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"I can give him some grain," Goldy says. "Jared says we have to keep the feeding of all the animals light until they put on some weight. Too much food at once can kill them."
"He had a few carrots in the forest," Grant says.
Goldy's already holding a cup full of grain out to Arty, who gobbles up as much as he can before the other goats push in and eat the rest. "I guess I should have fed him before we put him in there. There's going to be a big learning curve."
"Do we need to stay with them tonight?" I ask.
"Jared says we don't have to. But I don't want to leave them alone out here. What if they need something and we don't hear them from the house?" She looks around at all the animals, concern obvious on her face. "Plus, most of them need to eat a small amount of food every couple of hours for the first day or so."
"We can stay out here with you."
Grant nods when I glance at him, as I knew he would.
Goldy waves a hand. "You both must be exhausted and Skidmark is missing you, Dani. Honey's coming out to relieve me at two. You or Grant can take the five AM to seven AM shift. Jared will be by to check on everyone at seven."
I hug my sister, but she remains stiff under my embrace. She never was one for touching or sentimentality. "Thank you, Goldy."
She steps out of the hug and sniffs. "Don't get confused, Dani. I'm helping now because you don't have staff yet. I am not a permanent part of this business."
"I know." I don't really believe her. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking. "I'll see you tomorrow."
She nods and goes back to a chair in the corner of the tent barn. It looks like one from the living room and it has about ten fluffy blankets on it.
"Still want to stay?" I ask Grant as we step into the wet night.
He laces his fingers through mine and pulls me toward the house. "A few starving animals and an early wake-up won't scare me away."
We don't get much sleep, but when I do fall asleep, it's in his arms. When I wake, it's to his sleepy smile and his warm body wrapped around mine.
Heaven.
EPILOGUE
Nine Months Later
Dani
"Can I hug the cow?" a little boy asks.
I stop under the big oak tree in the front yard and look back at Mari, who I'm leading by a lead line attached to her halter. "What do you say?" I ask the cow. "Got any hugs left in you?"
As though she understands me, Mari steps up to the small boy and lowers her head. The boy wraps his arms around her neck and tears spring to my eyes, just as they have all day every time a child or adult hugs Mari.
"That is so sweet," the little boy's mother says to me. "I've never seen a cow so sweet."
It's been nine months since we brought Arty here and, in that time, we've gotten the new barn built, as well as extra outhouses, and we've taken in five more animals, two of which are cows.
"I didn't know either," I say. "It turns out animals, even cows, have unique personalities, just like humans do. Even so, Mari is special. She's the most lovable animal I've ever met."
She's even more lovable than I knew. I'd planned to have her give out hugs in intervals so she'd have rest time in between, but she won't stop walking up to people and lowering her head - her way of asking for a hug.
If I wasn't already in love with her, I would be today.
"I love her," the little boy says. "Mommy gived you a bunch of money."
His mother blushes. "It wasn't very much."
"Whatever you can give is always appreciated," I say. "Even a little money can help feed Mari, and Mari loves to eat."
