There wasn’t much to choose from on the medicine shelf, but I did locate some bandages and a small medical kit in the kitchen. They were stored in the glass cupboard above the coffee mugs with all the veterinary medications. Taking care to wash well, I then dabbed some antibiotic cream for udders on the blister and covered it with a Band-Aid.
“There. All cleaned!” I showed Bitsy my boo-boo. She licked the bandage, so I had to repeat the process all over again. I didn’t show her Band-Aid number two, instead I made my way to the phone, lifted it from the cradle to check for a dial tone, and then called work. No one seemed to be around, which was to be expected this close to Christmas. The employees all had days off to be with family, but here I was, son of the president, working to secure a contract while my family were all off doing whatever it was they did. Monique at the FSWS switchboard did patch me through to my brother as Mom was off with Adrastus and Dad was—more than likely—with his mistress. Merry Christmas, Fitzgerald clan. Pfft.
My call to Frank Jr. went to voicemail. Probably he was too busy doinking a cabaret singer in Paris to answer. The putz. Granted, I didn’t call often but when I did, it was important. Obviously, because I called. Doh.
“Frank, pick up.” Maybe if I said it aloud he would pick up my pissed off vibes mentally.
He didn’t, the asshole, so I called once again.
“Francis Cartright Fitzgerald Junior, pick up your phone. I know you’re screening calls.”
The call went to voicemail.
“Frank!” I snapped, then calmed my roll. “Please pass along to Dad that I’m going to stay here on the farm as part of a bet of sorts that I made with Mr. Melios. I’ll be working here to win his trust, and when I prove myself a capable and caring farmer type person, he’ll sit down and talk with me. I’m sure once he gets to know me and I show how much we care about his animals and lifestyle I can get him to sign over the mineral rights and—”
BEEP
“Shit, was that the beep?! Damn it. That was the beep.” I sighed before hanging up. Well, at least Dad and Mom wouldn’t be worried when I didn’t show up for Christmas dinner. Not that anyone would be there other than the staff who I’d already given gifts to. “What I wouldn’t give for cell service and text messaging. Why is infrastructure so lacking in rural America?”
Bitsy blatted and then burped. She didn’t know either, it seemed.
* * *
As inhumane as it seemed,Acosta did not let me have the day off to nurse my blister.
He may be hot, but he was a taskmaster. The day was long and strenuous, especially with a bandaged digit. But I hung in there and made it through a day that consisted of mucking pens, carrying hay bales—holy mother of Mercy those things are heavy—from the top of the barn to the animals, busting ice out of water troughs and refilling them, checking pregnant goats, and discovering that there was a fat white turkey who lived here named—wait for it…
Tom. Yeah, sexy gray eyes did not a good name giver make it seems.
I discovered Tom snoozing behind a stack of square bales that were only to be used for bedding in the far corner of the barn. The massive bird scared the living crap out of me when his bald head shot up as I stepped around the bales. I’d thought it was a pile of white feathers Acosta had swept up. Nope. It was a turkey who disliked being awoken. He took a swipe at me with his beak, but as he was huge and old, I easily darted around the peck.
“You missed!” I taunted just as the red rooster arrived with his harem. The rooster was much faster than the turkey and chased me into the milking room where I hid until Acosta assured me the rooster—whose name was Bennie as if knowing his name would make him like me more—had made his way to the other side of the barn.
Truly, the only creatures on this farm that were sweet were Bitsy, Rufus, and Ralph. I told Acosta that much when he saved me from Bennie.
“They can sense that you have evil intentions,” he flung at me then went off to start plowing a path from the barn, leaving me glaring at his back all alone with a barnful of malcontent beasties.
“I am not evil!” I shouted at his back and got nothing but the same rude gesture my relatives from Greece use on occasion. Bitsy nibbled on my dirty pant leg. Glancing down at her, I scratched her head. “I’m really not evil. I’m just misunderstood. You see that, right?”
“Blah!”
Such a good goat. I’d take her home with me if the condo owners’ association by-laws allowed farm animals. In all honesty, Bitsy was much nicer than Mrs. Malvern’s snippy little Chihuahua. And barked far less, as well.
With Bitsy on my side, I managed to drag my weary ass through the day. By dinner time I was exhausted, sore, and starving.
“May I shower before we eat?” I asked while slogging our way to the living quarters. I didn’t rightfully know what to call the area he resided in. It didn’t feel like an apartment, but I suppose that was what it was?
“I’d suggest it,” he said over his sloped shoulders. He looked exhausted. Those stunning, smoky eyes had dark bags under them.
“Thank you. I’ll be quick.” I rushed around him the moment we entered his flat—no, that wasn’t right either—and overtook the bathroom with haste. The shower felt incredible. The stink of barn rose from my skin as it warmed and grew moist. Yuck. I lathered my shower poof with lemon and honeysuckle shower gel and went to town, lathering every bit of skin I owned…twice. When I was sure I was sunny meadow fresh, I shampooed my hair, twice, and conditioned it. While I waited for the recommended time, I enjoyed the warm water beating on my tight shoulders.
Not nearly long enough minutes later, I emerged, clean and sunshine fresh, to find Acosta at his desk, hunkered over his keyboard. I walked over, taking care to step around the blind cat and his duck buddy as they pitter-pattered to their bedding for a nap.
“The bath is all yours. I went super-fast,” I announced. He shot me a look. “What?”
“A half-hour is super-fast?”
“For me, yes. I only did a little manscaping.”
