Wellies and Westies by Cressida McLaughlin Read Free Book Online Page B

watching her before, and now here he was again; stepping in to help her.
    Her irritation was swiftly replaced by curiosity.
    ‘I’m Cat,’ she said, holding out her hand. ‘Thank you for…for that, back there. With the squirrel.’
    ‘No problem.’ He smiled at her and took her hand. ‘I’m Mark. And this –’ he nodded towards the collie – ‘is Chips. We’re new to the area.’
    ‘Chips?’
    ‘After Chips in Dawn of the Dead. The remake, obviously.’
    ‘You named your dog after a zombie? That’s not very kind. How long have you been in Fairview?’
    Mark blinked at her and ran a hand over his jawline. It was quite pointy, quite determined, Cat thought, if jaws can be determined. ‘A few weeks. You’ve not seen it then, Dawn of the Dead ?’

    Cat shook her head.
    ‘Chips is the dog, unsurprisingly, rather than a zombie. She’s a hero – she saves the main characters from certain death. I’m splitting my time between here and London – it’s lovely round here, very…peaceful.’
    ‘Are you training your dog to survive a zombie apocalypse? What happens to her when you’re in London?’
    ‘Chips wouldn’t need training, she’d know exactly what to do.’ He grinned at her with white, even teeth.
    Cat decided his jawline wasn’t determined, it was smug, but he was a potential punter all the same. This was too good an opportunity to miss. ‘I’ll take your word for it,’ she said. ‘I could always look after Chips for you when you’re back in London – feed her, take her for walks.’
    ‘That’s a very kind – and unexpected – offer. She’s fine with me – she can cope on her own for a few hours if I’m working. Do you always go around offering to look after strangers’ pets, or am I special?’
    ‘Oh, oh, no, I mean…’ Cat felt heat rush to her cheeks. ‘It’s what I do. I wasn’t just…offering.’ She shrugged.
    ‘Ah.’ Mark nodded. ‘So all these dogs aren’t yours, then?’ Disco was burrowing into the crook of his arm, her stumpy tail wagging as if her life depended on it.
    ‘No,’ Cat said. ‘I’m walking them.’
    ‘Sure it’s that way round?’
    Cat gritted her teeth and gave him a tight smile. ‘This is just…I’m still working out the best combinations, the easiest way to run things. Big dogs and little dogs together are a bit of a handful.’
    ‘They are,’ he agreed. ‘I’m not sure Primrose Park knows what’s hit it. And who’s this little guy? Come out, buster.’ He lifted Disco up, and the puppy started licking his chin. ‘Hey.’ Mark laughed and put her on the ground.

    ‘She’s a girl. Disco,’ Cat said. Something flashed in her mind, making her do a double take. She looked at Mark, but he was intent on the puppy and all the love she had to give. ‘And Chalky’s the older mini schnauzer and the Westies are Valentino, Coco and Dior. That’s Bertha.’ She pointed at the largest dog, who was staring out across the park, looking noble.
    Mark pressed his lips together and looked at the ground.
    ‘I didn’t name them. God, I wish I’d never said anything now.’
    ‘It’s an impressive outing,’ Mark nodded, unable to hide his smirk. ‘And you’ve done well, considering.’
    ‘Considering?’ Cat shot back.
    ‘Considering how unruly they are.’
    ‘Well, I’m glad I’ve met with your approval.’
    ‘I’m very happy to give it.’ He was entirely unruffled, which had the opposite effect on Cat.
    ‘Are you always like this?’
    ‘Like what?’
    ‘Incredibly patronizing.’
    ‘I wasn’t aware that I was being. I saw you were struggling, came over to help, and—’
    ‘Yes, thanks for that, I appreciate it, but I’ll be fine now that Squirrelgate’s over. Nice meeting you.’ She tried to walk coolly off, but Disco was intent on spending more time with her new friend, and Valentino had managed to get his lead wrapped round Bertha’s, so her aloof departure didn’t happen. Mark bent down to untangle the leads.