Adulting 101 #3
She had texted Yes!, and Kendrick enjoyed this simple message even more than the witty exchange before.
Yes, she would come to his house tonight and let him cook for her.
No big deal, right? Maybe the unsavoury odour in the sheep pen had gone to his head, but it felt like a big deal.
Just like yesterday had been a big deal – for him, and maybe for her too.
Last night felt like a major turning point in his life, even though nothing major had happened.
They had just talked. But sometimes, a few words could make all the difference.
Just like that little Yes! Shona had sent.
He could only hope he’d be done with the herd quickly so that he had plenty of time to go shopping and, even more importantly, take a shower.
I wonder how Shona is doing today … Her messages sounded cheerful.
Surprisingly cheerful, considering the dramatic events of the previous evening.
When he thought of her desperate tears, his heart tightened in his chest. Her pain had been so raw and real and at the same time so cleansing.
Hers had not been tears of anger or for effect, which he knew too well from his sisters, but an expression of profound, heartfelt emotions.
And he felt truly honoured that she had trusted him enough to show him this vulnerable side of her.
“I don’t know how you can smile while doing this nasty work,” Farmer Henderson interrupted his thoughts.
It was indeed damn tiring and messy. They had herded all the sheep together like they did for shearing and now grabbed them one at a time to administer the meds and then send them off through the exit gate into another pasture.
The sheep farmer’s three Border Collies had the situation well under control, but the sheep themselves were not overly cooperative.
They hadn’t even covered half the flock yet and Kendrick’s back and arms were already aching.
What a relief that he had something to look forward to tonight, he reminded himself.
“What can I say? I love my job,” he replied, grinning widely. “But let’s make sure we don’t have to do this again, shall we? Just deworm them every time you shear them and check their hoofs, okay?”
“I’ve never had any issues with parasites before,” the farmer pushed back.
“So you thought you could save the money and skip the deworming.” Kendrick shook his head with a good-natured smile.
He was all too familiar with the excuses of his clients when they decided to forgo preventive treatments.
Sometimes nothing happened, but often enough shit hit the fan, as in this case.
It used to upset him in the past, but of course anger didn’t change a thing, so he had learned to let it go and did his best to limit the damage.
“Aye, you’re right,” Henderson reluctantly conceded while Kendrick shrugged and carried on working.
He had one priority, and that was to be showered when his guests arrived tonight.
What more did a man need to be happy? His phone vibrated in the breast pocket of his dungarees.
He let go of the sheep he had just treated and pulled it out.
More photos from Shona! It looked like she was at a pet shop and the wolfhounds were happily testing beds.
These dog beds look comfier than the bed in my cell, she wrote. Maybe they’ll trade?
“Or you could just sleep in my bed,” he murmured softly.
“What did you say?” asked Henderson, who thought Kendrick was talking to him.
“Oh, nothing. I just said I’ll sleep like a rock tonight,” he claimed and couldn’t help himself, so he added: “Excuse me for a moment, I need to make a quick call.”
Orla and Higgins lapped up every last drop of the attention showered upon them in this pet paradise.
Shona couldn’t believe her eyes. They got the kind of service befitting of a luxury boutique in London.
When she entered the pet shop with her new dogs, they had immediately been surrounded by three sales assistants who were completely taken in by the moving rescue story and did their best to spoil the ‘poor bairns’ rotten.
Shona had grown up with dogs but had been unaware of the needs of today’s modern pooch.
The choice of accessories was mind-blowing, and she felt slightly overwhelmed.
Did Irish Wolfhounds really need lined tartan coats for crisper autumn and winter days?
What about different collars? And did the design of their bowls have to match where they would be put up?
What about the beds – orthopaedic foam or traditional horsehair filling?
She was tempted to leave and drive to Ikea to buy a human bed for them instead.
It would clearly be the cheaper option! Instead, she snapped some photos of her two lying cosily on the different beds and basking in the attention.
