Page 80 of The Second Chance Supper Club

Just as Cath felt like sinking into an emotional heap, ready to have to drag herself back to the village empty-handed, she spotted a figure coming towards her over the field. A male figure … God, she hoped they hadn’t had to call Dan out from the family afternoon, or something. As he neared, from the dark hair, familiar trim profile, and the way he walked purposefully, she realised it was Will. That was a better scenario, but still made her feel emotionally unsteady.

‘Any luck?’ she asked as he approached.

‘No, sorry … you?’

Her heart sank a little further. ‘No.’

‘Where did you last see her?’

‘Over there, heading into the next field and away. I didn’t know a Westie could run that bloody fast. I got to the fence there.’ She pointed to the far end of the field. ‘But there was nothing.’

‘Okay, I’ll go have another check further that way …’

‘And I’ll keep calling, and searching this way.’

After ten more minutes, they decided it was time to head back. If they’d had no luck between them so far – and Lily and Nikki had confirmed no sightings in the village as yet – then they’d now need to involve Andreas and Dan. Whilst reluctant to further spoil their difficult weekend, Cath understood that Shirley’s owners might have more idea of where she might be, and a better chance of getting her back.

Cath felt dreadful turning up at the family gathering. Dan was full of cheery ‘hellos’, but then when she and Will took him aside to explain, and with Andreas soon joining him, the atmosphere plummeted.

‘Oh no, not Shirley,’ Dan exclaimed.

‘What, what’s up now?’ Andreas was over.

‘She’s gone missing … off in the fields by the river. I’m so sorry.’ Cath was apologetic and honest.

‘But how?’

‘Cath let her off the lead,’ Dan explained.

‘Oh, for Christ’s sake, that’s all we need.’ Andreas turned to Cath, his tone sharp, eyes stone-cold. ‘How could you have been so bloody stupid? She’s a terrier, she goes hunting.’

The roomful of family guests were now looking at them.

Cath felt like shrinking.

‘I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, lads. I didn’t think.’ ‘Too bloody right.’ Andreas’s anger spilled over.

‘Well, let’s get a search party together …’ Dan started thinking practically.

‘We’ve already been looking …’ Will explained further. ‘It’s been over forty minutes now,’ he confessed on Cath’s mortified behalf.

Andreas and Dan paled.

A village search ensued for the wayward white Westie. Dan also thought to post a message on the shop’s Facebook page: ‘Missing dog, white West Highland Terrier, Shirley …’

Cath felt absolutely terrible. And after Andreas’s outburst, even Will was looking at her as though she’d got it all wrong again. Lily and Nikki had arrived back from their hunting mission too, and were standing in the family-and-friends fallout zone, which had gathered outside the shop. Swiftly, they all turned their energies back to the search, with the focus off Cath for now at least.

She felt at such a low point. The lads were rightfully annoyed with her, her supper club friends disappointed in her, the dog was still missing and at peril, and she was damned angry with herself at being such a crap dog walker … and a stupid selfish teen … and, oh, there were such heavy layers of sadness within her at Maria’s recent passing.

An hour later, and re-grouped back outside the shop once more, still no Shirley. Cath couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. Will told her to go on home, and get herself a cup of tea, saying they’d still keep a core of the search party going. Dan nodded in agreement that she should go, and Andreas still couldn’t find it in himself to speak with her. They all thought they’d be better off without her, and she couldn’t blame them.

Chapter 46

Back at home, the cup of tea tasted like dishwater, and she felt dreadful, blaming herself for being inept, and along with seemingly everybody else, bloody annoyed with herself. How could she have been so stupid as to imagine it was okay to let the little dog off the lead? Okay, so she’d seen the lads do that occasionally in the past, but they were Shirley’s owners. The message she’d been longing for came in a half hour later … finally. She was almost too afraid to open the WhatsApp from Dan. But there they were, the best words ever …

She’s back at last. Search over. Phew. She’s muddy, knackered, but fine.

Ah, thank God.