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‘Sally, is everything okay?’ Alex raised his eyebrows.
‘No, have you seen Fluffles? She’s slipped her collar and now I can’t find her.’ But Sally didn’t wait for a reply, running back out of the kitchen.
‘Oh no, that’ll be my fault. I gave her a bath this morning and must have put her collar on too loose.’ Ginny pushed her chair back and stood up.
‘Don’t worry. We’ll find the little tinker.’ Placing his half-eaten pasty onto the work surface, Alex straightened his back. ‘Operation Find Fluffles.’
Poppy followed the two of them out of the kitchen. ‘She’s the miniature poodle, isn’t she?’
‘Oh yes, although she may be miniature, she has the personality of a young boisterous Labrador.’ Alex laughed at his own joke before turning down the corridor towards the kennels.
Stepping outside, Poppy pulled the sleeves of her jumper down and ran towards the left of the courtyard as Ginny ran towards the right. ‘Fluffles. Come here, girl. Fluffles.’
Poppy ran towards the paddocks. Sally hadn’t said where Fluffles had slipped the lead, but it was worth looking there. The gates and fences out of the home were secure, so Fluffles wasn’t in any danger of getting out, but she still needed to be found.
As she made her way towards the bottom paddock, she glanced towards the cottage. After Poppy and Ginny had got back, Aunt Flora had excused herself to go and take care of some admin at home, which was unusual. She’d never known her aunt to head back to the cottage unless she needed a change of clothes due to falling in the mud or some such thing. She shrugged. Maybe she just wasn’t feeling great.
‘Got her,’ Sally called from the top paddock. From down here, Poppy could just about make her out, shutting the gate behind her, poodle in one arm.
‘That’s a relief. What a little pest you are.’ Reaching her, Poppy fussed over the small thing. ‘How’s the training going?’
‘Up until that little escapade, I thought it was going quite well.’ Sally laughed and fussed Fluffles’ ears. ‘Now, I’m not so sure.’
‘Aw, these things happen.’ Poppy smiled.
‘They certainly do, but she does seem to be a bit of an escape artist. That’s one of the reasons her previous owner gave her up – because she kept escaping out of the garden.’
‘Couldn’t they have just made the garden more secure?’ Poppy frowned. Fluffles could be a pain, but she was a gorgeous little soul who would happily sit curled up on your lap for hours at a time, too.
‘I don’t know. You’d have thought so, wouldn’t you?’
After securing the gate to the bottom paddock, Poppy followed Sally back across the courtyard.
‘How are you finding it here?’ Poppy asked as they walked. ‘You only started in the summer, didn’t you?’
‘That’s right. I was thrown right in at the deep end, holding taster sessions at the Family Fun Day.’ Sally smiled. ‘Honestly? I’m loving every minute of it. It’s my dream job, training dogs, and to be able to train the dogs here, as well as holding my own training sessions in the evenings. It’s the best of both worlds and so rewarding.’
‘That’s brilliant.’
‘Yes, and as you know, the team here at Wagging Tails is like a little close-knit family, and then there are all the volunteers. It has certainly gone some way in restoring my faith in human nature.’ Sally shifted Fluffles to her other arm. ‘How about you? Are you enjoying being back here with Flora?’
Poppy nodded. ‘Yes, I am. It feels so good to be spending some time with my aunt. I’ve not seen her in a few years. And with the dogs, of course, I mean, they’re all pretty amazing, aren’t they?’
Sally grinned. ‘Oh, they really are. Flora said Ralph had been here when you last visited, too. I bet it was good to see him again?’
Poppy opened the door to the reception and stood back, letting Sally and Fluffles through first. ‘Yes, sad too, though, as I’d hoped he’d found his special home by now.’
‘I know.’ Sally frowned. ‘But he has a wonderful life here, and he knows he’s loved and always will be.’
‘Yes, you’re right.’ Poppy smiled. Ralph had a special place in all their hearts.
12
‘Are you off to pick up Dougal, lovely?’ Flora paused in the reception area, Ralph’s lead in one hand.
‘Yep.’ Poppy nodded as she buttoned up her coat. ‘Mack has rung and said he’s ready.’
‘That’s good news. Mack must think he’s on the right road to recovery then.’
