Eve had finished her coffee and washed and dried the mug by the time she heard the door to the assessment room open. She popped her head out of the small kitchen and saw Jack holding a rather reticent-looking Gabe. He caught her eye and placed a finger over his lips, then led Gabe into the room and removed his lead.
‘What should I do?’ Eve asked.
‘Just take a seat for now. He’s been in here a few times already, but not for long and not alone. It will help having you in here for company.’
‘Okay.’ She perched on the sofa that sat against the back wall and watched. Gabe sniffed by the door, then around the edges of the room. He was nervous; his tail was down and his ears were flat against his head.
Eve bit her lip.
‘Hey, don’t be nervous. He’ll sense it.’
She pushed further back onto the sofa and tried to relax.
‘Be as normal as possible. Whatever normal is.’ Jack grinned at her.
‘Of course.’ She placed her hands in her lap.
‘I’ll just make a cuppa.’ Jack went through the door into the kitchen area.
Eve sighed. She had to loosen up a bit in order to allow Gabe a chance of being in a so-called normal environment. She would imagine that she was in a home, doing normal things while her dog wandered around the lounge.
But what did normal people do? Eve wasn’t used to sitting still or spending time at home. If she was, would she watch TV? Do the ironing? Make dinner?
All these things were what other people did; people with husbands and families and lives. Eve didn’t have that type of life. So how could she be normal?
Her heart raced and she leaned over her knees. Breathe slowly. Calm down.
She rested her chin on her hands and closed her eyes.
In and out. In and out. There … cool and calm.
A sudden loud sniffing at her right ear startled her. She opened her eyes and there he was. Gabe. Right next to her, staring at her as if she was the most interesting thing he’d ever seen. His head was tilted to one side and his ears were pointing straight up.
‘Hello.’ Eve spoke softly, not wanting to frighten him away.
He tilted his head the other way.
‘How are you, Gabe?’
She slowly reached out her hand and he took a step backwards.
‘It’s okay, boy. I promise I’m nice.’
She stretched her arm to get her hand closer to the large dog. He paused, then sniffed her fingers and her palm.
‘That’s it, boy. There you go.’
She remembered the things she’d bought him in the village. She leaned over and lifted the bag from the side of the sofa and opened it carefully to avoid making too much noise. Then she pulled out the dog treats and placed them on her lap.
Gabe watched her, his big black nose twitching.
‘How about a treat?’
She opened the packet and took out a brown circle. As she raised it, the smell of meat met her nostrils. It must have met Gabe’s too, because he approached her licking his lips.
‘Go on. It’s for you.’ She opened her hand so that the treat sat on her fingers then held them out but not too far, so that Gabe had to move closer.
He eyed her for a moment, then his whiskers tickled her fingers as he took the treat gently. ‘Such a good boy,’ Eve praised him.
She gave him another two before putting the bag away again.
‘You can have some more later, Gabe. You want me to stroke your ears now? Or give you a brush? I’m sure we can find a brush here somewhere.’ She looked around the room and took in the paintings on the walls that she’d failed to notice earlier. She was certain they must be Jack’s; they had his style written all over them.
‘There’s no milk left,’ Jack said as he emerged from the kitchen area. ‘I’ll pop to the farmhouse to get some. Officially I shouldn’t really leave you two alone, with you being new here, but I’ll be quick as I can. Will you be okay?’
‘I think so. We seem to be making friends.’
‘I’ll be right back.’ Jack left the assessment room and quietly closed the door.
Eve gasped as a weight landed on the cushions to her left, making her bounce up and down. Gabe had joined her on the sofa. She watched him as he circled, round and round, until finally settling at the other end and letting out a long, satisfied grunt. She shifted slowly so that she faced him, and rested her head on the back of the sofa.
Gabe gazed at her, his white eyebrows moving in turn. She wasn’t sure if this was allowed; hadn’t even thought to ask about allowing the dog on the sofas in the assessment room. For now, it seemed that she had won a fraction of Gabe’s trust, and she knew that trusting was a big deal for a dog who’d been through the ordeal he had endured. It was food for thought, she mused as she closed her eyes. If a dog like Gabe could begin to put the past behind him and learn to trust again, even if it was a slow process, then perhaps Eve could do the same. She knew that she’d already started to trust Jack. Her problem was learning to trust herself and her instincts; that was something that wouldn’t be quite so straightforward.
