Page 24 of Christmas at the Home Farm Vets (Hartfell Village #2)

‘I might be imagining things, but I’m pretty sure we didn’t have two ponies on the premises when I left this morning.

’ Gil appeared in the office on Tuesday after his farm visits with the family dogs, Lola and Maud, at his heels.

Erin looked up from where she’d broken for lunch before an afternoon of testing cattle for tuberculosis.

‘I’ve just seen a piebald cob in the paddock and Posy’s got it cornered.

Either Harriet or Dorothy is responsible, and my money’s on Harriet.

She took off first thing before breakfast and I haven’t seen her since. ’

‘I haven’t seen her either.’ Erin thought even Harriet might make herself scarce if she’d fetched an animal home without Pippa or Gil’s permission. With a grin, she got up and pulled on her coat, hanging on the back of her chair. ‘Let’s have a look, then.’

Word quickly spread and by the time Erin had caught Posy and persuaded her not to make her displeasure with the new arrival more apparent, the entire staff had trooped out to take a look at an underweight and very sorry-looking black-and-white pony.

Despite her condition she was a sturdy build and Erin guessed around thirteen hands high.

‘It’s a mare,’ Gil said grimly. He’d found a spare headcollar in the stables and led the pony inside out of the rain. Erin had brought Posy in too, and left her secure in her own stable, where she went to the back to sulk. ‘She must be a rescue, judging by the state of her.’

The pony’s thick winter coat was filthy, more black than white, and matted in places.

It was clear her feet hadn’t been trimmed for some time and were overgrown to a degree that had made her hobble uncomfortably across the yard.

Her feathers – thick hair growing beneath her knees to her hooves – were dirty too, coated in mud.

In the stable her head hung down, hip bones protruding and eyes dulled, and Erin felt desperately sorry for her.

Gil ran a hand from her neck along her body and sighed when he felt her stomach, more distended than the rest of her.

‘Anyone else think she might be in foal?’

‘Looks that way. What do you want to do?’ Oli had hung back now the rest of the staff had returned to the surgery.

He and Erin had been polite and careful with one another since they’d talked on Sunday afternoon.

They had agreed to share the shopping and cooking, and this morning he’d filled the slow cooker with ingredients for a chicken casserole tonight.

She’d never really put into words what she’d felt for him at Catz, and hearing him say that he’d been in love with her then was proving impossible to forget.

Bits of their conversation kept popping up at inconvenient moments – like now, while assessing the welfare of this bedraggled little mare apparently in need of a loving home.

His eyes caught hers and she looked away.

‘First, let’s get her dry and warm. Water and feed too, then when she’s feeling a bit brighter we’ll clean her up and take some bloods. She’ll need worming and we’d better scan her to make sure she actually is in foal. There’s probably a rug around here somewhere that’ll fit her.’

‘So she’s staying?’ Erin was relieved, dreading the thought of turfing the starving pony back out into the depths of winter. Not that Harriet or Dorothy would let that happen.

‘For now.’ Gil slowly shook his head. ‘No doubt Harriet has other ideas. I bet Dorothy put her up to this; I’ll be having a word with my aunt when I see her. And Harriet, when she gets home from school.’

‘She’ll need a name, if she hasn’t already got one.’ Erin was stroking the pony’s neck, trying to let her know that she’d be okay now and they wouldn’t let anything worse happen to her. ‘I bet she doesn’t have a passport.’

‘What about Flo?’ Oli suggested. ‘She looks like she might be a Flo.’

‘She does.’ Erin threw him a grin. ‘I like it.’

‘Right, Flo it is, unless Harriet’s got a better suggestion.’ Gil slipped the headcollar off and gave Flo a gentle pat. ‘Poor little girl, let’s get you sorted out.’

‘I’ll do it, if you want to get some lunch?’ Erin checked her phone. ‘I’ve got another hour before I need to be at Roland’s for the testing.’

‘Thanks, Erin.’ Gil closed the stable door and made sure to kick the bottom bolt in place too, the dogs ready to follow him back indoors. ‘Make sure Posy’s shut in too. I wouldn’t put it past her to escape and let Flo out as well, probably see her off whilst she’s at it.’

Oli was on his lunch break too, and he and Erin quickly made a clean bed from the blocks of shavings Harriet stored for Posy.

They banked up the bedding high and deep so Flo could lie down in comfort if she chose.

