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“No. Let me help you.”

They both sat up, and he moved Lady off Maisie. The dog didn’t look happy about it.

“Okay, lie back down and I’m going to lie on top of you, where I can hug you to keep you warm,” Maisie said to Robert.

He smiled. She laughed. She loved that he was enjoying this too. Then she laid down on top of him and snuggled against his chest. This was way better. Lady made a nest between their legs and got comfortable. The sun was setting, and it was beautiful, with pink paint spread across the blue sky and orange, blue, and pink coloring the loch, mixing and creating purples. The castle was silhouetted by the sky. Maisie wished she had her camera. She had never imagined being on a castle island at sunset, hugging a half-naked wolf. Anne and Maisie had talked about coming here when they had free time, but neither of them had taken the time to do it.

This was surreal and Maisie loved it, and she couldn’t think of any other wolf she would rather be with there.

***

Robert and his companions had been sound asleep for an hour when he woke to hear Lady scratching and panting.

Aw, nuts.

He had been dreaming about fighting off Jude, Maisie’s stalker, as a wolf, tearing into him so he wouldn’t harass her any further.

Maisie tried to sit up in a hurry, but she cried out. “Ouch, darn it! I forgot all about my ankle.”

“We’ll get you home and get it elevated with some ice, but for now, it looks like Lady’s getting ready to have a pup,” Robert said.

“Oh,” Maisie groaned. “Take your shirt, mine too, to use as a bed for her.”

“Mine is big enough.” He didn’t want Maisie getting cold. He carefully removed his shirt from Maisie’s ankle, and he heard her suck in her breath. “I’m so sorry.”

“Nay, don’t be. Lady needs it for her and her pups.”

The heat from the fire had dried his shirt, and between that and the warmth of Maisie’s leg, it was warm when he laid it on the ground for Lady. She scratched and scratched at it, circling around and around, looking just for the right spot.

“She’s going to have the first pup before she lies down,” Maisie said.

Robert smiled. “I know. They have to find just the right spot.”

Then Lady finally settled down and began moaning and groaning.

“How many pups do West Highland terriers normally have?” Maisie asked.

“About three.”

The water sac came out, and he knew a puppy was in the birth canal. “The first puppy is coming.” He looked atMaisie, and she was watching, looking on in awe. He was glad for it. He sure wished he was at the clinic delivering Lady, in case she had any real difficulties though. As far as he recalled from having taken care of her at the clinic, she’d never had puppies before.

The puppy finally delivered fifteen minutes later. Lady was being a good mother and licking the puppy vigorously, tearing off the membrane. Lady cleaned the little male pup up and severed the umbilical cord. The pup cried, which was a good sign that the puppy was going to be fine. Robert wanted to wipe the puppy’s tummy with iodine to prevent infection, but he would have to do that at Maisie’s house. “Do you have iodine at home?”

“Yes, in our first aid supplies.”

“Good.” He took a corner of his shirt and cut it with his knife without disturbing Lady, then made some tiny strips of cloth. He tied off the umbilical cord an inch away from the first pup’s belly.

“Two more, right?” Maisie asked.

He placed the puppy next to Lady’s belly so he could nurse. When he began suckling, Robert was relieved. “Or just another or maybe three more. It depends. We’ll just have to wait and see. Sometimes it can be hours, or it can happen really quickly. You never can—”

Then the next pup arrived, and Lady did her duty with him. Once she had cut the umbilical cord and cleaned him up, Robert tied off the cord and placed the second male next to his brother to begin nursing.

“Her owner didn’t say anything about her having puppies,did he?” Maisie asked.

“No. This was a real surprise.”

“Could he possibly not have known?”