Page 14 of Captivating Anika

The sow’s flank ripples with her efforts to expel what turns out to be the very last in a long line of her offspring. She’s exhausted, and when after a few minutes she’s still barely given the runt of the litter any attention, I give the wriggling little thing a good rubdown with a hand of straw. Then I carefully move the little one to one of Petunia’s front teats, shifting one of its bigger siblings back. The closer to the front, the bigger the milk supply, and this little one is going to need all the help it can get.

With all nine piglets nursing, it doesn’t take too long for the afterbirth to be passed. Franco is already putting down some clean straw in the pen.

“Three male, six female,” Franco sums up.

I give Petunia’s rump a pat. “Well done, girl.” Then I get to my feet, groaning with the effort. Then I take my phone and snap a picture of all nine piglets nursing.

“I’ve gotta hit the sack, I’m wiped.”

“Night, Boss.”

“You know that title no longer applies, right?” I tell him, rinsing my hands at the old sink in the corner of the barn.

“Meh, old habits die hard. You’ll probably always be Boss to me.”

Once I hand over the farm, I guess Hog won’t really apply anymore either. Fat chance people will start calling me Noah though. I’m not even sure how many people actually know what my real name is, I’ve gone by Hog for most of my life.

I shake my head as I leave the barn and head toward the farmhouse. It’s a cool night. Feels nice after sitting under that damn heat lamp for hours. The sky is clear and the stars are out. The farm is quite a bit north of the actual city of Aztec—closer to the border with Colorado—and light pollution is minimal here, which makes for spectacular night skies. I’ll definitely miss those.

Kicking off my boots when I walk into the mudroom, I notice the dog collar hanging on the hook by the coatrack. Will, our shepherd-cross, was fourteen when he died shortly after Mom did. I never bothered to replace him, but I’ve missed having a dog around. It can get lonely on the farm, even with Franco living in the trailer out back.

I’ve thought about getting another one. Maybe check out the shelter when I move to Durango. The only problem is, it’ll be a challenge with my twenty-four-on, twenty-four-off schedule. I’ll need good neighbors or to convince our battalion chief to allow me to bring a dog into the station when I’m on shift.

I groan when I catch the time on the stove. Two thirty in the morning. So much for catching up on sleep on my days off. I take a glass from the cupboard, fill it at the sink, and grab the bottle of sleeping pills from the windowsill.

Due to my job, I have an irregular sleep rhythm, and on my days off it’s hard to get into a normal pattern, so I use a mild sleep aid. Shaking a pill in my hand, my thoughts drift to Anika.

I saw she moved gingerly when I followed her into the house last night, but I hadn’t noticed anything like that before. Rheumatoid arthritis. It doesn’t surprise me she hides it well. Anika is not one to complain, but it has to be tough being on her feet all day long.

There were a lot more things I wanted to ask her last night, but the fact she hadn’t even shared her diagnosis with her family was enough of an indication she may not be ready to deal with my questions. It’s fine by me, they can wait. I’m a patient man.

I set my empty glass in the sink and turn off the lights before heading up the stairs. Shower first, I need to wash the stink off me before I roll into bed.

Stripping down, I toss my dirty clothes in the hamper and put it out in the hallway. It’ll remind me to run some laundry in the morning, I didn’t get around to it today. I brush my teeth before hopping into the warm shower.

By the time I slide between the sheets, my eyes are already getting heavy. But before I let sleep take me, I grab my phone off the nightstand, pull up the photo I snapped of Petunia, and send it off with a message.

Had a good night.

First with you, later with Petunia, who gave me nine babies.

CHAPTER FIVE

Anika

I can’t compete with those nine cuties.

I’m still smiling when I walk into the salon. Those little pink squirmy babies are adorable.

Waking up to Hog’s message this morning was a surprise. I have to admit, the fact he was up in the middle of the night thinking of me—after what looks to have been an exciting evening on the farm—may be part of the reason for that smile.

I always knew he liked me, which is why it hurt a bit when he seemed to suddenly avoid me, but I always thought he saw me as no more than his friend’s little sister. Although, there had been times when I intercepted looks that I couldn’t quite place, but quickly dismissed those.

After yesterday, I’m not so sure he likes me because I’m Bodhi’s sister. In fact, I wonder if he may like me despite it.

“Everything okay?” Kim asks as she walks out of the supply room with a stack of towels.

Her eyes are fixed on the front window.

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