Cat grinned and bent to let the Westies off their leads. Olaf barked and danced in circles, and Cat also released him, watching with relief as he stayed close to the others, running along the treeline. ‘It’s turned into a lovely summer,’ Cat said, keeping a close eye on the dogs. ‘And I can’t imagine anywhere I’d rather spend it. How’s Owen?’
Polly shrugged. ‘I’ve not spoken to him since our barbecue.’
‘But you will?’
‘Once the exams are out of the way.’
‘Pol—’
‘Don’t, Cat. I need to focus on them. I can’t let anything distract me, especially not now they’re so close.’
‘But you got on so well with him.’
Polly gave her a quick smile. ‘I did. But he knows I’m studying, and…I’ll see what happens when I’m free. Free!’ She lifted her hands up and raised her face to the sky. ‘I can’t wait.’
‘Me neither.’ She grabbed Polly’s hand. ‘We can celebrate for at least a month.’
‘Oh.’ Polly spun to face her. ‘Did I tell you that Leyla at work is interested in Frankie’s room? I mentioned it and she said she’s been looking for somewhere for ages. I’ve passed on Frankie’s details.’
‘That’s amazing news, Frankie will be thrilled!’ Cat and Polly fist-bumped, and Cat skipped up the path after the dogs. She’d not met Leyla, but Polly had mentioned her before, and Cat couldn’t imagine that someone who dedicated her life to looking after animals could be anything but wonderful – she just had to look at her best friend to see that. She called the dogs back and waggled her bag of treats, handing the leads to Polly when her phone rang.
‘Hello?’
‘Next Wednesday, seven o’clock, I’ll pick you up.’
Cat grinned. ‘Where are you taking me?’
‘You’ll just have to wait and see,’ Mark said. ‘But I hope it’ll make up for taking so long to get my arse in gear. Although –’ Cat could hear the smile in his voice – ‘the best things are always worth waiting for.’
‘Are you trying to convince me that you’re the best thing?’
‘You’ll have to wait and see about that, too.’
Cat put her hand against her cheek. ‘So much to look forward to,’ she cooed.
‘You’d better believe it.’ She heard the click as he hung up, and put her phone in her pocket.
‘Who was that?’ Polly had the dogs back on their leads, and they were looking up at Cat’s bag of treats. ‘Oh, don’t tell me, I can see from your grin. Has he finally decided to take you out, then?’
‘He has.’ Cat bent to stroke the pets and give them all a treat. ‘Aren’t you good? Especially you, Olaf. Lizzie and Emma will be very proud of you for coming back when we called.’
‘Details? Oh, no, don’t tell me,’ Polly said again, ‘there aren’t any. Well, I’m sure wherever he’s taking you will be glorious. I’m happy for you, Cat. Despite his dawdling he seems nice, and he’s pretty stunning to boot.’
‘He’s both,’ Cat said, smiling. But, along with the happiness of finally having a date in the diary, she felt a sense of unease. He was stunning, and had never been anything but nice to her, and he was clearly capable of charming the socks off a centipede. But he still felt out of her reach, as if he was behind glass, or floating underwater. He wasn’t immediately warm the way Owen seemed to be, or straightforward like Joe. She wondered if, after their date, she’d feel closer to him.
But with her life in Fairview, her dog-walking business and her new friendships all going so perfectly, was finding the man of her dreams on top of all that too much to expect? As they turned in the direction of Primrose Terrace and the dogs sensed they were on their way home, Cat tried to put Mark out of her mind. Hopefully he would prove to her that he really was worth waiting for.
If you loved Sunshine & Spaniels, make sure you catch up with the first part of the Primrose Terrace series, Wellies & Westies!
Catherine ‘Cat’ Palmer realises, too late, that bringing an adorable puppy into work at the local nursery was a bad idea, especially after the ensuing chaos gets her the sack.
Determined to turn a negative into a positive, Cat decides this is the perfect opportunity to get her dog-walking business off the ground with the help of her flatmates, Polly and Joe. After all, Primrose Terrace where she lives, is full of home-alone hounds…
Wellies and Westies is the first part of a serialized novel told in four parts – all set in Primrose Terrace.
Click here to buy now 978-0-00-813520-1
And look out for the latest canine adventures in Parts Three & Four of Primrose Terrace
It’s autumn and Primrose Terrace has never looked lovelier. But things are far from rosy for the Barkers at No.6. Cat’s been walking their pair of gorgeous Golden Retrievers and she’s noticed that things are distinctly chilly between owners Juliette and Will. For Cat, things are coming to a head with Mark, but is he the right man for her? Especially as she is getting closer to flatmate Joe. Cat thinks she must be able to do something to stop autumn falling on the Barkers marriage, but is there anything she can do to resolve her feelings about Mark?
Raincoats and Retrievers is the third part of a serialized novel told in four parts – all set in Primrose Terrace.
Click here to buy now 978-0-00-813522-5
Christmas is coming to Primrose Terrace, Pooch Promenade is doing brilliantly and Cat has made lots of new friends in the street, both dogs and their owners. Life seems good. Things start to go badly when Cat learns something about Mark that she wishes she hadn’t. Then, when one of Ellen’s lovable schnauzers, Chalky, gets ill, it looks like this Christmas could be turning into a dog’s dinner. But Cat has never given up on anything in her life – and this is one Christmas that’s definitely worth saving…
Tinsel and Terriers is the fourth and final part of a serialized novel told in four parts – all set in Primrose Terrace.
Click here to buy now 978-0-00-813523-2
About the Author
Cressy was born in South East London surrounded by books and with a cat named after Lawrence of Arabia. She studied English at the University of East Anglia and now lives in Norwich with her husband David.
Cressy’s favourite things include terrifying ghost stories, lava lamps and romantic heroes, though not necessarily at the same time. She doesn’t (yet) have a dog of her own, but feeds her love vicariously through friends’ pets, and was once chased around a field by a soaking wet, very mischievous Border Collie called Wags.
When she isn’t writing, Cressy spends her spare time reading, returning to London or exploring the beautiful Norfolk coastline.
Also by Cressida McLaughlin
Primrose Terrace series
Wellies & Westies
Sunshine & Spaniels
Raincoats & Retrievers
Tinsel & Terriers
About the Publisher
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.
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United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
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United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
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