Twenty-Three
Nick pulled into the pub car park of The Drover’s Arms and Sally followed behind him.
He’d told her that the pub, in the next village along the road from the surgery, had an excellent carvery if she liked the idea of that. As she hadn’t eaten properly for about a week, grabbing snacks here and there while sorting out her move and then eating shop-prepared salads since she’d arrived because she hadn’t yet dared to try the cooker in the mobile home, the thought of a lovely roast dinner had actually made her stomach growl.
‘I’m guessing that might be a yes,’ he’d laughed.
‘I’m guessing you could be right. Moving house does not lend itself to eating proper meals at proper times.’
‘Well, you can share all when we get there.’
She’d just picked her handbag up from the passenger footwell when the driver’s door was opened and Nick was holding out his hand to help her from the car.
‘Thank you.’
‘You’re welcome.’
He held the door open for her to walk into the pub and led her to a booth table over on the far side. She was eyeing up the vacant tables in the middle of the floor when he said, ‘The darts team will be here within the hour and it gets quite noisy. The booth will help to cut out some of the furore and we’ll be able discuss your plans without the need for sign language.’
‘Ah! Fair point!’
‘Now, what can I get you to drink? Then, when you’re ready, we can go up to the carvery. Or, you can order something else if you prefer.’ He pointed to the large colourful menu propped open on the table.
‘No, thank you, the carvery will be perfect.’
And it would be. She’d sneaked a few peeks at the loaded plates on the tables they’d walked past and combined with the smells wafting around the room, her stomach now felt like it was eating itself. She couldn’t wait to get up there and pile up the roasties.
Sally glanced around the pub while Nick went up to the bar. The olde worlde exterior was not matched on the inside which was as ultra-modern as any city centre establishment. The soft-cream floor tiles were offset against pale-grey walls and dark-grey woodwork. The fittings were shining chrome and she didn’t envy the person whose job it was to polish them each day.
When Nick returned with her spritzer, she took a sip before saying, ‘Well, this is a surprise! I was expecting it to be as old on the inside as it is on the outside.’
‘It used to be until it was badly flood-damaged a few years back.’
‘Oh, I didn’t realise this was a flood area…’
Nick grinned. ‘It’s not. The old water tank in the roof sprung a leak and ended up coming through two ceilings.’
‘No! Was anyone hurt?’
‘Luckily, no. It happened over Christmas and the place was closed as the owners were having a well-earned break and spending a few days away at their daughter’s. There had been a cold snap and the assumption is that the water in the tank froze, causing the old seams to split, and when the weather warmed up again, the water just poured out of the gaps. Given the extent of the damage, it was decided to gut the inside and start again. Jim, the owner, also felt that with quite a few old-style pubs in the surrounding villages, going more modern would provide a nice alternative for an evening out.’
‘I am partial to old pubs myself but this is very nice. I could easily enjoy a nice night out here.’
‘If we’re going to be working together for a while, then I’m sure we’ll end up here a few more times.’
‘I’ll confirm if I’m happy with that after I’ve eaten,’ said Sally with a grin.
‘Then let’s not waste another minute. Time to hit up that carvery.’
‘So, will you be gracing this fine establishment again in the future?’
Sally tried to discreetly rub her full-to-the-brim stomach under the table while answering, ‘Absolutely! Although not before I’ve bought some skirts and trousers with elasticated waists!’
‘I did warn you that the pudding portions were generous.’
‘There is generous and there is “I’m fattening you up for the pot, my pretty!”. They were massive!’
The darts teams and their entourages had arrived while they were eating and as Nick had forewarned, the noise levels in the pub had increased. They were having to lean across the table to hear each other.
‘If I may ask, Sally, the setup you’re planning is an unusual one – how did that come about?’
‘It was a daft, throwaway reply to a question my husband once asked me but which I have since come to realise is something I really want to do.’
‘And your husband is okay with it? Will he be helping you run everything?’
‘I’m afraid not. He died three years ago.’
As she said this, Sally realised it was the first time she’d imparted this information without feeling like she was being stabbed through the heart. There had been a small clenching sensation but nothing compared to how it used to be. It would seem that her new venture was helping her to move on. She was finally facing forwards again rather than always trying to turn back.
‘Oh, I am sorry. I didn’t mean to cause…’ Nick’s words drifted off as he looked down at the table, clearly discomforted by her blunt reply.
‘No, please, it’s okay. I’m learning to look ahead, and being able to say that without bursting into tears is a huge step for me. Please don’t feel the need to tiptoe around me because that’ll just make things awkward.’
‘Okay, I won’t! Now, tell me more about your farm, how you envisage it running and what you’re looking for in a vet.’
For the next hour, Sally shared her plans with Nick and he took notes, asking pertinent questions regarding the level of experience she was looking for.
‘I’d prefer someone who specialises in small animal care. I don’t want anyone whose vocation in life is to stick their hand up a cow's hoo-haa as that won’t be pertinent to my needs.’
Nick chuckled. ‘No, I get that. My concern is that there is more demand for your kind of vet than there are vets to fill the spaces. Domestic animals continue to grow in popularity which has a knock-on effect across the veterinary industry. We have hired several small animal vets over the last five years but they don’t last around here. The cost of property is so high meaning most have to commute which becomes wearisome after a few months.’
