Summer at Hope Meadows: the perfect feel-good summer read (Animal Ark Revisited Book 1)

by Lucy Daniels

  Simon was holding out one of the brochures. ‘This one sounds good,’ he said. ‘Here’s the floor plan. It’s two thousand square feet and I’ve estimated that would be around the right size. We need to have room for a large operating theatre as well as consulting rooms and a waiting area.’

  Mandy tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear as she gazed down at the drawing. She couldn’t help feeling a stir of interest. ‘Where are the dividing walls?’ she asked. It seemed to be just one big area.

  Simon reached out and pushed the plunger down on the cafetière before answering. ‘There are none on that one,’ he said. ‘That’s one of the things I like about it. We’d have a blank canvas to work from. There are other things we’ll need, as well as workrooms. We should have a toilet with wheelchair access. And I want to have a proper staff relaxation area. The one at Thurston’s is too small if we all have a break at the same time.’ Pausing, he poured coffee over the warmed milk and handed Mandy a mug.

  Putting the development opportunity property to the bottom of the pile, she looked at the next building. This time it had internal walls. It had been a training centre and the white painted rooms with their dark tiled floors looked as if they might be suitable for a clinic. The price was one and a half times that of the first.

  Simon took the paper from her. ‘The good thing about this one is that we wouldn’t have to do too much rebuilding.’ He pointed to the central room. ‘That would be the waiting area,’ he said, ‘and we could stock food in this recess. That could be one consulting room and this another. Prep room and theatre back here. Dental room and X-ray.’ It did look good, Mandy could see that. There was parking right outside the door, too, which was important.

  ‘There isn’t much space for kennelling,’ she said. ‘Or a separate area for rescue animals.’ It was essential to Mandy that there was space in their clinic for this. Their joint venture wasn’t just going to be about looking after pampered pets belonging to wealthy owners. Mandy wanted to make sure she was able to help other Miss Kittys as well.

  ‘I suppose not.’ Simon made a dismissive motion with his hand. ‘It’s important we use the space to maximise the profits. There won’t be room for sentimentality at the beginning.’

  Mandy frowned. ‘It’s not sentimentality,’ she objected. ‘Animal rescue and rehabilitation is important to me.’

  ‘Of course it is.’ And now he had that infuriating look of condescension she had seen him use with clients he considered overemotional. ‘We just have to be sensible about it. That’s all.’

  Putting the property details back down on the coffee table, Mandy drank the last of her coffee and pushed herself up from the sofa. She didn’t feel like continuing this conversation right now. She couldn’t see it heading in a helpful direction. Simon stood up, too.

  ‘I’d better get off,’ Mandy said. ‘Otherwise I won’t be home before midnight.’

  ‘Have a safe journey.’ Simon followed her to the door. ‘Give my regards to your parents.’

  ‘I will,’ she promised, glancing back up at the house one last time before climbing into her faded blue RAV4. ‘Promise you won’t go ahead with any decisions without me,’ she said.

  ‘I promise,’ he replied, reaching in through the open door to kiss her. By the time she had put on her seat belt, he had turned and was walking back up the steps.

  Mandy opened the window and waved. ‘Bye,’ she called.

  ‘Bye.’ He turned and waved back at her as she put the car into gear and drove off.

  Chapter Seven

  It was after midnight by the time she turned into the driveway, drove under the wooden ‘Animal Ark’ sign, and parked the Toyota at the side of the cottage. Mandy climbed out and stretched. Feeling the muscles in her back protest, she decided to leave most of her things in the boot until tomorrow and just grabbed her overnight bag.

  Opening the back door, she was pleased to see the light was still on in the kitchen.

  ‘Hello, love.’ Her dad walked in from the sitting room. ‘You’re very late.’

  Mandy let out a long breath. ‘There was an accident on the A64. I had to take a huge detour.’

  ‘Well, you’re here now.’ Adam went over to the fridge, grabbed a carton of milk and waved it at Mandy. ‘Hot chocolate?’ he offered.

  ‘Dad, I’m twenty-seven, not six!’

  ‘Really?’ Adam looked both crestfallen and shocked. ‘Don’t tell me you’ve gone off it after all these years.’

