Page 31 of Georgia-Blue & Hudson

Easton and a friend of his, Takoda, who’s visiting from Montana, collected her from the rescue just out of town and are on their way. I said I’d come over and help move some hay bales and get the stables ready for her. Any excuse to be around his horses. I think Bandit has taken a liking to me. If I’m lucky, I may get to ride him later.

I’ve always had a fascination with animals for as long as I can remember. My mom used to take me on nature walks when I was a kid, pointing out all the trees, flowers, birds and wildlife we’d come across. I don’t know how that turned into me being a cat guy, but it is what it is.

I straighten out my dark blue and black flannel shirt rolled up at the sleeves and reach for my cowboy hat on the seat.

This ought to be interesting.

I walk over to the side gate where I can already hear their little Maltese, Noodle, barking at my arrival. I stick my head over the top and announce that it’s me.

“Back here,” I hear Brooklyn call from the depths of the garden somewhere. He has this place running like a fully functioning self-sufficient mini-farm. Solar panels adorn the back part of his roof and shed, plus stables to the rear. There’s ahuge orchard and vegetable patch at the other side of the house. He makes his own compost and they grow a lot of their own food.

I can hear the chickens clucking and the ducks quacking before I even see any of them. I slide the gate open, bending down to give Noodle a scruff. She’s a sweet little fluffy thing that’s all bark, no bite.

She leads me down to the back where Brook is fiddling around with some reticulation pipe.

“Hey, man.” I cast my eyes around the large back yard that’s fenced in for Noodle and the animals. It also has large fields surrounding it. There’s no sign of GB.

“Hey.” Brook smiles, looking up from the ground where he’s trying to install some reticulation to his snap peas.

“Hard at it?” I chuckle.

“Somethin’ like that.”

“How far away are the guys?”

“A half hour or so. I got everything ready for her, just gotta move some bails.”

“You know I’m here for the horses, I’ll get on it.”

“Be there in a second. Georgia and Eden are inside making lunch for when we’re done.”

Great, she’s here.

It’s probably best I don’t run into her right now. I don’t know how the hell I’m supposed to act after having my tongue in her mouth last night. I wasn’t expecting to see her here, or run into her so soon. I’m kinda out of practice when it comes to women, but I’ve got no practice in dealing with Georgia-Blue post kiss.

Noodle follows me out to the barn, toddling along in front of me. I start hauling the new hay over to the first stable where Brook has it stacked.

The horses are all out in the field with Sawyer, so I’ll go out there to see them when Lily arrives.

“How do you think she’s gonna fit in?” I ask Brook when he walks in a few moments later.

“She’s been doing well at the rescue, so I’m positive. Plus, she’s no troublemaker,” Brook says. “I think a friend for Sawyer will be good; she came to us in pretty bad shape when we first got her, but she’s come along in leaps and bounds.”

“Might just take some time if it’s a case of neglect.”

“I don’t know how people can be so fucking cruel,” he grits.

It’s a horrible thought and really boils my blood when it comes to animals. “Tell me about it.”

The truck pulls up out front right after we’ve just finished hauling bales and cleaning the space up. Brook practically jogs to the gate the same time his daughter comes running out of the house.

“Hey, Uncle Hudson,” she says when she sees me.

“Hey kiddo, are you excited about Lily?”

“So excited!”

“I think Noodle is, too,” I say behind the back of my hand as Noodle follows us out to the truck just as Easton and Takoda are climbing out. Blake giggles and scoops Noodle up so she’s not in the way.

---