The Secret Dog (16 page)

‘Look, I
 . . . 
erm
 . . . 
Thanks for everything,’ Josh said awkwardly.

Yvonne picked up Reggae’s half-eaten bone and threw it at Josh. Reggae leapt up and caught it in mid-air.

She laughed with surprise. ‘You have no idea, Josh, what a pain it is being the vet’s daughter
 . . . 
Everyone knows me! I always have to be so
good
 . . . 
Tonight, it was like I was helping in a bank robbery. It was great!’

Chapter 25

Josh woke up with the warm sun on his face and the sound of gentle breathing by his side. He leaned over and rubbed his nose against Reggae’s. Her eyes opened. He could have sworn she smiled. Well anyway, she licked his face.

It had been a rough night. Reggae’s frantic cries woke Josh several times. Her breathing was rapid and her legs were trying to run. Josh held her close and woke her with soft words. It wasn’t hard to imagine what she was having nightmares about. Each time, it took ages for her breathing to slow down. Afterwards, she’d cuddled up to him even closer before going back to sleep.

Josh checked the alarm clock and pulled on his school uniform. ‘Stay,’ he ordered. ‘I’ll check if it’s safe for you to come down and pee.’ He climbed down the ladder.

When he returned, he was surprised to see Reggae had already climbed into his rucksack, for her trip down the ladder.

* * *

He met up with Yvonne near the tree where they’d rescued the baby bird.

‘Sleep okay?’ Yvonne asked.

Josh explained about Reggae’s nightmares.

‘Poor pup,’ she exclaimed. ‘At least she had you next to her to comfort her
 . . . 
What’s on today?’ she asked.

‘Revising,’ Josh replied. ‘We’ve got two days to go over all the commands she’s learned and make sure she’s not forgotten anything.’

‘And my father?’ Yvonne prompted.

‘I’ll talk to him,’ Josh said grimly.

‘When?’

‘I said, I’ll talk to him,’ Josh snapped. He regretted it immediately. How could he be angry with her after all she’d done for him?

‘Keep your shirt on,’ Yvonne said, rolling her eyes. ‘It’s not my fault you’ve left it until absolutely the last minute. One thing that might help: I heard my dad talking on the phone to someone about the fact they don’t have enough trained dogs this year
 . . .
’

‘Ta,’ said Josh, still embarrassed by his outburst. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone approaching. Kearney. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other, dreading the conversation ahead.

There was an odd quality to Kearney’s walk. It was as if he were trying not to move his chest or arms.

‘Thanks,’ Kearney said.

They started towards school, Josh and Kearney flanking Yvonne.

‘What happened last night after I went?’ Yvonne asked.

‘He went mad when he discovered she’d gone.
We chased you in the car, but you’d disappeared. It turns out he’d been planning to pretend she was his at the Gathering.’

‘What about you?’

‘The usual,’ Kearney said dismissively. ‘I can take it.’ Josh saw him wince as he stepped over a branch on the path.
That
was why he was holding himself so weirdly. He was in pain.

He needed to say
some
thing. ‘Thank
 . . .
’

‘I didn’t do it for you,’ Kearney barked, interrupting him.

‘Still
 . . .
’ Josh persisted.

‘Shut. Your. Face.’

Josh felt both disappointed and relieved. Nothing had really changed.

‘Kearney!’

Kearney gave Yvonne a sharp, hurt look. ‘And thank you too!’ he said sarcastically, taking out his mobile. ‘I’m going to wait for my
friends.
’

Yvonne gestured for Josh to go on. He did. After a bit, he glanced back and saw her speaking insistently to Kearney. He had his arms folded across his chest and was looking away.

Josh felt for Kearney. He was proud. Maybe too proud. But, Josh had to agree, he had a right to feel it today – not many people would have stood up to Dunham like he had.

He started towards school. Yvonne caught up to him a few minutes later. Her face was sad. Josh felt for her. She’d really believed Kearney had changed. That the two of them could become friends. It was a nice dream.

