The Purrfect Pet Sitter Read online

  Copyright © 2018 Carol Thomas

  Published 2018 by Ruby Fiction

  Penrose House, Crawley Drive, Camberley, Surrey GU15 2AB, UK

  www.rubyfiction.com

  The right of the above to be identified as the Authors of this Work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

  All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying. In the UK such licences are issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, Barnards Inn, 86 Fetter Lane, London EC4A 1EN

  EPUB: 978-1-91255-001-2

  For Mum and Dad, with lots of love xxx

  In memory of Milo – my gorgeous, slightly cross-eyed boy!

  Contents

  Title page

  Copyright information

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Thank You

  About the Author

  Introducing Ruby Fiction

  More from Ruby Fiction

  More from Choc Lit

  Acknowledgements

  It has been fun doing the research for this book. I have learnt a lot and met some very helpful people along the way. Special thanks must go to the following:

  Kirsti Lelliott, for pet sitting advice and anecdotes, though I have to point out Kirsti is a much better pet sitter than Lisa Blake and has never had an animal go missing on her watch!

  Greg Dowswell and Adam Wood of Shore in East Wittering, who offered wetsuit advice, answered my many questions and allowed me to wander around the shop with my notebook, what seems like a very long time ago now.

  Paramedics Nicky Nicol and Cat Wyn, who kindly answered my questions, offered insight and helped me ensure Fred got the right treatment.

  Madison Thomas, Alfie Boyle, Holly Hotston and MacKenzie Hotston, who had the funniest conversations after a year two sex education lesson and kindly leant their words to Felicity’s children. Thank you also to Natalie and Fiona for not finding it too odd that I still had your children’s words written down two years later.

  My followers on Facebook who helped with Christmas present ideas – your suggestions were all very helpful in sourcing appropriate presents for the characters in this book. Thank you also to those who helped with my request for prom memories, especially Beverley Palmer and Ann Reilly (and family).

  Clementine Slater Amplis, my lovely French teacher, for correcting and triple checking my French and for not telling me off (too much) when I missed lessons and didn’t do my homework to concentrate on this book.

  My lovely husband Mason, who needed no coercing to take me to France to play in the snow, and my sister Angela who looked after our children while we went off on this research trip. Thank you also to Amelia, Madison and Edward for being good for Auntie and for always giving me lots of support and encouragement.

  On the technical front, a big thank you must also go to: Kirsti Lelliott and Angela MacAskill for reading drafts and offering plot suggestions. Fellow Chindi Author, Jane Cable for the loving kick in the right direction. Choc Lit, for making my pitch to an editor at Southampton so much less scary than it could have been and for the wonderful opportunity to be published by Ruby Fiction. The amazing Tasting panel (Melissa C, Dimi E, Jennifer S, Sally B, Jo O, Gill L, Isobel J, Ruth N, Luise P, Hilary B and Gurnam S) who enjoyed my story – I am hugely grateful to you all. Thank you especially to … My editor for her insightful and encouraging editing. My cover designer for the fabulous cover design. And all of the authors in my new Choc Lit/Ruby Fiction family for being so lovely and welcoming – thank you. xx

  Prologue

  Prom Night

  Lisa looked up into Nathan’s deep blue eyes; their mouths were just inches apart.

  ‘You look stunning … really stunning,’ he whispered.

  ‘Thank you; you look pretty amazing yourself.’ She smiled.

  They had been together since the third year of secondary school; in that time they had grown up together, become best friends, and – as boyfriend and girlfriend – shared many intimate moments. But, after the excitement and desire-fuelled intensity of the limousine journey, an evening of dancing with Nathan Baker, while he was wearing a charcoal grey, Moss Bros hire suit, was causing Lisa to have all kinds of thoughts and feelings she had never experienced before.

  She had been looking forward to the prom for months, not only because it marked the end of her A-levels but also because she and her best friend, Felicity, had spent hours looking round shops, discussing what to wear and how to do their hair, nails and make-up. Now Lisa’s long blonde hair had been teased into shaggy curls and pinned at the sides around a tiara, and she was wearing the spaghetti-strapped, taffeta-skirted dress of her dreams, she felt more grown up and less like herself than she ever had.

  Lisa looked at the familiar faces all around her, united in their celebration of the people they had become and their anticipation of the different futures they each had yet to embark upon. Her mum was right when she had said the night was significant; everything was changing and, in the balloon arch and crepe paper festooned school gym, that change was palpable. The head teacher was posing for photographs with those he had spent the last seven years reprimanding, teachers were laughing and chatting with ex-pupils and even the Goths, who had spent their entire school career avoiding social situations, had made an appearance. Lisa caught Felicity’s eye as she took a swig from a Pepsi bottle Lisa knew she had Malibu and Coke in and smiled. Felicity winked causing Lisa to laugh. Some things will always remain the same, she thought.

  Nathan leaned in to ask if Lisa was OK.

