Chapter Thirty-Nine #2
Everyone went to speak at once, but Ava held up her hands. ‘Stop! Please, one at a time. What’s happened?’
The parent, a portly middle-aged man who had his arm around his crying child, spoke first. ‘You cannot let a child win the young handler competition with a stuffed toy!’ he protested.
‘What?’ Ava looked around at the entrants.
There, sure enough, was a young boy she recognised as one of those with an ill-fitting uniform from the school choir, holding a life-sized toy Labrador protectively to his chest. She looked at Mary, hoping there was a good explanation.
Before Mary could speak, the parent was shouting again.
‘Excuse me, sir, I must be able to speak with the judges.’ Ava motioned for them to step away while Henry moved to speak to the man.
Ava led Mary and their obedience professional to one side, her eyes wide. ‘What the—’
The professional interjected, ‘I said it wasn’t fair but—’
‘It’s my fault. He wasn’t the winner, but he was who I announced.’ Mary looked at Ava, her eyes imploring. ‘He said his mum couldn’t afford a dog, but he’s always wanted one, and that he’d learned everything he had to do ready for today.’
Ava felt as if the air had left her. ‘Oh, really?’ She looked at the boy and the other children in the arena.
‘But they’ve all actually done the same, but with a real dog.
That has to be harder.’ She thought about her cheeky puppy at home.
‘I know why you’ve chosen him. I get it, I do, but it isn’t fair, is it? ’
Mary folded her arms. ‘But if we say he’s not the winner now, that will make him feel terrible and that bully will have won.’
Ava let out a long breath.
‘I’m sorry for shouting.’
The three women turned to see the parent, his stature seeming smaller as he spoke.
Henry stood at his side.
‘I’m just upset for my girl and Fred. They’ve worked hard for this, and it just didn’t seem fair.’
Ava looked at the man and then at Henry, hoping he hadn’t hypnotised him.
‘Thank you for apologising.’ She caught Mary’s eye and determined that for her friend’s sake, she couldn’t let the man win.
‘And you’re right. Everyone has worked so hard, all of the children and their dogs did so well.
’ She hoped he hadn’t noticed that she’d not watched this round of the show.
‘That’s why I’m giving everyone a runner-up prize for their dogs and a sweet of their choosing from the stall over there.
’ The children all cheered, and as Ava gave them each a turtle, they began making their way to the sweet stall.
When the boy with the toy dog approached her, he screwed up his nose.
‘Thank you. I’m sorry for causing trouble.’
Ava took the winner’s rosette from the judge’s table and handed it to him with a smile. ‘You didn’t.’
As he went to walk away, Ava called him back. ‘I’ve got a puppy. If you’re as good as Mary says I could do with some help training her. If your mum agrees. Get her to stop by All Critters Great and Small, and we can arrange it.’
The boy beamed. ‘Really?’
‘Of course.’
Mary hugged Ava and kissed her on the cheek. ‘That was a nice thing you did.’
Ava returned the hug. Knowing her friend had lived in poverty for much of her childhood, her stepdad a bully, made Ava hold her a little tighter.
While her mum’s habit of wanting to rescue and rehabilitate those who were injured often frustrated Ava, it had also brought Mary into their lives, and she was grateful for that.
As she looked at the boy skipping away with his rosette, Ava couldn’t help but think it might even have rubbed off on her just a little bit.
With tears in their eyes, they released each other.
‘Whatever you do, though, that Andrex dog can’t win the Lily Flynn best in show trophy, even if Mum would approve!’ Ava laughed.
‘Oh bugger!’ Mary smiled, and they prepared themselves for the fancy dress round.
As they retook their places standing by the judges’ table, Ava looked at Henry and shook her head.
‘In all the time we’ve spent together, did you ever imagine we’d end up here, watching a pug dressed as Elvis parade around the village green?’
Henry laughed, a deep sound that Ava felt resonate within.
As she welcomed the glint the laughter caused in his eyes, he leaned towards her, holding her gaze.
‘In all the time we’ve spent together, I’ve imagined many things, but not this.
’ Ava looked at him. He was so temptingly close.
It would be so easy to kiss his soft lips as they formed the hint of a mischievous smile.
But she knew she couldn’t. They had things they needed to discuss; their parents’ history, of course, but she also wanted him to know she and the charity didn’t need a knight in shining armour, or a thoroughly lovely looking Lord, to rescue them.
After all, she’d only conceded to moving the charity to Dapplebury House because it was sound business sense.
What was best for the charity, always came first. Her mum had instilled that in her.
Cheaper rent, room for expansion . . . Ava was losing her train of thought and was leaning towards him.
Knowing she shouldn’t, while not being able to resist.
‘Look!’
Ava and Henry jumped back, both looking to the sky, where Mary had pointed. Tilting her head, Ava took in the sight of the aeroplane cutting through the blue sky, trailing a banner. Squinting against the sun, they all tried to make out what it said.
‘Mary? Does that say Mary?’ Mary put her hand up to shield her eyes.
Ava read the words and beamed as she waited for Mary to work them out.
‘Mary, we’re . . . we’re meant to be together, love Gino! What does that? Why has he—?’
Mary looked at Ava, confusion in her expression.
Ava smiled. ‘Sometimes the people we’re meant to be with are right in front of us.’ She ventured the briefest glance at Henry, every nerve in her body still enlivened from the thought of kissing him.
‘Did you know about this?’ Mary asked.
‘The aeroplane, no. How he feels . . . yes.’
Mary paled as she tried to take it in. ‘Why hasn’t he said? Why get a plane and . . .’
‘Maybe because . . .’ Seeing Gino, looking every bit an Italian cowboy on a mission, walking towards Mary, Ava stopped and smiled. Her heart was leaping with joy for her friends.
As Mary turned, Gino stood before her.
‘I’m telling you now! Mary, we’re meant to be together. Please, take a chance on me.’
Ava put her hand to her mouth, touched by the moment.
The seconds stretched out while they all waited for Mary to answer.
Everybody around the arena stilled; even the dogs seemed to sense the occasion — momentarily stunned into silence.
Mary looked at Gino, tears welling in her eyes. ‘Gino, I . . . yes, I will.’
A broad smile on his face, Gino pulled Mary into his arms and kissed her.
Ava felt a happy sob escape her. It was beautiful. The perfect moment. She smiled up at Henry. If only everything wasn’t so complicated for them, then it might be the two of them kissing. Henry offered her a smile, and she went to speak—
‘He’s not going to win the fancy dress round is he?’
All eyes turned to see the irate parent from earlier pointing at Gino. Red faced, the man’s daughter stood by his side, her dog dressed as Elsa from Frozen. ‘If Sheriff Woody there wins, I’ll . . .’
Henry shook his head and directed the man back to the arena, offering him reassurance that Gino wasn’t a contender for the prize, while Gino looked to Mary for an explanation.
Ava watched Henry move away, a mix of emotions making her want to laugh and cry at the same time. Thwarted again. Giving her friends a hug, and telling them it was about time they got their acts together, she made her excuses and went to check on the rest of the festival.