‘So, what you been up to today, boy?’ she asked Barney as she lowered his dried food and chicken pieces to the ground.

If he could answer she was sure he’d tell her that Charlie, her neighbour, had collected him around 2 p.m., taken him for a nice long walk before taking him back to his bungalow along the street for a lazy couple of hours in the shady back garden.

The arrangement suited them all perfectly. After losing his beloved Labrador two years earlier, Charlie hadn’t wanted the full-time care and responsibility of another dog at the age of seventy-six. With no family, he’d worried about what would happen if anything were to happen to him. Having been forced to give up driving he couldn’t be responsible for the animal’s care and vet visits. But he was a dog person, had always had dogs and missed the companionship terribly.

Her own frenetic working hours meant there was always someone she could call upon to tend to her best friend. The arrangement worked well for everyone. Not least of all Barney who got to chase the squirrels away from the bird feeders at the bottom of Charlie’s garden.

She sat on the sofa with her cuppa. Within seconds Barney was by her side, nuzzling her free hand. If she remembered correctly the ‘no sofa’ rule when she’d brought him home had lasted two and a half minutes.

Automatically her palm rested on his head and began to stroke. He pushed his silky head against it.

‘So, here’s the problem, boy,’ she said seriously. ‘I need to go out and I’m not supposed to drive.’

He tipped his head as though listening to and considering the problem.

‘Now we both know the bike is out,’ she said, regretfully. ‘And much as I miss it even I know that’s beyond my limits and although the doctor said I wasn’t even to drive a car I’m thinking it wasn’t really an instruction but more an advisory recommendation. You think?’

No response.

‘I mean, it’s not like I’m considering mountaineering or fell walking. It’s just a short ride a couple of miles, and if I take you along I won’t even be on my own. So, what do you think, shall we chance it or not?’

He barked, and Kim smiled.

‘That’s what I thought you’d say, you bad boy.’

She stood, and Barney jumped down gazing at her expectantly.

She grabbed her car keys and jacket and opened the front door.

Barney sat beside the passenger door of the twelve-year-old Golf and wagged his tail.

‘Back,’ she instructed, opening the rear door. ‘Now, if anything goes wrong I’m blaming you,’ she advised his reflection in the rear-view mirror.

He barked as she got her legs into position. Her left was already feeling the fatigue of the day but if she took it at a reasonable speed she wouldn’t have to keep jumping on and off the pedals.

She spoke to her companion throughout the five-mile trip and with relief turned up at her destination, ignoring the throbbing that was pulsing through her leg.

She got out and opened the door for Barney to follow.

He sat by her side as she knocked the familiar front door.

The occupant appeared and smiled at them both.

‘Hey, Ted, unsurprisingly, I think I need your help.’