A Slippery Slope by Emily Harvale Page A

moments.
    They both dashed towards the stairs.
    ‘What the fuck!’ they heard Josh say.
    ‘I think he’s seen, her,’ Lucy said as they ran down the stairs as
fast as they could.
    Josh spun round at the kitchen door, a look of both astonishment
and anger on his face.
    ‘Would someone mind telling me why there is a dog asleep in the
kitchen?’
    ‘It’s my fault,’ Verity said, walking past Josh towards Mistral,
who was once again curled up in front of the fire. ‘We found her a few days
after ... after you left. She was just lying in the snow and she had blood on
her head. Peter said she’d probably been hit accidently by a skier or
snowboarder and had just run off and collapsed where we found her. He fixed her
up and ... and we’re looking after her.’
    ‘You’re what? Who’s Peter?’
    ‘He was a guest. He’s a vet and–’
    ‘You asked a guest to tend to a stray dog!’
    Verity could feel her hackles rising. ‘I didn’t ask .
Although I would have if he hadn’t offered. He was skiing with us so we found
her together. He was the one who suggested bringing her back here, actually.’
    ‘A dog? In a ski chalet?’
    ‘What’s wrong with that? I didn’t know dogs were forbidden in ski
chalets,’ Verity said icily. ‘There’s nothing in your info pack that says
they’re not allowed.’
    Josh scowled. ‘That’s because it never occurred to me that anyone
in their right mind would bring a dog into my chalet! And what is that awful
smell? Is it diseased or something?’
    ‘ She is not diseased. She’s injured!’ Verity said,
emphasizing the ‘she’.
    ‘Then why does she smell so awful?’
    ‘She ... she has a bit of a ... stomach problem.’
    ‘Dear God. In my kitchen!’
    ‘It’s only wind,’ Lucy chimed in. ‘That’s why Etienne suggested we
should call her Mistral actually, because she suffers from strong wind and ...’
Her voice trailed off.
    Josh’s face looked like thunder. ‘Etienne knows about this?
Etienne allowed it?’
    ‘It’s not his fault either,’ Verity said. ‘It’s mine. Completely
mine. He said you’d be furious but I didn’t believe him. I didn’t think anyone
would object to helping an injured animal. Am I wrong?’
    ‘I don’t object to you helping it ... her. I object to it ... her
… being in my kitchen. There are hygiene regulations for chalets, you know!’
    ‘She’s very hygienic. And she’s never in here when we’re preparing
food.’
    ‘Not that it improves things in the slightest – and I almost dread
to ask – but where is it ... she … when you prepare food? Please don’t tell me
you put her in the sitting room. Please!’
    ‘Of course not. We put her in our bedroom,’ Lucy said.
    Josh shook his head. ‘Well, she’ll have to go. I’ll take her to
the pound. There must be one–’
    ‘You won’t!’ Verity snapped.
    Josh’s mouth fell open. ‘Excuse me! This is my chalet,
Verity, and I will not have a dog in my chalet! Do I make myself clear?’
    ‘Abundantly,’ Verity hissed. ‘Then I have no choice but to leave
with her. I’ll find somewhere and we’ll be gone by the end of the day.’
    ‘What the!–’ Josh let out a derisive snort. ‘You’ll be lucky to
find accommodation for yourself during Christmas week, let alone you and a dog!’
    ‘Well, I’ll have to try. Come along, Mistral. We’re leaving.’
    Mistral got up and sauntered over to Verity, licked her hand and
sat down beside her.
    ‘Mum?’ Lucy looked uncertain.
    Josh raked a hand through his hair and shook his head. ‘This is
fucking unbelievable!’
    ‘You’re who’s unbelievable! Making all this fuss over an injured
dog. I really had a higher opinion of you than this,’ Verity snapped.
    His head shot up and his eyes turned a deep dark grey. ‘Don’t push
me, Verity.’
    ‘I have no intention of pushing you,’ she said, an
inappropriate memory flashing through her mind. ‘I still remember what happened
the last time I pushed you, although