AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Pearl brought over another chair and sat down beside Sonny. “I hear you are very smart.”
“Yes, I am. You are Mrs. Ryan and,” he turned to face Sonny, “and you are Mr. Ryan. Is it all right if I don’t shake hands with you?”
“That’s fine,” Sonny answered. “Dixie and some of the baby alpacas are out in the corral. We thought we’d let them romp and play for an hour and then put them in stalls. They’ll have to stay inside for a couple of days if the weatherman is right.”
“Would you like to go out and see them?” Pearl asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” Theron answered, barely above a whisper.
“Lucas, you could go introduce him to Dixie and the others,” Sonny said.
Lucas started around them, and Theron’s grip got even tighter. “Will you still be here when we get back?”
“Probably not, but y’all feel free to come see us anytime you want. I’ve been making Christmas cookies this week,” Pearl answered. “If y’all are going to be out here a while, would you mind bringing Dixie and the babies all inside to the stalls?”
“Sure thing,” Lucas agreed.
“Did I do all right?” Theron’s hand relaxed once they were outside, and after just a few seconds he pulled it free.
“You did just fine. I was proud of you,” Lucas answered. “Now, that bigger alpaca over there is Dixie. Stevie, that’s my sister-in-law who is a veterinarian, rescued her last year. We’ve all babied her so she’s a big pet.”
Dixie came across the corral in a run and stopped in front of Lucas. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a banana, and offered it to Theron. “She likes bananas. Do you want to feed her?”
“Do I peel it?” Theron took it from Lucas, and Dixie came right to him.
“Yes, and then just hold it out to her. She’ll bite chunks off until she’s finished the whole thing,” Lucas answered.
“When she is done, will she want to play chase?” Theron removed the skin and held out the banana toward the alpaca.
She made a noise in her throat and took the first bite.
Lucas backed up to the rail and leaned against it. “I imagine that she will.”
Within minutes Dixie had finished her banana and nudged Theron on the leg.
“Does that mean she wants me to run?” Theron asked.
“Yes, but not as fast as you did a while ago,” Lucas answered.
Theron stayed close to the fence when he started running laps around the corral. Lucas slipped his phone from his back pocket and videoed about three minutes of the little boy and the alpaca. Theron’s laughter echoed through the air as Dixie and the four baby alpacas chased after him.
When Theron got tired, Lucas sent the video to Vada with a message:I feel like a king sitting on top of the world.
Theron was already in the barn, telling Buttercup and Winnie all about his day, when Lucas got a text from Vada:Have tears in my eyes. I’ve never seen him play like a child or laugh that much. I will treasure this video forever. Thank you, Lucas.
Lucas pretended to need something from the tack room so that Theron wouldn’t see his emotional state. He wiped his wet cheeks, gathered up two bottles of water and a couple of protein bars, and carried them out to where Theron was sitting facing Winnie and Buttercup. He handed a bottle and a bar to Theron and then headed out to bring in the alpacas. He wanted more than just nine more days with Vada and Theron. Falling in love with Vada would be so easy.
“This is crazy. I’ve only really known her a few days,” he muttered. “I’ve never been a guy who drew women to him like my two brothers do.”
Be yourself,the voice in his head said.
“What if she doesn’t like who I am?” Lucas whispered.
You’ve got nine days to see if she likes you for more than a horse therapist,the voice in his head told him.Make the most of it.
Chapter Six
Vada waited until she was sure that Theron was sound asleep before she crawled out of her bunk and tiptoed across the cold floor. She pulled a warm blanket from the back of the sofa, sat down and covered her feet with it, then opened the video on her phone and watched it a half dozen times.
