Springtime at Wildacre: the gorgeously uplifting, feel-good romance (Animal Ark Revisited Book 3)

by Lucy Daniels

  The three of them finished their tea. Mandy was tired after her long day, but James and Raj kept the conversation going. It seemed that Raj sold all kinds of international food from his van, everything from biscotti imported from Italy to specialist Indian sweets made in Bradford.

  ‘I want to thank you for everything you’ve done,’ Raj said to Mandy as they stood up. ‘For keeping me calm, as much as our poor owl friend! Do you have a website that takes donations? It’s the least I can do now I’ve brought you a new patient.’

  Mandy was about to say that there was no need, when she stopped herself. It wasn’t true, she thought. There was every need and Raj was very kind. ‘That would be wonderful,’ she said. ‘I’ll give you our bank details.’

  ‘Great. And you will let me know how the owl gets on?’ Raj added. Mandy assured him that she would.

  Chapter Nine

  Mandy woke to the sound of the alarm and jumped out of bed. She was going to make a lovely breakfast for James. Washed and clothed, she ran down the stairs with Sky at her heels and into the kitchen. Adam was standing beside the fridge, but looked round when he heard the door open.

  ‘Mandy.’ He sounded relieved to see her, but worried all the same. ‘I was about to come and wake you. I know James is here, but your mum’s really not feeling well. She needs to stay in bed.’ Adam looked exhausted too as if he’d been up half the night, Mandy thought, but she hadn’t heard the phone; it hadn’t been work that had disturbed him. ‘I’m really sorry, but could you possibly get surgery?’ Adam asked.

  For a moment, Mandy fought the sinking feeling in her stomach. She’d promised James she’d spend the day with him and she hated having to let him down when he was feeling low.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ her dad said again with a grimace. ‘I’d do it myself, but I’d arranged to go to Hare Hills to castrate three colts.’ Mandy nodded – she hadn’t even seen a colt castration since she came back to Welford, let alone tackling three by herself, but that wasn’t what was making her queasy.

  ‘Is Mum okay? Is it still a migraine?’ She frowned, looking again at Adam’s haunted eyes. Emily was supposed to be getting better: she had been better. Now she seemed to be sliding backwards.

  ‘I don’t know.’ Adam seemed to have stuck somewhere halfway through making tea. The kettle was boiling and he was clutching two mugs to his chest, one in each hand. ‘The doctor did say she’d be a bit up and down until her iron levels were right back up, and she’s had migraines before, years ago, but …’ he trailed off. Mandy could see he was as worried as she was. Yet the doctors had done so many tests when Emily was first ill that it was difficult to know where they could go next.

  James wouldn’t mind, Mandy knew. He had always loved Emily, but Mandy felt a stab of guilt that she had brought him here to cheer him up and now she had to go out without him. ‘Of course I’ll take the surgery,’ she told Adam. She walked over and took the mugs from his hands. ‘Do you need to get going?’ she asked. ‘I can make breakfast for James and Mum.’

  Adam smiled at her, suddenly looking more like himself. ‘Thanks, love,’ he said. ‘The oven’s on and there are some croissants in the bread bin. I’ll be back this afternoon, so you and James can have some time.’

  Mandy opened the croissants and put them in the oven, then set the table. She would take Mum breakfast in bed, then she and James would have time for theirs. They could take the dogs out for a few minutes before she had to begin.

  By the time James clattered down the stairs, closely attended by Seamus and Lily, breakfast was ready. Emily didn’t look any worse than yesterday when Mandy carried her breakfast upstairs, but she didn’t look better either. After the dogs had been out for a quick run in the garden, Mandy and James sat down at the kitchen table.

  ‘So what do we have planned today?’ James asked, picking up a croissant and putting it on his plate.

  Mandy sent him a rueful smile. ‘I’m afraid I’ve got to work,’ she said. ‘Mum’s not well and Dad’s out on a call already.’

  ‘Oh?’ It was James’s turn to look worried. ‘What’s wrong with Emily? Does she need a doctor?’ he asked. Emily had been in bed by the time they came in last night. Mandy had been so caught up with the lamb and Raj and the owl, that she had forgotten to tell him.

  ‘It’s just a migraine,’ Mandy told him, though she didn’t feel as light inside as she was making it sound.

