Chapter 38
38
Aiden woke up on Sunday morning feeling deliriously happy. For a few moments in the hazy gap between sleep and wakefulness he couldn’t remember why. And then it all came flooding back. Sitting in the garden with Kate until they’d been forced indoors by the midges.
They’d talked and talked. She’d told him all about her job as a nurse at Odstock Hospital, and she’d listened, enthralled, by his version of ‘it shouldn’t happen to a vet’. Her warmth and enthusiasm had melted away his usual shyness. As the evening stretched on, they’d gone further back into each other’s pasts. He’d even told her about being bullied at school, he remembered with a hint of embarrassment, but she hadn’t laughed, she’d put her slim hand over his, empathy shining out of her beautiful eyes.
‘So that’s why you’re so passionate about animals. They’re so vulnerable, aren’t they?’
He’d looked at her wonderingly. He’d never felt so at ease with anyone in his life.
At the end of the evening, when she’d said reluctantly she should get back or Emily would worry, they’d stood at his front door, Kate holding the yellow rose he’d given her. Then, having extracted a promise that she’d come and collect Fang with him the next day, he’d climbed upstairs, the pain and stiffness forgotten, and collapsed on his bed, ecstatic with happiness. It was only as he was dropping off to sleep that he remembered with horror he’d been supposed to meet Jade at the Red Lion.
Now, as he went downstairs to get coffee, he hoped she hadn’t been too put out. Perhaps she’d been relieved when he hadn’t turned up. She hadn’t exactly looked thrilled at the prospect of meeting him in the first place. But no, that was unfair. Jade had just been tired – she’d probably been cursing him for dragging her out for nothing. Maybe he ought to pick her some flowers to take to the sanctuary as a peace offering. No, not flowers. He’d decided last night that from now on, the only woman he was ever going to give flowers to was Kate.
He’d arranged to give her a knock just before ten so they could head over to Duck Pond Rescue together.
He went into the lounge. An empty wine glass and a mug sat on the coffee table where he’d left them. So it hadn’t just been a beautiful fantasy. As he crossed the room to get them, he noticed something yellow on the floor. A rose petal, he saw, bending with difficulty to pick it up. He held it to his face and breathed in its delicate scent.
Last night had been the start of something wonderful, he was sure of it.
When Aiden’s yellow jeep drew into the yard just after ten thirty, Jade was on the phone to the farmer with the collie-cross pups. She glanced up and saw Aiden go round to open the passenger door to let out an attractive, vaguely familiar girl. His movements were almost reverent, she noticed with a mixture of affection and amusement. She wasn’t the betting type, but she’d have put money on it that the flame-haired beauty had something to do with him standing her up last night.
Aiden came into reception and put a tub of Quality Street on the desk in front of her. ‘I’m really, really sorry, Jade. I – er – completely forgot we said we’d meet.’
‘And that’s a peace offering, is it?’
He nodded. The girl, who was standing behind him and a little to his left, stepped forward.
‘Kate,’ Jade gasped, recognising her. ‘I didn’t know you two knew each other.’
‘My gran lives next door to Aiden. Small world, isn’t it?’
‘Isn’t it?’ Jade smiled at them both. ‘Don’t worry about last night, Aiden. I was tired anyway.’
‘You looked it. I was wondering if it would be OK if I took Fang home for a week or so. Just while I’m off.’
‘Of course it is. I could do with freeing up some space. I’ve just agreed to take in another eight pups.’
‘Oh, how cute. What kind?’ Kate’s eyes were shining with enthusiasm.
‘Collie something,’ Jade said as the phone started to ring again.
‘Hi, Jade, it’s Dawn. Sorry about yesterday. How did the home check go?’
Jade told her.
‘I’ll be over at lunchtime to give you a hand. You sound like you could do with it. Oh, and before I forget, my next-door neighbour’s after a puppy for her grandchild. Do you have any in at the moment?’
Jade told her about the collie-crosses.
‘Sounds perfect. I’ll bring her with me to have a look round. See you in a bit.’
Jade disconnected and went out into the yard. Ahead of her, Kate and Aiden were standing by the cattery, deep in conversation. Small world indeed, she thought, wondering how long Aiden had been seeing Kate. It must have happened recently, or surely he’d have said something. Didn’t that prove that miracles could happen? So maybe one would happen for her and Finn, although she had the horrid feeling they might need more than a miracle.
Dawn’s neighbour, Sarah-Jane, who was plump and kindly and wore her glasses on a gold chain around her neck, came in with Dawn as she’d promised just before lunchtime and they headed off to the kennels.
Not very long later, they came back to tell Jade they’d found the perfect pup.
‘He’ll do us better than a collie-cross,’ Sarah-Jane said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. ‘They do a lot of chewing, collies, don’t they?’
‘All pups chew,’ Jade said, thinking of Mickey, who was at the moment lying in the sun outside reception, looking like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. ‘Some of them never grow out of it.’
‘This one’s ready to go now, too. Dawn said we just need to have a home check, is that right?’
‘Yes.’ Jade realised with a jolt that she was talking about Tiny. She walked with the woman back up the yard to the main block.
‘Are you really sure she’d like this one?’ Jade said, bending to pick him up and resting her face against his soft baby fur. She loved the smell of puppy fur. Why couldn’t she suppress the stupid and irrational feeling she had that if she let Tiny go, things would start to fall apart?
‘Yes, he’s the one.’ Sarah-Jane beamed widely and Jade forced herself to smile back. She kissed Tiny’s head and he blinked sleepily at her. ‘I’ll come and do a home check tomorrow night,’ she promised.