  Mandy grinned. ‘Of course I haven’t,’ she said. ‘I just wanted to see your face when I said no. I’d love a cup. Thanks, Dad.’ She walked over and hugged him and he squeezed her with the arm that wasn’t holding the milk. ‘Where’s Mum?’ she asked. Her dad turned away to pour milk into a mug as Mandy sat down at the table and rested her head on her hand.

  ‘She had to go to bed,’ Adam told her. ‘She had to replace a prolapsed uterus on a cow this afternoon. Took two hours to get it back in. She was exhausted by the time she got home.’

  Mandy had never tackled a cow with a prolapse before, but she remembered watching her dad one day. He had been on his knees behind a stricken Friesian; the everted uterus had been swollen to twice its normal size. The uneven struggle to get it back in before the cow pushed it out again had been painful to watch. It was one of the most physically demanding jobs in large animal practice.

  ‘Poor Mum!’ Mandy said. ‘Well, if it comes back out tomorrow, I’d really like to take over. Save her struggling again.’

  Adam frowned as he set the hot chocolate on the table in front of Mandy. ‘I was hoping you’d spend the day with me in the clinic,’ he said. ‘I want to make sure you settle in and know where everything is.’

  Mandy stared at him. Her dad had spoken as if she was a brand-new vet rather than his daughter, who had spent most of her life in and out of the clinic. Adam had turned away to get his own drink and didn’t seem to notice. ‘I’m glad you’re here,’ he said more quietly and, mollified, Mandy sipped her hot chocolate. Taking out her mobile phone, she looked at the screen. There were no messages. She had half hoped Simon would have sent something, good luck or a text to tell her he was missing her, but there was nothing.

  ‘Do you mind if I use my phone, Dad?’ She looked up at her father. ‘I just want to let Simon know I’ve arrived safely.’

  ‘Go ahead.’ Her dad nodded, his smile warm. ‘Good thing it’s so easy to keep in touch these days.’ Mandy typed her message, then put the phone down on the table beside her.

  ‘Everything go okay with your last week in Leeds?’ Adam sat down, setting his tea in front of him. ‘Was the leaving meal any good?’

  Mandy straightened up. ‘Lovely food,’ she said. ‘We went to the Talisman, you know, where I took you and Mum. I got a pair of wellington boots and a box of arm-length gloves for a present.’

  Adam laughed. ‘They sent you prepared, then.’ He paused. ‘And Simon. How was he when you left?’

  ‘He was fine. He made some lovely soup before I drove over.’ For a moment, Simon’s pushiness over the clinic filled her head, but she brushed the thought aside. He would settle down once he got used to her being away.

  Adam looked pleased. ‘Glad to hear he’s looking after you,’ he said. He lifted his mug and stood up. ‘I think I’ll turn in,’ he said. ‘Big day tomorrow. Your first time officially working for Animal Ark!’ He made a salute, hand to forehead, and Mandy saluted back with a grin. She watched as he strode out of the room, listened to him gallop up the stairs two at a time, and then glanced back at the mobile screen. There was still nothing from Simon. Maybe he had gone to bed. With a sigh, she finished the last of her hot chocolate, picked up her case and followed her father more slowly up the stairs.

  It felt strange to be back in her old room. Although it had seemed welcoming in the darkness when she had been here for James and Paul’s wedding, with the light on now it looked bare and cramped. Mandy wished she had brought in the pictures she had taken from he
r bedroom in Leeds. She contemplated fetching them from the car, but found herself switching off the light and going to the window. The moon was rising over the top of the fell, casting strange shadows from the trees in the orchard and the low outhouse in the field. She turned her head to listen, hoping to hear the owl again, but was struck instead by the silence. There was always something happening outside the house in Leeds: a car passing or bickering students on the way home from a bar. Here there was nothing but noiseless sheep on the hillside. Pulling the curtain on the emptiness, Mandy turned back to her case, glad a moment later when her mobile buzzed on the bedside table. She rushed to answer the call.

  ‘Simon,’ she said, sitting down on the bed and kicking off her shoes.

  ‘Hello, you.’ His voice was calm and cheerful. ‘You got there safely. Are your mum and dad well?’

  ‘They’re fine,’ Mandy replied, pulling the pillows from under the duvet and propping them against the headboard. ‘Thanks for the soup. I was glad I’d had it. Traffic was awful.’ She leaned back against the pillows, pulling her feet up underneath her. ‘I miss you already.’

