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Estelle knelt by Chester and Joy, ignoring James standing next to them. She was too mortified to look at him. Holding their collars, she introduced them to Sophia.
‘This is Joy, who is fairly clever and very gentle. And this is Chester, who is extremely stupid and excitable.’
Sophia cautiously extended her hand to stroke them. ‘James said Chester keeps trying to hump him.’
‘As I said,’ Estelle replied. ‘Stupid and excitable.’
‘Just like his owner,’ James growled behind her.
‘James!’ Sophia sounded shocked.
Estelle shrugged. ‘I’ll allow him that one. I’m so sorry about just now.’
‘Me too. It’s not the impression I was hoping to give you when we first met.’ Sophia looked Chester and Joy deep in their eyes. ‘And I’m sorry for scaring you two as well.’
Their tails wagged even faster, and they came forward as if to lick her.
Estelle dragged them away. ‘You’ll know they like you by the tail wagging and urge to give you a tongue bath.’
‘What about humping?’ James asked.
‘That means they’re just deeply confused.’
‘James was making us a coffee before showing me your office,’ Sophia said. ‘He told me he’d been painting dog bowls, which I find extremely hard to believe.’
A wave of guilt rolled through Estelle’s stomach at the words she’d just thrown at James. ‘What he did was amazing. I wouldn’t have had the patience. Why don’t I show them to you?’
Sophia’s smile was tentative, as if she’d just been befriended by the cool girl at school. ‘Thank you, that would be lovely.’
‘I’ll make the coffee,’ James said, going past them into the kitchen.
When the door shut behind him, Estelle turned to Sophia. ‘I am so sorry I went mental,’ she whispered.
‘It’s fine,’ Sophia whispered back. ‘My brother can elicit strong emotions.’
They went down the corridor together into the end office, and Estelle pointed to the dog bowls by the window.
‘James painted them for Chester and Joy.’
Sophia knelt to look at them. ‘Oh, they’re so lovely!’ She glanced at Estelle. ‘I can’t believe he did this!’
Estelle shrugged, feeling even more uncomfortable. ‘He tried to pretend someone else did them.’
Getting to her feet, Sophia grinned. ‘He’s a big softy, really.’
‘James? Soft?’
‘Underneath the abs of steel he’s mainly marshmallow.’ She frowned. ‘But I think only Mum and I get to see that side of him.’
Sophia looked so sad that Estelle expected tears to start flowing.
What to say? ‘I, er…’
Sophia gestured to the mat rolled up behind Estelle’s desk. ‘Do you do yoga?’
‘Yeah, kind of. I do it in the village.’
‘I’ve always wanted to give it a go, but I’m not very bendy and feel uncomfortable wearing tight clothes.’
