Page 131 of Forever To Me

“Oh, it’s absolutely about a goat.”

Five minutes later, I’m outside, shirt in my hand, boots half-laced, freezing my ass off as I trudge toward the barn, deeply regretting every decision that led me to this moment.

Violet, who should be asleep like a normal person—already stands by the barn door, wrapped up in one of those big, cozy sweaters that make her look soft and comfortable. Too comfortable, considering I’m out here suffering.

“What the hell are you doing here, Red?” I grumble, shoving on my flannel but not bothering to button it.

“Mack woke me up,” Violet says, smirking. “Figured it had to be good.”

“Oh, it’s great,” Mack announces, throwing the barn doors open. “Because, surprise! Dot had her babies.”

I step inside and exhale hard, still half asleep. "Who is Dot?"

There’s Dot, my supposedly-not-pregnant goat, standing over two tiny, shivering babies. Two more goats to the collection. But damn, if they're not cute.

Violet lets out a soft gasp. “Oh, they’re adorable.”

“They’re a damn inconvenience,” I mutter.

Mack grins. “You say that now but wait till you name them.”

“I am not naming them.”

“You totally are,” she says smugly. “It’s part of the process.”

I groan and survey the barn. “They’re freezing. We need to warm them up.”

Violet is already moving, crouching beside the babies with a towel. “On it.”

I reach for the smallest one at the same time as she does, and of course my hand lands directly on hers. Warm. Soft. I freeze. So does she. Neither of us pulls away. We just sit there, holding hands over a goat like absolute idiots.

Then Mack makes it worse. “Oh my God,” she says, way too loudly. “Are you guys holding hands over a goat right now?”

I jerk my hand back so fast I nearly fall over. “No.”

Violet smirks. “Technically, yes.”

“Oh my God,” Mack cackles. “That’s so gross. Are you gonna, like, gaze into each other’s eyes and talk about your feelings?”

I glare at her. “Mack?—”

“Or maybe you should just kiss right now and get it over with.”

Violet chuckles, standing up and tossing a towel at my chest. “Tempting.”

I catch it, scowling. “You’re not helping.”

“Not trying to.”

Mack grins like a damn hyena. “Oh, this is the best night of my life.”

I exhale hard and start rubbing down the baby goat, ignoring the way my neck feels too damn warm. “I'm basically a goat farmer now, aren't I?”

Violet pats my shoulder. “You did this to yourself, big guy.”

I groan and look up at the ceiling, praying for patience. Then I look at Mack, who smirks like she absolutely enjoys this way too much.

And they're right. I did this to myself. But I love it, and I love them. I love every adventure with them.

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