‘What’s his story?’ she asked, already feeling invested in the life of this dog.

  ‘Well.’ The man let out a sigh. ‘A lot of it we don’t know. But he turned up at Battersea Dogs Home five years ago in an absolute state. Mites, fleas, practically no fur on him. He was a mess, apparently. I’ve seen a couple of photos, and honestly, it would bring you to tears. Poor guy.’

  ‘Was he not chipped?’ Daisy said, thinking of her own experience with finding Johnny. Dogs are meant to be chipped so the owners can be found if the animals became lost. Only Johnny wasn’t, and the way the man was shaking his head implied that was the same for Bruno.

  ‘Nope. Nothing on him.’

  ‘So you adopted him?’ Daisy asked, assuming this was the next logical step in the story. Only the man shook his head.

  ‘No, not that time. Someone else did. An elderly man. He’d just lost his own dog and his wife a couple of years before and needed someone to fill the house. And Bruno did that perfectly, didn’t you, boy?’

  Daisy had a horrible feeling that she knew where the story was going and part of her wanted to tell the man to stop. She didn’t need to hear it. She didn’t want to. But she knew that wasn’t the way life worked. You didn’t get to fast forward the sad bits, just to skip to the happy ending.

  ‘So what happened?’ she said.

  ‘Well, they had a couple of good years together, and then one night, the man got sick. I’m not sure exactly what happened. I think it was a heart attack, but I could be wrong. That’s just me filling in blanks from what I’ve heard.’

  ‘And then?’ Daisy realised how impatient she sounded, but the story was coming in dribs and drabs, and while it obviously had a happy ending, she still wanted to hear how Bruno had ended up there in the stairwell with her, sniffing Johnny and wagging his tail.

  ‘Well, when the ambulance came, he was left in the flat. That’s what I know. They reckon it must have been a week or longer, but bless him, he didn’t make a sound. Not even a whimper. Just helped himself to food from the bag of biscuits, although that ran out too.’

  ‘So he was just alone in the house for a week?’

  ‘Yup, feeling like he’d been abandoned again.’

  ‘Oh God.’ Daisy’s heart ached for this poor animal. She had seen from Johnny how much love dogs had to give. How trusting and trusted they could be. Of course, she knew they weren’t all like that. They were like humans; they all had their own flaws and foibles, but she couldn’t imagine any animal ever deserving to suffer what Bruno had gone through, losing a home not once, but twice. ‘So who found him?’

  ‘The family, when they came to clear out the house. He didn’t have any children, so it was a niece and nephew who came to sort out all the belongings. They didn’t see him that often – it must have been a couple of years. They had no idea he’d even got Bruno. So he ended up back at Battersea Dogs Home. One of the volunteers knew exactly who she was looking at and wanted to find him a home where he would never be left again.’

  ‘Wow, and so what? You were just looking for a pet?’

  ‘No, I absolutely wasn’t. But the volunteer was my baby sister, and she did her best guilt trip on me. We’d always had dogs growing up and I’d said I’d get one as soon as I got a place of my own. Of course, I hadn’t anticipated being in an apartment. It wasn’t the building rules that worried me. I was just worried for him, you know, with me not having a garden or anything. But she promised he was used to such rubbish conditions and that as long as he was walked a fair distance each day, he wouldn’t mind it. And it’s not as if my apartment is small.’

  It was a valid point, Daisy thought. Bex’s flat was bigger than the September Rose by quite some way.

  ‘How long ago was that?’ she asked.

  ‘Four years ago. Longest relationship I’ve ever had, right, Bruno?’ At this, the man let out a brief chuckle that faded as he looked at Daisy. A flood of embarrassment rushed to her cheeks, though she wasn’t entirely sure why. Her throat had also become inexplicably dry, and she was unusually aware of her heart drumming behind her ribs.

  ‘Well, we’re on the ground floor,’ she said. The comment probably wasn’t necessary given that the man could see just as well as she could, but she needed to break the silence she could feel forming. Yet despite the door to the foyer being right in front of them, neither Daisy nor the man moved.

  ‘I should⁠—’

  ‘You should⁠—’

  ‘Sorry.’

  ‘Sorry.’

