Chapter 24
Noah paced his office, waiting for the call from Mollie.
Now that he’d gone through with it, he couldn’t quite believe what he’d done.
And, moreover, he had no idea how he was going to explain it to Joel and Marc.
But that would have to come later. For now, it was imperative that he found out if he’d been in time to stop the vet.
‘Come on, Mollie,’ he muttered. Purrfect Paws wasn’t exactly palatial: even Mollie was spry enough to have got to Monty’s enclosure and back by now, surely?
He was gripping his mobile so hard that his hand was starting to cramp.
Putting it down on the desk, still within grabbing distance, he thought over how he was going to play his next steps.
What if Bella rejected his plan? She would be perfectly within her rights to.
And, on reflection, what if he seemed like some awful guy, some jaded Prince Charming, offering her refuge with a view to ‘collecting’ later?
Hey, babe, come and stay at my house. No strings attached, I promise!
No. He wasn’t like that. He hoped he could persuade her that his intentions were honourable.
After all, the offer of somewhere to live wasn’t entirely without conditions.
Bella would become Monty’s carer for a bit, until Noah could work out what he wanted to do with the cat, and also, someone would be at the cottage while the work was going on, to let in the tradespeople and keep an eye on the place.
Noah stopped pacing and sat back down at his desk.
He had to get a grip. This was a left-field plan, and wholly dependent on Bella saying yes.
If she didn’t – if she declined his offer – then he’d be back at square one.
But he hadn’t made a success of his business by always sticking to the predictable path.
Finally, his phone rang, and it was the Purrfect Paws number onscreen. Snatching it up from the desk, he answered.
‘Hello? Mollie?’
‘Not quite,’ the voice on the other end said. ‘Mollie’s had to go out on an urgent rescue. She asked me to call you.’ Noah’s heart started racing again.
‘Oh, right.’ Noah swallowed. ‘How’s… how’s Monty?’
‘Sleepy,’ Bella replied, ‘but alive.’
Noah exhaled. ‘That’s good to know.’
There was a pause on the line. Noah drew another breath, but before he could continue, Bella spoke.
‘So, what’s the plan now, Noah? Is Monty going to continue staying at the cattery?’
‘Well, that’s something I’m going to have to work out,’ Noah hedged. ‘Is he, er, happier at the moment?’
‘He seems to be, but it’s not ideal for him. He needs a bigger space to explore, really.’
‘I know.’ Noah sighed. ‘Look, I need to ask you something, but I don’t want to talk this through over the phone. Can we meet when I’m back in the village next weekend?’
‘Er, sure.’ Bella’s voice radiated curiosity, but also understandable uncertainty. ‘But if it’s Monty’s welfare you want to talk about, you should discuss it with Mollie. She’s in charge around here.’
‘I know, but this isn’t just about Monty.
’ Noah rubbed the back of his head, the nerves getting the better of him.
‘There are a few things I need to sort out, but they should be finalised by the end of the week. Can you give me half an hour, say next Saturday afternoon about two o’clock, and we’ll have a chat? Meet me at the cottage?’
Bella’s exasperated huff at the cloak and dagger nature of the conversation transmitted down the phone. ‘Can’t you tell me now?’
‘I’d rather not until I’ve checked a couple of things. Please, Bella?’
‘Oh, all right.’
‘Well, it’s a date, then,’ Noah said by way of trying to end the conversation. ‘Er, I mean, not a date, but a meeting, um…’
Bella’s laughter bubbled at his bumbling ineptitude. ‘Right. I mean, heaven forbid you should be asking me out on a date!’
As her laughter subsided, Noah’s blushes did, too. ‘Look. I know that Monty wasn’t actually put down today, but it meant a lot, knowing you were by his side. Thank you.’
‘It was a close call,’ Bella admitted. ‘Poor Monty was an inch away from not getting his evening meal. You shouldn’t have left it that late, you know.’
‘I know.’ Noah closed his eyes briefly. ‘When it came down to it, I couldn’t let it happen.’ He managed a chuckle, but it was a sound tinged with brittleness. ‘I kept imagining what Grandpa would have said, and I realised how unfair to Monty this all was.’
‘Well, I’m glad you changed your mind. Better late than never.
’ Bella’s tone was gentle, and Noah imagined her on the other end of the phone, wisps of red hair around her face, framing that generous mouth and those clear blue eyes.
He was jolted by how much he wanted Saturday to come around, so he could see her in person.
‘I’ll see you on Saturday,’ he said quickly, realising he’d paused on the line. ‘Take care, Bella.’
‘You too.’
As she rang off, Noah sat back in his chair, his head spinning.
He’d made bigger decisions than this in his life – starting his own business, taking out a gargantuan bank loan, employing people…
but somehow, this seemed just as important.
If Bella agreed to his proposal it might make things easier for him, and, hopefully, her.
And Monty of course, he thought with a wry smile.