"Absolutely. They've all been rescued and they deserve as much freedom as I can afford to give them."
Derek chooses this moment to rear up and headbutt Beyoncé off the half-barrel, and Beyoncé retaliates. Within seconds theothers have joined in — Patsy bleating at full volume, Lorraine charging in circles for no reason, two others bouncing sideways with all four feet off the ground.
Richard — a man who I would guess has not knowingly been within fifty feet of a farm animal since a childhood petting zoo — laughs, the cup wobbling in his hand.
"Incredible," he says. "Just incredible." He wipes his eyes. "I ordered them some climbing things, by the way. At the same place we got the bath, while Sloane was picking it out. Wouldn't fit in the car, so they're getting delivered this afternoon. Platforms, ramps — whatever it is goats like to climb on. I'll be honest, I have no idea what exactly."
Sloane turns to her father. "You bought the goats a playground?"
"I bought the goats some apparatus," Richard says with dignity. "Apparently they enjoy elevation."
"Richard, that's — you really don't have to do all this," I say. "It's too much."
He waves it off. "I give a great deal to charity every year, Maggie, and most of it disappears into accounts I never see the end of." He takes a sip of his coffee. "What you've built here is impressive and I'm even more impressed by the work ethic you've managed to instill in my daughter."
"Dad," Sloane says, rolling her eyes.
"It's true. You're welcome to be embarrassed about it." Richard suddenly goes still, staring past me toward the back of the paddock. "Maggie," he says. "What in God's name is that?"
I follow his gaze. Thelma and Louise have come around the side of the barn and are making their way over to investigate the commotion, necks high, walking with the strange prehistoric gait that still makes me do a double take some mornings.
"Those are the emus."
"Yes, I can see that." He sets his cup down. "You have emus."
Louise breaks into a sudden run, and Richard watches a six-foot flightless bird sprint across a paddock. He laughs again, and I'm thinking this might be the strangest morning since Sloane's first day.
We sit and make small talk while Richard watches the animals. He's completely out of place here but he's also having, as far as I can tell, a lovely time. Eventually he checks his watch and sets the cup down.
"Thank you for the coffee, Maggie. I should probably make a move. It's a long drive and I have a meeting later today." He stands, brushes a single speck of nothing off his chinos, and looks at Sloane. "Although — I confess I'm curious. Perhaps Princess Pigpen might introduce me to the pigs before I go?"
Sloane snorts. "Don't call me that."
"Everyone else does."
She sighs but there's a humorous smile around her lips. "Why don't I give you the full tour? Pigs, chickens, horses, the lot."
I stand and gather the cups onto the tray. "I'll take this inside so Hank doesn't steal the sugar cubes, but I'll come and see you off before you go, Richard. And please get your father some eggs to take home, Sloane."
"Fresh eggs?" Richard says. "That's very kind."
"Sloane can box them up for you on the tour," I say. "She collects them herself now."
"Do you?" He looks at her.
"Every morning." There's a note of pride in it she doesn't bother to hide, and Richard hears it too.
I watch it land on him and smile. I'm not really ready for him to go. As long as Richard's here, there's a buffer between Sloane and me, and I'm nervous about being alone with her. I hope Luis turns up soon.
41
SLOANE
The goat playground is almost finished, but the goats have decided they can't wait for the rest of it.
My father, it turns out, did not buy them some apparatus. He bought them an entire municipal playground — three platforms at different heights, a ramp, a stepped tower, a wooden bridge, and a large treat ball the instruction sheet calls ENRICHMENT.
The two delivery men have been trying to bolt the last pieces together for half an hour, and the goats won't let them. Every time they attach two parts and step back to find the next bolt, a goat claims the new structure. Beyoncé abandoned her barrel the second the tallest platform went up and now refuses to come down. Derek keeps trying to mount the stepped tower before it's bolted to the side bars, tipping the whole thing, landing in the dirt, and then getting up to do it again.
