It’s then that Lily won’t budge, she seems a little spooked and I’m not sure if it’s because of me.
“Hey, baby girl. It’s going to be alright,” I tell her softly. I hold my fist out slowly to her gorgeous, long main. Donkey’s really do have the cutest faces. She sniffs my fist and gives it a nudge with her nose, causing Trudy to laugh.
“I think she likes you, Hudson.”
“That’s a good sign,” Brook says. “She wasn’t great with guys at first at the rescue, so they told me.”
“No one is going to hurt you here,” I murmur, looking into her big brown eyes.
I can see why Brook loves donkeys so much now. And he has the room to keep them happy and comfortable.
She takes a step and walks through the gates, slowly heading to the back stables which leads out to the field where Sawyer is waiting.
“I have some lunch for everyone when she’s settled,” I hear Eden behind me. “We made vegetable pies.”
“Takoda is a vegan, Mom,” I hear Blake say.
It’s sounding more and more like this Takoda is a fucking saint after all.
“It’s okay, I didn’t use any eggs or dairy, so he can eat with us too, sweetie.”
Blake seems satisfied with that and I can’t help but chuckle.
“You know, I’m fascinated with veganism,” I hear Georgia behind me. She’s walking with Takoda who’s just caught up to us. She’s so fucking unbelievable.
That’s the first I’ve ever heard of her being interested in a plant-based diet, and complete bullshit.
“Since when?” I chime in, because I can’t help myself.
“Since now.” She folds her arms across her chest defiantly. She tilts her head to the side but can’t look at me for long. I keep my gaze on her as I walk backward, keeping a reassuring hand on Lily as Trudy and Brook reach the barn.
“I’m gonna stay a while with her,” Brook says. “It’s probably best that we don’t all crowd her. Why don’t you guys have lunch and we’ll swap over.”
“Can we take ours to go?” Easton chimes in. “Koda and I have to head off and get the horse float back.”
“Of course you can,” Eden says as she walks over to give Lily a gentle little pat on her back and her husband a quick kiss. “Follow me, I’ll wrap it up for you.”
Brook looks as happy as one of his pet pigs who loves rolling around in shit.
They all walk off to the house except for me, Trudy, Blake and Brook.
I look behind me and sure enough, GB is chattering away like she’s never seen a dude before. Is she flirting with him just to annoy me? I didn’t think this was how she was going to play it; totally ignoring me and flirting with Takoda from fucking Montana, just to get under my skin.
If she is trying to get a rise out of me, she’s succeeding. I try not to focus on that and just enjoy the morning sun beaming down on us.
About twenty minutes later, I hear a familiar, soft voice behind me. Just after Easton and Takoda have left. “I brought you some pie,” Georgia says.
I’m sitting on one of the hay bales just outside the horse pen. Lily is settling in with Sawyer in the field, and Brook and Trudy keep watch close by.
“Thanks,” I mutter, taking the plate from her hands as she leans over the rail, watching the two donkeys meet.
“How cute is this.”
I eye her.
Finally, she looks over at me as I pick up the vegetable pie, peel back the tin foil casing around it and take a bite. I quickly realize the pie that I thought would be fucking vegan crap is actually delicious.
Her hands move to her hips.“What?”