incredible brain and amazing surgical talents on being a vet. You could have become a proper doctor and specialised in real life-saving, life-changing surgery and done, well, anything.’
‘Jay is a proper doctor. A very talented surgeon. And a bloody good one,’ Erin said hotly. ‘For animals.’
Nalisha shook her head. ‘I still fail to see why.’
‘Because I love animals.’ Jay said quietly. ‘Because animals need care and good medical treatment and life-saving surgery and procedures, just as much as humans do.’
‘Rubbish.’ Nalisha shook her head. ‘I simply can’t understand why anyone could become emotionally
attached
to an animal.’
Erin sucked in her breath. Even if she’d liked Nalisha before, that would have been the death blow.
‘Good job we’re not all the same, then, isn’t it?’ Erin said quickly. ‘And thanks to Jay’s brilliance, Mrs Blundell will be delighted that her beloved Tulisa and the puppies are all going to be OK.’
Nalisha gave a derisory sniff. Erin ignored her.
‘Anyway,’ Jay said quickly, ‘Bella will be on call overnight if they need her – which I’m sure they won’t.’
Bella lived in the flat above thesurgery so it was easy for her to nurse the relatively few in-patients.
Erin grinned. ‘If I know Bella, Tulisa and the puppies will all be upstairs with her as soon as your back’s turned. Her flat usually looks like a menagerie. I’m just glad they’re all OK.’ She took a deep breath. She was going to be grown up about this. ‘Right, sorry for interrupting you, Nalisha. Obviously you and Jay will have loads to talk about, and I’ve got a window display to sort out for Uncle Doug so I’ll make myself scarce and –’
‘You can’t just leave me like that,’ Jay said in mock horror. ‘I’m a man in need of a stiff drink. It’s not every day I bring nine new lives into the world.’
‘Save the celebrations for tonight,’ Erin said. ‘It might be a bit cooler then. And you’ve got afternoon surgery to get through, not to mention hefting all Nalisha’s luggage into the cottage.’
‘Uh?’ Jay frowned. ‘Why would I do that? Why aren’t we going straight to the Bates Mo– er, the White House?’
‘Ah.’ Erin gave a mock groan. ‘Silly me! Another change of plan. Nalisha’s staying in your cottage. Didn’t you know?’
‘No, I didn’t.’ Jay looked shell-shocked. ‘Nalisha?’
‘Your mother said it would be fine.’ Nalisha pouted prettily. ‘I’d assumed she’d mentioned it to you. Oh, it won’t be awkward, will it?’
Come on, Jay, Erin willed. This is where you tell her that it’ll be very bloody awkward indeed.
‘No.’ Jay grinned. ‘It’ll be great.’
Erin groaned.
‘We’ll have time to catch up properly, and the spare room is always made up for anyone who can’t stagger home.’ Jay looked delighted. ‘It’s a great idea, isn’t it, Erin?’
Erin looked at him. Men! Didn’t Jayhave a
clue
?
‘Oh yes. Great,’ Erin said coldly, ‘I’m so glad that’s all sorted. And once you’ve moved Nalisha’s luggage in, she can tell you all about the tikka.’
‘Tilak,’ Nalisha corrected. ‘As you well know. That’s what we were discussing, Jay, when you came in.’
‘Oh, I’m not having a tilak,’ Jay said cheerfully.
‘Your mother said I must try to persuade you.’
‘Did she?’ Jay frowned. ‘Well, she’s going to be disappointed then. Honestly, I don’t want a tilak ceremony, which –’ he looked at Erin ‘– traditionally excludes women and involves all the men of the family gathering together and saying prayers while the nearest male relative applies the tilak mark to my forehead to mark my passage from –’
‘Virgin to red-hot lover?’ Erin raised her eyebrows.
‘
What
?’
‘Well, I’m just guessing here, but as Nalisha’s kindly explained the meaning behind my mehendi, I’m assuming that this tilak-thingy is much the same for you.’