‘Ah, well that’s where I’m hoping to add an extra incentive – the job will come with its own accommodation.’
‘Seriously?’
‘Yes, I’m having one of the old outbuildings converted. I confess my reasons were more selfish in that I want quick and easy access to medical assistance in the event of an emergency but if this is the kind of sweetener that makes the role more desirable, then it works for me.’
‘Sally, how big is this farm? I thought it was a smallholding but now…’
‘It used to be a fully-functional farm back in the day but the farmer retired and sold off chunks of his land to survive. It now has forty-five acres left which consists of two fields to the front of the house, they’re approximately six acres each, three fields behind the house with a total acreage of about twenty-two between them and a fully mature wood which is about nine acres. The final acres belong to the house which comes with a full quota of farm buildings like a huge barn, stables, and workshop / storage areas. These are being converted to accommodate the rescue.’
‘I wish we’d known of this place! Dad and I have been wanting to expand for a while now because the practice has grown so large but the cost of trying to build an extension is so much along with the hassle factor when we’re always so busy. I don’t suppose you fancy selling, do you?’
‘Err, no!’
Nick’s words created a sudden ache, not dissimilar to the one she’d get when she thought about Steve and it was in that moment that Sally knew she’d found her corner in the world. There was nowhere else she wanted to be. Bramblebush Farm was home.
‘Fair enough! If you do ever change your mind though…’
‘Sorry, not going to happen!’
She grinned to soften her words even though she fully meant them. Nick grinned back and she knew no offence had been taken.
‘Sally, as we’ve been talking this through, I’ve had a thought which I’d like you to ponder on – it’s only a thought at this time but it might be feasible – how would you feel about sharing your new vet premises and your vet? You could have access to our resources – such as the receptionist taking your bookings for you – and in turn we can direct several of our small animal clientele in your direction, particularly the ones who live in the Ditchley area. This would remove the issue of you having to grow a business from scratch, you wouldn’t be “poaching” our clients which may have caused some loyalty concerns and I’d be on hand on a consultancy basis if additional experience was required. I can also be on call to cover when your vet needs time off.’
‘Oh! Wow! Erm…’
Dumbfounded, Sally sat back in her chair. She had not been expecting that!
‘I don’t want an answer right now and I would need to discuss it with my father as it’s a fresh idea which requires more thought, so it would be better if we all gave it some consideration and then discussed it further. It may not be feasible but then… it might.’
‘Okay, sure! In the first instance, I can see the advantages but it does need careful consideration.’
‘It may also help in securing us a vet though because the opportunity for additional experience would be there. They’d still be your small animal vet but if they knew they could also gain farming experience, well… the role becomes considerably more appealing.’
As Nick spoke, Sally could see the point he was making and if the market was as difficult as he was suggesting, anything she could offer over her competitors could only be to her advantage.
‘Well, like I said, it’s not what I was expecting to come out of our meeting tonight but there is a lot of sense in the suggestion. You discuss it with your dad – he may be the voice of reason and be able to see any downfalls – and I will also give it more thought and see how I feel about it.’
‘Excellent. And, in the meantime, I’ll begin drafting a “Situations Vacant” advertisement, ready to be sent out once we’ve come to a decision. The earliest we’re looking at getting someone started is three months as they’ll need to give notice. Although, add on to that the time to run interviews, second interviews, come to a decision and then make an offer – to be honest, it’s probably more likely to be four to five months.’
‘That’s fine. It’ll be that long before the accommodation is ready for them. I’ll ask my builder if he can do a reshuffle on the work to be done and move the conversion of living quarters up the list.’
‘Good. Even if we don’t end up working in tandem with each other, having that on your advert will get you plenty of applications.’
‘I’ll get on it tomorrow.’
Nick stuck his hand over the table.
‘Here’s to an enjoyable working relationship. Shall we celebrate over another drink?’
She shook it as she replied, ‘Better not, seeing as how we’re both driving but we can put it on ice for another time.’
‘Deal!’
‘Now, I had better be getting home otherwise Herbert will be pooping in my shoes as punishment for me being out so long.’
‘Herbert?’
‘My cat! A fluffy ginger with cat-titude oozing from every furry follicle! One way or another, you will have the pleasure of meeting him some day!’
‘I look forward to it.’
‘Hah! You say that now but you forget – you’re a vet. Most of your meetings will be of the white coat variety and he’s not too keen on those.’
‘Then we’ll have to look at throwing in a few non-white coat occasions so I can meet him as a friend.’
This comment had Sally looking up with surprise. Was Nick suggesting something more here? Or was he merely referring to his earlier business idea? She couldn’t see anything in his expression to suggest he was expressing an interest in getting to know her better but she was so long out of the dating game she wouldn’t know where to begin these days.
‘Ah… erm… right. Yes… sure! Okay… well, I need to get going.’
As they walked out of the pub, she was aware of several pairs of eyes looking in her direction and not all of them were friendly. She could only assume the glares were coming from ladies who had their own desires to see Nick on a “non-white coat occasion” and, most likely, on their own! She just had to hope they all owned cows and horses otherwise her small animal surgery could end up being rather empty.