She tapped his face with the hand that still held the charcoal. ‘Focus, Mr Artist!’
‘I’m trying. Stop distracting me.’
‘I’m not doing anything.’
He growled into her ear then nipped at her ear lobe, and she squealed and slipped out of his embrace.
‘I’d say that looks a lot better now, wouldn’t you?’ he asked, taking a few deep breaths to try to slow his heart rate.
‘It certainly does. Thank you for the lesson. How much do you charge?’ Eve’s eyes sparkled. She rubbed at her nose and Jack had to contain his laughter when he saw the charcoal smudge there. Hazard of the job.
‘I’ll have to think about that and let you know. Unless you have any suggestions?’ He wiggled his eyebrows.
‘Just because I’m not wearing underwear doesn’t mean I’m fast and loose!’ Eve wagged a finger at him. ‘Now I’m going to watch that documentary with my aunt. You coming?’
Jack looked around the shed then back at Eve. It wasn’t a difficult decision to make. Any excuse to spend another hour in her company, even if it did mean watching one of Mary’s bizarre documentaries and being fed yet more cake. He flicked the light switch then followed Eve out into the night air. It was good to have a reason to spend time with people, to have someone want him around. Mary had always been warm and kind but he didn’t like to overstay his welcome at her cottage. He was conscious of the fact that she probably wanted time alone, or with Edward, even though she always claimed to the contrary. But Eve had invited him and it made him glow inside, because right now he could imagine nothing better than squashing up next to her on the sofa with at least one dog, and just enjoying her company.
* * *
Eve could barely contain her delight when Jack agreed to come with her to watch TV. She hadn’t wanted to leave the shed but knew she had to because it was getting harder and harder to resist him. When she was with him, she just felt lighter, more vibrant, as if she’d been walking around seeing in shades of grey and now she was slowly noticing colour again. It was wonderful.
They entered the kitchen and she switched the kettle on.
‘Tea or coffee?’
‘Eve?’ It was Aunt Mary.
‘Yes?’
‘I’ve made a pot of tea ready. You just need to bring some extra biscuits. Edward has eaten all the ones I brought through.’
Eve raised her eyebrows at Jack. So Edward was here.
‘Okay! Be there in a minute.’
Jack opened the cupboard above the kettle. ‘You want chocolate chip cookies or malted milk?’
Eve shook her head. ‘I don’t mind.’
He handed her the cookies. ‘Hey, what is it?’
‘Nothing.’
He stroked her face and she shivered with delight.
‘Something’s up.’
‘I didn’t know Edward was coming round.’
‘He often comes to visit, especially in the evenings. They watch TV together or play cards. Sometimes Mary goes down to his house to play on his games console.’
Eve suppressed a smile. ‘I just … I wish I’d known about him before, you know? That Aunt Mary had someone special in her life.’
‘He’s a good man, Eve. He makes her happy.’
‘She seems to like him.’
‘And I’m pretty sure the feeling is mutual.’
‘I feel like I’ve missed so much.’ Her throat tightened.
Jack nodded. ‘That’s natural, but you can’t turn the clock back. All you can do is take it from here and make it good from now on.’
‘You’re so right.’ She stepped closer then pressed her lips to his cheek. ‘Thank you.’
They took the biscuits through to the lounge and found Mary and Edward sitting together on one of the squishy sofas with Harry wedged between them. The dog’s head was hanging off the cushion and his legs pointed up into the air. The room was lit by two floor lamps, and a red candle burned in a clear glass jar on the table, making the room smell of spiced apple. It was warm and homely. So unlike Eve’s lounge in her large, empty house in Bristol.
‘Is he okay like that?’ Eve asked.
‘He’s just roaching,’ Edward replied.
‘Roaching?’
‘It’s what we call this position. It means he’s extremely comfortable and relaxed.’ Edward smiled at her then rubbed Harry’s ears gently and the dog let out a long, low grunt. ‘See, he’s happy.’
