Page 11 of A New Family at Puddleduck Farm (Puddleduck Farm #6)

‘I dunno. I think…’ He shrugged, and seemed to gather himself a little in the face of such cool professionalism, although he was still panting. ‘It’s not me, no. Nothing’s injured yet, but I think it will be. It’s in your field. Stalking a donkey?’

‘What’s stalking a donkey?’ She looked at him, now totally mystified.

Max, tuning instantly into the situation, had pricked up his ears too and had come across to stand by Phoebe’s side.

The man put his hand on his chest. ‘Something big and grey. I think it might be a wolf.’

‘A wolf?’

Phoebe and Max spoke together with varying levels of incredulity.

‘In my field?’ Phoebe added.

‘Yep.’ The man blew out a deep breath. ‘I thought I was seeing things. There are no wolves in Hampshire, are there? Although I did catch something on the radio this morning about a wolf release. Maybe they’ve already done it. Or maybe one escaped. Jesus.’

Max was shaking his head. ‘I’m pretty sure it wasn’t round here.’

‘I know what I saw,’ the man said stubbornly. ‘Bold as brass, it was, loping across the field.’ He wiped his sweaty forehead. He’d finally stopped puffing.

‘What were you doing in my field anyway?’ Phoebe asked, still trying to gather her thoughts.

‘I’m doing the fence, aren’t I? I arranged it with Natasha.’ For the first time, she noticed he had a hammer in his hand.

‘We should investigate,’ Max said. ‘I’ll go up there.’

‘I’ll come,’ Marcus said quickly. He looked animated at the prospect of seeing a wolf.

‘I’m coming too.’ Phoebe looked at Jenna. ‘Would you mind holding on here a minute, just while we sort this out?’

‘No problem.’ Jenna sounded relieved they didn’t need her in the posse. ‘Be careful, won’t you?’

‘Wolves aren’t dangerous,’ Marcus said confidently. ‘Not lone wolves anyway. Not if you don’t corner it, and I can’t see it attacking a donkey. They’re way too big for a wolf.’

Phoebe couldn’t believe they were standing here in the middle of a Friday lunchtime discussing a wolf running amok in the neddie field. She was about 90 per cent sure the fencer was mistaken, but he did seem very sure of himself. And he’d certainly looked pale when he’d come hurtling in.

A few seconds later, Phoebe, Max, Marcus and the fencer, who’d introduced himself as Dougie, were walking quickly up towards the neddie field.

Before they’d got as far as the five-bar gate at the entrance, Phoebe saw they weren’t the only ones to have headed this way.

Ahead of her, walking along the perimeter fence line, was Maggie, pushing a buggy.

Phoebe felt her heart freeze in her chest. What was Maggie doing out here with her precious daughter?

Oh my God, she wouldn’t know, couldn’t know, about the wolf.

Of course she didn’t. She opened her mouth to yell and then she spotted Roxie trotting along sedately by the buggy.

Buster was there too, sniffing a fencepost. And Tiny was a little way behind.

A jolt of realisation rocked through Phoebe’s body.

‘It’s there,’ yelled Dougie. ‘Sneaking up on the old lady.’ He swore.

‘Where?’ Marcus vaulted over the fence in one movement and Max was close behind him, fired up and ready to go, although not quite so agile.

‘That’s not a wolf.’ Phoebe felt laughter bubbling up in her throat. She caught hold of Dougie’s arm and pointed. ‘Is that what you mean? That grey dog?’

‘Yeah, that’s it. That’s it. Hang on.’ He stared at Phoebe as if he’d only just heard her. ‘Did you say dog?’

‘That’s Tiny. He’s not a wolf. He’s my grandmother’s wolfhound.’

‘Whoa. What?’ Dougie let out a deep sigh of amazement. ‘That’s not tiny. It’s enormous.’

‘No, I mean his name’s Tiny. It’s an ironic name. Wolfhounds are enormous.’ Phoebe was laughing openly now. She couldn’t seem to stop. Adrenaline mixed with the relief of knowing there was no threat after all to her precious family. ‘But they’re definitely not dangerous.’

‘That one isn’t, anyway.’ Marcus had started laughing now too. ‘He spends most of his time asleep by the Aga.’ He turned towards Dougie. ‘Wolfhounds are a lot bigger than wolves. Wolves are only about the size of German Shepherd dogs. Just for future reference.’

‘How was I to know that?’ Dougie’s face was now scarlet with embarrassment. ‘It looks like a bloody wolf.’

‘Well, it’s the same colour, I’ll give you that,’ Max said. He was shaking his head. There was disbelief in his eyes, but Max had always been the diplomat. ‘It’s an easy mistake to make from a distance. Did you say he was stalking a donkey?’

‘Yeah.’ Dougie shifted from one foot to the other. ‘I might have got that bit wrong. I mean, I was over the other side of the field. The sun was in my eyes.’

Then he started to laugh too. Maggie, who’d clearly been alerted by all the kerfuffle at the gate, had spotted them and was heading over with the buggy, along with her little entourage.

‘Lovely day,’ she said as she reached them. ‘Are you lot all out for a walk?’ She raised her eyebrows. ‘Catching the rays?’

Maggie knew something was up. Phoebe could see it in her eyes. They probably all could. But it was Marcus who enlightened her.

‘Dougie here mistook Tiny for a wolf,’ he said, grinning. ‘We’re the search and rescue team. Dashing out to save the day.’

Maggie snorted. ‘You brave lot.’ She paused to adjust Lily’s cover. The baby was sound asleep, completely oblivious to the drama that had just unfolded around her. ‘I did wonder why he was sprinting across the field earlier.’

‘Better safe than sorry,’ Phoebe said, deciding it would be best if they didn’t take the mickey out of Dougie too much. It would be awful if he decided to down tools and stop doing the fencing.

‘Exactly,’ Max agreed, throwing Marcus a warning glance.

But Dougie didn’t seem that bothered. He obviously had a sense of humour. ‘Can I say hello to the, er, wolf?’ he asked Maggie. ‘Is he – um – friendly?’

‘He does like a tickle under the chin,’ she told him.

While Dougie petted Tiny and the great shaggy dog closed his eyes and raised his head in blissful appreciation, Phoebe smiled down at Lily, who’d just woken up and seen her mum.

It had been an eventful first morning, but she’d loved every minute – well, almost every minute – and at least she’d have something completely different to talk to Sam about tonight.