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True to my word, the air’s cold now, and despite the extra shirt, Juliet shivers. I wrap my arm around her, bringing her in close as we walk across the dewy grass toward the barn. An owl hoots somewhere in the distance, a cool breeze rustling the leaves of the trees overhead.
Unlocking the gate, I usher Juliet through, then check to make sure it latches closed behind us. Bleats cut through the quiet of the night as we tread to the barn. I flick the lights on, and the mama goat stares at us with her dark eyes. All three kids are snuggled up against her, fast asleep.
“Aww, they’re so cute.” Juliet’s lips tip into a smile, tiny laugh lines crinkling around her eyes. “Can I pet them?”
I shrug. “Sure. If the mama will let you.”
She crosses over to the goats, and I follow right behind. Bending down, she offers her hand to the mama. The goat sniffs at her; then Juliet strokes her head, scratching behind her ears. Having gained her trust, Juliet reaches down and strokes the back of Oreo, then the tiny heads of the other two kids.
“They’re so soft.” Her voice is a reverent whisper as she pets each of the kids in turn.
“They’re real soft right now. The coat gets tougher over time as it grows in.”
“I can’t believe how tiny they are.”
“You should have seen them wobbling around. It was pretty funny, just learning how to walk. Now they’re running all over.”
“They’re precious.” She keeps stroking and petting the babies, cooing at them one by one.
“I’m gonna feed the mama.”
“You need help?”
“Nope. Keep hanging with the babies; then we’ll be done.”
Moving around the barn, I refresh the water and the feed pellets, handling the horses while I’m out here too. I finish within fifteen minutes, but Juliet’s in no rush to leave. She’s cross-legged on the barn floor, bare legs and all, two of the kids snuggled up in her lap. Mama goat has her eyes closed, resting, not at all concerned about her babies.
“You have a real good feel for this.” I run a palm over Juliet’s hair, the glow from the lights catching the blonde highlights in her waves.
“I love animals. I always wanted a puppy, but we could never afford one. Daddy said even stray dogs need to eat, and we barely had enough money to feed ourselves. Then I went to school, and after that I moved around so much. Always in a rental, and I worked long hours. No time for a dog. Plus, a puppy needs space to run and play. A teeny-tiny apartment’s not fair to an animal.”
She strokes Oreo, scratching behind his ears, and my chest aches for her. All she wanted was a dog, and her asshole family couldn’t even give her that.
“Plenty of animals to take care of out here.” I gesture at the horses, the goats.
“Keeps you busy, huh?”
“Yep. Supposed to be getting a new pony soon too.”
She tips her face up, eyes shiny with excitement. “Really? A pony?”
“In the next few weeks. Keeping him for a while until the owner decides what to do. He’s not sure if he wants to train him or not. Depends on how sturdy he is, how good he is with people.”
“Wow. That’s exciting.”
“It’ll be a lot of hours. But we can always use the work.”
“You ever think about giving riding lessons? Or selling goat milk or soap?”
What is it with her and Poppy, coming up with all these wild business ideas?
“Not really. I got plenty to keep me busy. Don’t need more things to do, more people in the mix.”
“Just a thought.” She lifts the kid off her lap, scooting him close to his mama before brushing her hands off. I extend my palm, helping her up to standing. “Thanks for showing me the babies.”
She presses her lips to mine, kissing me soft and slow. Reminding me of the stolen moments we used to have out here back in the day.
“Welcome. C’mon, let’s get some sleep.”
