Читать книгу The Little Book Café - Georgia Hill - Страница 25

Adrian’s reaction to her arrival home with a dog and all the bits and pieces her mother had insisted Benji needed was predictable.

‘If you think I’m having that thing mess up my house,’ he blustered, ‘you’ve got another thing coming.’ He blocked her in the hall.

Tash knelt and put a protective hand on Benji’s back. ‘He’s perfectly house-trained, has just been clipped so he won’t shed that much, and I always thought it was our house, Adrian?’

‘The mortgage is in my name.’

‘Well, if that’s how you feel about it, I’ll just go and live at Mum and Dad’s for six weeks.’

‘No. No, don’t do that.’ Adrian subsided. ‘But honestly Natasha, what were you thinking? How can you look after a dog?’

‘I’ll just have to work around him.’ Tash looked down at Benji who was looking confused and scared at the loud voices. ‘It’ll be fine,’ she said confidently, trying to convince herself. ‘And look, Ade, if it’s really impossible, I’ll investigate kennels and dog-sitters.’

Adrian backed away and looked down at the little dog in disgust. ‘I suggest you do that. God, I hate dogs. Dirty, smelly, flea-ridden things.’

‘Don’t listen to a word, Benji. We both know if you had even one flea my mother would hang her head in shame. Come on, let’s put your basket in the utility, shall we?’

‘In the house?’ Adrian roared. ‘Hasn’t it got an outside kennel or something?’

‘If you force my mother’s dog to sleep outside you’ll have her to answer to,’ Tash answered serenely and sensed him shudder. He was always very careful around her mother. ‘I’ll take him out of your way later this afternoon, don’t worry.’ She put the basket in the corner by the radiator and tidied away Benji’s many toys and brushes in a cupboard. To do so she had to put all the washing powder boxes and conditioners on the counter top. ‘Well Adrian will have to live with the place looking untidy for a few weeks,’ she whispered to the dog. ‘Won’t he?’

Benji sniffed his basket suspiciously then waddled into it, turned around three times and settled down with a sigh of recognition. Tash’s heart melted. He’d looked so lost all morning. He was spoiled, stubborn and lazy but it wasn’t his fault he’d been made temporarily homeless. ‘We’ll go and see the Red Arrows later, shall we? That’ll be fun.’