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‘It’s fine,’ Tasha said. ‘I’m just not used to them, that’s all. I’m not really an animal person.’ She pulled a face as soon as the words left her mouth. ‘Oh God, I sound just like my mother.’ What on earth had possessed her to say that? She didn’t really know these people and here she was volunteering personal information. They’d just been so open and friendly over dinner that it would be easy to start seeing them as friends rather than her employers. She’d have to be a bit more careful about that.
Hope laughed. ‘It happens to us all, so you might as well get used to it.’
She didn’t seem offended about Tasha’s rejection of dogs, but still, she’d better try and smooth things over just in case. ‘It’s not that I dislike animals, just that we didn’t have any pets at home so I’m not used to being around them.’ Her mother had put the kibosh on Tasha and Danni wanting a kitten, going on and on about fleas and hair and mess everywhere. No amount of tears and begging had done any good so they’d soon stopped trying.
‘We tend to forget that not every family is the same,’ Hope said, her smile kind and reassuring. ‘I can see that it’d be a bit much if you’re not used to them. I’ll make sure I keep my gate closed so the boys won’t bother you.’
The more she tried to reassure Tasha, the worse Tasha felt. She’d only been there a few hours and already they were feeling they had to change things to suit her. ‘Don’t go to any trouble on my part, honestly. I’m a new face so they’re bound to be curious. I’m sure we’ll get used to each other soon enough.’
‘That’s good of you to say. Look, I’m going to take them for a run around so they can burn off a bit of energy. They’ll be much calmer for the walk back. I’ll meet you just outside the gate in a few minutes.’
‘I’ll come with you,’ Ben said, his little Dalmatian zipped into the front of his coat so only the puppy’s face was peeking out. ‘Nice to meet you, Tasha.’
‘You too, bye.’ Tasha couldn’t help staring after the pair. There’d been a vibe around the table, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. ‘Are they full siblings?’ She hadn’t meant to say it out loud. The question had just occurred to her. ‘Sorry, that’s none of my business.’
‘I’d always rather you asked me directly when it comes to anything to do with my family,’ Rhys replied in a serious tone. ‘We’ve had too many secrets at Juniper Meadows for far too long.’
Tasha wasn’t sure what to make of that cryptic comment, so she decided to ignore it. ‘As I said, it’s really none of my business. And please don’t worry that I’ll go gossiping or prying for information behind anyone’s back.’ If they chose to volunteer information, that was one thing, but she would not go out of her way to get it and that included asking personal questions.
‘I appreciate that. Hope and Ben have the same parents, but they weren’t raised together. There was a very nasty break-up and Stevie had to make some impossible decisions for what she thought was best for both of them. Hope and I didn’t even know Ben existed until last year.’
His candidness surprised her, but perhaps he was just one of those odd people who happily lived their lives as an open book. Or perhaps it was Tasha who was the odd one and working somewhere as competitive as SJW had trained her to keep her guard up.
If she wanted to fit in at Juniper Meadows, she’d need to adjust to a more relaxed way of doing things. She kept her eyes on Hope and Ben even after they disappeared into the darkness, the bobbing light from their torches swallowed by the night as she wondered what to say. In the end she went for a simple truth. ‘My sister Danni is my favourite person in all the world. I can’t begin to imagine not having had her around me every day.’
‘Hope has always been that person for me.’
Why, oh, why had she chosen to continue this conversation? I should’ve kept my big mouth shut. Still, there was something in his tone and Tasha couldn’t resist looking up to find him watching her with an unreadable expression. She wanted to say goodnight and make a dash for the gate, but there was no sign of Hope’s return and it would be even more awkward to hang around in the dark waiting. Even though she’d promised herself she wouldn’t pry, Rhys Travers was too damn interesting and she found herself wanting to know more. If he and Hope had grown up together then how hard must it be for him to have Ben show up and claim that place at Hope’s side? ‘You and Ben seem to get on very well,’ she said, cautiously. There. She hadn’t asked a question, had she? No promises broken.
Rhys laughed. ‘You don’t have to feel sorry for me, Tasha. I’m a big boy and the way I see it, I’ve got a brother as well as a sister now.’
Right, that was more than enough sharing for one evening. Tasha reached out to pet the little dachshund Rhys was holding. Delilah lifted her head into the touch and Tasha delighted in the velvet softness of her fur. ‘She’s lovely.’
‘She’s a spoiled princess,’ Rhys said with a laugh. ‘But that’s entirely my fault.’
Samson was sitting next to Rhys’s leg, his head was up as though he was paying attention to their conversation, but he made no move towards Tasha. ‘Is he okay to pet?’
‘Samson is a working dog, but he’s as good as gold. Best to offer him your hand and let him come to you, though.’
‘Okay.’ Tasha extended her fingers. Samson looked at her hand for a long moment before tilting his head to stare up at Rhys. Only once he got a nod did he stand up and move closer. He sniffed her hand, extended his tongue to give her fingers a lick that made her giggle, then circled around her legs a couple of times before settling on his haunches, his head pressed against her knee. Moving gently, Tasha ran her fingers over his much coarser fur. ‘You’ve got him so well trained.’
‘Can’t afford to be any other way with a working dog, not when he’s around livestock.’
Tasha nodded because it made sense. ‘They seem an odd pairing, if you don’t mind me saying.’
Rhys laughed again. ‘Delilah kind of found her way to us. There was a lovely lady called Hilda who lived in the village. She used to stand at her window every morning when we walked to school, and Hope and I started waving to her one day. She waved back and then it became a thing, all the way through from when we were at primary until we finished at the comprehensive in town, because we still walked past every day to catch the bus. On the last day of school, I realised I wouldn’t get to wave at her again so I went and knocked on her door and said hello. She invited me in and we talked for ages, all about her life. Her sweetheart was killed in the Second World War, and she never married. She said she’d always wanted children, but she’d never got over the loss of that first love. I began to visit her regularly after that because at the end of the day the most precious thing we can give another person is our time.’
‘I’m sure it must’ve meant the world to her the first time you knocked on her door.’ Tasha wondered what had made him do it, because she couldn’t imagine it occurring to a lot of teenage boys. She thought then about the way Zap had gone out of his way to make her feel at home, the obvious affection between not just him and his son but the whole family. Rhys had done it because it was the right thing to do.
Rhys raised his shoulders as though it was no big deal. ‘I used to pop in once or twice a month for afternoon tea, but eventually Hilda became too frail to manage on her own and she moved into a care home in town. Delilah was the latest in a long line of dogs and when Hilda wasn’t allowed to take her, I promised to look after her. I still saw Hilda, but less frequently, and she passed away a couple of years ago.’ He cuddled Delilah close to his chest. ‘I suppose that’s why I’ve always pampered this little madam, to keep that promise I made.’
Decent. That was the word that came to mind as she watched this big man holding the tiny dog in such gentle hands. Rhys Travers was a thoroughly decent person. It made Tasha even more determined to do her best for him over the coming weeks. ‘What time do you want to meet tomorrow?’
‘I’ve got chores around the farm that I’ll have to do first, but I should be available from around 8a.m.’
Goodness, what time did he get up? ‘Eight works for me. Where is your office?’
‘In the back of the barn, but you probably won’t want to meet me there. I’ll bring everything I’ve got to do with the campsite and drop it off with you if that’s okay?’ He pulled a face. ‘I’m afraid my filing skills aren’t what they could be.’
