Chapter 6 #2
Childishly, Bets wanted this written down as a promise because right now she couldn’t imagine it at all.
She’d fallen for Jack the first day she’d seen him at secondary school, although admittedly then it had been a hopeless one-sided crush.
If she was honest with herself, in those early years, she’d always assumed he’d find someone better one day.
Now she was torn; not seeing Jack was almost as bad as seeing him, because now she knew he was home.
She could bump into him at any minute and she’d have to wear her game face, her I’m-not-dying-inside face, because the bugger didn’t deserve to know that she still loved him.
Right now she knew exactly how easy it was to love and hate someone at the same time.
‘Now, while I’m here, I’ll put you down for compiling entries for the Summer Flower Show. And can I rely on you being on the door at the Summer Ball this year?’
‘Yes, Audrey,’ said Bets with a smile. The word ‘indefatigable’ had been created for this woman.
‘Don’t you “yes, Audrey” me, young lady,’ said Audrey with a grin.
‘I know you all think I’m horribly bossy but who else is going to get things done around here?
’ She paused and then added with a quick, bright laugh.
‘Just imagine what an awful mother-in-law I’d be.
At least you’ve had a lucky escape there. ’
Bets’ laugh was on the wobbly side. ‘I’m really not sure that’s true.’ Affected by Audrey’s words, she moved around the table and gave her a quick, spontaneous hug, and was surprised when Audrey hugged her back.
‘Thank you, Audrey, I really appreciate you coming and being so nice to me.’
‘Dear girl, it’s very easy to be nice to you. But perhaps you need to stop being so nice to everyone else – being the person they all expect to see. Try being yourself every now and then and telling people what you really want.
‘Now,’ she said briskly pulling back. ‘Let’s not get too mushy. I’ve got a reputation to keep up. It wouldn’t do for everyone in the village to know what a soft touch I am.’
She surprised Bets once more by touching her on the cheek, saying, ‘You look after yourself, sweetheart.’
* * *
Bets didn’t waste a minute, and as soon as Audrey left, she swung into action.
An hour later she bounced out of her car, which was piled high with doggy paraphernalia, and headed into the reception area, the sound of barks, yips and howls accompanying her every step of the way from the kennels beyond.
‘Bets,’ said Alison, giving her a broad, welcoming smile. ‘I’m so glad you were able to sort things out. I’ve been smiling ever since you phoned. You’ll be such a brilliant dog parent, and we will see you, won’t we?’
‘Ha! You try and keep me away.’ Bets had been a volunteer at the rescue centre since she was sixteen, cycling there despite the horrifically steep hill she had to encounter during the last part of the journey.
Not once had she ever managed to get up it on two wheels; she’d always had to push her bike.
‘I’ve got all the paperwork for you.’
Bets looked longingly at the door through to the kennels and Alison laughed. ‘If you sign everything now, you can get it over with. Tiggy will be here in five minutes.’
Bets laughed. ‘I know. I’m so excited to see her again.’
‘Come on, sign your life away.’
Bets scribbled her signature several times, made a gladly given donation to the shelter, then, unable to conceal her impatience, followed Alison out into the big yard at the back of the building.
Tiggy was sitting in her cage, her big bulging eyes alert, watching everything going on. When she spotted them approaching, she jumped up, eagerness in every bone of her body, her bottom wagging an absent tail as hard as it could.
‘Someone’s pleased to see you,’ said Alison.
‘Ya think. She’s a tart, she’s always pleased to see everyone. She’s so friendly.’
‘She is, she has a lovely temperament. Although, fair word of warning. Like all Frenchies, she can be a bit stubborn sometimes.’
Bets nodded, all her focus on the serious little face of the dog in front of her. She looked as if she understood every word.
‘Are you going to change her name?’
‘I don’t know, she’s used to it.’
