Ryan thought about the way Grace’s face lit up whenever she looked at the little dog. He wondered if she realised she’d fallen head over heels for the daft canine.
When the vet had scanned Stanley and failed to find a microchip that would provide details of ownership, Ryan hadn’t missed the look of relief that had flashed across her face, and when they’d arrived at the dreadful boarding kennels, he was sure the lacklustre conditions they’d encountered there had simply provided Grace with the good excuse she’d needed in order to hold on to Stanley for a little longer.
He had no idea how the dog warden would react to Grace’s determination to keep Stanley in her care for the time being, but Ryan was touched by her desire to do the right thing by the dog and make sure it was being properly looked after. Offering to help by looking after Stanley for the day was the least he could do in the face of her compassionate act for the scrappy stray dog.
Although quite how she planned to look after the animal after today remained a mystery to him. From what she’d already told him, Grace was completely committed to, and passionate about, her career at the hotel where she worked, and it didn’t sound like the sort of job where flexible working-from-home was possible.
Which was why Ryan had known from the moment they’d scarpered from the awful boarding kennels that if Grace was committing to looking after Stanley, then that meanthewas committing to looking after him, too.
It was impossible not to think of the obligation he’d stumbled into without a smile spreading across his face. The little dog was full of character and fun and charm, and he was amused as he watched the animal scooting around the kitchen and diningarea, poking his nose into every nook and cranny and wagging his tail non-stop.
He couldn’t help smiling when he thought about the look of sheer gratitude on Grace’s face when he’d offered to look after Stanley today. He was glad to help out and do his bit in aid of the stray mutt, and the warm expression Grace had favoured him with when she’d accepted his help was a welcome bonus.
“So,” his grandmother said, interrupting his thoughts. “If we’re not going out for lunch today so that we can keep an eye on this rascal, then perhaps I’ll use the opportunity to make my famous beef bourguignon for dinner tonight. I’d hoped to enjoy a day pottering around here in your beautiful kitchen, Ryan, so perhaps that day ought to be today?”
“That’s a great idea, Grandma,” he said, already anticipating the delicious stew which was one of his grandmother’s many culinary specialities. After yesterday’s balmy midsummer heat, today had turned cooler and greyer, and beef stew would be the perfect meal for later. “If you feel up to some exercise, we could wander over to the high street and pick up the ingredients you need.”
“I feel more than up to some exercise and shall enjoy the walk. Let me make a quick shopping list and that way I won’t forget anything and have to send you back out again once I’ve already started cooking.”
“We’ll take Stanley with us,” Ryan said. “I don’t want to leave him here alone after all the upheavals and comings and goings he’s had going on since last night, and I’m sure he’ll enjoy the stroll.”
It occurred to him that it would be a good opportunity to buy some supplies for the dog, too. There was a pet shop on the high street, and although Ryan had never had any cause to shop there, he remembered from their window display that they seemed to stock a wide range of items for domestic pets.
He’d need food, bowls, and maybe a few toys for the dog to enjoy. As he watched Stanley sniffing around the dining area before turning in a circle three times and plonking himself on the floor beside the sofa along the far wall, Ryan realised he probably ought to buy a bed for the creature, too.
Ten minutes later, his grandmother had completed her list of ingredients after surveying Ryan’s cupboards to check what stocks he already had to hand. Anticipating a trip outside, Stanley rushed to the front door and sat waiting patiently for his lead to be reattached to his collar.
“He’s a good little soul, from what we’ve seen so far,” Miriam commented as she pulled on a light jacket and tucked her handbag over her shoulder. “Judging by his lovely and polite behaviour, I feel sure there must be someone out there who sorely misses this dog.”
“Maybe, although the fact he had no microchip and no collar makes me wonder how much any owner must have cared about his safety. Anyway, once Grace talks to the dog warden again and hopefully gets him to agree to her keeping the dog for the statutory period required to allow any owner to come forward and claim him, I suspect she’ll have to supply some photographs of the dog to help identify the owner, and then it will just be a matter of waiting.”
Miriam ruffled Stanley’s head as they all headed out of the house. “Well, Stanley, we don’t know how you ended up lost in the first place, but you’d better not run away once we set off on our shopping trip, because I’m not up to the challenge of chasing you down.”
She laughed as she said it, but Ryan heard the tone beneath his grandmother’s words. “Are you feeling okay today, Grandma?”
“I feel fine and I’m looking forward to our little jaunt to the high street. But running after a loose dog is, I’m afraid, beyondme now thanks to all that awful cancer treatment. I was just making a silly joke.”
Ryan knew that the treatments Miriam had endured had taken a heavy toll, and that her energy levels weren’t where they once were. Until the diagnosis, it had been easy to forget that his grandmother was in her late seventies thanks to her busy and active lifestyle. She’d always been on the go, socialising with friends and getting involved in any number of activities.
It was only three years ago that she’d completed a five thousand metre charity run after taking up the sport late in life. Even after the crushing blow of losing her husband, Ryan’s beloved grandfather, Miriam had faced the loss with bravery and sensibly maintained the active life that helped give her some respite from the grief.
When Miriam had crossed the finish line in that charity run, Ryan had been there to cheer her on, proud that his amazing grandmother had taken on such an immense challenge. After the physical and medical traumas of the last year, however, he knew that such a remarkable feat would be impossible for her to tackle now.
For someone like his grandmother, whose passion for life had always been insatiable, it must be hard to accept limits where there had been none before.
His thoughts must have betrayed him, because his grandmother gave him a look and a playful slap on the arm.
“Now, don’t go worrying yourself about me, Ryan,” she insisted. “I’m absolutely fine. So what if I can’t go dashing down the street anymore? It’s no great loss. I’m perfectly content doing the things I am doing, including enjoying spending this precious time with my wonderful grandson—who, I would imagine, is perfectly capable of running after that little scrap of a dog should he slip his lead. I’m sure you wouldn’t need me in such an emergency.”
“I’ll always need you, Grandma, whether I’m in an emergency or not,” he said, giving her a quick hug as he locked the front door.
“You’re a sweet boy to say that,” she replied, obviously pleased with the affectionate words. “Remind me again why you are still single, when you are so sweet and kind?”
“And on that note, I think it’s time to get this shopping trip underway.”
Miriam laughed at his easy sidestep around the question he’d asked, although knowing his grandmother, she would circle back to the subject in due course, time and again. It peeved her to see her grandson still alone at this point in his life, despite Ryan’s repeated attempts to convince her that it was entirely by choice.
With the cheerful Stanley trotting along between them and looking cute, Ryan was relieved when his grandmother’s attentions returned to the dog, and she soon began a commentary on how lovely the little town of Hamblehurst was as they turned along Foxglove Street on their way to the high street at the other end. Miriam commented on the pretty front gardens and the lovely houses they passed, commending Ryan on choosing to live here in the bucolic South Downs town, where life moved at a slower pace.
