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We fell asleep in our new home, the crackling of fire lulling us. My wife was in my arms, and all I could think about was how thankful I was.
I’d be grateful for the rest of my life that she hadn’t let me walk away. She got me to marry her, and it was the best decision of my life.
Epilogue
Jack
“Ma, will you tell me about the goats?”
Mother looked up from the mountain of potatoes she was peeling, her hands skillfully working even as she regarded me with a wide smile.
“The goats, eh? Is your father in the house?”
I narrowed my eyes at her before answering slowly. “No, he’s out drinking with old Sloane. Why do you ask?”
She threw the last potato in a basin of cold water and washed her hands under the sink. “Because if he hears me telling you, he will mope for days, and I can’t have it.”
I gaped at her incredulously as she turned to me, wiping her hands on her apron. “So that’s why you never tell us about Dad’s mistakes? Because hemopes?”
She harrumphed, wagging her finger at me. “You wouldn’t be so shocked if you knew what his moping looks like. He walks around with this wounded expression and barely says a word for weeks. No, no, my boy. I can’t stand it. And I did tell you about the goats, I’m sure. Or was that Ivo?”
I groaned, shaking my head, though I couldn’t really be angry with her. My mother had raised me and my brothers while having to manage my father, as it turned out. And, as Scarlett said, no one was infallible.
“You never told me. Can’t you tell your sons apart?” I asked her, pretending to be seriously cross.
She folded her arms on her chest, looking uncomfortable. “I’m sorry, Jack. When you have your own children and they start growing up, you will understand.”
“Good thing we’ll only have one, then,” I said calmly. “But not for another five years or so.”
Mother’s hands dropped to her sides and she gaped at me, completely dumbstruck. “Only… one? And only in… five years? Are you bothcrazy?”
I grinned, waving my hand nonchalantly. “You have six other grandchildren, Ma. Leave us alone. Now, will you tell me about the goats?”
She grunted, giving me a hard look that said this discussion wasn’t over. I gave her an innocent smile, already gearing up to deflect when she started pestering us. I would be nice but firm at first, but if she didn’t leave up, I was ready to get mean.
Meaning, I would explain to my mother that my and Scarlett’s sex life was so unique, it gave very low chances of getting her pregnant.
For now, though, Ma seemed to know what was good for her, because she dropped the subject of grandkids and got to the point.
“So, the goats. When me and your father got married, we got big money gifts from both our families. Your father wanted to invest in a business that would be profitable and set us up for a comfortable life. For some reason, he decided goats were the answer.”
I grabbed a beer and sat down, knowing this was going to be good. Ma sighed and put a platter of cookies on the table, nudging it in my direction.
“He bought a big herd from a family living on the other side of the mountain. Your dad put up a fence around the meadow that’s just outside of town. He was impatient. He got the owners to herd the goats here before making any other preparations.”
She stopped and nibbled on a cookie, settling into the story. I knew Mother took breaks before the important bits so I waited patiently, curiosity gnawing at me.
“When Trudy and Gerta arrived here with the herd and saw the fence your father set up, they laughed so hard, they actually dropped to their knees right there on the grass.”
Mother’s tail flicked as she grinned, her eyes growing unfocused, probably lost in memories.
“Why did they laugh?” I asked, taking a sip of my beer.
“Because those were good, healthy mountain goats that could jump as high as a Frost man. And your Pa built a fence that would barely hold in a feeble sheep.”
“Oh.” Well, yes, that was a mistake. “But couldn’t they take the goats back so he could rebuild the fence?”
Ma cackled with glee, her tail swishing excitedly. “That would have been the smart solution, yes. One I advised and insisted on. But your father badly wanted to prove something. So he told them to leave the goats and led them through the gate. Before Trudy and Gerta were gone, the goats were already hopping over the fence. It was magnificent.”