Oli filled a clean water bucket and Elaine appeared with a kettle so they could add some warm water to entice Flo to drink.

Erin slid a few handfuls of haylage into a net; the pony would need to be fed little and often so her weakened digestive system wouldn’t be overwhelmed.

Posy was on a permanent low-calorie diet to keep her laminitis condition at bay, so Erin offered Flo a little of Posy’s feed in a bucket, gratified to see that she ate it.

Flo would need something different to build her back up, but Posy’s food would do for now.

Erin and Oli left Flo standing on the thick bedding, out of the rain and freezing air, and they planned to check on her later with Gil.

When Erin returned from TB testing the herd of dairy cattle, she was cold and ready for a hot drink.

The cattle had been unsettled by the change in routine and a few had escaped into the yard, leading her and the farmers a merry dance before they were rounded up.

She heard Jess chatting with Oli in the office in a quick break between consultations and from the sound of it, Jess was helping him choose an ugly sweater for the staff Christmas party on Saturday.

Gil had drafted in extra cover and planned to be on call if required so everyone else could have a night off.

They’d agreed on Secret Santa for their first Christmas as a team and Elaine had suggested they draw names at the party and exchange gifts on the twenty-third, which would be Oli’s last day.

Erin was already half regretting inviting Jason to the party.

Pippa and Gil had been kind enough to include partners and in defiance of Oli’s words on Sunday about her relationship, she’d messaged Jason yesterday and blurted out the suggestion.

She’d already agreed to be Jason’s plus-one at his cousin’s wedding in the new year.

Surprisingly, he’d said yes straightaway to her invitation, and she was wondering if it was because he didn’t have a better plan lined up.

In reality it felt too early in their relationship to have him join her for a more formal work event than a gathering at the pub, but she’d asked him now and at least it meant she wouldn’t be arriving alone.

‘Erin, hi. What do you think of this?’ Jess appeared in the kitchen as Erin was filling the kettle, still musing on the party, and thrust a phone she recognised as Oli’s towards her. ‘Oli’s not that keen but I think it’s perfect and he suggested you should have the casting vote.’

‘Me?’ Erin laughed, automatically reaching for mugs to make her colleagues a brew.

Elaine had gone home, and it was Steph’s half day.

Gabi was on a training course and would be back on Thursday.

Word had got around now about Erin and Oli being at Cambridge together, and everyone had accepted they’d been friends.

Erin was hopeful that only Jess knew things had been different.

The man in question propped himself against the door as she woke the coffee machine up, his eyes on hers full of amusement.

‘I’m not sure my experience of ugly sweater parties, which is none, is up to choosing outfits for other people. ’

‘So you don’t like it?’ Jess waved the phone again and Erin had a proper look this time.

‘Actually, I sort of do. There’s something about a scowling green sprout that would really suit you, Oli. Goes with your hair.’

‘Decision made.’ Oli accepted his phone back from Jess and ran his fingers over the screen. ‘Done. I can pick it up from the shop tomorrow.’

‘Can’t wait,’ Jess said airily. ‘So when are you putting your decs up, Erin? I’d offer to help, seeing as we won’t be having any this year, given the state of our house, but I don’t want to be in the way if Oli’s helping you instead.’

Erin gave her friend and colleague a pointed look, and Jess laughed, undaunted. ‘Soon, I hope. My mum’s brought over some old decorations from home, and I’ve got a few new ones to add.’

Exploring all those old childhood memories the decorations held made her feel nostalgic and a little sad. It was another shift away from her usual routine of decorating her grandparents’ house together. Celebrating a first Christmas in her own home was another step into a fully independent life.

‘Don’t I get any say in all this Christmas planning?’ Oli folded his arms, and Erin was thinking of his mum, and the reminder that he’d be spending another Christmas without her.

‘Is that an offer to help?’ She was pretty sure she wouldn’t get Jason round for such a mundane task if she asked him. ‘But it’s totally fine if not, I understand.’

‘I think even I can manage to help you string a few lights around a tree.’

‘Well, it’s not just lights.’ Erin handed Jess herbal tea and Oli an espresso, and they thanked her. ‘Decorating the house for Christmas is one of my favourite days of the year, it’s so much fun.’

‘How bad are we talking here?’ A smile was hovering on Oli’s lips, and she read one in his eyes, too. ‘On a scale of The Grinch right through to Elf ?’