Chapter 4

4

Megan stared at the screen of her mobile for the eighth time in the last ten minutes and sighed. She needed to ring her solicitor, she needed to find out how things were going.

She tapped the phone against the tabletop. She was relieved the divorce papers were being served today but she couldn't help feeling sick, worrying about Lyle's reaction. She didn't want a fight. She wanted peace. She wanted to wake up in the morning without all of this stress and worry hanging over her head. She wanted to wake up without the nagging feeling that Lyle was going to pull another stunt. She wanted to wake up in her own bed, in her own home. Wherever that might be and whatever that might look like.

Sighing, she turned her mobile over, screen down, and slid it across the table before turning to the ancient laptop she'd borrowed from Flora. The Excel spreadsheet flickered back at her. She needed to push Lyle out of her mind. And she needed to focus.

The creak of the kitchen door sounded, and she looked behind her. Jay was standing in the doorway.

‘Morning.'

Megan smiled. She'd enjoyed spending some time with him yesterday.

‘Morning. You're back volunteering again today, are you?'

‘I am indeed. And you?' He nodded towards the laptop and the paperwork spread across the table.

She grinned. ‘Yep.'

‘Do you know how little Angus is doing this morning?'

‘Flora took him to the groomers earlier, and he's like a different dog already! He seems a lot more confident and inquisitive about his new surroundings.'

‘Oh, that's great news. I couldn't stop worrying about him last night.' Jay leaned his elbows on the chair opposite her.

She looked at him. She could believe that. She'd seen him out of the window walking the dogs yesterday and she'd noticed that every few steps, he'd pause and fuss them before continuing.

‘I think there's a staff meeting in here now.'

‘Oh really? I'd better get out of the way then.' Standing up, Megan closed the laptop and began tidying the paperwork.

‘No, you should stay. Ginny told me to come in and join in, so I imagine it will be the same for you.'

‘Oh, right.' She frowned. Would it?

She looked towards the door as it opened again. This time, Ginny and Flora walked inside. Megan piled the papers on top of the laptop and picked it up.

‘You'll stay for the staff meeting, won't you, Megan?' Flora asked as she flicked the kettle on. ‘It only seems right, being that you and Jay are both going to be spending a lot of time here. It would be good for all of us if you're in the loop, so to speak.'

‘I can do.' As she lowered the laptop back down, Megan dithered. Should she sit down again? Were there enough chairs for everyone?

‘Tea? Coffee?' Flora began taking mugs from the cupboard.

‘Tea for me, please.' Jay pulled out a chair and sat down.

Following Jay's lead, Megan sat back down as Sally, Alex, Susan and Percy filed in.

‘Coffee please.'

‘Did you say you'd baked some of your flapjack, Susan?' Percy took a pile of plates from the cupboard and set them in the middle of the table.

‘I certainly did.' Susan picked up a large Tupperware container from the back of the work surface and set it down next to the plates.

‘Lovely.' Rubbing his hands together, Percy looked around the table. ‘Flapjack, everyone?'

‘Sounds perfect.' Jay grinned as he stood up and began handing the plates around.

Once the mugs and flapjack were distributed, Flora sat down at the head of the table.

‘So, today I've asked Megan and Jay to join us. As you know, Megan is rescuing us from the paperwork nightmare of the accounts and Jay has volunteered to come and walk the dogs every day apart from Saturdays for the time being. Is that right, Jay?'

Jay nodded. ‘Yes, just not a full day on Fridays.'

‘Of course. That's right.' Flora smiled kindly.

Megan looked across at him. He was volunteering every day? He'd spent the entire day at Wagging Tails yesterday and left only shortly before she had. Was he going to be spending all day here each day? When she caught his eye she quickly looked down at the slice of flapjack on her plate, the tinge of self-consciousness sweeping across her face.

‘As you know, we've got a busy few weeks ahead of us as we get the home ready for the extension and I'm excited to tell you we finally have the plans.' Flora pulled a sheet of paper from a cardboard folder in front of her.

‘You're getting an extension? That's great news.' Jay rubbed his hands together.

‘Yes. I had meant to mention it on the induction morning, but it completely slipped my mind.' Flora laughed as she tapped her forehead. ‘Darryl has been doing a terrific job fundraising for us through the local paper.'

‘That's really impressive.' Jay took a sip from his mug.

Flora nodded. ‘It's more of an outbuilding than an extension.'

‘A glorified shed. That's what I call it.' Percy shuffled in his chair and leaned forward. ‘Not that that's a bad thing. No, it's good. It's a great way of getting another few kennels without the expense of a brick extension.'

