‘Maybe. But if you’re both honest with each other I think that’s a very good place to start.’ Maggie was preparing herself for a similar conversation in the future.

As they neared the house an estate car was coming down the track. The driver waved at Maggie and turned down the side of her house. ‘Now what does he want?’ said Maggie, under her breath.

‘Who is it?’ asked Tom.

‘Local vet. Nice guy but usually costs me money when I see him…’ She turned her attention to the car’s driver. ‘Gregory. To what do I owe the pleasure?’

‘Fraser Savage has been trying to get hold of you.’

Maggie spotted Savage’s dog, Rusty, in the back of the car. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘Difficult labour,’ he said getting out of the car and walking around to the other side. ‘She’s lost a lot of blood. I’m taking her in to the surgery to put her on a drip and keep an eye on her for twenty-four hours.’ He opened the passenger door and leaned in.

‘Did she have the puppies yet?’ asked Tom, peering into the back of the car.

‘Only these two survived I’m afraid,’ said Gregory, reversing out of the passenger side with a small crate. ‘Savage is too busy with the lambs to take care of them so I was taking the pups in too but he was calling you to see if you’d be able to look after—’

‘Ye-ah!’ said Tom, racing around to join the vet. ‘Of course we will. Won’t we, Maggie?’ His eyes were bigger than a pleading puppy’s.

Maggie shook her head. ‘They need feeding round the clock. Every four—’

‘Two to three hours,’ interrupted the vet.

‘But that’s not a problem.’ Tom was already peeling back the jumper that was covering them. ‘Oh wow. Maggie, you’ve got to see these. They’re the cutest.’ Tom’s face was a picture. ‘We’ll help. Won’t we?’ There were the puppy dog eyes again.

‘We’d need formula and puppy pads,’ said Maggie.

‘I’ve got enough formula for one feed in my bag but I can get one of the nurses to pop some more over on her way home tonight. As well as some puppy pads,’ said the vet. Maggie pressed her lips together.

‘Pleeeease,’ said Tom, sounding a lot younger than his years.

It felt like a conspiracy to Maggie. ‘Twenty-four hours only.’ She pointed at Tom and then the vet, shook her head and went inside, leaving Tom to bring in the puppies and a bundle of things from the vet. She had spent her life trying to avoid getting attached to things and she wasn’t about to start now, although looking at Tom she realised perhaps she was making that oath a fraction too late.