Chapter 26

Josh stopped in front of the familiar door. He reminded himself of what he wanted to say, and how he wanted to appear calm and composed, adult. He told himself the vet was an ordinary human being. Then he pushed the bright red button. As he waited, he wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of his hoodie.

Yvonne answered. When she saw Josh she smiled. ‘You didn’t half leave it till the last minute. Come on, then. He’s in his study.’

She led the way. At the door, she said, ‘Dad, Josh wants to speak to you.’ Then she gave Josh an encouraging smile and retreated.

‘Come in.’

Josh entered. The vet’s study was lined with dark wood bookshelves filled with well-worn books. If possible, this made Josh feel more daunted. His uncle’s house had one small shelf of books, mostly ancient Reader’s Digest Condensed ones.

The vet was sitting at a large, dark, wooden desk. It had piles of paper covering most of its surface. He was wearing glasses and was poring over a piece of paper with names on it.

Josh had spent a great deal of time over the past couple of months thinking about this conversation:
what he should say, how to respond to the vet’s objections. ‘Mr White, I’d like to put my name down for the Gathering. I’ll be coming with my sheepdog, Reggae.’

The vet’s eyes smiled. ‘I think that’s the first complete sentence you’ve ever said to me, Josh.’

That
wasn’t in the script he’d rehearsed.

Involuntarily he looked down at the ground. No! he told himself. You have to look him in the eye. He did.

‘I’m serious about the Gathering, Mr White.’

The vet looked at Josh, then took off his reading glasses, polished them on his shirt and laid them on the desk.

‘You’re big for your age, Josh. But you’re in Yvonne’s class at school.’

‘I know I’m only twelve,’ Josh blurted out, forgetting his carefully planned speech. ‘But I’m able to do a man’s work and I have a Border collie who is a natural dog and who will do a great job with the sheep, and we want to do the fank too.’

‘We’d be pleased to have you help out.’

Josh shook his head vigorously. ‘I don’t want to “help out!”’

‘You’re wanting
 . . . 
to do this as an adult?’

Josh’s forehead was wet with sweat. His whole plan to keep Reggae depended on the vet saying ‘yes’, and getting a share of the money that was earned by the crofters who participated. ‘Yes, sir. Please give me a chance. My dog is special.’

‘Yvonne never mentioned a dog. Who trained it?’

‘I saved her from the river last year. And I trained her myself. She’s a secret dog.’

‘I see,’ the vet said. Like Yvonne, he seemed to understand a great deal more than was said. ‘So you’ve got a lot riding on being part of the Gathering and fank.’

‘Yes, Mr White.’

‘You don’t have to call me Mr White. Neill will do.’

‘I’ll try,’ Josh said.

Neill stared into the upper right corner of the room. ‘The other men will tease you, Josh. Both as a newcomer and as a boy.’

‘I know,’ Josh said. It was the way the crofters got the measure of someone new. He knew they didn’t mean any harm by it. They just wanted to know what people were made of. Their lives were hard and they needed to know who they could count on.

Josh wasn’t looking forward to it. But he knew he had to go through it – for Reggae’s sake. He’d have to give as good as he got.

‘We’ve had boys help out, in the pens and on the field. But never do the full two weeks.’

‘I’m not afraid of hard work. And I’ve heard they’re short of dogs this year.’

The vet looked at Josh suspiciously. As if he was trying to figure out how he knew that
 . . .

‘Yvonne,’ Neill had answered his own question.

Josh stayed silent. He’d made all his arguments. He prayed they were enough.

‘
No one
knows about your dog?’ the vet asked. ‘Not even Calum?’

Josh shook his head.

Neill frowned. ‘Are you sure this is the way you want to do it?’

He was asking whether Josh really wanted to keep his dog a secret from his uncle until after the Gathering. He nodded.

Neill grimaced. ‘I hope you know what you’re doing, Josh
 . . . 
I’ll put you on the list,’ he said, after a long pause. ‘But it’s not me you have to impress.’