Megan looked at Flora. ‘How many extra kennels will there be?'

‘Four!'

‘I'm actually quite interested in how it'll be put together.' Leaning back in his chair again, Percy stroked his beard. ‘I'm sure I read that it comes already constructed with the insulation and everything already in place and then the walls are slotted together.'

‘It sure does,' Susan said, joining the conversation. ‘Malcolm has a summer house in his back garden that is the same sort of thing, and it's super toasty, even in the winter.'

‘He was telling me about that,' Ginny said. ‘It sounded nice and the kennels we're getting are going to be a lifeline for so many dogs.'

‘Exactly. And this is what's so great about having two more people on board on a regular basis.' Flora glanced at Megan and then Jay. ‘At least for the moment, anyway. I know realistically we can't expect you both to volunteer here full time forever but, and I know I speak for everyone here, we're very grateful that you've decided to dedicate the free time you have now to Wagging Tails. Very grateful.'

‘Here. Here.' Percy raised his mug as a stream of coffee sloshed down the side.

‘Careful.' Standing up, Flora moved to tear a sheet of kitchen roll from the roll by the kettle, which she passed across to Percy.

‘Thanks, love.' After mopping the puddle of coffee which had collected on the table, he wiped the side of his mug. ‘It's true, though, what Flora's saying, we're grateful you're giving your time to help the dogs in our care.'

‘You're very welcome.' Jay lowered his mug to the table. ‘After I read the article in the paper about what you'd all gone through at the hands of that awful man, Luke – no, Lyle, was it? – I knew what I wanted to do with my time off.'

Lyle? A newspaper article? Megan's stomach dropped. His attempt at closing down Wagging Tails to make way for his housing development had been in the paper? As she kept her eyes fixed on her coffee mug, Megan could feel the fierce rush of heat flooding across her face. Jay didn't know who she was, did he?

She held her breath, waiting for someone to tell him, waiting for the disgusted look, the disapproving stare, as though she were guilty by default because she'd been with Lyle.

‘Oh, that's all in the past now.' Flora's voice cut through the silence. ‘Back to the list of tasks we need to do to get ready for the build.'

But Jay continued, not taking the hint. ‘It must have been such a worrying time. How awful for a developer like that, someone who, I imagine, would have a lot of money anyway, to then use such underhand tactics to try to force a charity out of their home.'

Jay shook his head, the flush of anger coursing across his face.

Megan swallowed, a hard lump stuck in her throat. She knew it hadn't been her fault. She hadn't even known what Lyle had been up to until the last minute, and she definitely hadn't approved when she'd discovered what he'd been planning. She'd stopped him. Eventually. With the help of Andy.

She focused on a tiny coffee granule stuck to the rim of her mug. She'd helped. She'd done all she could.

‘It's in the past, Jay.' Flora spoke, her voice quiet but firm as she pushed the sheet of paper into the middle of the table. ‘And this is our future. Take a look, everyone. In two weeks we'll have enough space for four more pups.'

Susan shifted in her chair and peered at the plan. ‘It does look amazing.'

With her hands now tightly clasped in her lap, Megan glanced across at Jay, averting her eyes almost as soon as she looked at him. He had pushed his chair back and was standing, leaning across the table to get a better look at the plan. What if he did know who she was? What if he'd brought Lyle's name up to see her reaction? To shame her even? But if that was the case, why hadn't he mentioned it earlier? He'd waited until everyone was here to express how he felt. What must he think of her?

‘Take a look, Megan.' Susan patted her forearm and pointed towards the plan.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Megan tried to clear her mind, to push all thoughts of Lyle and what he had done away. Jay's comments may have made it clear how he felt towards her, or if he didn't know already, how he would feel when he found out, but everyone else had welcomed her with open arms. She needed to focus on that.

Opening her eyes again, she smiled at Susan and focused on the plan. ‘Yes, it looks amazing.'

‘I'm guessing we need to clear the area so the builders can lay the foundations?' Susan sat back in her chair.

‘I'll be doing that.' Percy crossed his arms. ‘Laying the foundations.'

‘Yes, so the area needs to be cleared of grass and dug down a little too.'

Megan sat quietly as Flora explained the tasks that needed to be completed before the new kennels arrived. Every so often, she heard Jay speak, asking questions about this or that, his voice friendly. That's how he'd spoken to her yesterday and earlier this morning, so why had he talked so much about Lyle?

Surely, he'd have known how uncomfortable it would have made her feel, but then Megan had to stop her thoughts from spiralling. Shaking her head, she reminded herself that he might not have realised yet who she was.