  The words were out before she had a chance to think, and sounded more desolate than Mandy had intended. She wondered for a moment if Simon would make fun of her. She had only been away a few hours! Instead he sighed.

  ‘Me too,’ he said. ‘But it’ll be good experience working for another practice. And it won’t be long until we see each other.’

  Mandy pictured him sitting up in his bed. He would be in his dressing gown, an old-fashioned blue robe, soft and fleecy and smelling of him. Maybe next time they were together, she could persuade him to lend it to her, she mused, wishing she had thought of it earlier.

  ‘Do you think you’ll be able to get away next weekend?’ Simon’s voice interrupted her thoughts. ‘David has arranged a night out and you’re invited.’

  Mandy closed her eyes for a moment. As much as she wanted to say yes, she hadn’t talked to her mum and dad about the rota. She had little doubt that if she asked, they would encourage her, but she had come here to help them. She didn’t want to duck out at the first temptation.

  ‘I don’t know,’ she said eventually. ‘I haven’t discussed the out-of-hours schedule with Mum and Dad yet. I’ll talk to them tomorrow and let you know.’

  ‘See what you can do. Hopefully they’ll say it’s okay.’ He sounded as if he was certain they would. ‘Anyway, I need to go now. I’m on early tomorrow. I’ve got that femoral fracture to fix, so I’d better get some shut-eye. Call me any time.’

  Mandy put the phone on her bedside table. There was no way she’d be able to go back to Leeds next weekend. Her parents had been managing on their own for too long. It wasn’t like Mum not to have waited up; she must have been exhausted. Mandy would break it gently to Simon next time he called.

  A glance at the clock told her it was one thirty. Simon wasn’t the only one who should get some sleep. Sighing, she extracted her pyjamas and toothbrush from her overnight bag. She could finish unpacking tomorrow.

  The sun awoke her in the morning, its rays glancing onto her face through a crack in the curtains. For a moment, Mandy lay in bed looking at the familiar walls, then footsteps sounded on the stairs: her mum going down. Throwing back the duvet, Mandy pulled on her clothes and hammered down the stairs.

  ‘Morning, Mum!’ She flung her arms around Emily, who hugged her back tightly.

  ‘What a lovely start to the morning.’ Her mother was smiling and looked so cheery and well that Mandy felt a burst of relief.

  ‘I’ll make the coffee,’ she offered, seeing her mum had put the kettle on and was rooting in the cupboard. ‘You sit down.’

  ‘Okay then, I will.’ Emily pulled out a chair and reached for yesterday’s newspaper.

  ‘Shall I put some toast on?’ Mandy opened the lid of the bread bin and took out several slices.

  ‘That would be lovely,’ said her mum. ‘There’s some of Gran’s marmalade in the fridge if you’d like.’

  More footsteps on the stairs and Adam appeared. ‘Morning all,’ he said. ‘Are you making toast, Mandy? Finally honing your cooking skills?’

  Mandy made a face at him. ‘You’d better be polite or I won’t make you any,’ she said, placing the coffee jug on the table and setting out mugs, plates and knives. She was just finishing when the back door opened. She turned to see Helen Steer walking in with Lucy at her heels.

  ‘Hi, all!’ Helen seemed as much at home in the kitchen as she had in the clinic, Mandy thought. The nurse caught her eye and grinned and Mandy found herself smiling back. Helen’s cheerfulness was infectious.

  ‘Would you like some coffee?’ Emily stood up and took a mug from the cupboard, setting it on the table and pushing the coffee and milk towards Helen, who had sat down. Lucy flopped down on the floor with a contented grunt. Mandy wondered if she had been made to walk to the clinic at top speed.

  ‘Is there anything special on today?’ Helen asked. ‘Other than it being Mandy’s official first day, of course.’

  Adam drummed his fingers on the table, thinking. ‘I’d like you to do a stock-check today, Helen.’ He looked at Mandy. ‘And I’d like you to shadow her, Mandy. I want to know you’re up to speed with the equipment and drugs we’re using. If there’s anything you think we should order, Mum and I can discuss it.’

  Mandy blinked and looked down at her coffee. He’d said something similar last night, but she had hoped he would have forgotten by this morning. She wanted to help with actual patients: get out and about, not be stuck in the storage cupboards. Worse, he’d said they would discuss any new equipment she wanted. Wasn’t she going to have any say at all?

