A Family Forever Read Online Free Page B
though he was the last person on earth she expected help from. "Are you sure?"
"If it'll save you time."
"It will."
"Okay. Let's go." Adam grabbed his jacket from a chair in the hall and dug in the pocket for his keys, then led them all out the front door. He didn't have time to lock the back door of the property, but it hardly mattered. There was nothing inside worth stealing anyway.
Sophie and Harry climbed in the back of his car and Victoria took the front passenger seat. Adam slalomed down the drive to avoid the potholes while his passengers hung on for dear life.
"Turn right out of the gate," Victoria said. "Then left in about half a mile. We're heading to the next village, Little Monkton."
Ten minutes later they entered a small village, little more than a row of old cottages beside a village green. "What number are we looking for?" Adam asked.
"Not a number, it's called Weavers Green."
In the end they didn't need to search. A woman ran to the front gate of a small thatched cottage and waved her arms as they approached. Adam pulled up, and Victoria scrambled out.
"Oh, I'm so pleased you're here," the woman said. "The poor little thing is making a terrible noise."
"You two stay in the car," Adam said to the kids and followed Victoria. A strange sense of urgency filled him as if he were on a mission of life or death that really mattered. Victoria's concern for the creature was contagious.
The woman showed them inside, all the time babbling about how terrible she felt and how her dog had never done anything like this before. They hurried through the front door and along a hallway to the kitchen. A strange snuffling, grunting sound came from a shoe box on the counter.
"Okay, that noise it's making is actually a good sign." Victoria carefully removed the box lid. "It means the little guy is angry. He can't be feeling too poorly if he's reacting this way."
Adam watched in rapt fascination as she donned some gloves from her pocket and lifted the tiny, curled-up creature. It was no bigger than a spiny tennis ball. Blood stained the fabric where it had been lying. Victoria turned the animal and spread some spines to reveal the skin.
"You see this puncture wound from the dog's canine. It doesn't look too deep. We're lucky. The biggest risk will be bacterial infection. I'll dose the little guy up with antibiotics when I get him home. I'd say he stands a good chance of recovery."
"Oh, thank goodness." The woman put a hand over her heart. "I felt terrible when Muffin brought the poor little thing inside."
"If you want to know how he's doing, you can call me. Keep an eye out for other baby hedgehogs. They normally have more than one in a litter. Try to make sure your dog doesn't pick up another one."
"We'll be careful," the husband said.
Victoria placed the baby gently back inside the box and carried it out to Adam's car. As he turned to follow, the man pressed a twenty pound note in Adam's hand. "A contribution to the cause," he said. "Perhaps this will pay for the antibiotics or some of its food."
Adam was about to refuse when he realized it wasn't his money to turn down. Victoria probably needed the financial help. After all, she must pay for the animals' food and medicine out of her own pocket.
***
As Adam drove back to Great Monkton, Victoria sank into the soft leather seat and closed her eyes. The inside of his car had that expensive-car smell and the vehicle glided along while the engine hummed with power.
Sophie and Harry chattered together in the back. The happy sound washed over her. Adam remained silent after he'd passed her the twenty pound note, and she had no desire to speak to him for a while. The bombshell he'd dropped on her earlier had left her senses numb. The task of finding new locations to release all the animals she'd relocated at Larchfield was overwhelming.
Part of her wanted to be angry with him, but the situation wasn't his fault. She could see that. And she was partly to blame for the
"If it'll save you time."
"It will."
"Okay. Let's go." Adam grabbed his jacket from a chair in the hall and dug in the pocket for his keys, then led them all out the front door. He didn't have time to lock the back door of the property, but it hardly mattered. There was nothing inside worth stealing anyway.
Sophie and Harry climbed in the back of his car and Victoria took the front passenger seat. Adam slalomed down the drive to avoid the potholes while his passengers hung on for dear life.
"Turn right out of the gate," Victoria said. "Then left in about half a mile. We're heading to the next village, Little Monkton."
Ten minutes later they entered a small village, little more than a row of old cottages beside a village green. "What number are we looking for?" Adam asked.
"Not a number, it's called Weavers Green."
In the end they didn't need to search. A woman ran to the front gate of a small thatched cottage and waved her arms as they approached. Adam pulled up, and Victoria scrambled out.
"Oh, I'm so pleased you're here," the woman said. "The poor little thing is making a terrible noise."
"You two stay in the car," Adam said to the kids and followed Victoria. A strange sense of urgency filled him as if he were on a mission of life or death that really mattered. Victoria's concern for the creature was contagious.
The woman showed them inside, all the time babbling about how terrible she felt and how her dog had never done anything like this before. They hurried through the front door and along a hallway to the kitchen. A strange snuffling, grunting sound came from a shoe box on the counter.
"Okay, that noise it's making is actually a good sign." Victoria carefully removed the box lid. "It means the little guy is angry. He can't be feeling too poorly if he's reacting this way."
Adam watched in rapt fascination as she donned some gloves from her pocket and lifted the tiny, curled-up creature. It was no bigger than a spiny tennis ball. Blood stained the fabric where it had been lying. Victoria turned the animal and spread some spines to reveal the skin.
"You see this puncture wound from the dog's canine. It doesn't look too deep. We're lucky. The biggest risk will be bacterial infection. I'll dose the little guy up with antibiotics when I get him home. I'd say he stands a good chance of recovery."
"Oh, thank goodness." The woman put a hand over her heart. "I felt terrible when Muffin brought the poor little thing inside."
"If you want to know how he's doing, you can call me. Keep an eye out for other baby hedgehogs. They normally have more than one in a litter. Try to make sure your dog doesn't pick up another one."
"We'll be careful," the husband said.
Victoria placed the baby gently back inside the box and carried it out to Adam's car. As he turned to follow, the man pressed a twenty pound note in Adam's hand. "A contribution to the cause," he said. "Perhaps this will pay for the antibiotics or some of its food."
Adam was about to refuse when he realized it wasn't his money to turn down. Victoria probably needed the financial help. After all, she must pay for the animals' food and medicine out of her own pocket.
***
As Adam drove back to Great Monkton, Victoria sank into the soft leather seat and closed her eyes. The inside of his car had that expensive-car smell and the vehicle glided along while the engine hummed with power.
Sophie and Harry chattered together in the back. The happy sound washed over her. Adam remained silent after he'd passed her the twenty pound note, and she had no desire to speak to him for a while. The bombshell he'd dropped on her earlier had left her senses numb. The task of finding new locations to release all the animals she'd relocated at Larchfield was overwhelming.
Part of her wanted to be angry with him, but the situation wasn't his fault. She could see that. And she was partly to blame for the
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