  James looked relieved. ‘Your poor mum,’ he said. ‘I hope she feels better soon. And don’t worry about working. I can go over to see Mum and Dad.’

  Mandy smiled. ‘Good idea. I’m sure they’ll be pleased to see you.’

  It was lovely to get outside and feel the breeze on her face after spending all morning inside Animal Ark. Mandy glanced at her phone. It was twenty past one. She had agreed to meet James back at the cottage at two. There would just be time to check in at Hope Meadows before lunch. She also realised, with a jolt, that she hadn’t texted Jimmy since yesterday morning. She sent him a quick message, explaining what had happened with the owl last night, and that she was having to cover for Emily today. She felt guilty as she sent it off. Being busy so often made her feel like a bad girlfriend. Jimmy’s reply came shooting back:

  So sorry to hear about Emily. Give her my love. You know James won’t mind if you need to work a bit. Can’t wait to meet the owl! Love you xxx

  Mandy instantly felt a little calmer, grateful to have someone as supportive as Jimmy. She walked into the cat room to be greeted by Nicole, who had just finished feeding the three kittens.

  ‘How is everything?’ Mandy asked.

  Nicole’s hair was sticking up as if she had been in a rush, but she sounded calm as she answered. ‘I’ve done all the morning feeds,’ she said, ‘and cleaned out the cats and the small furries. The dogs have all been out except Brutus. Aren’t Myler, Button and Jasper getting big?’ She grinned as she glanced down into the kennel.

  ‘They are,’ Mandy agreed. The three kittens were already lying fast asleep, huddled into Mumma’s flank. They made a lovely group. Mandy had to resist taking yet another photograph of them.

  ‘I’m afraid the catch on the kennel at the end is broken again,’ Nicole told her.

  Mandy sighed. Though the second-hand cages had seemed a bargain, and although they were perfectly safe, there always seemed to be something going wrong. She’d have to fix the faulty catch, she thought. Almost all the kennels were full.

  It often seemed that way in the spring. It was just long enough after Christmas for the novelty of new animals to have worn off and the rescue centres started to fill up with unwanted pets. Mandy pursed her lips. The running costs would be astronomical if she couldn’t find homes for some of her rescues. It was a pity that Mr Chadwick had recognised he didn’t want to adopt. Even as she had the thought, Pixie’s small heart-shaped face appeared, and she rubbed affectionately at the bars of her kennel. Sometimes, even now, Mandy wished she could keep them all. There was no way she would ever send an animal to a home where the owner was less than one hundred per cent behind the idea.

  Emily was sitting up in the kitchen by the time Mandy got back to the cottage. She looked so much better, that Mandy felt a flood of relief.

  ‘How would you like some of my quesadillas?’ she asked her mum.

  Emily smiled. ‘That would be lovely,’ she said. ‘I’ll chop the salad.’

  James arrived back at two as planned. He bounded in with Seamus and Lily and made his way over to give Emily a hug. ‘Feeling better?’ he asked her.

  ‘Much.’ Even Emily’s voice sounded stronger, Mandy thought. For a moment, she toyed with the idea of taking Mum up the road towards Black Tor to see the lambs, but she had invited James over. They should spend some time alone together. They tucked into the quesadillas with the dogs sitting hopefully at their feet.

  The phone in Mandy’s pocket buzzed. It was an unknown number. Half hoping it might be someone who wanted to adopt, she clicked on the button.

 
‘Hope Meadows Rescue Centre.’

  ‘Hello.’ The man’s voice on the other end of the line was brusque. ‘I’m looking for Amanda Hope. I’m outside Wildacre at Lamb’s Wood, delivering some paint, and I need someone to sign for it.’

  Oh no!

  Mandy could feel her face growing hot. The sitting room paint! She had quite forgotten that today was delivery day. ‘I’m so sorry, I forgot,’ she told the man. ‘I’ll be there in five minutes.’

  She turned to James. ‘I’m really sorry,’ she said. ‘I arranged ages ago for them to deliver paint and they’re at Wildacre right now. I have to dash up and sign for it, but after that I really will be all yours.’

  But James grinned. ‘I’ve got a better idea,’ he said. ‘Why don’t I come with you? I’d love to see the house. You can show me what you’ve been doing and we can make a start on the painting.’