‘I’ll take my chances with the crofters.’ Josh said. Most of them knew Calum, and would give him a chance. Except for Dunham, who was definitely now a mortal enemy.

‘Thank you, Mr White.’

The vet rose from his chair. Josh could see it was painful for him to move.

‘My daughter talks a lot about you.’

‘She’s my best friend,’ Josh replied ‘Thanks again. For giving me a chance. You won’t regret it.’

Chapter 27

The early morning sun flooded Josh’s room. No point in trying to get back to sleep. They had to get going, before Calum got up. He roused Reggae and carried her down the ladder. She waited eagerly as he opened a tin of dog food.

Her familiar gobbling noise filled the room. He sat at the dark kitchen table and started to write.

‘Dear Uncle Calum,’ he began. ‘There’s something I should have told you and I’ll do it tonight but I’m going to help with the Gathering today
 . . .
’

He shook his head, crumpled it up and started again.

‘Dear Uncle Calum, I’m really sorry about this but I’ve kept a secret from you
 . . .
’

He crumpled this one up too, and it followed the first into his pocket. Somehow, writing this note seemed to make what he’d done – keep Reggae a secret from Calum – more real. He remembered the vet’s question, ‘Are you sure you want to do it this way?’

Now, too late, he wasn’t sure
 . . .

Reggae had finished her breakfast and was looking up at him expectantly. If he didn’t hurry, his uncle would wake up before they got away. He didn’t have time for doubts now. He had to follow the plan.

He scribbled:

Then he grabbed his rucksack and fled the house, Reggae on his heels.

* * *

Just ahead was the valley where they’d started their training. Reggae waited patiently for him to catch up.

Josh stopped and stroked the side of her face. Reggae looked expectantly down into the valley.

‘Not today,’ he told her, shaking his head. ‘Today is the real thing.’ He glanced at his watch.

‘We need to go.’ He could feel his reluctance to leave the valley: familiar, like a well-worn – and well-loved – pair of trainers.

Suddenly, Josh knelt down and hugged Reggae tight. ‘This has been the best year of my life. Because of you.’

Reggae licked his face. Josh’s nerves had passed, like a storm. He was glad they’d stopped here. Away from the meeting point.

* * *

‘That’s where it all starts,’ Josh said, pointing down from the hill to the flat area below. The now empty pens for the sheep were set out loosely in a semi-circle, around where people were beginning to gather. Beyond them was the field where battered Land Rovers and other well-worn 4×4s were parked.

Josh couldn’t see faces from this distance, but he recognised the vet’s cowboy hat and distinctive hobbling walk. Yvonne was with him, carrying a clipboard.

Dunham would be there, if not now, soon. Josh hadn’t seen him since he’d rescued Reggae. He’d have to be brave.

‘Ready?’ he asked his dog. Reggae wagged her tail.

Feeling like Luke Skywalker going to the showdown with Darth Vader, Josh started down the hill.

* * *

Halfway down, he recognised Mr Sampson, his history teacher. He had a dog with him, a bearded collie. Josh went over to say hello.

‘Josh,’ the teacher exclaimed. ‘I didn’t expect to see you here.’

‘I didn’t expect to see you! I didn’t know you had a dog,’ Josh replied.

‘Bobby belongs to my brother on the mainland. I always bring him over for the Gathering. It’s a good excuse to spend my day outdoors. And today,
for a change, the weather has cooperated,’ he said, looking up at the bright blue sky. ‘And the young border
 . . . 
is she yours?’

Josh glanced down at Reggae, who was anxiously looking from Mr Sampson’s dog to the others around her. With a shock, Josh realised that Reggae had never been around other dogs. He didn’t know how she’d behave.

Why hadn’t he anticipated this? He’d
known
there would be other dogs at the Gathering
 . . . 
why hadn’t he found a way to give Reggae some experience of being around them?

‘Is something wrong?’ Mr Sampson was asking.