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Chapter 14
Cole
I could get used to this. Waking up with a baby goat nestled on the corner of my sleeping bag is surprisingly enjoyable. He’s all curled up, snoring gently, his little back rising and falling.
I reach out and pet him, and he opens his eyes halfway and gives a sleepy sigh.
Olivia’s nowhere to be seen, so I don’t feel like too much of a dork for talking aloud to the critter. “Hey, bud. You sleep okay?”
He sighs again.
“Yeah, me too. You’re not so bad, you know that? For a barn animal.”
Olivia pops through the door, dressed for the day with her hair in a damp bun on the very top of her head. “You and Blue having a good chat?”
“I don’t talk to goats.”
“Sure.” She grins. “And I don’t either.”
“Then we’re both sane, normal people.” I unzip my sleeping bag and push the top down toward my hips. This bag’s tight, one of the lightweight backpacking ones without a spare inch offabric. Getting out of it is like trying to crawl out of a cocoon. She sets her makeup bag on top of her suitcase.
“One-hundred percent normal.” With her back to me, she starts brushing her hair.
The wood stove is putting off a nice, thick, cozy heat. I pull off my t-shirt and then fish in my duffel for a clean t-shirt.
“Hey, fair warning, I’m changing over here,” I say. “Don’t want you to turn around and faint at the sight of me or anything.”
She giggles and I see her shake her head. “Okay, so you’re going to start today off by teasing me.”
“You might catch one look at this and burst into a flame, for all I know.” I pull the cotton shirt over my head then rake my fingers through my hair, trying to flatten it down so it’s not sticking out all over the place.
She laughs again.
Man, her laugh makes me feel good.
When was the last time I woke up feeling this happy? My day’s starting off great. I have Blue and Olivia to thank for that.
Something definitely changed between me and Olivia yesterday, out by that Juniper tree. We stayed up late last night talking, too. Hanging out by the firepit out between all the yurts, at first with other people but then just us. Seemed like everyone else had gone off to bed, and me and Olivia couldn’t get enough of talking and joking.
I listen to her pulling her brush through her damp hair as I tug my pants on.
“Okay, hot stuff,” she says after a minute, “let me know when it’s safe to turn around because I have to pack up my purse.”
“I’m dressed, but it might not be safe.”
She laughs as she turns and strides past me to pick up her leather handbag. “Is that right? What’s gonna happen to me?”
“Come over here and find out.”
“You sure are in a good mood this morning.”
“Yeah. Could be that avocado pie. Could be the stretching, or maybe my shock buds are all lined up.”
“Shock buds?” She raises a brow and lingers in front of me for a minute before dropping down to her knees to greet Blue. “You mean chakras.”
“Yeah, those. Maybe they’re in a line or whatever.”
It’s not that.
