The Girl, the Dog and the Writer in Provence chapter sampler

CHAPTER 3 The house and its boy

The door of the adjoining house opened, just a crack. Freja slipped in behind Tobias and Finnegan. She cast a sideways glance at the motorcycle and sidecar. It was large and solid and less than two metres away. She could duck behind it in a jiffy, should the need arise. The urge to hide hadn’t struck for months, now. And really, at ten, Freja was far too old to be doing such a thing. But it didn’t hurt to be prepared. In case of an emergency. In case the person behind the door was large and loud and terrifying. Freja stared, her eyes wide, her throat tight. ‘People,’ she muttered and grabbed a comforting handful of the fur on Finnegan’s back. The crack at the front door widened and a chubby, little hand reached around the edge. ‘Boof!’ barked Finnegan.

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