Page 6 of Tommy

“I’ve never seen one on the land personally,” June said. “Which is a shame because I think if I met one for reals, they’d want to be my friend, and I think we could create quite a unique bond.”

“Don’t listen to her,” he said. “Bears do not want to be friends, they want to tear you limb from up.”

“Not the type of bears I’ve been around then,” I remarked quietly.

“What’s that?” he asked.

I repeated myself, and he took it seriously, almost interrogating me on all my bear knowledge. “Well, one type of bear I’ve been around are of the teddy variety,” I said. “I write about teddy bears that come to life.”

Hardin hummed and turned, continuing on the tour.

June hooked her arm into mine. “What about that other type of bear?” she chuckled.

“Those are known to tear you up in a different way,” I giggled. I’d had my fair share of bigger men with hairy bods.

I caught Hardin giving us side eye as he turned his head slightly. “It’s mostly a loop,” he said as we approached a large red barn. Only the excitable dog had followed and ran ahead to the barn. “We have this barn, which is where all our animals are housed. The horses are in an adjoining stable.”

Recalling the animals June had mentioned, I was nervous to see how they would react to me. I wasn’t known to be an animal person, unless, again, we’re talking about beary men. “And they all fit in there?” I asked June who was closer.

“Yep,” she said. “The goats and chickens live together, although the chickens bully the goats. It’s large enough for them all to live.”

“And the cats, you mentioned, they live in there as well?”

“Yes, they do, they’re adopted pets,” she said. She turned quiet, pulling me in closer as we walked. “Hardin actually rescued them off the side of the road. He took them to the pet center in town but they had no room. They were going to euthanize them, but he wouldn’t let them, so he took them in and now they live here. Don’t tell him I told you that though. Remember, he likes to look tough.”

He looked back again, almost telling us he’d heard what was said. It seemed like he knew the role he had to play. I wouldn’t expect a cowboy any other way. I was still coming to terms with the fact that I had actually met a real life cowboy. I might have thought they died out with the whole western times.

The red barn had a large doorway and a smaller segmented doorway within it. “We don’t open the full door until spring now,” he said. “The animals stay inside most of the time, but if the ground is thawed, I will let them out on the ground for a little enrichment.”

Entering the barn, I didn’t know what I expected, but it was far different from this. It was a small animal city behind a small fenced area within the ground. The chickens had little houses dotted around and a small network of steps and planks so they could run around at different elevations. And in the corner of the barn, the two goats were at the fence, bleating at Hardin.

“Daisy, Marigold,” he said, dipping to a squat in front of them. “I hope you’re keeping out of trouble.” They fought with each other over who would get closer to Hardin as he tickled and stroked under their chins.

The flock of chickens rushed toward him, scaring the goats away.

“I thought chickens would run away,” I mumbled.

His dog yapped up at the ceiling.The two cats, one black, the other white teased from above in the rafters.

“Oh yeah, you’ll have to watch out for them,” June said. “They’ll sneak up on ya.”

I wondered if the network of wooden planks had been made for the cats benefit instead.

“They probably think I’ve come back in to feed them, or milk them,” Hardin said, snapping his fingers at his dog who hushed immediately. “They all get fed once a day, and the goats get milked twice a day. Which is what I’ll need your help with.”

“I’ve never milked a goat before.”

“I’d be surprised if you had,” June laughed. “There’s really nothing to it. In fact, it’s a bit like, you know, when you’re alone at night, and you don’t have anyone around, well, you just go in, grab, squeeze, and then—”

“Please,” Hardin stopped her before she got carried away with the visual, and what a visual she was painting to, but I actually understood it might not have been as difficult. “I’ll showyou later. I use goat milk as milk and to make cheeses. The eggs are also used too, so you can help yourself.”

“Will I need to collect the eggs as well?”

He nodded. “Each morning, but they’ve been collected today.”

“Speaking of, I’ll be happy to take some off your hands while I’m here,” June said.

“Already fixed you a carton up at the house,” he said. “And the cats, Midnight and Snowflake, they do their own thing, and they live in here.”

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