  ‘If you’re sure?’ Mandy looked at James, who smiled back and nodded with genuine enthusiasm.

  ‘Would it be okay for me to leave the dogs here?’ Mandy asked Emily. ‘They can go out into one of the big kennels if necessary.’ The dogs really couldn’t come when they were painting, and she didn’t want to burden her mum.

  ‘Of course they can,’ Emily said. ‘They’re no trouble. And,’ she added in a firm voice, ‘I really am very much better. Your dad and I can manage everything between us. Hope Meadows as well, if you divert your calls. We can call you on James’s number if there’s anything urgent.’

  Mandy looked at Emily in delight. It would be lovely to have a few uninterrupted hours with James. ‘Thanks, Mum,’ she said. She clicked a few buttons on her mobile to divert the incoming calls. Now they really were free. With a quick last ear-scratch for Sky and a hug for Emily, she followed James out to the car.

  The sitting room was going to look fantastic when it was finished, Mandy thought. She slipped the head of her paintbrush inside a plastic bag to stop it drying out and set it down on the plastic sheeting that was protecting the floor.

  ‘Coffee?’ she asked James.

  ‘That’d be great.’ He looked down from where he was perched at the top of a stepladder. ‘I’ll just finish this corner and I’ll come through,’ he said and turned back to the job in hand.

  Mandy switched on the kettle and leaned on the bench that faced the window. Every time she went in the kitchen, it gave her a lift. It reminded her of a shady forest with its soft green cupboards and rustic oak table. There was no need to light the wood-burning stove at this time of year, but its unpolished simplicity gave the room a homely feel. The clatter of James’s feet descending the ladder heralded his entrance.

  ‘Wow, Mandy! It’s looking amazing,’ he said.

  The kettle was boiling. Mandy filled the two mugs and stirred them before joining James at the table.

  ‘So how’s it going with Jimmy and the twins?’ James asked, taking the mug from Mandy and taking a grateful sip.

  Mandy chuckled. ‘Jimmy’s great but the twins are still terrifying,’ she admitted. ‘If you’re here tomorrow afternoon, you’ll meet them,’ she said. Peter Warry was also coming to see Holly and Robin in the evening, she remembered. It was going to be busy.

  ‘That’ll be nice,’ James said.

  ‘Glad you think so.’ She grinned. ‘I’m hoping they’re so distracted by the animals that they forget I’m a wicked stepmother.’

  James laughed. ‘You worry too much. Forget all about trying to be a stepmother or how they’ll react to “Dad’s new girlfriend”,’ he advised. ‘Just be yourself: a fun friend. You’ve so much going for you with all the animals and the rescue centre. Remember what Animal Ark was to us as kids?’

  Mandy chortled and nodded. It was easy for James to say stop worrying, he was always the calm one. But he was probably right. She looked out of the window. Between the trees, the river was visible down in the valley. How lovely it had been the evening she’d been down there with Jimmy. ‘It’ll be easier with you there,’ she said. ‘Being myself, I mean.’ She and James had been friends for so long that it sometimes felt as though he was a part of her.

  ‘How about you?’ she asked. ‘How are things going?’ She hesitated to ask directly about the unsuccessful date with the mysterious Ian, but James seemed to guess what she was asking.

  ‘Do you mean my disaster date with Inebriated Ian?’ His mouth quirked upwards at one side. ‘It wasn’t one of the finest evenings of my life,’ he said.

  ‘Inebriated Ian?’ Mandy grinned at the description. ‘That good?’

  James shrugged, then lifted his mug to take a sip of coffee before answering. ‘We were meant to be going for dinner,’ he said, setting his drink back on the table. ‘We’d been chatting online and he’d always been fun. He turned up to the restaurant half wasted. I understand being nervous on a first date, but it’s better to arrive at least partially sober.’

  Mandy found herself smiling. James had the knack of making even the most awkward things sound funny.

  James let out a long breath, wrinkling his nose. ‘Somehow he “forgot” about our dinner plans and he’d already had his. I had to order, though. He wouldn’t hear of my going hungry.’ He rolled his eyes and grinned. ‘Just as the waiter arrived with my Pad Thai, he stood up to go to the toilet, staggered to the side and knocked the plate flying. Next thing I knew, I was wearing noodles on my head and tamarind sauce in my ears.’

  Mandy burst out laughing.