  She hadn’t realised she had stopped dancing. ‘Yes, it’s just …’

  Nathan lifted her chin. ‘What is it, Lisa?’

  The song changed tempo, enabling her to move in close enough to speak and to begin to move in unison with him once more.

  ‘I was just thinking. As I left the house I asked my mum and dad if they had any last minute words of wisdom.’

  ‘Risky.’ Nathan laughed.

  ‘Ha, well, my dad said I should work in the prom business because I’d make a fortune between the months of June and July. But my mum got all deep and meaningful. She said tonight’s not about what’s ending but what’s beginning.’

  ‘She did?’ Nathan seemed surprised.

  ‘Yes, and I guess she’s right.’ Lisa thought about her mum’s parting words. ‘There’s a whole world waiting for you, Lisa Blake.’ And she knew it was true; she was on the cusp of a new beginning. The thought was exciting, scary, and a little overwhelming.

  Nathan slipped his hand further round the sequin-encrusted bodice of Lisa’s lilac dress bringing her closer to him. She felt the race of his pulse as he held her and the last song of the evening, Kelly Clarkson’s ‘A Moment Like This’, started to play.

  Nathan swallowed before taking a step back. ‘Here’s to new beginnings.’ He breathed.

  Chapter One

  Eleven Years Later

  ‘Jack! Jack! Come back, Jack!’ Lisa thudded through the undergrowth, trying not to stumble on the tree roots amongst the ferns and moss of the damp forest floor. Walking, she had felt cool under the canopy of the trees, now that she was running there seemed to be a lack of air; she couldn’t fill her lungs fast enough and she could taste the pungent, earthy smell that hung in the atmosphere. I am so not cut out for this! Her chest felt tight and her shins burnt.

  Her life in London, sitting in an office, had not prepared her for this. She had only been pet sitting for two months and this was her second runaway! How could working with dogs have turned out to be so very different to writing about them? Blazing a trail through Houghton Forest – well, attempting to run through it anyway – she missed the comfort of her
desk and the security of her old job. Writing for Paws about Town magazine didn’t seem so bad now, did it? Lisa thought about her desk tucked in the corner of the office, the unpredictable air conditioning that blew hot and cold on her and her colleagues who did the same as deadlines drew near. Absence really was making her heart grow fonder. She looked at the blue poo bag in her hand, swinging back and forth as she ran; this was all so desperately unglamorous in comparison.

  ‘Jack! Jack!’ The name was becoming more of a pant than a shout as she tried to co-ordinate the difficult act of breathing with bellowing. Perhaps she should conserve her energy; she hadn’t actually seen Jack for a while. He could even be out of earshot. Leaning against a lichen-covered tree, she paused in an attempt to catch her breath. Trying to listen over the sound of her own breathing, Lisa hoped to hear Jack making a kerfuffle somewhere. But there was not a single, giveaway sound.

  An image of Winnie’s face slipped into Lisa’s mind and she knew returning without Jack was not an option. That dog meant everything to that dear, sweet, old lady. Winnie had been Lisa’s first client when she started her business, the first person to put their faith in her. The weight of that faith pressed firmly on Lisa’s shoulders now. She had to think what to do.

  Maybe he had headed back to the van without her. Lisa imagined Jack wagging his happy tail, waiting for her to return, looking at her as if she had been the one who had gone missing all along. And if he wasn’t there, though she didn’t want to think too much about that, at least heading back to the van meant she could catch her breath. Then she could come up with a plan and beg the people in the tea kiosk to ask everybody they served if they had seen a cross-eyed, black Labrador with a grey beard and the deceptive speed of a Whippet. Maybe they would even announce it on their tannoy – well, not the part about the cross eyes and the speed, but the fact Jack was missing. Then everybody would know to look out for him.

  That seeming the best, perhaps even her only, option, Lisa pulled the laces on her hiking boots a little tighter in readiness to set off again and winced at the blisters she could feel forming. Like her, the boots weren’t made for running.

  Glancing at the trees surrounding her, Lisa began to panic. In her desperation to follow Jack she had left the path and was unsure which direction to head off in. It all looked so similar now. As her eyes flicked from tree to tree, searching for something familiar, the branches seemed to move in a little closer; suddenly, the notion she was lost and alone sent a cold shiver down her sweaty spine. Not wanting to loiter on the spot any longer, Lisa took a punt on the direction and set off again. Loneliness was something she was used to from her life in London, but actually being alone, occupying a space entirely by herself, that hardly ever happened. Thudding along again, her pace was now more of a slow jog, while her arms and face did all the actions of a speed runner.

  Finally glimpsing a path, she burst through the line of trees, stumbling onto the ground before a pair of middle-aged walkers, complete with all the gear. They stopped abruptly at her sudden appearance.