Jack sat on the other sofa next to Clio, then patted the seat next to him. There wasn’t much space because the greyhound was taking up over half the sofa, but it meant that Eve got to snuggle up to Jack, so she didn’t complain.
‘How has your time at Conwenna been so far, Eve?’ Edward asked as he leaned forward and retrieved his mug of tea from the tray on the table.
‘Good, thank you. I’m enjoying being here.’
‘You should consider staying around. I know Mary would love to have you here.’
Eve swallowed hard. Was he criticizing her or just making a kindly observation? His face was warm, his smile seemed genuine. In his faded jeans and AC/DC T-shirt, he looked cool and casual. Eve wasn’t used to being around men of her father’s age, except at work, and she wondered how it would be to live surrounded by a family like this.
Mary clapped her hands then pointed at the TV. ‘Here it is! I’ve been waiting for this Mary Berry documentary since I first saw it advertised.’
The opening credits rolled and Eve accepted a mug of tea from Jack then settled back on the sofa. When he slid one arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, she could barely contain her happiness. However long this lasted, even if it was just for tonight, she would be grateful that she’d had the chance to be a part of her aunt’s life again, and that she’d had the chance to meet Jack.
* * *
Before Jack had left to return to his cottage, Eve had arranged to go with him to Foxglove Farm the following day. As they crossed the farmyard the next morning, her stomach flipped over. She was nervous about seeing Gabe again. Nervous in case he was still anxious around her, nervous in case he didn’t like his presents and nervous that she wouldn’t be able to contain her emotions around him. Since her arrival at Conwenna Cove, she had been catapulted from one emotion to another. It was as if, having had a lid on them for months, it had been blown off and now she couldn’t contain them. Since university, she’d liked to think of herself as being strong, calm and in control, but now she was feeling things she hadn’t felt, or allowed herself to feel, in years: guilt about her neglect of Aunt Mary, desire and affection for Jack, fear about her job, both losing it and returning; she was a boiling pot of emotion. Perhaps that was why her head was also so itchy right now. Some kind of stress-related skin condition. She’d have to get some antihistamine from the chemist later on.
Jack opened the door to the small office at the end of the stable block. ‘After you.’ He nodded at Eve and she entered. Neil was sitting at a desk in the far corner, his hands full of papers and a pair of smudged glasses perched on his nose. He grunted at them in acknowledgement.
‘Hey, Neil. How’re you?’ Jack asked.
‘Can’t keep on top of all this damned paperwork, to be honest. I’m a practical man, me, not an office administrator, and I don’t have time for all this. Plus it’s getting worse the more dogs we take in and the more that I hear of needing homing, rehabilitation, fostering and adoption.’
‘Well I’ll help out if I can,’ Jack said, approaching the desk.
‘Think I’m going to need to get someone else in, to be honest; someone who’s good with this type of thing. Vet’s bills. Adoption certificates. Dog histories. Cases reported to the RSPCA. You know anyone wanting an admin job – part-time to start off with, and the pay won’t be great – send them in my direction.’
‘Sure,’ Jack replied. Eve bit her lip to prevent herself from offering to help out. She could do the job standing on her head, she felt sure, after juggling so many things for so long as a h
ead teacher. But she wasn’t staying long, and she shouldn’t start something she couldn’t finish.
‘How do you fund all this?’ she asked.
‘Partly through donations from those adopting the dogs, partly through a very generous donation left by an elderly lady who passed away two years ago and partly through fund-raising. Last year Nate Bryson got some of his surfing buddies involved and they did a sponsored surf. They all have contacts and managed to get an online sportswear company involved. It was brilliant.’
‘I bet that was fun.’ Eve looked at Jack.
‘I wasn’t around then but I’ve heard about it. Surf for Sighthounds, wasn’t it?’
‘That’s right!’ Neil smiled. ‘Hoping he’ll do another one this year, or maybe next. Then there’s Oliver Davenport, the village vet. He does as much as he can for the charity pro bono, but at the end of the day he has children and needs to make a living. Especially since he lost his wife.’
‘What happened?’ Eve met Neil’s eyes and saw sadness there.