  Everything the pair said was simultaneous, as were the red hues that coloured their cheeks. Daisy waited, wondering if the man was going to speak again. When it didn’t look like he was, she started.

  ‘I was just going to say that I need to get this guy out to stretch his legs.’

  ‘Sure, and I was going to suggest that if it’s all right with you, you could join us. We have a pretty standard loop we do. It has nice parks and some good views of the river too.’

  Daisy looked down at the pair of dogs and then at the man. Was walking her dog with a person wrong? She wouldn’t have batted an eyelid if it was a woman asking her to join them, so why did it matter if it was a young and attractive man?

  ‘You’re in running gear,’ she said, suddenly grateful she could say something that wasn’t outright turning him down. Because as little as she knew about him, that wasn’t something she wanted to do.

  ‘I am, but I really didn’t want to go for a run. In fact, Bruno had to drag me out the door. I was dreading this morning’s walk, but now I’m kind of looking forward to it. Assuming I have some company, that is.’

  A smile followed. The type of smile that made Daisy’s stomach flutter, even though she really didn’t want it to.

  ‘Well, Johnny does need a walk,’ she said.

  ‘Great,’ the guy said, before stretching out his hand. ‘I’m Ezra, by the way.’

  ‘Daisy.’

  62

  The weather was grey and miserable. It was the type of day that Daisy normally had to drag herself out of bed for, particularly as there would be no need to open up the shop early. Johnny was the only reason she would get up at all, and even then she would give him the shortest walk possible in the hope that the weather would clear later, or that he would get a decent walk while he was out at work with Theo. But even though the rain pelted down and she constantly stepped in puddles, as she walked beside Ezra, chatting away, it didn’t seem that bad.

  ‘So you just found him?’ Ezra said. They had now moved on to talking about Johnny’s arrival in Daisy’s life.

  ‘Or he found me,’ she replied. ‘We’re not exactly sure.’

  ‘And you took him with you? Just like that. That’s incredible.’

  ‘Well, it wasn’t quite that simple.’ Daisy had already told Ezra about taking Johnny to the vets and trying to find his owners, but it was true – those parts felt insignificant compared to how much time they had spent together now.

  ‘You should write a book about it,’ Ezra said. ‘I think it would make an awesome story. People love that type of thing, don’t they? You know, that fortitude of spirit.’

  ‘Maybe,’ Daisy replied. ‘I’m not much of a writer, though. And I’m not sure I have the time. Not with everything else. The business and such.’

  ‘I just love it,’ Ezra said, a broad smile lighting up his face. ‘I love the way you talk about your life. And the fact that Johnny just lives with you on the canal boat that you’ve turned into a coffee shop. You know, I’ll have to come and visit one day. To see Johnny, that is.’

  ‘That would be nice,’ Daisy said. ‘Although Johnny doesn’t spend the day in the coffee shop. He goes out to work with my boyfriend Theo in his van.’ It wasn’t until his name passed Daisy’s lips that she realised she hadn’t mentioned Theo at all. But it wasn’t as if she had deliberately been avoiding him. Was it?

  ‘You have a boyfriend,’ Ezra said, eyebrows rising. ‘That’s a shame. Bruno was already getting quite attached.’ He glanced ahead of him, to where Johnny and Bruno were walking side by side, so close together they kept bumping into one another as their tails beat furiously.

  ‘Yes, they do seem to get on incredibly well,’ Daisy said. Taking on a dog where you had no idea of its history was always going to be a risk, but Johnny had been incredible. No nips, no growls – nothing but the occasional bark. Still, she wasn’t sure if her comment was entirely about the dogs.

  ‘So this boyfriend of yours, he lives on the canal too?’

  ‘He does,’ Daisy replied. She wasn’t sure why she called Theo her boyfriend rather than fiancé, other than it didn’t feel right to change and suddenly start referring to him differently.

  ‘Ah, just my luck, right?’ Ezra said with a shake of his head. ‘I meet the girl of my dreams and she’s taken. I should have known my week could never start that well.’

  It didn’t matter how cold the rain was, it didn’t stop the heat rising through Daisy’s body.