Jack had got stuck in the farmhouse kitchen for longer than he’d been comfortable with, but Elena had started chatting and once she got going she was hard to stop. In the end, he’d had to interrupt to tell her he’d left Eve with Gabe but only to get some milk. Concern had crossed her face and she’d encouraged him to return to the assessment room immediately.
He approached the window quietly and peered through the glass. And what he saw made his heart soar.
There on the sofa were Eve and Gabe. Eve was facing away from the window but she was leaning back against the cushions and the slow movement of her chest told him that she was probably asleep. Gabe lay on his front facing her, watching her intently as if she was the most interesting thing he’d ever seen. Jack hated the idea of disturbing them, but it was better that he woke her than someone else. Better for Eve. Better for him. He didn’t want anyone else to see her like that, all sleepy and sweet. He walked towards the door, then winced. What was wrong with him? He was getting all protective and even a bit possessive, it seemed. Eve wasn’t his; she wasn’t his woman, his lover, his wife. He had no more right to wake her up than any other man, and yet …
He wanted to be there when she woke, the first one to see her pretty smile that warmed him right through like the rays of the sun when they burst through the clouds on a winter’s day. She had that power over him; she made him feel like he mattered, like she actually saw him and appreciated him for who he was.
He turned the door handle and entered the assessment room. Gabe watched as he approached. ‘Hey, boy. How’re you doing?’ Jack spoke softly, keen to stop the large dog from jumping down and startling Eve.
Just then she opened her eyes and blinked, clearly confused by her surroundings, then she looked at Gabe and smiled. ‘Hey, boy. Hey, Jack.’
‘You okay? Sorry I took longer than expected, but Elena got talking.’ He shrugged. ‘I came back and saw you sleeping through the window.’
Eve scratched her head then rubbed her eyes. As she moved, Gabe shuffled around on the sofa, then slid off and stood in front of her. He shook himself suddenly, as if shaking water off, and Eve chuckled. ‘I can’t believe I nodded off, and so quickly. How’d he do that?’
‘It’s the greyhound effect,’ Jack replied. ‘Has he been all right?’
She nodded. ‘He sniffed around for a while then came and had a few treats. Next thing I knew, he was on the sofa with me and … well, I wasn’t going to argue with him.’
‘That’s fine. Whatever helps the hounds acclimatize is acceptable here. I didn’t expect him to relax so soon. You must have the magic touch.’
Eve smiled and stretched. ‘He has the magic touch.’
‘So it seems.’ Jack held out his hand. Eve took it and he pulled her to her feet. One side of her hair was flat where it had pressed against the sofa and he had to tuck his hands in his pockets to avoid running his fingers through it to fluff it up for her. ‘Your … uh … your hair’s a bit flat there.’
‘Oh!’ Eve ran a hand through it. ‘That’s the problem with such a short haircut. If I had the patience I’d grow it out, but I never seem to get around to letting it get past my ears.’
‘It suits you like it is. Kind of cute.’
A smile played on her lips. ‘Cute, eh? Like a puppy cute?’
‘If you like.’ He shrugged and grinned. ‘You hungry?’
‘Always, with this sea air.’
‘Come on then. Let’s walk Gabe, then I’ll take you into the village and we can grab a bite to eat.’
He put the lead back on Gabe then followed Eve out into the afternoon sunshine. Since she’d arrived, they hadn’t had any rain and he was convinced that it was a good omen. Or he would be if he believed in such things. As it was, he just liked to believe that Eve brought the sunshine with her. And he was happy to bask in her rays.
Eve sat in the cosy booth and stared at the menu. There was so much choice. Jack had recommended the diner down by the harbour. Its floor-to-ceiling windows faced out across the sea, and Eve felt as if she was on a boat. The diner was decked out as though it was stuck in a time warp, with red and silver seats and a black and white checked floor. It even had an old jukebox near the bar.
The lighting was low and it added to the cosy appeal. A Sinatra tune played softly and the combined effect made Eve feel relaxed and happy. If only she could stay in Conwenna. The pace of life here was so much slower that she was used to, and better quality too. In the past, she’d believed that anything less than one hundred miles an hour would be too slow for her, but apparently not. Perhaps it was her age; perhaps it was everything she’d been through. But more and more she found herself wishing that she could remain in this idyllic part of Cornwall.
‘Who owns this place?’ she asked.
‘Zoe Russell. I don’t know if she’s in today but she’s really nice. I think Mary said she bought the diner about six months ago.’
‘Looks like she’s doing well.’ Eve appraised her surroundings.