‘Tragic it was. Linda grew up round here. Lovely girl. They have two young children, a girl and a boy. Terrible thing when kids lose a mum like that. It was cancer. She fought it but it claimed her in the end and she was only thirty-one.’ He shook his head.
‘That’s so sad.’ Eve’s eyes stung for the woman who’d lost her life, for the children without a mother and for Oliver, a man bringing up his family alone. Life could be so cruel.
Neil nodded. ‘We’re lucky here in Conwenna Cove, though. It’s a real community and everyone chips in to do what they can. Oliver’s had a lot of support, although nothing can make up for what he’s lost. But like I was saying, the community here helps the hounds as much as it can … from funds raised at the annual village fair to generous tourists who donate when they’re around. We’ve been quite lucky in that respect, and obviously Elena and I do what we can ourselves.’
‘They’re too soft sometimes.’ Jack smiled. ‘You should have seen it up here at Christmas.’
‘Really? Why?’
‘Not one dog without a present.’
Eve glanced back at Neil and noted his flushed cheeks. He evidently had a generous heart.
‘That was down to the shoebox appeal. Gifts came from far and wide for that one.’ Neil stood up. ‘People can be very kind, especially at Christmas.’
‘So who’s up for some attention today?’ Jack asked.
‘Mainly Gabe. He needs some time in the assessment room to see how he reacts to normal surroundings.’
‘What does that involve?’ Eve asked.
‘We want to see how he deals with objects that would be found in a normal family home. Most of these dogs have never been in a house before,’ Neil explained. ‘So they need to get used to similar surroundings before they can be homed.’
‘Can I help with that?’ Eve asked, toying with the handle of the bag containing Gabe’s treats.
‘That would be great. Thanks, Eve. Jack can explain the process to you in more detail.’
‘Come on, I’ll show you the assessment room.’ Jack took her arm gently and her skin tingled where his fingers touched her.
They left the office and went around the back of the stables, then through a door at the end. Eve was surprised to find herself walking into someone’s living room. Except it wasn’t. It was a room in the barn made to look like someone’s living room. It had two sofas draped in patchwork quilts, a table that held an old portable television, and a coffee table in the centre of the room. A small window with red curtains looked out onto the yard, and there was another window in the back wall next to a door.
‘That door goes through to a room with a kettle and a toilet,’ Jack explained. ‘The window is there so that whoever’s working with the dogs can keep an eye on them when they’re left alone and see how they react to being in a home.’
Eve nodded. ‘Do they behave?’
‘Sometimes, though sometimes they mess things up a bit. We’ve had to replace the cushions and the coffee table a few times after they’ve had a good chew on them. It’s like Neil said … many of the dogs don’t know how to react in a home environment. It’s all about helping them to adapt, kind of like rehabilitating them so they can be rehomed.’
Eve gazed around the room. ‘So can I sit in here with Gabe?’
‘Sure. Today we’ll just let him have a good sniff around and try not to react to the things he does. We have to allow them to adapt.’
‘How long can it take?’
‘Depends on the dog. They’re all different. I’ll go get Gabe now and you make yourself a coffee if you like, then perhaps take a seat.’ He gestured at the sofa.
‘See you in a bit,’ Eve replied as she headed to the kitchen area. She knew that she needed to mentally prepare herself to see Gabe again. Just like Jack, he’d been wounded by his past, and just like with Jack, she was apprehensive about startling him or scaring him away. She wanted them both to learn to trust her, though deep down she knew she had no right to do so when she’d be leaving soon. Where would that leave Jack and Gabe? And where would it leave her, especially if she gave them both access to her heart?
Chapter 15
Eve had finished her coffee and washed and dried the mug by the time she heard the door to the assessment room open. She popped her head out of the small kitchen and saw Jack holding a rather reticent-looking Gabe. He caught her eye and placed a finger over his lips, then led Gabe into the room and removed his lead.
‘What should I do?’ Eve asked.
‘Just take a seat for now. He’s been in here a few times already, but not for long and not alone. It will help having you in here for company.’