  Attempting to catch her breath, Lisa stood and panted, ‘Ha- ha- have …’ Oh God! She sounded crazy. Swallowing in an attempt to encourage saliva into her mouth, she noticed their stunned faces. As she tried to compose herself so she could actually speak, it occurred to her that she must look like some wild woman of the forest. She had rosy cheeks, mad hair, sweat beading across her forehead, wide eyes from the exertion, slashed legs from the brambles, and clothes covered in lichen and fuzzy burs that clung like Velcro. Lisa brushed herself off and adjusted her hair in an attempt to look saner than she felt. ‘Have … Have you seen a black Labrador … anywhere, please?’ she finally implored.

  The woman looked at her, reading the words ‘Lisa Blake, the purrfect pet sitter!’ emblazoned on her T-shirt.

  ‘He slipped his collar!’ Lisa provided, registering the look of disdain in the woman’s eyes, as she waved her hand to reveal the dog-less collar and lead she still held there.

  The woman gave a judgmental ‘Hmmm,’ before softening slightly. ‘Black Lab, you say?’

  ‘YES!’ Lisa burst with relief.

  ‘Grey beard? Wonky eyes?’

  ‘YES! YES! Oh, that’s him!’

  ‘Lovely dog.’

  ‘Yes! Where is he?’ Lisa felt ready to shake the information out of the woman if she didn’t answer soon.

  The couple looked at their watches before the man added, ‘Must have been five or so minutes ago now.’

  ‘Moving on more for ten, I’d say.’

  Lisa looked between the man and the woman in disbelief, trying hard to ignore her growing temptation to grab their walking poles and use them to extricate the information from them; she tucked her hands behind her back.

  ‘He’s just over there at the kiosk.’

  ‘What? Where? Where’s the kiosk from here?’ Lisa realised she was now jogging on the spot ready to go as soon as she knew where.

  ‘Just round that bend,’ they finally offered, pointing in unison along the path they had just walked along.

  ‘Thank you! Thank you!’ The burn in her legs having dissipated with the thought of getting Jack back, Lisa gave both of the walkers an unexpected kiss on the cheek and sprinted in the direction they had pointed.

  Finally, seeing the grassy picnic area and car park, Lisa fixed her eyes on the little tea kiosk. ‘Jack! Jack! Come back, Jack!’ Tears stung at her eyes when she couldn’t see him. She really didn’t want to return to Winnie without Jack, as it would almost certainly finish her off to lose him. He had to still be there. As she cornered the wooden hut relief flooded through her. He was there! Wagging his tail and looking thoroughly cheeky, just as she imagined and hoped he would be! But he wasn’t looking out expectantly for her; in fact, he barely noticed her approaching. He was too busy being fed a bacon butty by one of the bikers who used the picnic area and tea kiosk as a regular stop off.

  Suddenly hit by the emotion of finding Jack, Lisa’s voice cracked and sounded weak, ‘Jack, Jack.’

  As she reached out for the dog the leather-clad man stood up. ‘All right, Rose, calm yourself.’

  Confused Lisa met his gaze. ‘What?’

  ‘You were calling Jack so desperately there I thought you must be Rose.’

  Lisa glared. She didn’t know what he was referring to.

  ‘Jack, Rose … Titanic … the film. You must have seen it.’

  Finally the penny dropped. Cheeky sod. This was no time to make jokes. Though Lisa conceded her lungs felt so constricted from the run she might as well have been drowning on the bloody Titanic.

  ‘You’ve got my dog.’ She blurted the words more curtly than she intended.

  The man raised his eyebrows and placed a protective hand on Jack. ‘Funny that, he seems to want to be with me and he has no collar. Are you sure he’s yours?’

  Lisa looked at the smirk tugging at his lips and his way-too-cheeky-for-the-situation eyes. She was in no mood for games, she had left her patience somewhere back in the forest. ‘Look, this is his collar. He’s called Jack. Now, please, can I just have him?’

  Jack wiggled back between the man’s legs. Judas! Lisa looked at his little cross-eyed face, the picture of innocence, and let out an exasperated squeal.

  ‘Here …’ The man’s expression softened as he smiled, and gestured to take the collar and lead. Lisa reluctantly handed it over, watching as he slipped the collar round Jack’s neck and pulled it a little tighter to ensure it stayed in place. As the man checked the clip on the lead he paused to read Jack’s identity tag before unleashing a full-on smile at Lisa and standing up. ‘Then you must be Winifred Adams. Nice to meet you, Winifred.’

  Lisa looked at his outstretched hand. Oh for goodness’ sake! ‘No … I’m—’

  With a puzzled expression he withdrew his hand. ‘But you said—’

  ‘I’m … I’m Jack’s pet sitter,’ Lisa muttered, embarrassed at how unprofessional she appeared.

  ‘His what?’ The man shot back, not bothering to stifle his giggle.

  ‘Pet sitter, dog walker, you know.’ Lisa pointed at the words across her T-shirt and blushed even more at the fact she was pointing at her still heaving chest. Moving her hand she added, ‘I’m Lisa Blake.’

  ‘“The purrfect pet sitter” indeed,’ he said with a laugh as he passed over Jack’s lead.