  ‘Oh, I don’t think I’d be your ideal woman,’ she said, trying to alleviate some of the tension that was building between them. ‘I’m pretty average.’

  ‘Really? Loves dogs, independent, creative, and absolutely stunning. Trust me, Daisy, you are anything but average.’

  63

  A large lump filled Daisy’s throat, and she couldn’t swallow it down. Instead, her heart was racing as Ezra stared straight at her. It was the first time she’d noticed how dark his eyes were. Their deep brown was so intense, she could barely see the irises from the pupils even though she was looking intently. That was the instant Daisy realised she was staring back at him. She was causing this moment between them too. And it was definitely a moment.

  Ezra had called her stunning. Anything but average. No make-up on, no effort made. Nothing but conversation between two strangers, not that they felt like strangers now. Of course, it could have been a false compliment, an attempt at flattery, but she didn’t think it was. Something about the sadness when he said it made her feel like it was the truth.

  After several attempts to clear her throat, Daisy finally forced a sound out.

  ‘Who says I’m creative?’ she said, trying to distract from the last parts of his statement.

  ‘You are, right?’ Ezra replied, the eye contact now broken as they carried on walking. ‘I don’t know, I get that feeling from you. Like you’d need an outlet for the business and the stress of it. Maybe playing an instrument? Singing?’

  At this, Daisy could help but laugh. ‘Oh, trust me, you don’t want to hear me sing. But you’re right. I’m a painter. I paint.’

  ‘See, I knew it. Perfect girl and taken.’

  Silence swelled around them. Rain was splashing on the pavement as boats moved up and down the Thames. Daisy didn’t think she’d ever be able to look at the river again without remembering her own trip on there. Her own trip to see Theo, the man she loved.

  ‘I should get back,’ Daisy said, breaking the silence that had already settled. ‘Bex will wonder where I’ve got to. And I somehow need to get this guy dried off or she’s never going to let me into her flat.’

  ‘I’ve got loads of dog towels at mine. You can dry him off there before you go up to your friend’s, if it helps?’

  Daisy contemplated the offer. She’d had such a great morning talking to him, but there was no denying the awkwardness that followed his words, and Daisy couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. If she’d mentioned Theo at the beginning of the walk, then they could have enjoyed all the same conversations without Ezra getting the wrong idea. But then maybe that had been the point, subconsciously at least. Maybe she’d wanted him to think she was single. Not because she had any intention of cheating on Theo, just because… just because… She wasn’t sure what the because was.

  ‘I’m sorry, I ruined things, didn’t I?’ This time, Ezra was the one to break the silence. ‘Ignore me, please. I’m just in a melancholy mood, that’s all. I shouldn’t have put that on you.’

  ‘Melancholy?’ Daisy said. ‘You don’t seem it to me.’

  ‘No, well, you kind of brought me out of it. Truth is, today is the one-year anniversary since my fiancée decided she didn’t want to marry me. In fact, she didn’t want to be with me at all.’

  ‘Oh, wow, I’m so sorry,’ Daisy said, not sure what other reaction she could give.

  Ezra nodded and offered her a small smile in response.

  ‘I know this isn’t what you want to hear either, but I was planning on taking myself for a run in the rain, you know, just to complete the stereotype of the sad, lonely, heartbroken man. And then I opened the stairwell door, and you were there. And I guess… I guess… I thought fate was throwing me a bone, so to speak. But sorry, I’ve made you feel awkward, and I really didn’t want to do that. Honestly, you’ve made this morning so much better than I thought it was going to be.’

  ‘I’ve liked it too,’ Daisy said. ‘It’s been good. I think with my life on the canal, it can all get a bit claustrophobic. It’s nice to talk to someone different. Get a different outlook on life now and then.’

  ‘I know exactly what you mean.’

  Daisy glanced again at Johnny. He was wearing his spare wet-weather coat that had been in the car when she’d driven to Bex’s, but it didn’t stop his head, legs and tail from dripping.

  ‘Does that offer of a towel still apply?’ she said.

  A smile twisted on the corner of Ezra lips.

  ‘Of course it does.’

  Daisy went to thank him, only to pause. There was another question she probably needed to ask him and there didn’t seem like any point in waiting.