‘Okay.’ She perched on the sofa that sat against the back wall and watched. Gabe sniffed by the door, then around the edges of the room. He was nervous; his tail was down and his ears were flat against his head.
Eve bit her lip.
‘Hey, don’t be nervous. He’ll sense it.’
She pushed further back onto the sofa and tried to relax.
‘Be as normal as possible. Whatever normal is.’ Jack grinned at her.
‘Of course.’ She placed her hands in her lap.
‘I’ll just make a cuppa.’ Jack went through the door into the kitchen area.
Eve sighed. She had to loosen up a bit in order to allow Gabe a chance of being in a so-called normal environment. She would imagine that she was in a home, doing normal things while her dog wandered around the lounge.
But what did normal people do? Eve wasn’t used to sitting still or spending time at home. If she was, would she watch TV? Do the ironing? Make dinner?
All these things were what other people did; people with husbands and families and lives. Eve didn’t have that type of life. So how could she be normal?
Her heart raced and she leaned over her knees. Breathe slowly. Calm down.
She rested her chin on her hands and closed her eyes.
In and out. In and out. There … cool and calm.
A sudden loud sniffing at her right ear startled her. She opened her eyes and there he was. Gabe. Right next to her, staring at her as if she was the most interesting thing he’d ever seen. His head was tilted to one side and his ears were pointing straight up.
‘Hello.’ Eve spoke softly, not wanting to frighten him away.
He tilted his head the other way.
‘How are you, Gabe?’
She slowly reached out her hand and he took a step backwards.
‘It’s okay, boy. I promise I’m nice.’
She stretched her arm to get her hand closer to the large dog. He paused, then sniffed her fingers and her palm.
‘That’s it, boy. There you go.’
She remembered the things she’d bought him in the village. She leaned over and lifted the bag from the side of the sofa and opened it carefully to avoid making too much noise. Then she pulled out the dog treats and placed them on her lap.
Gabe watched her, his big black nose t
witching.
‘How about a treat?’
She opened the packet and took out a brown circle. As she raised it, the smell of meat met her nostrils. It must have met Gabe’s too, because he approached her licking his lips.
‘Go on. It’s for you.’ She opened her hand so that the treat sat on her fingers then held them out but not too far, so that Gabe had to move closer.
He eyed her for a moment, then his whiskers tickled her fingers as he took the treat gently. ‘Such a good boy,’ Eve praised him.
She gave him another two before putting the bag away again.
‘You can have some more later, Gabe. You want me to stroke your ears now? Or give you a brush? I’m sure we can find a brush here somewhere.’ She looked around the room and took in the paintings on the walls that she’d failed to notice earlier. She was certain they must be Jack’s; they had his style written all over them.
‘There’s no milk left,’ Jack said as he emerged from the kitchen area. ‘I’ll pop to the farmhouse to get some. Officially I shouldn’t really leave you two alone, with you being new here, but I’ll be quick as I can. Will you be okay?’
‘I think so. We seem to be making friends.’
‘I’ll be right back.’ Jack left the assessment room and quietly closed the door.
Eve gasped as a weight landed on the cushions to her left, making her bounce up and down. Gabe had joined her on the sofa. She watched him as he circled, round and round, until finally settling at the other end and letting out a long, satisfied grunt. She shifted slowly so that she faced him, and rested her head on the back of the sofa.
Gabe gazed at her, his white eyebrows moving in turn. She wasn’t sure if this was allowed; hadn’t even thought to ask about allowing the dog on the sofas in the assessment room. For now, it seemed that she had won a fraction of Gabe’s trust, and she knew that trusting was a big deal for a dog who’d been through the ordeal he had endured. It was food for thought, she mused as she closed her eyes. If a dog like Gabe could begin to put the past behind him and learn to trust again, even if it was a slow process, then perhaps Eve could do the same. She knew that she’d already started to trust Jack. Her problem was learning to trust herself and her instincts; that was something that wouldn’t be quite so straightforward.
Summer at Conwenna Cove Page 15