‘Hmm, I’m not so sure about that. Her recall is atrocious unless a treat is involved. She loves cheese and I’ve put a pack of her favourite treats that we’ve already opened into the welcome pack along with her chew toy. Give her something familiar to take with her.’
Bets knelt in front of the bars. ‘Want to come home with me, little lady?’
The dog tilted her head, her ears twitching as if she was listening very carefully.
Alison opened the cage, clipped a leash to Tiggy’s collar and handed it to Bets. ‘She’s all yours.’
Warmth glowed throughout Bets, an involuntary beam spreading across her face. All hers.
‘Come on.’ She tugged the lead and Tiggy trotted along beside her on short, bowed legs, proud and perky like a little show pony.
‘Good luck,’ said Alison. ‘And send us a photo of her in her new home for our noticeboard and newsletter.’
‘Will do,’ said Bets, keen to get off and have the dog all to herself.
When they approached the car, Tiggy stopped by the passenger door and sat down.
‘No, no. Sorry, but you have to go in the boot.’
She tugged at the lead but Tiggy sat firm.
‘Come on.’ Bets tugged again, realising that for a small dog Tiggy was very solidly built. The dog turned and gave her a baleful look, all sad eyes.
Bets shook her head.
‘Not buying it, little lady.’
She knelt and scooped up the dog, no mean feat as she had to weigh at least ten kilos. Wrestling to open the boot and hold onto the dog took a little tactical gymnastics but Bets managed it and popped the dog down.
‘There you go … and look, you’ve got a lovely cosy new bed. In you get.’
Bets pulled the bed into the middle of the hatchback. Tiggy gave it a disdainful sniff, turned her back on it, sat down heavily on her rump and stared at Bets.
‘What?’ asked Bets. She stroked the dog’s head to soften the words. Of course it was all new and didn’t smell familiar. ‘Don’t worry, you’ll get used to all this.’
The dog sighed and laid down, her head resting on her front legs, her back legs sprawled out behind her.
‘You’d be more comfortable in the bed but suit yourself.’ Bets grinned to herself. She had a feeling that Tiggy was going to be quite a contrary madam when she wanted to be.
As she drove away from the rescue centre, Bets kept peering in the mirror, not that she could see the dog, but because she was so damn excited. She had a dog of her own. At last.
They pulled up at the house and Bets opened the boot. Tiggy stood on the edge, giving Bets a rather imperious look as if to say, So where’ve you brought me?
‘Come on. Come see where you’re going to live.
’ The dog jumped down and waited as Bets unloaded everything, determined to do it in one trip by filling up the spongy bed with several items, while twisting her body to close the tailgate, which she just about managed.
Unfortunately, with the bed in her arms, she couldn’t quite see where she was going and was in danger of tripping over Tiggy, who was somewhere at her heels.
‘Do you need a hand?’ drawled an amused voice. Bets closed her eyes. Really? Why couldn’t she enjoy this moment without Jack bloody muscling in?
‘We’re fine, thanks,’ said Bets and promptly dropped the open pack of dog treats, which spilled all over the path. Tiggy shot over and began to hoover them up.
‘Hey, hey, hey,’ said Jack, and when Bets manoeuvred round, peering over the top of the bed to see what was going on, she saw him lunge to grab Tiggy to stop her making a pig of herself.
Unfortunately, Tiggy was a dog on a mission with the smell of bacon treats in her nostrils.
‘Stronger than she looks,’ said Jack, managing to grab her collar but then she leapt forward and he promptly fell flat on his face, his head smacking hard down on the flagstone path.
‘Ouch,’ he grunted.
‘Jack, what are you doing?’ Bets snapped and then immediately felt guilty when he looked up. There was blood on his forehead and she could almost see the egg forming.
His eyes went a little unfocused and she saw him wince.
She didn’t want to feel sympathy for him but the cut on his forehead had begun to bleed in earnest, a steady rivulet running down his face, skirting one eyebrow and down his cheekbone.
‘You’d better come in,’ she said with sharp resignation.