Nora was looking forward to seeing Biscuit today (of course she was!), but she was apprehensive about seeing Elijah. If he was kind to her again, she might throw herself at him, and that would never do.
She’d just changed out of the black trousers she wore for work and into a pair of leggings, and was doing up the laces on her trainers, when Kendra cornered her.
‘Can I have a word?’
‘If it’s quick,’ Nora said, but something in the tone of Kendra’s voice made her stop and look up.
Kendra was chewing on her lip. ‘I’ve got something to tell you. I’m sorry, but I let the cat out of the bag with Elijah.’
‘What cat?’
‘I let slip you’re diabetic. Sorry, Nora, but I assumed he knew.’
Nora sat up and sighed, resigned. She supposed it was inevitable people would find out eventually. She’d hoped that telling everyone she was on a diet because she wanted to lose weight, would be enough to stop any speculation, but when she’dreached her target weight and was still avoiding carbs like the plague, she had to expect that questions would be asked and assumptions made. All she’d wanted was an opportunity to come to terms with it herself, before she shared her news with all and sundry. Anyway, from what she’d learnt online, diabetes was far more common than she’d initially realised, and growing more common by the year, so she didn’t feel quite as alone, despite not personally knowing anyone with the condition.
‘It’s okay,’ she assured her. ‘I would have told him myself before long.’ She wouldn’t have, but Kendra didn’t need to know that. It would only make her feel bad. Nora got to her feet. ‘I’d better be off.’ She smiled ruefully. ‘And I’ll try my best not to bawl my eyes out today.’
‘It’s bound to be hard, and you’re doing so well. I admire your fortitude. You haven’t even had a nibble of those little cakes Elijah gave you.’
‘I daren’t. I wouldn’t have stopped at a nibble. See you tomorrow. Any issues, give me a ring,’ she said. ‘Fingers crossed I won’t have to do this for much longer.’
The sanctuary’s manager should be back from her holidays next week, and hopefully she’d make a decision one way or the other.
When Nora arrived at The Forever Home, she waved to Jakob as she made her way towards Biscuit’s kennel. Almost as though the dog could tell time, he was waiting at the door, his tail waving, and when he saw her, he woofed gently.
A lead and a harness were hanging on a hook ready, and she lifted them off, opened the door and slipped inside. Biscuit nudged her, pressing his cold wet nose into her palm, and sheknelt to hug him. Putting her arms around him, Nora buried her face in his fluffy neck.
‘Want to go for a walk?’
He wagged his tail, but it was followed by a whine, and when she got to her feet, she noticed him staring through the bars. He whined again, and a pang struck Nora in the chest when she realised that Biscuit was hoping to see Elijah. So was she.
He was late, which wasn’t like him. Should she wait?
She’d give it five minutes, she decided.
When the five minutes became ten and he still hadn’t showed, she said, ‘I don’t think Elijah’s coming today. It looks like it’s just you and me, poppet.’
Biscuit glanced up at her with puppy dog eyes, his ears down, his expression sad, and Nora felt dreadful. Did he prefer Elijah to her? Had she lost the war for his affection?
‘Everything okay, Nora?’ Maisie asked. She had a bucket in one hand and a stiff-bristled broom in the other.
‘I’m not sure. Elijah hasn’t turned up, and Biscuit seems to be missing him.’
‘He probably is. You and Elijah have always visited him as a couple, so he’s wondering where he is today.’
Nora feared there was more to it than that. She worried that Biscuit had bonded more with Elijah than with her.
And when she took him out for his walk, the feeling was reinforced by his reluctance to go far. The dog kept stopping and looking back over his shoulder, as though he expected Elijah to appear at any second. It was only when they’d left the kennelsbehind and were on the open moorland, did he begin to relax and accept that it was going to be just the two of them.
Nora was surprised to discover how nervous she was walking Biscuit on her own. He was a big dog, well-built and powerful, and if he decided he wanted to go somewhere, Nora had a feeling that was the direction they’d go in.
However, Biscuit was as well behaved as usual, plodding sedately by her side, only occasionally yanking her back when he stopped suddenly to sniff an interesting smell. When that happened, she had no choice but to stop too, until he’d sniffed his fill.
The moorland was dotted with sheep, the occasional cow or two, a few stunted trees, and several clumps of large rocks. Nora picked one at random and sat on it, Biscuit jumping up next to her, cuddling in, and when he nuzzled her ear then licked her on the cheek, her insides turned to mush.
Now that her initial nervousness at being able to handle Biscuit had faded, Nora felt incredibly safe with him by her side.
There was something missing, though:Elijah. This walk simply wasn’t the same without him.
