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Becky boiled the kettle and took four mugs from the cupboard.

“Nice boots,” she said. “I can’t imagine you’ve had those long.”

Kitty winced. She must look so green. “No, not long,” she replied, her cheeks warming. She couldn’t admit they were roughly an hour old. She’d look like a newbie, for sure.

“So, are you a trainee vet or a vet assistant?” asked Becky as she added sugar to her and Keith’s mugs. Kitty shifted in her seat.

“Neither, I’m afraid.”

Becky smiled. “I did wonder. You were standing around like a spare part in the shed.” The woman’s bright laughter echoed off the orange floor tiles, and Kitty cringed.

“Is it that obvious? I’m a lawyer, hence the inappropriate footwear.”

“I think your boots are great! I was going to ask where you got them from.”

Kitty’s face relaxed into a smile. “I don’t know. They were a gift. I’m a groupie today. Josh wanted to show me what he did for work.”

A look of contemplation crossed Becky’s face as she joined Kitty at the table.

“A lawyer and a farm vet? Well, they say opposites attract. I suppose it’s best to know upfront if you’re suited to a life where any four-legged creature takes priority over you at a moment’s notice.” Kitty’s brow furrowed slightly. “I imagine you work very hard too, but it’s good to know what you are getting yourself into.”

Kitty should clarify that she and Josh weren’t a couple, but she wanted to know what Becky thought.

“See, that young man is very dedicated. He works long hours and rarely takes a holiday.” She took a sip of her tea and continued. “Many’s the time he’s come out here in the middle of the night.He’s always lovely, but I don’t need to tell you that. Such a gentle soul. His dad was the same. Not so easy on the eye, though.” Becky winked at Kitty. “How long have you been together?”

Heat rose up Kitty’s chest. “I’ve known Josh for years, but we aren’t together. We were friends as kids. I’m just helping his sister with her animal sanctuary. As adults, I really don’t know him that well.”

Becky huffed. “With him, what you see is what you get. It’s rare these days.” She picked up an ancient biscuit barrel from the shelf, removed the lid, and offered Kitty something from its depths. She shook her head.

“You may not be an item, but I saw how he looked at you. I spotted you both getting changed through the window and let's just say he enjoyed the view.” Becky had a mischievous glimmer in her eye. “Usually, an undergrad or trainee are the only people he’d bring along on a visit. You might have yourself an admirer there.”Heat flushed throughout the whole of Kitty’s body now.

Clutching two mugs each, they headed back outside. After trying three sheds, they finally found Josh and Keith, the former with his entire arm inside a cow’s bum. There was an image she’d never unsee.Kitty put her cargo down on an old bench, and Josh looked over. He must have seen the horrified look on her face.

“Not so glamourous, huh?” he asked.

“Erm, no, but I assume it’s necessary and not just a pastime.”

Josh laughed. “This is how you give a cow an ultrasound. Come over and have a look.” He nodded towards the small screen he had strapped to his arm. Kitty’s heart sped up at the thought of approaching the cow, but she moved towards Josh, using him as a shield. Like a human ultrasound, a vague white shape was visible in the dark grey void of the screen.

“So, it’s not for ghost busting then,” she said, almost to herself.

“It’s easier to go in this way. The scanning probe can pass over the uterus. Back in my dad’s day, it was all done by feeling. This tech makes me an amateur, really.See the legs there?”

Kitty nodded, the blurry picture shifting with each movement of the calf.

“You can just make out the ribcage. I’d say she’s around 60 days along. The gestation period is about 280 days,” he said, absorbed by the picture on the screen. All Kitty could think about was how a mini cow would make it all the way out, complete with hooves.

At Josh’s direction, Kitty stepped back, and he extracted his arm and the scanning probe.

“Okay, that’s the last one, Keith,” he said.

Pleased to see that he’d encased his arm in a full-length plastic arm sleeve, Kitty gave him a wide berth as he washed up in a sink in the corner. The smell of disinfectant burned into her nostrils, making her lightheaded. This was the reality of his job and not the romanticised notion painted in the James Herriot books she’d read as a kid.

After he’d finished cleaning up, Josh headed over to Kitty.

“Well, that sight was a baptism by fire for you. There’s nothing more confronting than seeing someone with their arm inside a cow.”

She giggled. “You never know what weird stuff people are into.”