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Frankie whirled around. She hadn’t heard her sister come over. Despite all her huffing and puffing about feeling cumbersome and uncomfortable, Valentina could still move like a ninja when it suited her.

‘I’m Valentina, Frankie’s sister.’

‘I’m Ben. Nice to meet you.’

‘Come on in!’ Valentina said, and Ben obliged, limberly vaulting over the gate. They all walked over to the barn.

Rocco had gotten to his feet and he introduced himself. ‘Beer?’ he asked, raising his own bottle as Valentina settled back onto her seat, focusing once again on her clipboard.

‘Are you sure you don’t mind me gate-crashing?’ Ben said to Frankie.

‘Of course I don’t,’ she said, realising she meant it. ‘And if you’re very good I’ll even give you a Bonio.’

* * *

The yapping bark of Lola finally faded as her owner drove away from Frankie’s barn.

‘Here ends the first successful class of Canine Cupids Christmas Club!’ Valentina said, raising her mug of peppermint tea.

‘Was it successful? I mean, how can you tell?’ Rocco asked as he swigged the end of his beer. ‘And it’s not quite finished, we’ve still got Bruno.’

Hearing his name, the boxer got up from lying at Rocco’s side and placed his big jowly head on Rocco’s thigh.

‘His owner said she might be a bit late collecting him.’ Frankie picked up the remains of a half-chewed rosette. For her, success was that no dogs had a fight, none ran off, and they all stayed outside so there were no puddles in the house to mop up. Frankie had also taken screeds of notes on which dogs liked each other and who ignored who. ‘I now have to put all these notes into some sort of order and start taking them out in smaller groups.’

‘I can do a spreadsheet,’ Valentina said, standing up. She turned to Rocco. ‘I’m off home, want a lift, Hopalong?’

‘Go on.’ With a final pat of Bruno’s head, Rocco got to his feet and limped after Valentina.

‘I hope you don’t think I’m being rude not offering you a lift,’ Valentina shouted over to Ben when she got to her car, ‘but I think my sister could benefit being in the company of someone that’s neither family, nor sits, begs and rolls over for bits of cheese.’

Feeling slightly awkward at this unashamed matchmaking Frankie turned to Ben with an embarrassed shrug.

He winked. ‘Your sister clearly doesn’t know how much I love cheese and the lengths I’d go to get some.’

Frankie and Ben spent the next few minutes clearing up the discarded rosettes and collecting the water bowls and had just finished when Alison drove up and parked on the other side of the gate. Bruno bounded over, easily clearing the gate in one leap, bottom waggling in happiness at seeing his human.

‘How did it go?’ Alison asked as Frankie walked over to chat.

‘Chaos, but fun.’

‘Did Bruno meet anyone?’

When Frankie hesitated, Alison shook her head and gave her dog a compassionate look. ‘Let me guess, he didn’t mingle?’

‘He didn’t, but it was very busy. I’m going to bring him along on a couple of group walks.’

‘Thank you.’ Alison gave a little laugh. ‘I can’t believe I’m putting so much faith in him picking a potential future soulmate for me.’

‘He might not be as intimidated if it’s smaller numbers.’

‘Or he could just be a bit of a loner, like me. Come on, Bruno,’ Alison called as she opened the car door so he could jump in.

Bruno went inside and rested his chin on the back seat, looking out the window at Frankie as Alison drove off.

‘Speaking of dates,’ Ben said, walking up to Frankie, ‘I was wondering if you fancied going on one with me? Drinks?’

For as long as she could remember, Frankie’s knee-jerk reaction to anything remotely resembling a date was a resolute no, but as she scrabbled around for an excuse Ben carried on.