He reached into the back of the tray top and took out a bright orange sign. Paula watched as he went to the edge of the road and set it up. The cold wind had her raising the window again then she leaned forward and looked from left to right along the dirt road. How she wished Rocket was still here. He had given her the confidence to help Dan with the sheep when she’d first come to the farm.

It was time they replaced him. She’d been dithering over whether to get one of the Brown’s pups for ages. The last time she’d spoken to Monica, they were nearly old enough to leave their mother.

“Move your car out to block the road behind. I’ll get them started then move past and meet you up at the crossroads.”

“Are you sure it’s okay?”

“We do this kind of thing all the time. Plenty of farmers do. Just take it steady and everything will be fine.” He gave her a reassuring wink and went to his vehicle.

Paula eased her car forward and out onto the road. A pup wouldn’t be of any help for a while but they had to think about the future.

She watched as Dan edged the sheep slowly forward onto the road. Some looked at her and took a few steps towards her. For a moment, she thought they would rush past her in the wrong direction but a group surged out along the road and the rest soon followed.

Dan signalled her to move up behind them, then he drove the tray top along the edge of the road past the sheep and on further, until he disappeared around a bend. Paula watched the sheep milling forward in front of her. Some dropped pellets of poo as they walked and seemed oblivious to her following along behind, while others stopped and glared at her as she moved closer, before they turned and rushed ahead of the mob.

The warmth of the slowly moving car soothed her and made her eyes droopy. It would be quite easy to nod off. She shifted in her seat and strengthened her grip on the steering wheel.

A series of gentle prods sent her hand to her tummy. The ultrasound was scheduled for tomorrow. Paula had a strange sense of excitement but at the same time an undefinable fear. Of what, she wasn’t sure. Maybe that there would be something wrong with the baby or that it wasn’t there at all and her swelling tummy and the little prods were all caused by her imagination.

Dan had organised to get away for the afternoon. She hoped they’d have time to pay a quick visit to the shops. His birthday was coming up and she wanted to buy him a new shirt and something a little more personal. She wasn’t sure what.