Page 47 of Love Off-Limits
I slapped Sassy on the rump, urging her to get into her stall. “Come on, girl,” I said. “You know the drill.”
The goatsdidknow the drill, which helped. Even though I was still relatively green, they made it harder for me to screw up. Once settled in place, they started chowing down on their morning meal while I moved from goat to goat, wiping their teats down before hooking them up to the vacuum-powered milker.
Sassy bleated as I hooked her up, and I reached up and gave her a good scratch. After Penelope, of course, Sassy was my favorite. She was white and black and had enormous eyes that made me think she understood whenever we talked. Which we did. Frequently. She knew more about my feelings for Olivia than anyone. I shook my head as I moved past her to hook up the next goat. If only Isaac could see me now.
I hadn’t talked to Olivia in almost a week. I’d seen her around the farm a time or two, and she’d always waved, but I was beginning to think she might be avoiding me. I couldn’t exactly blame her. I’d never had such conflicting emotions. I wanted to be around her. Talk to her. Know everything there was to know about her. And knowing that I couldn’t? Avoidance might be the only way I could survive.
“How are they doing?”
I spun around. Olivia stood at the other end of the barn dressed in jeans and a linen button-down, cinched up and tied at her waist. Her hair was down, loose around her shoulders. She looked more like the Olivia I’d met in Charleston. Except somehow even more beautiful. I knew her better now. Had seen her in the place she loved the most. That had to have something to do with it.
“They’re good,” I said, my voice cracking on the second word. I cleared my throat and tried again. “They’re good. Almost done.”
She took a step forward. “Kelly told me I might find you here. You’re working on a Saturday?”
Mrs. Hawthorne normally took care of the goats on the weekends, but Kelly had asked me if I minded filling in. I shrugged. “I don’t mind. I don’t really have anywhere else to be.” Not like the rest of the farmhands. Many of them went home on the weekends or went into Asheville or Hendersonville and crashed with friends.
“Mom’s been so busy taking care of Dad lately.” Olivia reached out and scratched Ollie, the goat on the opposite end of the line-up, behind her ears. “I’m sure she’ll be grateful you’re taking such good care of everyone here.”
“I definitely prefer this over the chickens.”
Olivia’s eyes flashed with understanding, and she grinned. “I can’t blame you there. Growing up, when Dad would send the boys out to work in the orchards, I would beg him to let me stay behind with the goats. They’ve always been my favorite.”
“Do you...” I hesitated. Was it appropriate for me to ask? She was the boss. And I was getting paid to do what I was doing. Still, she looked like she wanted me to. “Do you want to help?” I finally asked. “After I finish up here, I’m supposed to take this batch of milk up to your mom’s studio.”
Olivia nodded. “Sure.”
We worked together to unhook the animals and herd them outside into a divided pen before herding the next group in.
“It looks like Penelope is doing well,” Olivia said after we’d finished with the last round of goats. We leaned against the fence outside, watching as the kids chased each other around the grass.
I whistled, and Penelope’s head popped up. She took off across the pen, stopping in front of me and lifting her hooves to the fence. “You ready for breakfast?” I asked, scratching her ears before scooping her up.
“She’s already gotten so big,” Olivia said.
“You want to hold her?” I held her out. “I’ll get her bottle ready.”
She snuggled the goat against her chest. “I feel like I need to record this for your sister and send her the video.”
I grinned. “I’ve sent her pictures. She can’t stop laughing about it.”
“Why is that?” She followed me inside and leaned against the wall as I prepped the bottle.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I wasn’t much of an outdoorsy kid growing up. I liked the beach and whatever, but I mostly spent time on my computer. Then onceRandom Istarted...I guess I haven’t given her the impression I’d be the kind of guy at home in a goat barn.”
She studied me. “But youareat home here.”
“Weirdly so, it seems.” I handed her the bottle for Penelope, who quickly scrambled for it once she saw it in Olivia’s grasp.
“She knows what she’s after, doesn’t she?”
“She always drinks all of it,” I said. “And would probably drink more if I let her.”
“Like your papa, huh?” Olivia nuzzled Penelope close and looked up at me through her lashes, her smile wide.
I thought back to that first night we’d spent together. It had only been two months since then, but it felt like a different life.
I lowered myself to the ground across from her and rested my arms on my bent knees. “What do you have going on today? No weddings to keep you busy?”
