AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Alright, alright!” Violet said, raising her hands and backing away from the goat. “I won’t milk you, I promise.”
“Well, the guy at your building may be a total dick,” I cut in, grabbing a black towel from the station beside my new chair and tossing it on the floor to mop up Nacho’s unfortunate accident. Not exactly how I saw myself using my equipment for the first time, but at least it made for a good story to tell over beers and...nachos. I laughed at my own joke before continuing. “But no one in this place gives a shit about anything. Nacho can stay with me. He can even have your old room.”
“Babe,” Asher called out, causing Violet to arch one dainty eyebrow in my direction, which I pointedly ignored. “You can’t keep a goat in the city.”
“Why the hell not?” I asked indignantly, which only caused Asher to smile.
Which I liked, dammit.
“Because he’s an animal.”
“So? I’ve seen some people who could be considered animals and they lived in the city just fine.”
“I could think of a few myself,” Archie cut in quietly, giving me a sneaking suspicion he was referring to me.
I winked at him, just to be sure.
“See? Archie has my back.”
“Blaaaaaaaah!”
“Don’t yell at me,” I said to Nacho, throwing my hands in the air. “I’m trying to help you.”
“You know he can’t stay, Ricki,” Asher insisted, but he at least sounded sorry about it.
Biting the inside of my cheek, I frowned, feeling helpless.
“I’m not getting rid of him,” I said softly. “You don’t just get rid of someone you’re supposed to care about when they do something you maybe don’t agree with.”
“Ricki,” Violet said, and I hated how her words were laced with pity.
She knew. She was the only one who did.
“This isn’t the same thing at all,” she insisted.
“And you don’t have to get rid of your goat.”
Looking at Asher, I could feel the hope sparking in my gut. I knew it was dumb; I had only even known the goat existed for the last seventy-two hours, and I wasn’t dumb enough to think that he could actually live in my apartment, but I just couldn’t stomach the idea of ditching Nacho when he needed us the most.
I wasn’t built that way.
“Did you or did you not see that sexy farm truck I drove up in today?”
“Would you call it sexy?” Violet asked, and I snorted out a laugh.
Ignoring her, Asher continued. “I happen to have a farm to go with the farm truck. We can take your boy out there and he’ll be happy as a pig in shit.”
“Charming,” Archie muttered.
“You’re serious right now?”
“Course I am.”
“That settles it then,” Violet cut in, going into what I liked to call her hyper-organizational mode. “Asher, you’ll take Ricki and Nacho out to the farm while Archie and I wait here for Gordie to come with the window decal.”
“Delightful plan, miss,” Archie droned, not looking the least bit delighted.
“I can do that,” Asher agreed. “I have to meet Easton next door in an hour for our final inspection from the city, but after that, I’m totally free.”