‘Yeah, she did a bit of a refurb, and even off season it’s quite popular. People from other towns drive in, some just for the milkshakes.’
‘What’ll you have?’ A waitress appeared at their table in a pink and white checked tunic with a frilled apron tied around her waist. Her hair was up in a beehive and her lipstick matched the pink of her outfit.
‘I’ll take the house special with a banana milkshake, please,’ Jack said as he handed over the menu.
‘I’ll have the same, thanks.’ Eve closed her menu and met the waitress’s curious eyes.
‘You do know what the house special is, right?’
Eve looked at Jack and saw him smiling broadly. ‘What? No, I … uh … I thought it was a burger or something. Isn’t it?’
‘It’s a monster of a burger!’ The waitress held her hands wide apart. ‘It’s like HUGE!’
‘Oh. Uh … do you have something similar but not quite so … huge?’
‘I’ll get Chef to make you a smaller version if you like.’ The waitress scribbled something on her notepad.
‘That would be great, thanks.’
As the girl walked away, Jack let out a snort of laughter.
‘What?’ Eve’s cheeks burned. ‘I didn’t know it would be some humongous meal, did I?’
‘It’s not that!’ Jack laughed and slapped his hand on the table.
‘Then what is it?’
‘I saw what she wrote on her pad.’
‘And?’ Eve took a sip of her water to avoid pouting like a sulky teenager.
‘She put you down for a child’s version.’
‘No!’
‘Yeah!’
Eve shook her head.
‘You are kind of tiny.’
‘I can’t help being short, can I?’
‘I didn’t mean that,’ Jack said, his face serious now.
‘You mean thin.’ Eve’s stomach sank. She knew how she looked. ‘I’m working on that.’
‘Look, Eve. You’re beautiful. But you do look like you’ve been through a tough time. Mind you, you’re already looking better than you did just last week.’
‘It’s doing me good being here.’
‘It is.’
‘I wish …’ She stopped herself. Sinatra had been replaced by Elvis, who was singing about a hound dog. The song made her want to move in time, to click her fingers and even to dance. But people didn’t do things like that in harbourside diners, did they? And there was no point in wishing for things either. She wasn’t a child, even if she was being served a child’s meal. She was an adult with adult responsibilities and she had to tend to them sooner or later.
‘What, Eve? What do you wish?’ Jack reached across the table and took her hand. He slid his thumb over her palm and stroked it, his touch so tender and gentle that it sent tiny delightful sparks all through her body. The song slowed down and Elvis crooned from the jukebox.
‘I just wish … that food would hurry up! I’m starving.’ She pressed her lips together, glad that she’d saved herself. But as she looked at Jack and saw the sadness in his eyes, she regretted lying. He knew what she’d been about to say and he’d needed to hear it.
So why couldn’t she tell him?
‘Ouch! I ate too much!’ Eve slumped in her seat and rubbed her swollen belly.
Jack grinned at her then popped his last chip into his mouth. ‘Good food, though?’
‘Delicious!’
‘I can’t believe you ate two extra sides with your child’s meal.’
‘I told you it wouldn’t be enough. But now I’m thinking I overdid it.’
‘You’ll digest it soon and you’ll feel much better.’
‘I’ll have to undo my top button, though.’
‘Carry on!’ Jack waved a hand at her as if undoing her jeans was perfectly acceptable behaviour when out in public.
She popped the button and sighed as her stomach relaxed. ‘That’s a bit better.’
‘A food baby.’ Jack gestured at her stomach. ‘That’s what they call it, isn’t it?’
Eve shuddered as a cold chill ran down her spine. ‘I’m sorry?’
‘A food baby. You know, you’re so full you look pregnant.’
Eve’s lunch churned in her gut. She reached for her water and took a sip.
‘Eve, what is it? You’ve gone ashen.’
She shook her head. ‘Nothing.’
The Platters’ ‘Only You’ floated around the diner, and Eve felt emotion welling inside her.
Jack took her hand across the table. ‘I’ve offended you, haven’t I? I didn’t mean that you look fat. Of course not! You’re lovely. It’s good to see you enjoying your food. I mean, I—’
Eve held up a hand. ‘It’s okay, Jack. I’m fine. Just full. A walk would help.’
‘Of course.’
Ten minutes later, they strolled from the harbour back towards the village. Clouds had gathered during their time at the diner and Eve shivered at the drop in temperature.
‘You want my jumper?’ Jack asked, offering the sweatshirt that was draped over his arm.