  ‘I don’t suppose I could pinch some of your dog food too, could I?’

  ‘Jeez, break my heart then steal my dog food.’ Ezra grinned. ‘I’m sure I can manage that for Johnny.’

  ‘For Johnny?’ Daisy smiled back.

  ‘Exactly.’

  64

  Even after several minutes with a towel, Johnny still wasn’t bone dry, but his feet were clean, his fur was no longer dripping and he’d eaten a large bowl of Bruno’s dog food which would be more than enough to see him through the morning.

  ‘Thank you,’ Daisy said, as she prepared to leave Ezra’s apartment.

  ‘It was a pleasure, honestly,’ Ezra replied. ‘Who knows? Maybe I’ll see you again. And Johnny, too. You know him and Bruno are lifelong friends now.’

  Daisy grinned as she opened the door and stepped across the corridor to the stairwell.

  ‘I know. I’m sure he’ll be pestering me for another playdate as soon as we leave. And don’t worry, your secret about having a dog here is safe with me.’

  A cheeky smile curled at the corner of Ezra’s lips. It was the exact smile that had made her stomach flutter earlier and it was doing the same again, though she was trying her hardest to ignore it.

  ‘I’ll be honest with you, I don’t think it’s much of a secret,’ he said. ‘See you later, Daisy and Johnny.’

  As if knowing what response was expected, Johnny offered a single bark before he and Daisy headed up the stairs towards Bex’s flat.

  It was only when she reached the seventh floor that Daisy realised she still hadn’t taken her phone with her. In fact, she hadn’t even turned it back on since she’d had enough of all the missed calls the night before. At some point, she knew she’d have to deal with a barrage of messages from Theo and her mother, but she wanted to make sure she had a cup of tea in her hand before she did that.

  With Johnny sitting by her heel, she knocked on Bex’s front door.

  Immediately, it swung open.

  ‘Where’ve you been? You’ve been gone for ages,’ Bex said.

  ‘I took Johnny for a walk and I’ve been downstairs with your neighbour since I got back.’

  ‘What? Who?’

  ‘Ezra. He lives on the second floor. You must know him. You have a radar for hot guys. And he is definitely hot. He’s also unbelievably lovely and has the most gorgeous dog, Bruno. I can’t believe you don’t know who he is.’

  Bex’s normal response upon hearing about a good-looking man was to ask as many questions as possible to establish whether he would be suitable dating material. Especially one who lived so close to her. But rather than doing that, her face paled.

  ‘Daisy,’ she said.

  ‘What? I think he’s your type. I mean, he said I was stunning and his ideal woman, but⁠—’

  ‘Daisy,’ Bex said again, this time more firmly. Her head remained forward, but her eyes shifted to the side as if she was implying there was something inside the apartment she wanted Daisy to see.

  A second later, Daisy realised exactly what Bex was trying to tell her. Theo was there. Theo was there, and he had heard every word Daisy had just said.

  65

  Silence threatened to suffocate Daisy, and she knew she had to say something, yet her mind was completely blank. Had she said anything incriminating? She had said that Ezra was good-looking, sure, but she’d also mentioned the dog, right? Surely they knew the only reason she’d gone to Ezra’s flat was because of the dogs.

  ‘Well, it’s time I left for work,’ Bex said. ‘You guys stay as long as you like. Just close the door when you leave.’ She slipped past Daisy, squeezing her hand briefly as she went.

  A large weight filled Daisy’s stomach as she and Theo were left alone. Almost alone. Johnny wasted no time as he raced over to Theo. However, instead of giving Johnny his usual fuss and affection, Theo remained entirely still, continuing to stare at Daisy.

  ‘I tried ringing you,’ he said.

  ‘I know. I turned my phone off.’

  ‘Because you were with this guy, Ezra?’

  Daisy raised her eyebrows. ‘No, I turned my phone off last night because I needed some space. That’s why I’m here, because I needed some space.’

  ‘I get that,’ Theo said, nodding his head. ‘But I thought that meant going to the September Rose. Then I went there this morning to apologise and found out you hadn’t even spent the night there. And then I tried ringing you and it kept going straight to answerphone. I had to call in sick to work to find you.’

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21