She sent them to Kendrick and wondered what kind of bed he might have.
Which, of course, was totally irrelevant and had nothing at all to do with the dinner invitation.
As she was still caught up in these thoughts, her phone rang. It was Kendrick.
Shona’s heart rate picked up and she felt a little breathless as she answered. Nevertheless, she tried her best to sound casual: “Great timing! I’m so overwhelmed here.”
“I’m not surprised. You’ve found yourself the poshest pet shop around,” he replied with a soft laugh. She heard loud bleating in the background.
“I just want to do things right and not mess up again like with Nessie. How are the sheep doing?”
“They don’t fancy being dewormed, but I’m not giving them a say in the matter.
They’ll survive, and so will I. And you stop overthinking!
Just buy what you like, and the dogs will be fine with it.
They’ll sleep on a rug if there’s nothing else, or on the sofa when they get uncomfortable.
The main thing is to give them good food and plenty of exercise, and I’m sure you’ve got that covered. ”
“I don’t have a sofa.”
“Not right now, but that’ll change. Honestly, don’t overthink it.”
“I’ll try.” She looked back at her dogs, who were still lounging on the display beds, completely uninhibited and enjoying the dog biscuits the staff fed them.
Did Kendrick have a nice sofa? And how could she not overthink when the reason for all her overthinking was talking to her on the phone?
“Is there a particular reason why you called? Do you have to cancel for tonight?”
“No, nothing like that,” he hastened to assure her. “I just wanted to ask what you wanted tonight.”
What she wanted? That was an easy one: Kendrick au naturel, preferably in a large, comfortable bed. But that was probably not what he meant. “You mean for dinner?” she enquired to be on the safe side.
There was his dark, low laugh again, vibrating through her.
How was she only just realising that he had the sexiest laugh ever?
And why was she thinking about sex all the time anyway?
She was in a bloody pet shop with her two giant hounds!
And Kendrick was surrounded by a flock of smelly sheep.
“Aye, I was talking about food. But if you’re in the mood for something else, I can adapt. ”
She swallowed hard. Was he having the same thoughts she had?
Hardly. Anyone deworming sheep couldn’t be thinking of sex.
That went against too many laws of nature.
“Let’s start with the food,” she suggested, wondering if she really was purring.
Apparently, she was out of her mind. Shona cleared her throat and tried to refocus.
“Is there anything I can do? Do you want me to do you … it? Go shopping, I mean? I’m already in Inverness and you’re still with the sheep and ... ”
This time he burst out laughing. Not quite as sexy as before, but it still went straight to her core. Had she really just offered to do him? She couldn’t help but join in his laughter.
“You are quite something, Shona Fraser,” he said when he had got a hold of himself again. “Your offer is tempting.” Pause. Bleating. Why wasn’t he saying anything else?
“But?” she prompted.
“But you’re my guest, and I’ll provide ... um ... the food. Although if you could bring food for your dogs. And now, I’ve got to get on with the sheep, I’m afraid. I’ll see you later.” She heard more bleating and then he was gone.
Wow. This call had done nothing to help with her shopping. A silly smile plastered on her face, she stared at her phone. Back to the bed! Er, to the dog beds, of course. She resolutely put her phone away and turned to a sales assistant. “I’ve made up my mind,” she announced.
Three hours later, she was back in the car.
Her bank account had dwindled considerably, but it was worth it.
She had chosen two dog beds with a tartan pattern, one primarily red, the other one green.
They would look amazing in the distillery’s tasting room, which would be her living room and the dogs’ bedroom for a while.
Then again, the design was so timeless that they would fit in other places too.
Both dogs now had plain black leather collars and a second set with a tartan pattern.
Being Scottish, she might as well go all in!
She was also thinking about her Instagram, which would definitely benefit from dog-related content.
Which meant, the dogs had to look good. So she accepted an offer to have Orla and Higgins groomed at the in-house dog spa too.
And while she waited, she added more purchases to her already full basket.