Eve was about to decline, but her T-shirt was thin, and although she’d been warm earlier, now she felt cold and tired. ‘Thank you.’
They stopped walking while Jack helped her to pull it over her head. It smelt fresh, warm and masculine. She fought the urge to press her face into the sleeve in order to sniff it properly.
‘Better?’
‘Yes.’ She nodded, though the jumper was huge on her.
Jack tucked his hands into his pockets and they carried on walking up the hill.
‘What do you want to do now?’ he asked.
‘We should probably get back, I guess. But we could have a wander through the main street first if you fancy it?’
‘I’d like that.’
‘Do you have to go back to the farm later?’
Jack nodded. ‘I’m on the late shift. Jerry asked me if I’d swap as he has a hot date!’
‘Jerry?’
‘He works at the farm and helps out with the dogs. He’s about my age, I think. He’s a quiet chap and really nice. He doesn’t give much away but we went out for a pint one night and the beer loosened his tongue. To cut a long story short, he’s been here for about ten years. He moved here with his wife but she left him last year. She’d been in contact with a holiday rep she met when they were on holiday in Spain and she went back out there to be with him.’
‘Wow!’
‘I know. Poor guy. But he seems okay. He’s been out on a few dates recently. It’s Elena, see. She keeps setting him up.’
‘Did she do the same for you?’ The question escaped before Eve could stop it.
‘No. I politely declined. I’m not … I mean, I wasn’t interested in getting to know any women.’
‘And now?’
He released a deep breath. ‘I think you know the answer to that, Eve.’
They started up the hill, passing the shops with their arrays of souvenirs and other wares. Outside Pebbles, the gift shop, wind chimes tinkled and driftwood garlands swayed in the breeze. Eve gazed at the colourful buckets and spades and the foil windmills that caught the light as they spun. The next shop was Riding the Wave, whose window display featured surfboards, wetsuits and some very skimpy bikinis. The breeze carried the scents of chips and bread, suncream and salt. It was the scent of summer and it tugged at Eve’s heart, making her feel happy and sad simultaneously.
They passed Scoops and Sprinkles, then slowed down when they reached the Conwenna Bookshop. Eve perused the display of the latest best-sellers in the window but couldn’t help noticing their reflections as they stood side by side: tall, broad Jack, with his tanned face and dark eyes, next to her, tiny in comparison, swamped in his sweatshirt but with some colour in her cheeks. Despite the height difference, they looked like a couple. A handsome couple, physical opposites perhaps, but that could be a good thing. Couldn’t it?
‘Will Gabe be okay?’ she asked as they neared the top of the main street then turned left onto the country lane that would take them to the main road.
‘What do you mean by okay?’
‘Well … he’s such a lovely dog. Will he find a family?’ She glanced at Jack’s profile and was stunned by how much she wanted to hold him. It wasn’t just that he was handsome; he was so much more, and she was drawn to him just as she was drawn to Gabe.
‘He probably will. He is a lovely dog. Most of our rescues find a home sooner or later. But I think Gabe’s already chosen his new mum.’
Eve pressed a hand to her heart as she met Jack’s eyes. He stopped walking and took hold of her upper arms. ‘Eve, this is hard to explain without it sounding like a load of superstitious nonsense, but I really believe that these dogs choose us as much as we choose them. I’ve seen it happen before.’
‘I can’t adopt a dog. My life in Bristol is so different. I work all day and it wouldn’t be fair.’
Jack nodded. ‘I know. We’d never encourage someone to adopt if they’re out all day and can’t commit. That would be unfair on the dog. But Gabe has bonded with you, and if I’m not mistaken, you have with him.’
Eve nodded slowly and bit her lip hard.
A small group of teenagers passed them, laughing and joking. One of them held his mobile phone above his head and the beats of a popular chart tune filled the air around them. She wondered if the teenagers lived in Conwenna or if they were on holiday.
She waited until they’d walked away before answering.
‘I do care about him. But I can’t adopt him.’
She had taken to the dog and knew that she could love him, but she had to be practical. She had to be fair on Gabe and on herself.
‘You could if your life changed, Eve. Nothing is impossible.’
Not when I’m with you … She didn’t vocalize the thought. Instead it spun round and round in her head.
‘Come on,’ Jack said as he released her arms and placed his hand on her back. ‘Let’s get back to Mary’s and make a cup of tea. Things have a way of working out.’
‘I hope you’re right.’
As they walked up the lane then crossed the road and took the gravel path to Mary’s cottage, Eve thought she heard Jack mutter, ‘Me too.’