoe. What if the ewe needed a caesar? Then again, she’d done loads of lambings this spring and she hadn’t had a single operation. There was every chance it would be something straightforward. She pulled her shoulders back. ‘I think so,’ she said.
Adam reached out a hand and laid it on her upper arm for a moment. His touch was reassuring. ‘You’ll be fine,’ he said. ‘You’re a great vet. You’ve been so much help lately. Mum and I are very proud of you.’ His hand was still on her arm as he studied her face. ‘Don’t start second guessing everything,’ he said. ‘Zoe’s case was vanishingly rare. Nobody could have predicted it.’
‘I’ll be fine,’ Mandy said. She would have to be. Dad was going to a foaling and that was even more difficult.
A few minutes later, she was alone in the car with Sky. ‘It’ll be fine,’ she told the collie. She glanced in the rear-view mirror. Sky was sitting in the back seat, looking forwards out of the windscreen. The road to Ainthrop was worth watching, Mandy thought. The midday sun soared high over the fell tops. The first time Mandy had visited Ainthrop, the trees had been bare against the horizon. Now their reaching branches were clothed in the lime green tones of early summer.
She glanced in the mirror again. ‘It’ll just be a lambing, like all the lambings in spring,’ she informed Sky. ‘Even if I have to do a caesarean, it’ll be fine. I’ve seen lots of them with Mum and Dad. I even did one once when I was at university.’ That was more than three years ago. She pushed the thought from her mind. It would be okay. It had to be okay because there was no other option. What would people think if they could see her telling her worries to Sky? she thought. She managed a wry grin. Sky was a great listener.
She dropped down from the high tops into a small dip that was almost a valley. The white paint of the tiny smallholding stood out from the surrounding fields. Mandy stopped the car outside and turned off the engine. Despite her chat with Sky, her hands were shaking. She reached for the door handle and pulled it firmly towards her.
