Christmas at Mistletoe Cottage

by Lucy Daniels

  Mandy turned to Jimmy. She wanted to say that she’d had a great time, but it was only partly true. The more time she spent with Jimmy, the more comfortable she felt, but tonight’s events had all been a bit too weird for comfort, as if they’d been displayed under a microscope for all of Welford to marvel at. But she did know that she wanted to see him again.

  ‘Maybe next time we should meet in York,’ she suggested.

  Jimmy smiled. ‘Or out in the middle of the fell,’ he said. ‘It was still lovely to see you though. Could I persuade you out again sometime?’

  ‘Maybe you could,’ Mandy said. She felt suddenly warm inside. Despite the difficulties of the evening, he still wanted to see her as much as she did him.

  ‘I’m afraid I can’t see you this weekend.’ Jimmy zipped up his jacket. ‘I’m taking Abi and Max up to Keswick to see Mum,’ he explained. ‘Then I’m taking a party of businessmen out for a trip on Sunday. But I’ll give you a call next week, if you wouldn’t mind.’

  ‘That would be perfect,’ Mandy said. ‘Perhaps you could bring the twins to see the donkeys.’

  ‘They do love donkeys,’ Jimmy said. Mandy had a fleeting sense of disquiet. She had expected him to jump at the chance. Didn’t all children love donkeys? Her eyes flitted to his face, but he turned away and started walking.

  Side by side, they headed down the lane. When they arrived at the entrance to Animal Ark, Jimmy bent to give Mandy an all-too-brief-kiss, then stepped back. ‘I’ll ring you,’ he promised, before striding on up the lane. With an unexpected swoop of disappointment, Mandy watched as he disappeared round the corner and then listened until the noise of his footsteps died away.

  You’re being silly, she told herself. It was you who told him you wanted to take things slowly. Then she pulled herself together. If she had changed her mind, it was up to her to let him know. Next time they were together, she would make sure she did.

  Chapter Ten

  ‘What’s the plan?’ Helen asked. She was standing beside Mandy at the window of the rescue centre, looking across the paddock. Outside, Holly was watching a thrush peck at something on the ground, and Robin was galloping at full tilt around the orchard, his ears back, tail cocked high in the air. ‘I don’t know much about donkeys,’ the nurse added.

  Mandy was fascinated by the difference between quiet Holly and Robin’s crazy antics. She watched him complete another circuit, his compact little hooves thudding on the packed earth. Just as well the paddock wasn’t muddy or it would be like a ploughed field.

  ‘I’m no expert myself,’ she admitted. ‘I had to do some research.’ Robin skidded to a halt and was sniffing at Holly. Mandy wanted to laugh. ‘We need to find out what they enjoy and spend time making friends. It will be very difficult to get them to do things they don’t want to. It’s all about persuasion.’ She pulled a face. ‘Not sure how easy that’s going to be with Robin,’ she said as he started hurtling in the other direction. ‘Once we’re sure he’s six months old, we can get him castrated. For now, I think we have to concentrate on getting them used to coming to us and being handled.’ She turned to tidy a stack of worming leaflets on the counter. ‘I’ll spend time with them every day, but only do official training every other day. It helps if they have time to mull everything over.’

  Helen laughed as the little jack careered past the window again. ‘Robin is doing a whole load of mulling right now!’

  Mandy laughed too, then looked at Helen. ‘You want to come and give me a hand?’ she asked.

  Helen shook her head. ‘Sorry, I’m meeting Seb,’ she said. ‘Otherwise I’d love to.’

  ‘Another day then,’ Mandy said.

  When Helen had gone, she went to the food prep area and pulled out a chopping board. Grabbing a pear and some turnip, she chopped both into sticks that were small enough not to be a choking hazard. She had bought a belt with a pouch attached to it and she clipped it on, slipping the pieces of fruit and veg into the pocket before going outside. Finally, she grabbed two lead ropes and the pair of little headcollars supplied by the Powells.

  When Mandy entered the orchard, Robin stopped mid-trot, his hooves splayed. One of his long fluffy ears twitched and his eyes opened wider. Mandy stood still for a moment, then moved back a step. The last thing she wanted was for the little jack to see her as a threat. Meanwhile, to Mandy’s delight, Holly walked over with her ears pricked and started to snuffle at the pouch of treats.

