Page 23 of The Knitting Club at Wagtail Ridge

She sat watching the sun go down. Her animals settled for sleep, some inside the open stalls, others in the paddock. The night would be chilly, but the animals wouldn’t be bothered. She was starting to feel cold herself and was about to head inside the house when her phone rang again.

‘Hello, Bree. How did it go? Are they all there and settled in? It must feel marvellous.’

Nan’s enthusiasm poured down the phone, lifting Bree’s spirits immediately.

‘It all went smoothly, yes. The first lot are here and it does feel marvellous.’ At least, it did now.

‘Excellent. When can I come and visit?’

Bree was still talking to her grandmother as she walked back to the house, a smile on her face and a bounce in her step.

***

That bounce was still there next morning, when the second convoy of alpaca transports arrived at The Gums. Bree’s first thought was for pregnant Sky. When the alpaca calmly stepped down from the trailer, she looked around her with big dark eyes then followed Bree to a small paddock. Sky happily walked inside with the rest of the pregnant girls.

Ash and Mel didn’t hang around; they had animals to prepare for an upcoming event. Bree thanked them, hugged them and said goodbye.

She watched with careful eyes as the newcomers explored their surroundings. She was on her own now. The enormity of what she was doing hit her, taking her breath away. All of these creatures relied on her for their care. What was she thinking? Leaving everything and everyone she knew, a career that everyone thought was going to be brilliant, and coming to stand in this paddock, all alone except for the creatures whose lives lay in her hands.

In a puff, the fear vanished, replaced by joy and determination. She could do this. Shewoulddo this. Starting today! Right now, in fact.

She strode back to the house. In her office, she found a folder and spread the contents on her desk. This was the business plan she had drawn up months ago, when she’d started turning a dream into the reality that she now owned. Always one for scribbling on documents in her legal days, she took a pencil and began reviewing the plan. A note here. A small change there. A question or two that still needed answering. The work gave her a growing sense of purpose.

Her new things-to-do list had three entries on it when she heard an approaching car—the item on the very top of her list. She crossed it out and went to greet her visitor.

As the tall blonde woman got out of the car and walked towards her, Bree did her best not to stare at her face. The vet was a beautiful woman. Had once been beautiful. A large scar ran from near her right eye down her cheek to the corner of her mouth. Her chin was also scarred. When she smiled at Bree, the corner of her mouth nearest the scar twisted. Bree could barely imagine the sort of injury that would result in such heavy scarring. She shifted her gaze to the woman’s green eyes and saw understanding there. A wave of shame made her face flush. How horrible it must be for the poor woman, facing this every time she met someone new.

‘Hi.’ Bee held out her hand. ‘I’m Bree Johnston.’

‘Anna Prentiss.’ Her hand was strong and roughened by hard work. ‘And this is my assistant, Shea Mansfield.’ Anna indicated a young woman at the back of the vehicle, raising the tailgate to access the equipment inside. She looked to be still in her teens.

Shea looked around the back of the car. ‘Hi.’

‘Hi.’

‘So. Alpacas.’ Anna ran an eye over the animals in the nearby paddock. ‘Nice.’

‘Thanks. All the girls have been pregnancy tested, but I wanted you to have a look over them, just so we have a starting point. One is expecting twins.’

‘Ah.’ Anna raised a hand and gently rubbed the scar on her chin. ‘That’s not what we hope for.’

‘I know the odds, but I’ll look after her and see what happens.’

‘Well, I’ll do what I can to help. Shall we start with her?’

It took almost two hours to check the whole herd. Bree was impressed by Anna’s professionalism. Both she and Shea treated the animals calmly and gently, but still firmly enough to complete the pregnancy scans with a minimum of fuss or stress for the animals and their handlers. By the end of the afternoon, Bree knew she’d found the right vet for her herd. She also knew she had to get started on the second item on her list as soon as possible. And there was nothing wrong with right now.

‘Maybe you can help me with something else,’ she said to Anna and Shea as they were packing their gear away. ‘I need to hire someone to work here with me. Someone who can handle the alpacas, help with feeding and so forth. And when we start the walks, I’ll need at least one more person with me to help keep an eye on the customers and the animals. I can’t pay a lot just now, but hopefully the business will grow. Maybe someone just out of college who’s looking for some experience? Or needs a temporary job until they find something else? I don’t suppose either of you could suggest someone?’

Anna and Shea shook their heads. ‘There aren’t many jobs around here,’ Anna said. ‘When the kids finish college, they head for the city pretty much straight away. I was lucky enough that Shea wanted to stay here. I don’t know anyone else.’

‘Me neither,’ Shea added. ‘All my year have left.’

‘You could try putting an ad in the shop. And the post office,’ Anna added. ‘I’ll stay in touch,’ she continued as she shook Bree’s hand. ‘They all look to be in good shape, but keep a close eye on Sky. Call me if you have any concerns.’

‘Thanks. I will.’

Anna climbed behind the wheel. ‘By the way, welcome to the Ridge.’

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