  Helen could do a stock-check standing on her head, of that Mandy was certain. Surely the nurse would be insulted. But when she turned, Helen was looking at her with that hundred-watt smile on her face. ‘That would be great,’ she said. ‘I’d love to have your company.’

  Breathing out slowly, relaxing her shoulders, Mandy managed to smile back. ‘Right then.’ She stood up, picking up her crockery and placing it in the dishwasher.

  Helen stood, too. ‘Lucy, stay!’ she said, then, ‘Shall we go and get started, Mandy?’ and without waiting for a reply, she headed out to the clinic.

  ‘I’m so glad you’re here,’ Helen said two hours later. ‘Stock-taking has to be the most boring thing ever.’

  Mandy was surprised. Helen tackled everything with a kind of frenetic efficiency. As she whirled through the practice, it seemed as if everything fell into place behind her. Much as Mandy had loved Jean, she couldn’t help admiring the changes Helen had wrought. There were new procedures for drug ordering and rotation, efficient patient-plan printouts for hospitalised animals, and proper anaesthetic recording sheets.

  Some of the equipment had come as a disappointment. The anaesthetic circuit was adequate, but the equipment used to monitor the patients was the same as it had been when Mandy was much younger. In Leeds, the nurses could track changes in breathing and carbon dioxide, blood pressure, temperature and the electrical activity in the heart. All of it was automated and easy to record. Here Helen used an ancient pulse oximeter to show blood oxygen and pulse rate. If she wanted to know the temperature, she had to use a separate thermometer.

  Worse still was the dental equipment. Although Helen had demonstrated the special sharpening stone she had ordered, Mandy was used to Samantha’s dedicated dental room with elevators and luxators for every kind of tooth and root removal. Thanks to Samantha, she had learned how to use a burr for grinding and smoothing rough edges of bone. Animal Ark had the most basic ultrasonic scaler and polisher. Mandy found herself wondering in what order she should prioritise the equipment she could ask for.

  ‘Is everything okay?’ Helen was looking at her. ‘You seem miles away.’

  Mandy shook her head. ‘I was just wondering whether I’d like to get a multi-parameter anaesthetic monitor, a drip driver and some new infusion pumps, or whether we sho
uld go for some up-to-date dental equipment first.’

  Helen laughed. ‘Ah,’ she said. ‘I see you were miles away. Back in Leeds?’

  ‘You’re probably right,’ Mandy admitted. ‘What would you order first, if it was up to you?’

  ‘I’d love a really up-to-date monitor,’ said Helen after only a moment’s thought. ‘I know you can gauge a lot from watching the animal, but I’d like to know if the carbon dioxide starts to rise so I can keep the heart stable. And the blood pressure. If it starts to fall, I want to know so I can adjust the drip-rate.’

  Mandy started to feel a tiny bit more optimistic. It sounded as if Helen would be right behind her if she asked for new equipment.

  ‘What about you then?’ Helen looked at Mandy, her head on one side, but Mandy shook her head.

  ‘I’ll need to have a think,’ she said. She had to bear in mind that she wasn’t going to be here forever. When she returned to Leeds, anything that had been bought would need to be useful without her. There was no use asking for specialised equipment that only she would use.

  ‘Have you got anything planned for this evening?’ Helen said, with her head stuck in a cupboard of dressings and bandages. ‘We could go out, if you’d like. The Fox and Goose is good, even on a Monday.’

  ‘Okay,’ Mandy said. It would be good to have some distraction from Leeds and Simon and her friends there.

  ‘There’s this new guy in Welford. I’m kind of hoping he’ll be there,’ Helen admitted as she backed out of the cupboard and made a note on the clipboard beside her.

  ‘Oh yes?’ Mandy looked at the nurse, whose face had gone rather pink.

  ‘Sam Western has agreed to have an Outward Bound centre on his land,’ Helen said. ‘The new guy, Jimmy Marsh, has come to build and run it. He’s gorgeous,’ she added, looking down at the pen in her hands.

  ‘Oh,’ said Mandy. ‘I may have already met him. Over the back of a deer, actually.’ Helen looked confused, but at that moment Adam opened the door and ushered Emily in. Emily’s face creased into a smile when she saw Mandy and Helen surrounded by boxes and printed stocklists.