Excerpt from The Winds of September

The garden thrived and string beans hung in clusters. As usual, Judith cooked an early breakfast, and was in the garden by daybreak. A faint tinge of pink colored the eastern sky and promised a sunny day. Judith looked forward to some quiet time with herself. She leaned her shotgun against a post and settled down to pick. It wasn’t long before the empty thump of the bucket turned to a soft muffled sound. Judith moved down the row, engrossed in her work and the sound of doves calling from the mountains. She heard a twig snap and looked up to see two wolves watching her. My gun, she thought. How could I be so careless? Judith saw movement among the string bean vines and out walked four little wolf pups. One of them waddled up and sniffed her dress. Judith froze, afraid to touch it until the mother wolf stretched out on her belly with her head resting between her
front paws. The male wolf wagged his tail from side to side, and Judith saw the silver tip. She slowly reached down and rubbed the tiny head. Cassie slammed the front door, headed for the garden. Judith softly called to her. “Walk very slow, Cassie. I want you to see this.” Cassie eased up and stood beside Judith. The little wolf smelled Cassie’s bare feet, then raised his head and tried to howl. Judith and Cassie shook with laughter.