  Mandy stretched out slowly and touched the soft grey fur just below Holly’s ear. With her other hand, she reached into the bag and pulled out a piece of pear. Carefully, she allowed the donkey to take it. Holly’s ears were so soft, Mandy could hardly feel the fur against her fingertips. Her coat was coarser and fuzzy, but would improve with grooming. Holly blinked as if she was trying to decide whether she enjoyed being petted. She nibbled the pear, then moved closer to Mandy until her forehead was resting against Mandy’s thigh.

  Mandy tried not to squeak with delight. Being hugged by a baby donkey was pretty close to heaven. ‘Hello, sweetpea,’ she murmured. She ran her hand along Holly’s tufty black mane and traced the dark line that ran the length of her spine and down each shoulder. Mandy had always loved the story that donkeys earned their distinctive dorsal cross markings because they carried Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

  There was a tiny snuffle close by. Robin was staring at them, his nostrils flickering. ‘Do you want some pear, too?’ Mandy called in a conversational tone. Robin twitched one ear back, then forward again. He took a tentative step forwards, and another. Mandy turned back to Holly, watching Robin from the corner of her eye. She slid her hand into the bag at her waist and pulled out a piece of pear and one of turnip. Robin stretched out his neck but he was still too far away. He jumped back and snorted, tossing his head.

  ‘Come on, poppet. You can do it,’ Mandy whispered. The donkey took two little steps, then reached out his muzzle. Mandy let him sniff at the treat and take it with his teeth. At the same time, she fed the piece of turnip to Holly. The little jenny crunched it up and nodded to ask for more. Robin ate more slowly, then stepped towards Mandy again. She moved away inch by inch until Robin walked more purposefully, gaining confidence. Then she stopped and fed him another treat while stroking his neck with her free hand.

  ‘What a brave chap,’ she praised him. She could see the whites of Robin’s eyes which meant he was still on full alert, but he didn’t shy away when she ran her fingers along his back and down his shoulder.

  The next step was to re-introduce them to wearing a headcollar, which had seemed a pretty terrifying experience in the Hemmings’ garden. When Mandy walked over to the post where she had hung the halters, both donkeys skittered away, their ears flattening in alarm. Mandy kept her breathing calm and steady as she picked up the halters and slung them over her arms. She put a piece of turnip in each hand and held them out towards Holly and Robin. Even Holly was suspicious this time but Mandy talked to them reassuringly until the donkeys came forward and snuffled up the treats. Then Mandy walked around for a few minutes, offering treats when the little animals came up to her but making no attempt to put on the headcollars.

  When both Robin and Holly seemed comfortable with her holding the halters, Mandy decided to end the session. Giving the donkeys a final stroke and scratch, she headed back inside.

  She wanted to do some individual training with the dogs next. With the exception of Sky, it would be the first time any of the dogs had come into contact with the donkeys. The two crossbreeds stared curiously at the fluffy grey creatures to begin with, but soon focused on Mandy. Their training was far enough that Mandy was able to do sit, stay and recall exercises with them to keep them distracted.

  Holly and Robin seemed fascinated. At the beginning, they stood a safe distance away, but by the time Mandy had been working for a few minutes, they were standing under the apple trees, watching intently. Keeping Twiglet close beside her, Mandy walked the dog over to meet them. The donkeys blew d
own their noses at the dog, and with a wagging tail, Twiglet politely sniffed them back. When Mandy called Twiglet’s name, the little crossbreed trotted alongside her into the rescue centre. Robin, apparently thrilled with his new friend, stuck his tail in the air and ran a celebratory circuit all round the paddock.

  Next Mandy took Melon out of his cage. She had become very fond of him, with his shining eyes and feisty personality. He was wary of the donkeys at first, giving a worried little bark and swerving away from them. Mandy kept him on the lead and made him walk at heel until he had relaxed. Holly and Robin seemed to be bored with watching dogs now, and both put their heads down to nibble the grass. Mandy had unclipped Melon from his lead and was throwing his favourite ball for him when she heard a car pull up outside the rescue centre.

  She looked over to see who it was. She wasn’t expecting anyone, but it wasn’t unheard of for people to turn up at the weekend. Calling to Melon, she clipped his lead on and let herself through the gate before heading to the front of the building.

