‘In a good or bad way?’ I joked.
‘Definitely a good way. I don’t think I’m going to be ready to go home at the weekend.’
‘Then don’t. We all love you being here. Stay here for three weeks, a month, forever…’
‘There’s something about this place,’ she said. ‘I should be worried. I haven’t got a job and I’m in unrequited love with one of my best friends yet I feel so calm here.’
‘Which is why you definitely need to stay for longer.’
We remained where we were, chatting about the events of the day, until we felt a few light spots of rain in the air. As we didn’t have our waterproofs on, we decided it was time to retreat indoors.
‘Would you mind going ahead with the dogs?’ I said. ‘There’s something I want to do first. I won’t be long.’
As Jude, Nova and Skye disappeared from view, I walked over to Barn View and stood with my back to the field, looking down over the farm buildings and the pastures beyond them.
‘Thank you for bringing Rowan and Hazel to us,’ I said. ‘I have another request. Please can you bring me an explanation for Laurie leaving so I can release my fears and move on? I’d be so grateful if you could.’
A light breeze ruffled my hair.
‘I’ll take that as a yes,’ I whispered. ‘Thank you.’
And by move on, I mean with a certain vet–farrier–blacksmith–gardener–raspberry juice maker. Please.
41
I was up extra early on Tuesday morning, excited about the arrival of our cows and anxious to see how Rowan and Hazel were faring. When I arrived at the stables, Caleb was already there, watching them over the stable doors. His warm smile made me feel all funny inside.
‘They’re doing great,’ he said as I joined him. ‘I checked on them a couple of times during the night.’
‘You must be shattered.’
‘It was worth it. They’re both made of strong stuff.’
‘I still can’t get my head around someone abandoning Rowan. What sort of person does that?’
Caleb shrugged. ‘Finances are usually a big reason, but there’s also lack of time, not realising how big a commitment it is, a change in circumstances. I’m not saying any of those are acceptable reasons for just dumping an animal but I do think some people get desperate.’
‘But surely contacting a rescue centre is better than just abandoning the animal?’
‘Sometimes they’ll already have tried legitimate channels but without success – a rescue centre that’s already beyond capacity,for example – and they don’t know what else to do. I’m not condoning that either, but desperate people do desperate things. And sometimes people who aren’t desperate do stupid, selfish things like the Garstangs tying Scampi to the tap.’
‘I still can’t believe they did that. It’s horrendous.’
‘I agree, but at least I was able to give him a happy, loving home and you can do the same for Rowan and Hazel.’
He straightened up and stretched out his back. ‘I should get back and see if I can grab another hour’s kip before work. What time are the cows getting here?’
‘I spoke to Paula last night and they’re aiming for eleven. Are you still okay to check them over this afternoon?’
Even though Scotland had achieved bovine OTF status – Officially Tuberculosis Free – we still needed to undertake post-movement TB testing. The rules were to do that within a 60–120-day window after their arrival so Caleb was just doing visual checks today, making sure their hooves were trimmed and that there were no obvious indicators of concern. He’d also be doing some tests on Rowan to ensure she was disease-free.
‘I’ll come back around mid-afternoon,’ Caleb said. ‘We should have Rowan’s results back by the weekend. Are you excited about the cows coming?’
‘I can’t wait. Everything’s ready for them.’
‘Hope it all goes well. See you later.’
Caleb left the stables and I stayed watching Rowan and Hazel for a while before seeing to the horses.
