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“Will do. See you tomorrow.”
Beau shoots me a two-finger salute, then strides toward his truck, his carefree whistle trailing behind him. Thunder rumbles, and the horses neigh loudly, stomping their hooves. They always know when a storm’s approaching, the vibrations trembling up through the earth and alerting them.
I hurry into the barn, anxious to finish the dinner service before it starts pouring. Mercifully, the task keeps my mind off Juliet, at least for the moment. Moving from stall to stall, I feed and water, saying my hellos to the horses as I go.
Done with that, I gather the food pellets for the goats and hand-feed the mama before chasing after the kids. Beau wasn’t joking when he said Oreo’s an asshole. Every time I get close to him, he dashes away, and that son of a bitch got even quicker while I was gone.
Eventually, I give up the chase and collapse in the corner, winded. Only then does Oreo trot over, settling down next to me on the straw, nuzzling his soft fur against my hand for a pet.
Probably trying to get to the food pellets, but the gesture’s still comforting. He cuddles up on my thigh, and I stroke his head. He lets out a soft whinny as I scratch behind his ears.
“Don’t fall for a woman, Oreo. It will only stir up trouble.”
He peers up at me with round, black eyes, like he’s soaking up my advice.
“The second you let your guard down, that’s when they get you. Crawling under your skin, working their way through your system like a damn drug. And let me tell you—you can’t get enough. You want more and more and more. Even if it’s bad for you.”
Or for her.
Oreo blinks, the tip of his pink tongue sticking out of his mouth. The first few plops of rain hit the roof—one, two, three, four—and I should probably run up to the house right now if I have any chance of staying dry. But it’s cozy out here in the barn, and I have a captive audience.
“It’s stupid, the whole love thing. Easier to stay out here and be alone. Maybe not as nice, but definitely easier.” I huff out a sigh, the kid bumping his head against my hand for more scratches as the rain picks up.
“I should have left her alone, like I said I would all those years ago. I’m no good for her—I only cause her trouble.” I stare down at the pale straw covering the ground, my throat tight.
“She was right about me—I didn’t man up before. It was easier to let her go than to face all the pain, the loss. I pushed her away, then pretended I was noble and saving her.”
Squeezing my eyes shut, I take a shuddery breath, the ugly truth pounding in my brain. “Deep down, I knew I was really saving myself.”
“Are you talking to a goat?” Roman interrupts my confession, the corner of his mouth tugging up. He runs his fingers through his hair, water droplets falling from the dark strands.
“Me? No, course not.”
“It sure sounded like you were.” He slides down to the ground, sitting beside me, Oreo tucked up between us. “He’s a cute little guy. When he’s not hopping fences.”
I shake my head. “Seriously? You let a goat outrun you? Thought you were Marine Special Ops? You got beat by a kid?”
“I know. I couldn’t believe it either. The little shit is quick.” Roman tousles Oreo’s head, and I swear the goat shoots him a dirty look.
“Takes after the mama. She’s quick on her feet too. Good thing Chip and Nilla Wafer are tamer. I should separate them so Oreo doesn’t teach them his bad habits.”
“Probably a good idea. How did the meeting with Lacey go? What was she like?”
I screw my mouth up, searching for the right words.
“The meeting went fine. It was—strange.”
Rain slaps against the barn, but otherwise it’s quiet. Roman sits perfectly still, waiting for more details.
“She looks like Poppy. And Mom.”
Roman inhales sharply, his chest rising and falling, and my gut churns. Everything about today’s been hard.
“She nice?”
“Yeah. Seems like good people. We met her extended adoptive family, and they’re all super chill. Good folks. She wants to meet y’all.”
“Really?”