  All four doors of the car opened and a middle-aged couple climbed out, followed by two children, a boy of about ten with short hair and dark eyes and a teenaged girl. Unlike the rest of her family, the girl wasn’t wearing jeans and a thick winter coat. Instead she sported a long black dress over scarlet Doc Marten boots. Her right ear was lined with earrings and a green stud gleamed in her nose. Her raven hair was spikey, standing up from her head as if it was terrified of the black circles she had painted around her eyes. It’s a look, thought Mandy, secretly admiring the girl’s conviction in her image.

  ‘Can I help you?’ She walked up with Melon trotting at her heels. The little Westie took one look at the family and singled out the girl at once. Forgetting his training, he lunged forwards to the end of his lead. His tail was wagging furiously, his button eyes merry. The girl looked startled for a moment, opening her eyes wide, but then crouched down to rub the top of Melon’s head. He squatted beside her, mouth open in a doggy smile, wagging his tail frantically.

  The man stepped forward. ‘Hello,’ he said. ‘I’m Peter Dillon, this is Annie, my wife, my daughter Sam and this young man is Buddy.’ Reaching out a hand, he ruffled the boy’s hair. ‘Sorry to disturb you,’ he went on, ‘but we were out this way and saw your sign. We’ve been looking for a dog for a while. We were thinking of a puppy, but when we saw you, we wondered if it would be okay to pop in. We can come another time if it’s not suitable.’

  ‘It’s fine,’ Mandy said. ‘I have time. Were you thinking of any particular type of dog?’ She looked down with interest at Melon and Sam. Melon was playing to his captive audience, sitting down with a pleading face, then jumping up in excitement when Sam praised him. Mandy was impressed when the girl didn’t flinch as Melon licked her cheek. She just hoped he hadn’t got a mouthful of foundation.

  ‘Does this little fellow need a home?’ asked Mrs Dillon. ‘He’s a livewire, isn’t he?’

  ‘He is,’ Mandy agreed. ‘And yes, Melon is ready for rehoming. I have some more dogs inside. Would you like to come in and see them?’

  ‘That would be great.’ Mr Dillon pushed his hand through his hair. ‘What d’you think, Sam?’

  ‘Did you say his name was Melon?’ Sam looked up at Mandy.

  ‘That’s right. You can bring him inside if you like, and give him a treat.’ Sam stood up slowly, shaking out the folds of her dress. Mandy got the impression she would happily have spent the whole day scratching Melon behind his ear. She handed over the lead and Sam’s cheeks flushed pink as Melon started trotting beside her.

  ‘There are three others available,’ Mandy explained as she opened the door into the kennel room. A feeling of pride washed through her as the dogs, without a bark between them, stood up and came to the fronts of their cages, tails wagging.

  Mandy popped Melon into his kennel and took Flame out of her cage, firmly attached to a lead. As the Dillons made a fuss of the golden lurcher, Mandy heard the main door open and close. She checked that Mr Dillon was happy to hold on to Flame, then slipped into the reception area.

  ‘Hello, love!’ It was Grandad. Bending over, still supple despite his years, he removed the cycle clips that were holding his trouser legs and dropped them into his pocket.

  Mandy smiled. ‘Hello. It’s lovely to see you.’

  ‘I’ve come to help,’ Tom Hope announced. ‘Dorothy and I are worried that you are doing far too much, so I thought you could use an extra pair of hands.’

  ‘You don’t need to,’ Mandy told him. ‘I’m fine, honestly!’

  His eyes were twinkling. ‘I know that,’ he said. ‘You’ve always been very capable.’ He reached into his jacket and pulled out an envelope, holding it out to Mandy. She took it feeling pleased. She already had a couple of Christmas cards on the desk. ‘Open it,’ Grandad urged her.

  With a smile, she did so, pulling out a beautiful card with a glittering picture of a graceful deer amongst snowy trees. ‘It’s beautiful,’ she said, opening it to see the greeting inside. There was a piece of paper folded inside the card and she took hold of it and opened it up, wondering what it was. She gasped when she saw that it was a receipt. ‘Harper’s Stores,’ she read. ‘Paid in full.’ She lifted her eyes to Grandad’s face. He was grinning.

  ‘I spoke to your gran about what you told me the other night,’ he said, his voice gruff. ‘She agreed with me that we couldn’t think of a better early Christmas present.’

