‘That’s easy to fix,’ Mum said. ‘He was asking if we knew anyone on the footy team. Says he’s interested in playing. Maybe you could put in a word for him with Robbo.’

Dad glared at her. ‘Why were you talking to him?’

‘He was kicking a footy with Max.’

‘Got a new coach, have you?’ Dad stared at Max, and Max couldn’t help squirming.

‘He’s more patient than you,’ Mum said.

‘But nowhere near as good,’ Max added quickly. Mum was mucking this up. She was making Dad madder.

Dad gave Max a pleased smile and brushed a hand over his head. ‘Good on you, buddy.’

‘So you’ll speak to Robbo?’ Mum asked.

‘And can Rosie stay home?’ Max put in.

‘I’ll think about it,’ said Dad, opening a beer.

Next morning when Dad drove off, Rosie stayed home. Max ran over to Leon’s and knocked on the door. ‘Rosie can get her stitches out today,’ he told Leon.

Leon scratched his head. ‘Oh yeah. I forgot about that.’

‘Can you take her?’

Leon looked doubtful. ‘I’m not sure. I can’t leave her in my car all day. How about I ring and see if she can stay at the clinic while I’m at work?’

‘What if the pups are born while she’s there?’ Max asked. ‘Will the vet get to keep them?’

‘No. The pups belong to you.’

Max sprawled on the doorstep while Leon made the call and talked to someone. ‘Who was that?’ Max asked when Leon was finished.

‘It was the vet nurse. She was very kind to Rosie.’

‘Is the vet nice too? Is he a good bloke?’

‘He isn’t a bloke,’ Leon said. ‘He’s a lady called Kate. And she’s very good.’

When Leon brought Rosie home from the vet that afternoon, Max inspected her wound to make sure all the stitches were gone. ‘Did they make you pay?’ he asked, because Mum had been going on about it since he arrived home from school. Leon said no, but he had that look on his face adults got when they told lies.

Max took Rosie home and fed her in the shed. She was restless after dinner, scratching around in her blankets and wandering about the yard, sniffing like she was looking for a bone. Maybe she was upset after having to sit in a cage all day. Max didn’t blame her; it would have been like sitting in class.