Page 89 of Love like the (Real) Reel Thing
What did it matter? If he wanted to get stuck in, she’d leave him to it. Excellent – she could forget about him now. A few moments later, she slipped off the headphones. They were still there. She sighed and got to her feet – she should see what wasgoing on. Not that she cared even slightly about Adam, she told herself firmly. This was about Spencer’s dog.
She stepped out of her office just in time to see Adam and the dog disappear out the front door. Gerry, Snuggles’ minder, looked ashen as he met her eyes.
“What happened?” Jess asked.
“I left him in his room in the basement for a nap after our walk.” Gerry swallowed hard. “I don’t know how he got out but he managed to get into the brownies one of the chefs made for tomorrow. You know how dangerous that is to a dog.”
“Did it happen just now?”
Gerry shook his head. “I’m not sure. When I left him, he was sleeping. Mr Rourke said he’s taking him to the vet.”
“Shit!” Jess ran outside but there was no sign of either of them. Had Adam already left?
There was no vet in Linford, but she was pretty sure she’d seen a clinic when she and Emily had been in Kilshanley. Would he know that?He’ll figure it out, Jess, it’s not your problem.Except that she was fairly sure that the accidental poisoning of the lead star’s beloved pet fell squarely into her remit.
A familiar-looking jeep roared around from the west side of the castle and Adam pulled up in front of her, a downcast Snuggles strapped into the back seat.
“Jess, get in!”
She opened the passenger door and hopped in, pulling the door shut and snapping on her seatbelt. “Gerry told me what happened.”
Adam nodded and turned the car towards the main gate. “Do you have your phone?”
“Yes.” She took it out of her pocket.
“Put in our location and find the nearest vet.”
“It’s in Kilshansley – I know where. Just drive, Adam. I’ll phone them and let them know we’re on our way.” She looked upthe number and rang, twisting in her seat to check on Snuggles. His eyes looked glazed. After talking to the receptionist, she hung up and glanced over at Adam. “He’ll be taken immediately. They’re a bit concerned that we don’t know when or how much he ate.”
After they got through the gates, Adam turned right for Linford Village and they drove in silence for a while.
“I gave our Scottish terrier half of my Easter egg when I was a kid and he had to have his stomach pumped,” Jess said, throwing another glance over her shoulder at Snuggles. The dog gave a whimper. “Hang in there, boy, you’re going to be fine.”
Adam flashed her a brief smile and Jess remembered she’d told him the story when they’d been together. He slowed to a stop as they came to the crossroads onto the main road.
“Jess, about the other night –”
“Can we not talk about it, Adam? Please?”
He turned left for Kilshanley. “I was just going to say that you managed it really well. As I said, you were authentic – people appreciate that.”
“Oh, right.” She glanced over. “Thanks.”
She wondered if he’d mention their kiss and, when he didn’t, she pushed down the disappointment that curled through her.Boundaries, Jess, remember those?Adam was obviously busy redrawing his own.
Snuggles whimpered again from the back seat and Adam sighed. “Why was this guy Gerry left in charge of the dog? He’s clearly an idiot.”
“I suppose it could happen to anyone, Adam,” Jess said, trying to be fair. “And I’m not sure how experienced Gerry is with dogs. Ben Colbert was around for a while after he brought the dog to Linford so he was minding him. It’s a pity he didn’t stick around.”
“People have their own lives, I suppose.” Adam changed down gear to let a cyclist turn left ahead of them.
Like his girlfriend? She hadn’t seen her in a few days, so she assumed she’d had to go back to her own job. She was so tempted to ask about her but doubly determined not to come across as jealous. Which she wasn’t. Definitely not. It just felt … odd seeing him with someone else. Okay, maybe she was a teensy bit jealous. But that was completely normal.
Did Adam miss her now she wasn’t here? Probably, they’d seemed close. So why had he kissedherthe other night? And why hadshekissedhim? Annoyed with herself, she sighed and folded her arms.
“What’s wrong?”
Jess looked over. “Why do you always think something’s wrong?”
