Page 53 of Dragon Her Heels

Yuless joined me in loading the cart, taking care with the bags and hay bales. I appreciated the view as often as I dared without getting caught while helping. Even Isaac assisted, although the incubus heaved dramatic sighs over his lot in life.

Near the back of the trailer, I discovered some cat supplies, and I went to give my new kittens offerings of wet food, five litter boxes scattered around the garage, and a bed each.

I would move them into the house after I made certain the rest of my animals had supper and wouldn’t have any chance to be hurt from the pile of rubble that had once been the barn.

I would miss my barn. I had set it up just right for my needs.

Oh well.

Easy come, easy go.

Once I made certain the cart was stable and wouldn’t risk any injury to my precious Clydesdale, I led him forward, guiding him in the direction of the shed, which had doors on each end and allowed me to walk him directly into the building, leaving the cart and its supplies indoors without having to try to teach the horse how to go in reverse.

It was miracle enough he’d been trained to harness in the first place.

“I will admit, I’m impressed with your level of preparedness,” Yuless commented while I worked to unhitch my gelding. “That horse has an amazing temperament. Why was he gelded?”

“I have no idea. Honestly, I have no idea why he was in the slaughter pen. I just wanted pets, so I rescued some pets. And yes, I view them as rescues because they would have all been killed and eaten otherwise. If I had gone to the standard sales pens, they would have been purchases. They were all in excellent health, so they weren’t abuse rescues. But to me, they’re still rescues. The chickens and cattle are my working animals, and while I don’t like their purpose, if I need to use them for their purpose, I will.”

One way or another, death came for us all. I just preferred to give my animals the best care possible before their life came to an end. As the cattle would start protesting should they not receive their feed and treats soon, I tossed one of the fifty pound bags of feed over my shoulder and headed to their pasture feed bin. The changed routine would irritate them, but as long as they were fed, watered, and healthy, they’d survive being stuck outside for a few days, not that I forced them to stay in their section of the barn unless they wanted to.

The horses would be more upset their posh stalls were no longer available, as they liked their shared run and the ability to go inside to the equivalent of their beds.

“Do you need any help?” Yuless asked.

“You can handle opening the gate and making certain none of my beauties make a run for it,” I replied, marching towards their pasture. “I’m surprised they are not yet singing the song of their people. I’m late with their snacks.”

“They are going to find some way to punish you for that,” he warned.

“They really will. Just you mind the bull. He will attempt to love you to death. If the red cow comes your way, run for the fence like you mean it and get out of the pasture. She’s the meanest mom I’ve got, and she will defend her heifer calf to the death. Your death. She barely tolerates me on a good day.”

The tall, dark, and handsome glanced my way. “Should I be worried, Isaac?”

“Not particularly. You only need to worry if you happen to live on our street and she thinks you’re going hungry or you’re lonely. She will solve your food and your loneliness problems. I’m not sure what I did to be targeted.”

“You’re an incubus. You were only targeted because you’re the solution to Ashley’s loneliness problem. You’re also the only decent man on this street. The rest are bastards and lechers. I don’t knock on their doors when leaving their gifts. And the only reason I keep offering them gifts is because they leave the salvageable egg cartons for me to pick up the next day.” I considered the situation and shrugged. “The one across the street from Donna Leanne isn’t all that terrible. Every now and then, his returned egg cartons have twenty dollar bills in them. I have put aside all those twenties for if someone on the street needs it.”

“Could you be a little less philanthropic? It’s creeping me out,” the incubus complained.

“Shouldn’t you check on those poor dragons? Are they capable of handling Ashley at this point?” I smirked at the incubus. “You might be the only sensible one in your new quartet. Good luck with the gossips, by the way. While I won’t talk, the instant Susie Marie or Donna Leanne find out what’s going on, it will be hell and chaos.”

Isaac bowed his head. “Now I wish I could sell and flee.”

I considered the incubus, and then I stared at my mansion. I could put the entire quartet on the second floor and barely notice them. Unfortunately, my favorite of the kitchens was on the second floor, but my bedroom was on the third floor, offering me space. I could make the ground floor communal space, the second floor the space of everyone I invited to share the place with me, and the fourth floor my sacred haven.

I’d figure out what else to do with the third floor beyond having my bedroom in it later.

“You could sell, and you could lure Ashley to the second floor of my home. Rent would be five hundred a person a month and go to the utilities, maintenance, and so on. There’s plenty of space for even three dragons if the Destroyer of Georgia needs a place to flop while his castle is fixed. That’s on my to-do list for tomorrow. I refuse to have a slum castle in my lake.”

Yuless snorted, and then he laughed. “You’re serious. You’re going to just usurp a dragon’s castle?”

“Absolutely. If he had wanted rights over his building, he would be in his castle sorting his building. Do you see a dragon here, sir?”

“I do not see a dragon here,” he replied in a solemn tone, and he glanced in the direction of the lake. “I also do not see a dragon that way, either. But don’t you know anything about dragons?”

“I was trying very hard to convince myself the dragon next door was a myth, Yuless. Apparently, he’s not, and he has friends. But I will tell you this right now: no dragon is going to be bringing me down. If he thinks he’s going to be the boss of me, he’s going to have a fight on his hands. Or claws.”

Isaac laughed. “Well, this is going to be a show. Hey, Crystal?”