Page 45 of Big Island Horizons
“Any sign of him?” he asked.
She stepped back and shook her head.
“He’ll turn up.”
“I hope so.” She sighed and looked towards the kitchen. “I must have lost track of time. We can start on the aviary soon, but I have a bit more prep to do first if I’m going to have everything ready for tomorrow’s deliveries.”
“Why don’t I go out and get started, and you can join me when you’re ready?”
“On your own?”
He smiled softly. “Sure, why not? I can fix the whole thing myself if you need me to.”
“It’s a big aviary,” she worried.
“I’ve seen it. I can do it.”
“Okay.” She squeezed his arm. “Thank you. I’ll have brownies and coffee waiting when you’re ready for a break.”
“You’ve got yourself a deal.”
He left, and she went back into the kitchen. Egg drop soup was up next, but she had used up the last of their eggs on omelets that morning. There were bound to be more than enough scattered around the property, but Piper was slacking on her morning chores.
“Piper?” she called down the hall. Her daughter appeared a moment later, short red hair sticking out in all directions.
“Yeah?”
“Would you go get the eggs, please?”
“But it’s all muddy out there,” Piper whined.
Tara gave her a level look.
“Ugh. Fine.”
“Have fun,” Paige called in a singsong voice.
Tara looked at her. “Have you fed the rabbits yet?”
“No.” She drew the word out morosely and followed her sister outside.
Tara went to the sink to wash dishes. Outside, a chainsaw sounded as Liam began to clear away the wreckage of the tree that had taken down her aviary.
Paige came running back in a few minutes later, her cheeks pink with distress. “Mom!”
“What?”
“There’s a woman at the gate who says she’s here to see Gertrude and Maybe. You’resellingthem?!”
“Oh, sweetheart.” Tara turned off the water and dried her hands. “I’m sorry. I meant to tell you. With all the craziness of the storm and the birds, it slipped my mind.”
“But you said they could stay!”
“I said that I would try. And I’m trying my best, sweet pea. But this just isn’t sustainable. Cows are expensive animals. I’m keeping up with the feed bill, but one vet bill would ruin us. It’s just not responsible to keep them.”
“But your business is doing good! If you just got a few more customers…”
“I’m working myself to the bone already, and I don’t want to be. I want time to do fun things with you too, like snorkeling over in Kona. We need to find a healthier balance.”
