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Walking toward the largest of the oak trees on the edge of the water, Storm kept close to Frankie’s side. A few moments later, there was the sound of frantic barking and suddenly Toffee appeared, leaping over a fallen tree and racing toward Frankie. The excitable Toffee turned in happy circles as Frankie stopped to pet her. Then, with wagging tails, Toffee and Storm gave each other a good sniff.

In the distance Frankie could hear someone shouting Toffee’s name; Jay. Right enough, a few seconds later he came into view, slowing his run when he realised Toffee was safe.

‘Wow, she gave me a fright,’ Jay said, still a little out of breath as he reached them. ‘One minute she was paddling in the shallows and the next, she was gone!’

‘She must have heard us.’ Frankie gave the cockapoo a treat from her pocket.

‘How are you?’ Jay asked.

‘Good, thanks. You?’

‘Yeah, great.’ He bent down to put Toffee’s lead back on. ‘I’ve still to check out that new bookstore. But I figured, I’m here for a while, I don’t want to peak too early.’ He smiled up at Frankie from under the curtain of blond hair hanging over his eyes and he looked just like the Jay she remembered and her heart seemed to fracture into a hundred pieces inside her chest.

‘Yeah,’ Frankie agreed, pleased her voice sounded normal. ‘Start slow, work up to it.’

Jay stood up and they looked at each other for a moment until Jay broke the silence.

‘I’m sorry, Frankie.’

So much was conveyed in those words. Frankie didn’t know what to say.

‘For leaving the way I did and not getting in touch. The things I said…’ He paused to take a breath. ‘I know I have so much to explain, I’m not sure where to begin.’

Frankie adjusted her woolly hat a little. ‘Well, if you’re here for a while, you don’t want to peak too early.’

‘Start slow? Work up to it?’ he asked.

‘Something like that.’

This seemed to satisfy Jay and he gave her a little half smile.

Frankie brandished her roll of poo bags. ‘Anyway, I’d best be off as I have a couple of dogs on a date and I need to play chaperone, and they seem to have romped off together.’

‘Dogs on a date?’ Jay gave her a bemused look.

‘Long story.’

‘Maybe you can tell me another time?’

‘Maybe.’ Frankie tried to ignore the way her heart gave a little jump at the possibility of seeing him again.

Jay made to move away but Toffee was determined to stay next to Storm who had now lain down in the long grass.

‘Come on,’ Jay said encouragingly but Toffee refused to budge.

‘Toffee adores Storm,’ Frankie said, ruffling both dog’s ears as Storm panted happily.

‘This is Storm?’ Jay asked in delight. ‘The one we…’

‘Yup.’ Frankie nodded and Jay bent down to the retriever.

‘Hello, Storm, you’re a gorgeous girl, aren’t you?’ Storm flopped over onto her side and raised her front paw to get her tummy rubbed. ‘I was there when you were born.’

Storm sniffed Jay’s hand and gave him a languorous lick.

‘That was some night.’

‘Yeah,’ Frankie agreed. But before either could say anything more, Toffee gave a bark and started running toward something that had caught her attention, pulling Jay with her.