Page 28 of He's the One

He took a bag from his pocket and took out a sausage. Col held back his laugh.

“Col’s a friend. He won’t hurt you.” Theo sat down and motioned Col to do the same.

Col settled at his side. The fox took a few steps closer, stopped, sniffed the air, then came a little nearer.

“I found her when she was a cub,” Theo said quietly. “She was lying by her dead mother at the side of the road. I raised her and rewilded her. But I still give her the occasional treat. Come on, Isla.” He held out the sausage.

The fox was gradually closing in and stepped onto a rock in front of them.

“Foxes are monogamous. They mate for life and often return to the same den year on year to raise their families. Isla had cubs for the first time this year. They’re almost as big as her now. The male cubs have probably left to find their own territory, but not the vixen.”

The fox was watching Col as she moved forward. Col had seen plenty of foxes but not up close like this. Her reddish-brown coat was shiny and so was her nose. She darted in fast, grabbed the sausage and backed a little way away.

“See? Col won’t hurt you,” Theo said. “He’s with me.”

I wish I was.“She’s beautiful.”So are you.

Theo smiled. “She is.”

“How old is she?”

“Two and a half. The average life span for a fox is two to five years in the wild. They’re hunted by farmers and gamekeepers, and food isn’t always easy for them to find.” He held out a rasher of bacon. “Not as easy as this.”

Col grinned. “You have a whole breakfast in your pocket?”

“She loves bacon and sausage. And raw eggs, but I didn’t bring one of those today.”

“Ah, those biscuit crumbs that came out of your pocket were dog biscuits.”

“You noticed that?”

“I noticed everything about you.”

Theo gulped, then looked away.

“Do foxes live longer in captivity?”

“A lot longer. Ten or twelve years. It was hard knowing that and still understanding I had to let her go when she was old enough. She’s like a cross between a dog and a cat, affectionate and very sweet. Not sure she’ll let me pet her while you’re here but she loves being tickled. She makes this chuckling noise.”

Isla grabbed the bacon, then sat and ate it.

“Bacon’s your favourite, isn’t it?” Theo said.

Col watched entranced as the fox came right up to Theo and he ran his hand over her back. When he scratched under her chin, Col could have sworn she was smiling. Isla nuzzled up against Theo, then pressed her nose to his pocket.

“Yes, there’s one last sausage.” He held it while she daintily bit off sections. “All gone. Take care, Isla.”

The fox gave a quiet yip and ran off. Theo turned to Col and smiled.

“That was…spectacular,” Col said.

“I shouldn’t have given her that last sausage.”

“Why not?”

“It looked like you wanted to eat it.”

“That or you,” Col said with a laugh.

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