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She huffs.
“I have watermelon.”
I have her attention now.
“And maybe a banana.”
She steps toward me.
“There’s my good girl.”
I inch forward until I’m nearly within touching distance. Lucy stands still staring at me as I approach. I swear she’s considering her options.Can I get away with it if I flee? Or should I stay?She better stay. I don’t have time to chase a llama all day. I have a wedding to attend.
Crack.The sound of Elder stepping on a branch reverberates through the valley. Lucy rears back and retreats a few steps.
“No, you don’t,” I mutter as I dash forward and snatch her halter before she can escape again. As soon as I tug on the halter, Lucy yields.
“Thanks for your help,” I tell Elder.
He puffs out his chest. “You’re welcome.”
“I was being sarcastic.”
“It’s okay. You can’t hide your attraction from me behind sarcasm forever.”
Attraction? I’m not attracted to him. Why would I be attracted to a six-foot-three-inch man with lean muscles, sparkling brown eyes, and a dimple on his right cheek?
Okay, fine, Elder Bragg is one handsome man. It doesn’t mean I’m attracted to him. My fingers don’t itch to scratch his beard. My tongue doesn’t long to trace the dimple on his cheek. And I haven’t spent nights wondering how those brown eyes heat when he comes. Nope. Not I.
“Thanks for your help,” I say instead of responding to his comment. “I’ve got it from here.”
His brow furrows. “You’ve got it from here? It’s two miles to the refuge.”
“I’m aware,” I mutter as I begin the trek.
“Can’t you hold onto Lucy from inside the truck?”
I giggle. “You want me to hold onto Lucy’s halter while I ride in your truck?”
“Or you can drive the truck and I’ll return Lucy to the refuge.”
He reaches for the halter and Lucy immediately sidles up to him. The llama is the biggest flirt. She loves men more than watermelon and she seriously loves watermelon.
“Go on. The keys are in the ignition.”
I debate arguing with him. Lucy is my responsibility after all. But I’m tired from doing the chores this morning at the Wildlife Refuge. If Elder wants to walk two miles, I’m not going to stop him.
“See ya back at the farm.” I salute as I jump in his truck.
By the time Lucy and Elder return to the Wildlife Refuge, I’m nearly finished for the day.
“I believe this is yours,” Elder jokes as he hands me the llama’s harness.
I pat Lucy’s side. “Not mine. Lucy is her own animal. She belongs to no one.”
Most of the animals at the Wildlife Refuge are former pets. None of the animals should have been pets in the first place. But Hollywood stars – who are most of the former ‘owners’ of these animals – don’t think the rules apply to them.
Luck for all the animals, Maverick is a big ‘ol softie who didn’t want the former pets to be put down because they were unfortunate enough to be the former pet of a famous person.
