A Roll in the Hay, стр. 13

Tess nodded in acknowledgement. She was aware that her sexuality could mostly be guessed at a glance. She had also learned not to make those same assumptions about gender. Things were a million miles from how it was when she was growing up, though. At least one lesbian and one non-binary person living in Hayleith? Her neighbours’ heads would have exploded back then. “Well, they can come and give me some tips on my place when I finally move in. I’m staying in Margo and Adam’s guest room a few more days, but this is fantastic.”

“Thank you. I’ll tell Finn you’re another fan.” Dave set about making them both coffee, and it was as good as anything the café served up.

“What’s been troubling you with your sheep?” Tess sat on one of the high stools at the kitchen island. “The notes don’t say much from Adam’s first visit, I’m afraid.”

“Her lamb is weaned now, but it looks like she’s having some trouble. Usually I have some antibiotics left over to give them, but this is my best girl. I think she deserves a check from the vet and her own prescription.”

Dave talked about the sheep with a smile, but there was real concern in the way he leaned in to discuss it.

That was a good start in Tess’s book, since sheep were often an afterthought, and many livestock owners wouldn’t go to the expense of a vet visit for sheep alone. They usually waited until something more valuable needed attention, like cows, and then asked about the sheep as a kind of bonus. “No problem. I’ve got a few options in my bag, so when I see how she’s doing, we’ll get the right one injected and she’ll be back in fine form.”

“That is just what I wanted. How are you settling in? I think I saw you in the pub last night?”

“Yeah, I think I saw you too,” Tess sipped her coffee. “Had a bit of a run-in with our local royalty again. You must be glad to have your own place, not be working for Mrs Karlson up at Midsummer.”

“You mean Lady Karlson?” The correction was polite, but it might also have been pointed. “We are actually her tenants. She owns this land, but we rent and work it. Very fair, of course. But then my partner sets the rates, so always a good deal, right? And Lady Karlson owns the pub too.”

“I heard.” Tess leaned over and put her mug in the sink. So Finn with the great taste also worked up on the estate. “Looks like the rain is easing off. Shall we go see to your poor sheep?”

“Yes, come this way.”

They headed out through the back door and across to the first set of barns. The rain was down to a drizzle, and Tess’s wax jacket kept the worst of it off. Back here barely a week and she was already dressing the part. Her boots were less fortunate in the squelching mud, and she remembered that the wellingtons in the car should probably be her uniform on field days like this.

“Here she is.” Dave gestured to a large sheep inside the third shed along. “Thank you for coming to help her.”

“Having fun?”

Margo was lurking by the surgery’s back door when Tess parked. A few years ago, Margo would have been smoking, but now everyone seemed to have given up. Tess barely missed it herself.

“Oh, a great time,” she replied. “Dealt with that cow who kicks more than Messi, some pigs that’d gone off their feed, and, oh yes, the sheep with sore nipples.” She tried to play it down, but she could feel a smile practically splitting her face. “Think I’m meant to be a country vet after all. It was great, Margo. Absolutely why I came up here.”

“Good, good.” Margo looked around like she expected them to have company in the tiny car park. She’d been like that last night too, eyes darting around the pub, holding her breath every time someone came in the direction of their table.

Tess had known her too long to push for a direct explanation, though. “Did you need me to do something?” she asked, letting Waffles out to tear around the place, doing loops around their legs.

“I wanted to have a quick chat last night, but then you were all annoyed about Susannah Karlson at the bar and something about lager, so I thought it could wait until today.”

“You’re not firing me, are you?” Tess knew it was a pointless concern; she’d invested in the practice as an equal partner. “Only that sounds like a crap ton of paperwork, and you know that’s not my strong suit.”

“No it was more… Oh, hell, let’s just rip it off. I’m pregnant.”

Tess wanted to laugh at how stricken Margo looked. “But that’s good, isn’t it? You guys have been trying…”

“Yes! But we were hoping things would be more stable by the time it actually happened. As it is I’ll have to step back from a lot of the job, which isn’t ideal. You and Adam will have to cover for me, and we won’t have the boost from new business, like Midsummer, to do any more hiring. Locums end up costing a fortune, so it’ll be all on you two.”

“Don’t worry about that now!” Tess pulled Margo into a hug, and Waffles came bounding over to get in on the fussing. “You’re having a baby!”

“Yes, I suppose I am!” Margo smiled for the first time, neon bright in her happiness. “It’s been a rocky first trimester, but it’s so much better now. D’you think I’m showing yet?”

Margo was so slender that Tess couldn’t imagine there would be room for a child to grow in there, but sure enough, from the side there was a certain curve that Tess hadn’t noticed before.

“Wow, so you’re already four months?”

Margo nodded.

Tess could have sworn she saw a flicker of panic cross her face, and