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“Isittoosoonto ask how my commission is coming along?” Parker asks while she makes my latte. I’m getting it to-go today. Marta left me her keys when Pete picked her up last night to take her to The Triple Threat. I’m taking my time with her car to go over to Maya’s to see the goats. The chance to see Theron? A happy side effect.
“It’s coming along great,” I lie. I haven’t even started. Every time I try, all I can think about is Theron and he appears on my canvas. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve painted over his eyes, blue and burning.
Parker hands me my coffee. “I can’t wait to see it.”
Me either.
“I was wondering,” Parker goes on as she packs up my cupcake in a little pink box. “Would you be interested in displaying more of your art here? A sort of consignment thing. I have plenty of space.”
“Umm…” I want to say yes. She’s basically handing me my dream on a pink, doily-lined platter. But I’m already struggling with her commission. Should I agree to add more on top of it? “I don’t know. I need to… Uh…”
Before Parker can ask me anymore about her painting, I back away from the counter. Thank her for the coffee and cupcake on my way out hoping she won’t stop me if I act like I’m in a hurry.
It works. Sort of. Parker calls after me, “Think about it. Let me know.”
After a final nod to Parker, I’m out the door and in Marta’s car following the GPS to the address Maya gave me that turns out to be just a mile or so down the winding gravel road from Boone and Marta’s.
After parking in front of the gorgeous old farmhouse, Maya welcomes me from the barn across the way holding a baby goat. Its skinny legs dangle under her arms wrapped around its little body.
“Oh, my God. I want one,” I say hurrying over to her.
Even though I’m enchanted by the baby goat, I take a second to look around the barn.
No Theron to be seen.
I want to ask about him but I don’t want Maya to wonder why I care to know where her brother is.
Instead, I focus on the adorable white and heavily black-spotted kid she’s holding. “Does he have a name?”
“She and yes. This is Pepper. She has a sister named Salt. She’s the mostly white one over there.” Maya gestures with a lift of her chin to the kid curled up in the corner of a fenced-in area of the barn.
“And who is that?” I ask pointing to the adult goat standing rather proudly on a metal bucket.
“That’s Chip. Who is probably devising his next escape plan. I’m watching you, Chip.” Maya shoots a death glare at the goat. Chip doesn’t show the least bit of concern.
“Watching him get away with murder maybe. You know, maybe if you hadn’t spoiled him so much he wouldn’t have turned out to be a psychopath,” Theron says as he enters the barn.
I swear I have never seen anything more country boy in my life. He’s wearing a tattered T-shirt, sun-faded blue jeans with an oval belt buckle on a wide, brown leather belt, heavy work boots, and a green mesh back ball cap with a feed store logo stamped on the front.
I thought maybe it was the helmet and riding gear that made him look good. But seeing him like this, in an outfit I never dreamed I’d find anyone attractive in, I realize it’s him that makes everything look good.
Well, crap.
There goes another piece of my heart. Falling way too hard for a guy that will never want a little girl like me.
Why does he have to be so much older than me?
It doesn’t even matter that I turn eighteen in just a couple of weeks. He’ll still be my new friend’s brother and my cousin’s best friend.
“He’s a goat. Psychopath is in his nature.” Maya sticks her tongue out at Theron and then goes to put Pepper back in the pen.
“She just doesn’t want to admit it’s her fault Chip tries to kill us on a regular basis,” Theron says in a low, conspiratorial tone bending toward my ear.
He’s so close I can feel his breath on my cheek.
I’d rather feel his lips.
“How does he do that?” I ask, embarrassed at how low and raspy my voice is.
