Page 43 of Chasing Dreams at Wagging Tails Dogs' Home

‘I’m not—’

‘Morning, Ginny.’ Flora placed her mug on the counter before coming up to them.

‘Morning.’ Ginny turned the tap back on.

‘Poppy, lovely, why don’t you go back to the cottage and get some rest?’ Flora patted Poppy’s forearm. ‘You were up a lot last night. You can’t have had much sleep at all.’

‘I’ll be okay.’ Stifling a yawn with the back of her hand, she looked back at Flora. ‘You didn’t get much either.’

‘No, I didn’t. Maybe there was a full moon or something, hey?’ Flora chuckled and clicked the kettle on. ‘Do you both want a coffee?’

‘Yes, please.’ Ginny grabbed another bowl to fill.

‘Poppy?’

‘Umm…’ Hearing the shrill ringtone of her mobile, Poppy fished in her pocket and pulled it out, her heart sinking as she read the name. ‘No thanks. I’d better take this.’

She hurried out of the kitchen and stepped outside, immediately regretting not taking the time to put her coat on as the cold penetrated her thin jumper. She crossed her free arm around her middle in an attempt to keep some small part of her warm and held the phone up to her ear. ‘Ben?’

‘Hi, Poppy. Thanks for answering. I won’t take up much of your time, but I’ve got some news.’

‘Right.’

This was it. He was going to tell her about his new relationship. Why did he think she would want to know? It had been bad enough that he’d told her he was going on a date with someone, but that had been face to face; he might have felt he should tell her for some reason. But with her down here in Cornwall, hundreds of miles away, why? She’d much rather not have this conversation.

‘I think you’ll be pleased.’

That’s it, drag it out.

She took a deep breath. She’d burst his bubble; she’d tell him she already knew. ‘You don’t need to tell me. I know already. Melissa told me.’

The line went quiet.

Holding her phone away from her ear, she checked he hadn’t hung up. He hadn’t.

‘How did Melissa know? I’ve only just had the call myself.’ The confusion in his voice was audible.

‘Oh, maybe we’ve got crossed wires. Sorry, what was it you’d rung to tell me?’ She looked down at the ground and kicked a lump of dirt by her feet. It was frozen solid.

‘Okay.’

She could almost hear him shaking his head at her, the way he’d done so often when they’d been together, and probably more so since they’d separated.

He cleared his throat before announcing, ‘We’ve had an offer put in for the house.’

‘An offer? Really?’

‘Yes, really.’

She bit down on her bottom lip, willing herself not to say something. Not to ask him why he sounded so proud, insinuating through his tone that she should be forever grateful to him.

‘How great is that?’

‘Yes, yes, it’s great news.’ And it was. It was what she’d been waiting for, hoping for. Once she got her half of the equity, she’d be able to move on. Find a little place for herself. Probably near the centre of town, far enough away from the estates Ben would likely move to so she wouldn’t be running into him every ten minutes, and close to the local schools so she’d be able to walk to work if she was lucky enough to get more supply work. Her life would be…

She kicked at the frozen lump of dirt again. It still wouldn’t shift.

‘The other thing… the thing you said Melissa had told you, I’m guessing that’s something to do with me changing my relationship status on social media…’

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