Jay laughed. ‘And as
‘Jay is a proper doctor. A very talented surgeon. And a bloody good one,’ Erin said hotly. ‘For animals.’
Nalisha shook her head. ‘I still fail to see why.’
‘Because I love animals.’ Jay said quietly. ‘Because animals need care and good medical treatment and life-saving surgery and procedures, just as much as humans do.’
‘Rubbish.’ Nalisha shook her head. ‘I simply can’t understand why anyone could become emotionally
attached
to an animal.’
Erin sucked in her breath. Even if she’d liked Nalisha before, that would have been the death blow.
‘Good job we’re not all the same, then, isn’t it?’ Erin said quickly. ‘And thanks to Jay’s brilliance, Mrs Blundell will be delighted that her beloved Tulisa and the puppies are all going to be OK.’
Nalisha gave a derisory sniff. Erin ignored her.
‘Anyway,’ Jay said quickly, ‘Bella will be on call overnight if they need her – which I’m sure they won’t.’
Bella lived in the flat above thesurgery so it was easy for her to nurse the relatively few in-patients.
Erin grinned. ‘If I know Bella, Tulisa and the puppies will all be upstairs with her as soon as your back’s turned. Her flat usually looks like a menagerie. I’m just glad they’re all OK.’ She took a deep breath. She was going to be grown up about this. ‘Right, sorry for interrupting you, Nalisha. Obviously you and Jay will have loads to talk about, and I’ve got a window display to sort out for Uncle Doug so I’ll make myself scarce and –’
‘You can’t just leave me like that,’ Jay said in mock horror. ‘I’m a man in need of a stiff drink. It’s not every day I bring nine new lives into the world.’
‘Save the celebrations for tonight,’ Erin said. ‘It might be a bit cooler then. And you’ve got afternoon surgery to get through, not to mention hefting all Nalisha’s luggage into the cottage.’
‘Uh?’ Jay frowned. ‘Why would I do that? Why aren’t we going straight to the Bates Mo– er, the White House?’
‘Ah.’ Erin gave a mock groan. ‘Silly me! Another change of plan. Nalisha’s staying in your cottage. Didn’t you know?’
‘No, I didn’t.’ Jay looked shell-shocked. ‘Nalisha?’
‘Your mother said it would be fine.’ Nalisha pouted prettily. ‘I’d assumed she’d mentioned it to you. Oh, it won’t be awkward, will it?’
Come on, Jay, Erin willed. This is where you tell her that it’ll be very bloody awkward indeed.
‘No.’ Jay grinned. ‘It’ll be great.’
Erin groaned.
‘We’ll have time to catch up properly, and the spare room is always made up for anyone who can’t stagger home.’ Jay looked delighted. ‘It’s a great idea, isn’t it, Erin?’
Erin looked at him. Men! Didn’t Jayhave a
clue
?
‘Oh yes. Great,’ Erin said coldly, ‘I’m so glad that’s all sorted. And once you’ve moved Nalisha’s luggage in, she can tell you all about the tikka.’
‘Tilak,’ Nalisha corrected. ‘As you well know. That’s what we were discussing, Jay, when you came in.’
‘Oh, I’m not having a tilak,’ Jay said cheerfully.
‘Your mother said I must try to persuade you.’
‘Did she?’ Jay frowned. ‘Well, she’s going to be disappointed then. Honestly, I don’t want a tilak ceremony, which –’ he looked at Erin ‘– traditionally excludes women and involves all the men of the family gathering together and saying prayers while the nearest male relative applies the tilak mark to my forehead to mark my passage from –’
‘Virgin to red-hot lover?’ Erin raised her eyebrows.
‘
What
?’
‘Well, I’m just guessing here, but as Nalisha’s kindly explained the meaning behind my mehendi, I’m assuming that this tilak-thingy is much the same for you.’
Jay laughed. ‘And as
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