  ‘Quite a way to start your very first date, with a food fight,’ she said. James laughed too.

  ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘I won’t be seeing him again.’ For a moment, James’s face fell and Mandy wondered if he was thinking about Paul and his wedding day. Then James pushed back his chair and stood up. ‘Time to get on,’ he said.

  They finished painting, just as dusk was falling over the trees across the valley. Mandy looked around the room, feeling her heart lift. The warm Sail White paint contrasted with the muted red of the brick fireplace. A toasty carpet, some friendly pictures and a few pieces of comfy furniture would complete the effect.

  After dinner with the Hopes – Adam’s signature chilli, which was so hot it brought tears to Mandy’s eyes – they went out to Hope Meadows. James was keen to see the owl they had rescued the night before. The bird was sitting on its perch, its wide eyes calm. It was eating well. Mandy was glad; it could be hard to tempt birds of prey in captivity. As they watched, it tried to stretch its wings, but the bandage that was restraining its left wing hampered its movements and it gave up and stared at Mandy and James. It was dark outside the window and Mandy had not turned on the overhead light, but they could see the creature clearly in the light from the open door. It should be swooping through the air outside, Mandy thought, not cooped up here in a kennel, poor thing.

  James took out his phone and without turning on the overhead light, he managed to get a lovely clear photograph of the owl. ‘I’ll send this to Raj,’ he said, peering at the screen with obvious pleasure.

  Mandy felt a prickle of guilt. ‘Oops, I was meant to update him this morning, but it went clean out of my head. Can you apologise for me when you send it?’

  It had been a long day, what with the calls in the morning and the painting in the afternoon. As they walked back into the cottage, Mandy remembered that her phone was still redirected to the Animal Ark line. Pulling out her mobile, she removed the diversion. Mum would have told her if anyone had called, she thought, but when she checked the list of received calls, she was surprised to see Jimmy’s number.

  Emily was still downstairs in the sitting room. Mandy was glad she hadn’t gone to bed. ‘Did Jimmy call when we were outside?’ she asked, trying not to frown. It was unlike Emily to forget something like that. What if it was something important?

  A look of guilt crept over Emily’s face. ‘I’m so sorry, I forgot to tell you,’ she said. ‘I meant to do it, but it slipped my mind.’ She looked so remorseful that Mandy wished she hadn’t asked. It probably wasn’t anything anyway.
Jimmy would have phoned back, wouldn’t he?

  ‘It doesn’t matter, Mum,’ Mandy assured Emily. ‘I’ll call him back tomorrow morning.’ It was too late to do it tonight, but she sent Jimmy a quick text. He’d find it in the morning if he was already asleep. Mandy hugged Emily, then together with James, they made their way upstairs. Mandy was only in bed a moment, before she fell into a deep and restful sleep.

  Chapter Ten

  Mandy’s phone rang on Sunday morning when she was halfway through breakfast.

  ‘Back in a minute,’ she mouthed across the table to James. Pushing out her chair, she rushed into the hall. ‘Hi Jimmy. Sorry I didn’t get back to you last night.’ She felt a little out of breath as she spoke. He was due to visit the donkeys this afternoon with the twins. He’d phoned late last night and now again first thing. Was something wrong?

  ‘It’s fine,’ Jimmy assured her. ‘We found something when we were out last night with the dogs. I know we’re coming round later, but I thought you’d like to see it.’ Even down the phone, she could tell he was smiling.

  Mysterious … Mandy thought. ‘What is it you found?’ she asked.

  ‘You’ll have to come and see,’ he told her.

  Mandy heard Abi’s voice in the background. ‘Dad, look!’

  ‘I’ll have to hang up,’ Jimmy told her. ‘Will you come?’

  Mandy didn’t know whether to be exasperated or excited. ‘James is staying with me,’ she reminded him.

  ‘He can come too.’ Jimmy still sounded eager. Whatever it was, it must be something fun, Mandy decided.

  ‘Well, okay. We’ll be there in about an hour,’ she said after a moment’s calculation. That would give them time to finish breakfast and have a quick look at the animals.

  ‘So he didn’t give you any idea what it was?’ James asked as they drove towards Mistletoe Cottage almost an hour later.

  ‘No,’ Mandy said. ‘He honestly didn’t. I don’t think it’s anything bad, though.’