Chapter 47
‘I’m so sorry, it’s been a crazy, busy day.’ Daisy apologised the moment Theo picked up the phone. It wasn’t the easiest, trying to speak to her boyfriend while negotiating the pavement as they walked towards the park. The dog had decided it would tug at the lead, and today, she didn’t have the energy to deal with it. Sweat poured down her back. It had to be the hottest day of the year. Perfect timing for her first official dog walk.
‘You know, I’m starting to think you’re avoiding me,’ Theo said. ‘Is everything all right?’
‘Yes, yes, everything’s good.’
‘I take it business is booming with the heatwave?’
‘Business?’ Daisy said. Yvonne had suggested Daisy open the cafe when they moored, but she couldn’t think of anything worse than standing still next to the coffee machine, steam rising round her and not so much as a hint of a breeze. ‘Business is exactly what you’d expect,’ she said, trying to keep her lies to a minimum.
‘You don’t sound too happy about that? If it’s too much, why don’t you ask your mum to help you? She’s down at the lock most of the time now, anyway, isn’t she?’
‘Yes, it’s just… it’s just…’ Daisy wasn’t sure what she was going to say. She’d thought it would be fun keeping this big secret from Theo and dropping little hints as to what she was up to. Not enough for him to guess what she was doing, of course, but just enough for him to know she had something planned. That wasn’t what had happened at all. Right now, all it was doing was adding an extra layer of stress to her day. Still, before she could even think of a response, a fit of barking erupted from further up the pavement. Two large Labradors on leads were staring at her dog and making a racket. And before Daisy had time to tug on the lead, her own canine companion started barking back. Loudly.
‘Please don’t do that,’ she pleaded. ‘Come on, we’re nearly there. Then you can have a run.’
‘Daisy?’ Theo said. ‘Where are you. What are you doing?’
She closed her eyes and let out a slight moan. Not being able to video call Theo and see his face was hard enough. She might as well tell him the truth about this. Or at least as close as she could come to it.
‘So there’s a dog,’ she said, not sure where to go after that.
‘I heard as much,’ Theo replied. ‘Whose is it?’
‘Well, that’s the problem. I don’t know. It’s not chipped, or at least it wasn’t, and it’s kind of attached itself to me. I’ve tried looking for its owner, but I’ve had no luck. I think I’m going to have to change plans and try to get him adopted. But right now, he’s living with me.’
‘Living with you? On the September Rose?’
‘Well, he slept outside last night. It’s warm enough. And I’m sure I will have found him a place by the time the bad weather comes.’
‘I hope so,’ Theo replied. ‘You know you can’t really have it in the boat, not with you cooking food for the cafe.’
‘I know,’ Daisy said.
She couldn’t really blame Theo for the lecture. After the mess of the licence – that wasn’t her fault – she was double and triple-checking all the legalities.
‘Why don’t you see if one of the people on the lock wants to take it? At least until you find something permanent. I know Francis on the Georgianna is always rescuing birds and wildlife. You could see if she wants to take it in. Or Yvonne? You know, I’ve been thinking for a while that a dog might be a good idea for her. Force her to get out of the boat a bit more. You know.’
‘Oh, she’s getting out plenty at the minute,’ Daisy muttered under her breath, although it wasn’t quite quiet enough for Theo not to hear.
‘Really? Why’s that?’
Daisy cursed herself for not keeping her mouth shut. Now she was going to have to make up another lie to cover her tracks.
‘Oh, well, she came with me to the vets… to see about the chip. But she doesn’t really get on with him that well. Like I said, he seems to have attached himself to me.’
‘Well, could I at least see the little guy that’s causing you so much stress?’
Daisy’s heart raced. They had reached the park. Inside, people were sunbathing in bikini tops or lying in the shade of trees trying to keep cool. There were two ice cream vans and at least half a dozen football matches going on. There was no way she could show Theo where she was.
‘I would love to show you, but my video camera’s been playing up.’ Her teeth ground together as she cursed herself for yet another lie. ‘It fell off the counter the other day. That’s why I didn’t video call.’
‘Sounds like you could do with me there.’
‘I could. I really could do with you here. I think today might have been a lot easier with you here,’ she admitted.
There was no denying she would have loved to have had Theo by her side tackling the river that afternoon, but this wasn’t the last time she was going to make the trip. After all the stress and terror she’d been through, it had to be more than a one-off event.
‘It sounds like you’re missing me nearly as much as I’m missing you,’ Theo said.
‘I am. Believe me, I definitely am.’ Daisy took a left, and there in front of her was a large expanse of green, where dog walkers convened in their masses. At the end of the lead, the border collie tugged forcefully. ‘Okay, I get it. You want to run,’ she said to the dog. ‘Sorry, Theo, I have to go. I need to take the dog for a bit more of a walk. But we can speak later tonight, right?’
‘I will be waiting for you to ring. And maybe you could send me a photo? If your camera still works.’
‘Sure. I’ll try, but not sure how well it will come out. I love you.’
‘I love you too. I just wish I could see more of you.’
‘Soon,’ Daisy said. ‘I’ll see you soon.’
As she hung up, she had to remind herself that she was doing all of this to be with Theo. That was the purpose of this crazy trip, and if he was missing her half as much as she was missing him, then he would be incredibly grateful for the effort she had gone to. The guilt she’d been feeling only a few minutes before was beginning to lessen.
And so what if she couldn’t tell him all the crazy tales that she had got up to so far? They had years ahead of them for her to recount it all.
But for now, Daisy had a more immediate issue to deal with.
Reaching down, she unclipped the leash from the dog’s collar. ‘Do not run off,’ she said as she looked down at the dog.
She always had been good at offering famous last words.