Page 44 of Love for a Lifetime

Levi laughed. “Why would you want to be a squash?”

Dawson shrugged as he pulled out onto the dirt path leading to the main road. “I don’t know. I like squash, and they don’t get enough representation. What’s wrong with squash?”

“Nothing, I guess.” Levi stared out the window and rubbed his chin like he was deep in thought. “I haven’t thought about squash enough.”

“Now’s a good time. You want squash for dinner? I bet Olivia would make us some.”

“Yeah. That sounds really good, but can I see the goats first?”

“Dude, you spend your days with horses and cattle. Why are you so interested in goats now?”

“That’s just it. I don’t get to see them a lot, and they’re little enough that I can wrap my arms all the way around their necks.” Levi acted like he was squeezing the life out of a baby goat’s neck, and Dawson winced.

“Easy there. Don’t strangle my goats.”

Levi chuckled. “I won’t. I’m good with Annie. Mom says so.”

“I bet you are. She’s gonna need a strong big brother to make sure nobody messes with her when she gets older.”

Levi scrunched his nose. “Yeah, but right now she just drools a lot. And she cries sometimes.”

“I remember when you were little,” Dawson said.

“Really?” Levi’s eyes widened in excitement.

“Yeah. I wanted to hold you through the church service once. You chewed on the shoulder of my shirt until you fell asleep in your own drool.”

“Gross!” Levi exclaimed through a laugh. “Tell me more.”

The short drive over to the Lawrence Farm gave Dawson time to tell the story of Levi’s first trip to the pumpkin patch. Dawson still had a copy of the photo he took of the Hardings next to a hay bale. Everyone had a smile on their face, except Levi, who was arms and legs flailing in Aaron’s arms with his mouth wide open mid-scream.

They parked next to Olivia’s car, and Levi jumped out of the truck before it came to a complete stop.

“Good grief, kid,” Dawson mumbled as he pulled his goat boots out of the back seat. He made his way around the house to the farm behind it. No sign of Levi or Olivia.

When Dawson got closer to Cluckingham Palace, he heard Levi talking a mile a minute.

“What else do they eat?”

Olivia’s response was slow. “Um… Worms. They like bugs. And…”

Dawson stepped into the watering hole area and caught sight of Olivia. Her long hair was pulled back in a ponytail at the nape of her neck, and her brows and nose were scrunched up.

Something was wrong. The simple text he’d worried over was a cry for help.

“Hey, Liv. You okay?” he asked as he stepped up beside her, resting a hand on her back.

“Mmhm,” she hummed. “Just not feeling great. Why don’t you take Levi to see the goats, and I’ll catch up with you in a few minutes?”

Dawson scanned her for any sign of what was going on but found nothing visibly wrong. When she looked up at him, he did his best to silently ask if she needed help.

“I’m really okay,” she said. “I just need a minute.”

Taking that as the best answer he’d get, he waved Levi over. “Come on, tater. We’ve got goats to see.”

Levi frolicked with the goats, hugging them, petting them, chatting them up like old friends. The kid definitely had a way with animals. He had a herd following him around within the hour. Dawson had sent Aaron and Jade twenty photos and six videos before Levi asked to milk the goats.

Dawson was operating on autopilot as he explained how to manually milk a goat. Then Levi wanted to see what the milking machine could do. Going through the mechanics did little to keep Dawson’s thoughts from Olivia. She hadn’t shown up yet, and Levi hadn’t stopped playing and talking long enough for Dawson to check on her.

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