Page 19 of Wedding Bells By the Creek

‘He’s a treat, that one,’ said his owner. ‘Bold as brass. Here, tie this around his neck so you don’t lose him in the crowd.’

Helen took the offered ribbon. It was pink. ‘He might not like a pink ribbon,’ she joked as she carefully tied it around the puppy’s neck.

‘I’ll get him a collar right away,’ Ed promised. ‘Something more masculine.’

‘What are you going to call him?’

Ed was stumped. ‘I honestly hadn’t thought about that. Have you got any ideas?’

‘Well,’ Helen said thoughtfully as the puppy rolled over offering her his tummy to tickle. ‘Your son, Scott. What sort of car is he restoring over there in England?’

‘He’s working on an old Bentley.’

‘There you are – call him Bentley.’ Helen held the puppy up close and looked him in the face. ‘What do you think? Are you Bentley?’

In response the puppy licked her nose.

‘That’s it then,’ Ed said. ‘Bentley he is.’

They left without the puppy. Helen was disappointed, but understood that he needed to be properly weaned before he left his mother. Secretly Ed was a little pleased. There would be another trip to collect the puppy. That was another excuse to spend time with Helen. And when they brought the puppy home, maybe he could ask her to stay and help Bentley settle. He could even cook her dinner. And …

‘Thanks for taking me to meet the puppies,’ Helen said as they drove back to the pub. ‘I really enjoyed that.’

‘It was my pleasure,’ Ed said, meaning every word of it.

‘Ed, I was wondering … Well, Tia is working tonight. And Max is on his way back from a visit to some outlying station. I’m all alone. So … well … if it’s not too … Would you have dinner with me?’ The last words came out in a rush, betraying her nervousness.

Ed could only hope she was nervous for the same reason he was.

‘I’d love to,’ he said, hoping he didn’t sound too eager. ‘I have to Skype Scott and Katie in England soon. That usually takes the best part of an hour. I could meet you at the pub afterwards, if you like.’

Ed pulled up outside the pub as he was speaking. At last he was able to take his eyes off the road to look at the woman beside him. Sitting there, in the front of his old car, with those blue eyes shining at him, he felt like he was eighteen again.

She nodded and before he could move, she had opened the door and vanished inside the pub.

Ed was still smiling fifteen minutes later when, showered and changed ready for his first date in what seemed life half his lifetime, he answered the Skype call on his computer.

‘Hi, Scott!’

Technology was a wonderful thing. He could see his son and Katie all the way over there in England. And it didn’t even cost him anything. Amazing.

‘How’s everything, Dad. Did you go and look at the puppies you were talking about last week?’

Ed nodded. ‘I just got back. The pups aren’t weaned yet, so it will be a week or two before I can bring him home. I called him Bentley.’

Scott chuckled. ‘Good name.’

He couldn’t delay it any longer. ‘Son. There’s something I have to tell you.’

‘You sent the divorce papers in?’ Scott said eagerly. ‘That’s great, Dad. It’s well past time.’

‘I did. But there’s something else I have to tell you. It’s nothing to do with the divorce … or at least not directly.’

‘There’s nothing wrong is there?’

‘No. There’s nothing wrong at all.’

Helen was ready far too early. She hadn’t brought many clothes with her, and none of them were right for dinner with a man. However, when she brushed her new hair, she was very pleased with the result. After glancing at her watch for the umpteenth time, she decided to sit outside on the veranda for a while.

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