Jules smiled. ‘Brilliant! It could be just what the village needs.’
Caitlin’s mobile rang and flashed up with Archie’s number. ‘Excuse me, loves. I’d better get this.’ She stood to walk into the hallway. ‘Hey, handsome, what’s up?’
‘Hey, my love. Two things. One, we’ve got a tenant for my house. They’ve actually asked if we’d be interested in selling it.’
‘Oh, that’s fantastic! Who is it?’
‘A woman called Aileen Kennedy wants it for her daughter.’
Caitlin gasped. ‘That’s Isla, my assistant – the daughter, I mean.’
‘Oh right. She doesn’t live that far away now, does she?’
‘No, but she lives with her parents, so this may be their way of helping her gain her independence.’ She knew she couldn’t really elaborate on the café story yet.
‘So, what do you think about selling it? The money would be handy. We could maybe look at getting a bigger place somewhere.’
Caitlin pursed her lips at the thought. ‘Hmm… I just love Glentorrin and I don’t really want to leave the village. Are you not happy at the bakery cottage?’
‘I’m happy wherever you are, you know that. And the girls love being in the village too.’
‘So, we’re staying?’
She could hear the smile in his voice as he replied, ‘If that’s what you want. So, we could sell my old place and update the kitchen.’
Caitlin’s stomach flipped with excitement. ‘Now you’re talking!’
‘Great. Okay, well, I’ll give the agent a call back tomorrow and talk numbers.’
‘Fab. And what was the other thing you needed me for?’
‘Oh, shit, yeah! Cleo is acting a bit weird. I think you’d better come home.’
Caitlin gasped. ‘Oh no. I’m on my way.’ She hung up and went back through to Morag’s kitchen. ‘Ladies, I’m needed at home, I’m afraid.’
‘Is everything okay?’ Jules asked, her voice laced with concern.
‘It’s Cleo. I’m sure it’s nothing, but I’d better go check.’ She hugged each of her friends in turn, grabbed her jacket and dashed out of Morag’s house.
It was a chilly November day, and the sky overhead was heavy with potential snow clouds. Caitlin walked across the pretty village as fast as her legs would carry her, wrapping her jacket tighter around herself as the wind whipped through her hair. Even on a dull and cold day like today she wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
She pushed through the front door and dashed to the kitchen to find Cleo panting and wide-eyed in her basket.
* * *
After a very long night Caitlin, Archie, Grace and Sophie sat staring at the new arrivals. The triplets – two boys and a girl – were finally here, and they were so tiny, their eyes still closed, as they snuggled up to mum. Cleo had done so well. Three little Puggie-Poo pups, all black and tan with the beginnings of tufty curls. Bowie was a little baffled to say the least. Not half as baffled as the Fraser-Sutherlands had been when they found out, however.
‘Can we keep them all, Daddy? Cleo and Bowie will miss them if they go live somewhere else,’ a teary-eyed Sophie asked as she stroked one of the pups on its back as he fed.
Archie glanced at Caitlin, a question in his eyes. ‘Oh, I don’t know, sweetheart. Five dogs are a heck of a lot of responsibility.’
‘Can we at least name them?’ Grace asked. ‘That way they feel like they belong for now.’
Archie and Caitlin shared a smile. ‘I think that would be okay. How about me and Dad name one and you girls name one each?’
‘Yay!’ Sophie said. ‘Can I name a boy one? But I need to think for a minute…’ She sat at tapped her finger on her chin.
‘I’ll name the girl puppy Twinkle, because it was night-time when she was born and the stars were out,’ Grace said.
