The Mysteries of Brambly Hollow

He still wasn’t convinced. Thrusting it into his hand she ignored him and turned her attention to the dog again, studying it through narrowed, grim eyes. As if sensing that this could be its special moment; make or break time, the dog stood up on all fours, and hitching up its lips revealed a set of yellowed teeth, gazing at her with what could only be described as a winning smile big enough to engulf the entire cove at Beer, while at the far end of its body, the tip of its tail twitched with a severe attack of nervous jitters. She had totally forgotten all about Elsa’s parting comment about giving her a present, but why on earth would she feel compelled to give her a dog, of all things? What was she to do with a dog?
    “Yes, you’re wondering what you’re doing here too. Aren’t you?” Tilting its head, the hound gave a little yap.
    “Well it can’t stay.” Giving up on the note, still not able to make head nor tails of the scribbled pen strokes, Cal crumpled it in his palm as he turned to face his wife, barely giving the dog a second glance. “Take it back.” Meli nodded.
    “No, no,” came a chorus of protest from the twins. “You can’t. You promised we would get a dog after we moved here.”
    “We don’t want that moth eaten mongrel,” snorted Cassie, who had hung back at a safe distance, and was watching from the doorway. “Who knows where it’s been.” The lower half of her face contorted, indicating that she had several unsavoury ideas about this.
    “Damn right,” mumbled Cal in agreement, glowering at the mutt. Sensing that its debut performance was in serious trouble, the strained smile wobbled and then crumbled, as the dog sank down onto its stomach with an audible sigh that sounded very much like an inner tube deflating, before its chin struck the ground.
    “Well, who knows where you’ve been? But you’re still allowed to stay,” David shot at his sister tartly.
    “Pack it in, all of you.” Cal was distracted by the kids now, but Meli wasn’t listening any more. Meli had dropped to her knees and was brushing her fingers over the short black coat, captivated by the hypnotic brown eyes. As if sensing that it had found an ally after all, the dog wriggled forward and nuzzled its head against her thigh affectionately. It did look a dear little thing.
    “We did say we would get a dog,” Meli suddenly piped up as she turned and glanced over her shoulder, careful to avoid contact with Cassie’s disparaging shake of her head. It wouldn’t have mattered if the mutt had been a Crufts Best of Breed champion, Cass would still bicker, she wasn’t one for animals of any description. She focused her look on Cal, who was at that moment glaring at her with an expression that clearly asked whether she had gone barking mad. Yes, they had talked about getting a dog, but nothing serious. It was just one of those things parents said to the kids to shut them up, but didn’t have any intention of ever actually doing, except under pain of death.
    After an exchanged silence that lasted several seconds he accepted defeat. “It’s up to you,” he sighed. “Look, I must go, I’m already late.” Striding away he settled in his four wheel drive and without another glance, was soon reversing from their drive.
    “I don’t know yet,” Meli told her children, raising both hands as a defensive barrier, forestalling the coming barrage of fors-and-againsts, when three pairs of eyes all swivelled in her direction and their mouths gaped open like hungry chicks. “I need to think about it.” She untied the string and carefully avoiding eye contact with the kids, led the dog, which she noticed was a boy, indoors. What was she going to do with him while she was out? She was reluctant to leave him the run of the house, in case he got into mischief, but she couldn’t take him with her. She couldn’t even leave him shut in the kitchen or living room as they were open plan. Stooping down she petted him on the head and then tipping the remains of all the breakfasts into an old ice cream container she put it on the floor. Hungrily, the dog pounced on it, and within seconds the bowl was licked clean. While he was still snuffling around the floor clearing up any spillage, the boys grabbed him by the collar, and led him away.
    “I don’t want him upstairs,” Meli called, but it was too late. With a final flick of its happy tail, it vanished up the stairs.
    “You’ll regret it,” Cassie