  Mandy rushed over and put her arms around him and he hugged her tight. ‘You are both wonderful,’ she said. She had spoken to Sally Harper on the phone about the bill. Sally had agreed to let her pay in instalments, but Mandy had felt uneasy that so much was still outstanding. Despite her determination to stand on her own feet, the thoughtful gift really would make things much easier in the lead up to Christmas.

  ‘Anyway,’ Tom Hope went on, ‘as I said when I arrived, I’m here to do some work.’

  ‘You really don’t need to,’ Mandy told him, though his easy company always made her feel blessed.

  ‘I want to help,’ he said in a firm voice ‘And your grandmother would love to get me out from under her feet!’ Tom Hope grinned as he patted Mandy’s shoulder. ‘Don’t even think about sending me home again. There’s nothing I’d rather be doing than helping my favourite granddaughter.’

  Mandy hugged him again. ‘How could I turn down my favourite grandfather?’ she teased. ‘There are lots of things you can help with, but could you wait a minute or two? I’m just showing some clients the dogs.’

  ‘Are you indeed?’ Grandad looked pleased. ‘Don’t let them leave empty-handed! And I don’t need a list of instructions, sweetheart. If you need me, I’ll be sorting out the rabbits.’ Without pausing, he headed for the small pets section. Mandy glanced out of the window. Harper’s were due out this morning to deliver some feed, but there was no sign of them as yet. She would have to get on.

  When Mandy went back into the kennel area, the Dillons were stroking Flame, who was soaking up the attention. Mandy noticed that Sam was watching Melon through the bars of his cage, and the Westie had his nose pressed against the metal, wagging his stumpy tail.

  ‘How are you getting on?’ she asked.

  Mr Dillon, who had been crouching beside Flame, pulled himself upright. ‘They’re all lovely,’ he said. ‘It’s hard to pick just one.’

  Mandy laughed. ‘I know that feeling,’ she replied. ‘You don’t have to decide right away. If you think you might like one of them, I can take down your details and give you some time to think about it. Taking on a dog is a big commitment, and we only want to rehome these dogs once. I’ll need to visit your house to check that everything is suitable, too. Why don’t you fill in a form, and if you make a decision, give me a call.’

  ‘That would be great,’ said Mrs Dillon.

  Putting Flame back in her kennel, Mandy took the family through to the reception area. As Mr Dillon wrote down his details, Mandy noticed Sam’s gaze wandering b
ack towards the dog room. When she turned back she had a dreamy expression on her face. Catching Mandy’s eye, she grinned. Mandy grinned back. Underneath the rather startling appearance was a very sweet girl, she decided.

  After waving goodbye to the Dillons, Mandy headed back inside. She wondered how Grandad was getting on. Before she had a chance to find him, her phone rang. She was on call this afternoon, and for a moment, her stomach gave a familiar lurch. When she answered the phone, it could be anything from a foaling horse to a hamster with a nose bleed. Her job was rarely boring, that was for sure.

  It was Molly Future from Six Oaks Stables. Back in the summer, she had rehomed Bill, the ancient Shire Mandy had rescued. ‘Hi, Mandy.’ The voice on the other end was fizzing with brisk cheerfulness as usual. ‘Nothing urgent,’ she went on. ‘I was just wondering if you’d come over and rasp Bill’s teeth, please?’

  ‘Of course.’ Mandy’s heart rate returned to normal. ‘One day next week?’

  ‘Well …’ There was a brief pause. ‘That’s fine if it’s convenient. But I wondered if you’d like to come for a ride as well? You said last time you were out that it was ages since you’d been on a horse and you sounded so wistful. The forecast for tomorrow’s good.’ She sounded as if she was smiling.

  ‘Wow!’ Mandy felt a wave of excitement. She had indeed mentioned that she wished she could take up riding again on an earlier visit to Bill. How lovely that Molly had remembered. Mandy wouldn’t normally carry out such a routine visit on a weekend, but the carrot Molly was holding out was very tempting. ‘I’m a bit out of practice,’ she warned Molly.

  ‘You’ll be fine,’ Molly promised. ‘It’ll all come back to you.’

  Through the window, the low winter sun bathed the fells in a golden light. Mandy couldn’t resist the thought of cantering up one of the tracks that criss-crossed the moorland. ‘In that case, I’d love to.’