Читать книгу The Little Book Café - Georgia Hill - Страница 24

The following morning, Tash arrived at her parents’ house to find them in a state of panic.

‘Tash darling,’ Keith Taylor kissed his daughter. ‘Thank goodness you’re here. The kennels have just rung to say there’s been a mix up with the booking and they can’t take Benji. Your mother’s on the phone to them now.’

The Westie cowered in the corner of the hall, looking deeply unhappy.

Tash picked him up and soothed him. She kissed the top of his white head. ‘Poor Benji.’ His trembling lessened slightly. ‘He hates the sight of suitcases.’

They went into the kitchen where Nadia, Tash’s mother, was having a terse conversation on the phone. Tash could tell from her clipped speech that her mother was furious. She sat down with Benji on her lap and fed the dog a sneaky fragment of biscuit. Keith gestured to the coffee pot and she nodded.

Nadia put the receiver down very, very carefully. ‘Well, that’s that. I’m never, ever using them again.’ She registered Tash’s arrival, gave her a swift kiss and stroked the dog’s ears. ‘Poor boy. Homeless.’ She sighed, melodramatically and sank onto a kitchen chair.

‘Have you tried anywhere else?’ Tash pushed a mug of coffee towards her.

‘Of course I have! And once they realised their appalling mistake, the kennels rang around everyone they knew.’ Nadia spread her hands wide. ‘It’s August. Everyone’s on holiday. Everywhere they tried was fully booked.’

‘It’s outrageous,’ Keith began.

‘Darling,’ Nadia warned. ‘Think of your blood pressure.’

‘But we’ve got to go in an hour. You know what security’s like nowadays, it takes forever to get through it.’

‘They’ve not been the same since the new owners took over. Basil and Jenny were so good.’ Nadia drank her coffee and then pulled a face. ‘Ugh. No sugar. I must have yours, Tash.’

They swapped mugs. ‘I’ll have to have him,’ Tash offered.

Nadia stared at her daughter. ‘But you can’t.’

‘Why not?’ She gave the dog a hug. ‘We’ll get on just fine. Don’t you trust me?’

‘Of course I trust you,’ her mother snapped. ‘But you work twenty-four hours a day.’

‘Mum, calm down. Think of your blood pressure. I’ll find a way to work round it. He can have a basket in the back of the office and stay in the car when I’m on a viewing.’

‘In this heat? He’ll suffocate! You’ll have to have all the windows open. And make sure he wears his doggie seatbelt.’

‘I can probably take him in with me to the clients I know well. But if I have to leave him in the car, I’ll make sure I park it in the shade and with the windows open, I promise. And put his seatbelt on.’

‘And what about Adrian?’ He father put in, meaningfully.

There was a tense pause. Adrian’s antipathy to Benji was legendary – but Tash had already decided. It was give and take in a relationship. She’d given in enough times over the last few weeks, Adrian would have to compromise on this. ‘Adrian will understand,’ she said. ‘And, after all, it’s only six weeks.’

‘Well, I suppose you could try a few kennels later in the month,’ Nadia conceded. ‘Things go quieter after the bank holiday. But make sure you ring me so I can approve. I’m not having my baby go anywhere I don’t know.’

‘I promise.’ Tash grinned. ‘Hadn’t you better think about getting organised? You don’t want to leave too late, you know what the traffic’s like at this time of year. Don’t worry, I’ll wash the mugs and lock up. And yes,’ she added, as her mother began to fuss. ‘I’ll pop in every couple of days to get the post and water the garden.’