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And she yelps, leaping backward. "What is that?"
Before I can respond, a loud honking noise erupts just outside the window. Rebecca scrambles backward, leaping off my lap to huddle beside me.
I sit up and turn around, then wave at the furry beast who is staring through the window. "Go on, Odin, back to the coop. The hens need you, but I can take care of Rebecca."
Odin nods his head as if he understands me. Then he saunters away, toward the backyard.
"Where did that thing come from?" Rebecca asks in a tone that's higher pitched than her normal voice. "What was that horrible noise it made?"
"That was Odin, my llama. He guards the chickens and the homestead at large."
Her brows crinkle in the sweetest way. "Llama? You have those in Scotland?"
"Aye. There are a surprising number of llamas and alpacas in this country. They were imported here, naturally. Their hair makes good yarn, but Odin is strictly a pet with a job."
Rebecca leans to the side, peering anxiously out the window. "But that horrible noise..."
"That's his alarm call. I should go out and check what's the bother." I hop off the bed and gather my clothes, while Rebecca still seems skeptical. "Relax, gràidh. Odin won't hurt you, especially once he sees that you're with me."
She twists her mouth into a strange expression that I take for anxiety.
I toss the lass her clothes. "Get dressed. Then I'll introduce you to Odin and the chickens."
"Um...okay."
"Don't you trust me?"
"Of course I do." She slides off the bed, conspicuously keeping her back to the window. "I've never seen a llama in person, and I've never heard that they make frightening noises."
I chuckle. "Once you meet Odin, you won't think he's terrifying anymore. I predict he will fall for you instantly."
"Uh-huh. Can we eat breakfast before I meet your critters?"
"Aye. But I need to check on what Odin was making a fuss about first."
I dress quickly and rush outside to check on the "critters," as Rebecca called them. The chickens aren't upset, and when I speak to Odin, he doesn't behave as if anything unusual happened. Well, other than Rebecca yelping. I think Odin was just surprised to see another person in my home.
When I walk back into the house, I can hear the sounds of food cooking. I jog into the kitchen. "Are ye making breakfast for me?"
"For both of us. Your llama will have to feed himself."
"I'll feed him after we eat." I approach the wee island. "May I help with the meal?"
"Sure. You can crack some eggs." She opens the refrigerator door and points toward its interior while giving me a cheeky look of disapproval. "When was the last time you went grocery shopping? You don't have much in the fridge."
"Ah, sorry about that. I've been distracted."
She pats my cheek. "Poor baby. Avoiding me all week was so stressful for you."
"Cheeky lass." I grab a carton of eggs from the refrigerator and flip the top open so I can pretend to study the brown eggs. "Twelve might be enough for me, but you'll need to harvest more from the chickens."
"I have never done that. Don't know how."
"Oh, it's incredibly difficult. You shove your hand under the hen's erse and pull out the eggs."
Rebecca squints at me. "You don't seriously expect me to shove my hand under a hen's bottom. I think you're lying about how to collect eggs."
"You caught me. I enjoy teasing city lasses."
