“Oh, come on,” Archie bellows, laughing.
“An emoji?”Finn arches an eyebrow. “Millie is clearly rubbing off on you, lad.”
I swallow hard, thinking about her again. Which brings my mind back around to Fergie and my bigger problem at hand.
Unfortunately, no former pet sitter has come forward to do me this favour, even with the generous compensation, and my parents are out of the question. They’re currently off enjoying a three-month cruise—a Christmas gift from my brother Alec and me. As for Alec, he’s no help either. Even if my brother did want to watch Fergie, he’s currently in Australia, making the most of the mild weather as he preps for his upcoming Formula 1 season.
Which means I’ll just have to find someone new. Again.
Before I resort to scrolling through the pet sitting app for strangers, any of whom would probably quit after one visit, I step into one of the empty side rooms and call Roberta, the only former sitter I haven’t texted. She’s an older lady and doesn’t do text messages.
“Hello?” she says, her voice warm and a little breathy.
“Hi, Roberta. How are you doing? It’s Callum Murray.”
“Right, dear. I’m well. How are you?”
“I’m okay. I just have a bit of a situation here, and I was wondering if you could watch Fergie for me tomorrow night?” I wince, already regretting how abrupt I sound. “It would really help me out.”
“Oh, I wish I could,” she says with a sigh. “But I just had a hip replacement.”
Of course. I close my eyes briefly, jaw tightening. “I’m so sorry to hear that, Roberta. I hope you get well soon.”
“I do wish I could help,” she continues. “How is he?”
“Oh, Fergie is good. Still the same, you know? Anyway, I’m at work, so I’ve got to go. But have a nice day, eh?”
“You too. Bye now.”
I sink into a chair, my head falling into my hands.
“Are you okay? Is Fergie?” Millie asks. She’s poking her head through the door, her brows knit with concern. “I heard you say his name.”
I breathe out a tired chuckle and lift my gaze to her. “When’s the wedding? I swear that’s where this is going.”
She laughs, and I hate the way it makes my heart race.
“I could do worse, trust me,” she says, her tone dipping into something more thoughtful. “Actually, Ihavedone worse.”
I frown, half wanting to ask her what happened with that dunderheid, and half scorning myself for even wanting to ask that question.
“So, what’s up?” she asks.
I rake a hand through my hair. “Nothing. Just a typical Tuesday. Another pet sitter quit on me.”
Her face softens. “Oh, I’m sorry. Do you have someone watching him all day?”
“Naw, he’s fine alone for the day. It’s just nights, when we have away matches. And, well, he’s not the most, um, pleasant company. So I’ve been having trouble finding someone who’ll stick around. Anyway, I’d better get back to it. I need to find someone before tomorrow, and I have tactical drills in ten minutes.”
“I’ll watch him,” she blurts out, taking me by surprise.
I blink back at her. “What?”
“I’ll come to your place and watch Fergie. I’m not planning to attend the away matches, so I don’t mind.”
I frown, settling into the idea. “Are you sure?”
She nods eagerly. “Absolutely. He likes me, and I like him. We’ll have fun.”
