Yeah, well, herbodymight get used to it, but her taste buds hadn’t: every time she saw cake, chocolate, crisps, bread (the list of things she couldn’t have was endless), her mouth watered and she was hit by an intense craving that she had to battle hard to resist. So far she’d managed it, but it hadn’t been easy, and she had a feeling it wasn’t going to get any better. Being here was taking her mind off her cravings though, because how could she think about sweet food when she had a sweet pup to concentrate on and a not-so-sweet baker to oust?
Jakob took one look at the pair of them and sighed loudly. The poor man seemed to be sighing an awful lot, and she suspected she and Elijah were to blame.
‘I hope you’re not going to give me grief?’ he warned, looking from one to the other.
Nora shook her head vigorously as Elijah said, ‘I just want to give Biscuit the opportunity to get used to me.’
‘So do I,’ Nora stated, in case Jakob had forgotten why she was there.
Jakob didn’t look convinced. ‘Should I give you time slots?’
Actually, Norawouldprefer to see Biscuit on her own, but she also wanted to see how Biscuit interacted with Elijah, so she quickly leapt in with, ‘I’m sure that won’t be necessary. We’re both adults, after all.’ She caught a flash of a scowl on her rival’s face and suppressed a smirk.
‘I was hoping I could take him for a walk,’ Elijah said. ‘A big dog like him needs a lot of exercise.’ His sideways glance at her was pointed.
‘That’s just what I was going to say,’ Nora fibbed.
‘We could take him together?’ Elijah suggested, and Nora narrowed her eyes. He was up to something, but she wasn’t sure what.
‘Maybe next time,’ Jakob said. ‘You can take him to the exercise field instead. It’s secure, so you can let him off. He likes playing fetch.’
When Elijah’s face fell, Nora guessed he’d been hoping to out-walk her, to go so fast that she’d soon be out-paced and left behind, and she shot Jakob a grateful smile. When Jakob didn’t respond, she realised he hadn’t vetoed the walk forherbenefit. He’d done it because he didn’t trust them.
Oh, dear, that didn’t bode well for her or for Elijah, if Jakob didn’t think either of them was capable of looking after the dog they were hoping to adopt.
‘Good idea,’ she said. ‘It’ll let him get used to me first, before I take him out.’
‘Getyouused to how strongheis,’ Elijah countered. ‘I reckon you’ll struggle to hold him.’
Nora gave him a scathing look. ‘I’ve probably got a better chance of holding him than you.’ She flexed her arm, showing off a muscle that she didn’t actually have or if she did, it was hidden by a pudgy covering of flesh. Still, she was confidentshe’dbe able to control the dog, and Mr Weedywouldn’t. He didn’t look as though he’d be able to hold a Chihuahua back.
‘Actually, Biscuit walks nicely on the lead,’ Jakob told them. ‘He’s very well-mannered.’
Nora had a feeling he thoughttheyweren’t, but was too polite to say.
‘I’ll bring him over to the exercise field for you,’ he told them, his tone brooking no argument.
Nora replied brightly, ‘Great, we’ll see you there.’ She was determined to prove that she, for one, could play nice. If Elijah couldn’t, that was his lookout and it wouldn’t do him any favours in the long run.
After Jakob pointed out where they needed to go, Nora didn’t wait for Elijah but headed off at a rate of knots.
After a brief pause, he caught up and fell into step. ‘Dogs can sense emotions, you know,’ he said.
‘Is that your thought for the day?’
‘Just saying.’
‘No need. I was already aware of that pearl of wisdom. I’ve had dogs in the past.’
He looked crestfallen. ‘You’re an experienced dog owner, then?’
‘Experienced-ish.’ She wanted to lie, but feared Jakob might let the cat out of the bag.
‘What do you mean,ish?’’
‘I had a dog when I was a child.’
‘Ah…’ Elijah nodded sagely, and she had a brief surge of one-upmanship until he followed it with, ‘Soyour parentslooked after it. Isee.’
