Page 10 of Dead Clucked
Jesus, was she?Ronan should have asked Manny when they were still at the barn. “I don’t know.” Ronan felt panicked. How the hell did one help a hen through the birthing process? It wasn’t like they did Lamaze breathing. “Can you use your gift to find out?” Could Everly talk to chickens? If so, would she understand the chicken’s answer?
Everly burst out laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Ronan asked, having a feeling his pint-sized psychic was reading him.
“You wondering if I can speak to chickens.” Everly brushed her fingers against the hen’s feathers. “I don’t think she’s gonna lay an egg.”
“She’s not,” Ten agreed. “Why don’t you go put Hen Solo back in her cage and go upstairs and get ready for bed. Daddy will be up in a minute to read to you.”
Everly sighed, obviously not wanting to be parted from Hen Solo. “She doesn’t want to go back in the cage, Daddy. Can’t she sleep in my room like Dixie and Luna?”
“Sorry, honey, but the chicken has to sleep in her cage. She’ll be okay for one night.” Ronan put his phone into his back pocket and approached Everly and the bird. He reached down to grab her.
Hen Solo let out an ear-splitting shriek and took off running like a football player sprinting for the end zone. She bobbed her waythrough the kitchen, evading Ronan and Ten’s attempts to corral her. Ronan couldn’t help but think how hilarious the chicken chase would be with the theme song toBenny Hillplaying in the background.
She ran under the table and darted around chair legs, and headed for the sliding glass door, looking to fly the coop. Ronan diverted her just before Hen Solo crashed into the glass. She looked no worse for wear, while Ronan huffed and puffed, quickly losing steam.
Everly laughed so hard she tumbled back onto the kitchen floor, while Hen Solo made a mad dash toward her. Giving a flap of her wings, the chicken flew over the kitchen table and landed beside Everly.
“Holy shit! Chickens can fly?” Ronan panted.
“Yeah, Daddy, they’re birds. Come on, honey, back into your cage.” Everly led the bird back inside and locked the door behind her. “See, piece of cake.” She blew the bird a kiss. “I’ll go get ready for my bath.”
When Everly was gone, Ten turned back to Ronan. “This is ridiculous. You know that, right?”
Ronan nodded. “That’s what all three of us thought until Cisco said all of the proceeds from the calendar go to local food banks. After hearing that bit of news, we couldn’t say no. At least it’s only a hen and not a pig or a cow. I mean, they’re super cute, but not housebroken.”
“I’ve got a bit of bad news for you.” Ten wore a gleeful look.
“What’s that?” Ronan asked, hoping to hell Ten wasn’t going to make him sleep on the kitchen floor beside the cage.
“Everly doesn’t have school tomorrow. It’s one of those teacher development days and Mom’s going on a bus trip with the senior center to Foxwoods to spend the day gambling at the slot machines.”
“Wait! What? Kaye’s going to a casino?” Ronan shook his head. “There’s no way she would be caught dead in a den of iniquity.” It was a world gone mad.
“Ronan, she’s going to Connecticut,notSodom and Gomorrah.” Ten brushed a kiss to his husband’s cheek.
“I’ll be up in a minute. I’m just gonna make sure Hen Solo has everything she’ll need for the night.”
“If you make it fast, we can turn our bedroom into our own den of iniquity.” Ten waggled his eyebrows.
“Has the lost dong of the Aztecs gone missing again?” Ronan snickered, feeling himself starting to get hard.
Ten winked and headed upstairs.
Ronan grabbed the chicken’s water bottle and filled it up before he added a little more food and treats to her dish. He couldn’t help but wonder how things were going with Jude and Fitz. Neither one of them had texted or called from the Hawthorne Hotel, so hopefully all was well, but he wouldn’t count his chickens before they hatched.
8
Jude
Mighty Good Hen
“What do you mean I have to take the kids to the photo shoot?” Jude asked. He was sure he could deal with Wolf, but it would be another matter entirely trying to wrangle Lizbet while he posed for the camera. “Can’t you stay home with them?”
Cope sighed. “Babe, you’d only have to take Wolfie with you. I’m dropping Lizbet at daycare. Ten’s doing the same thing with Ezra. As for staying home, my schedule is packed today. I’ve got five in-person readings and two on Zoom. I’ll be tied up until about six. I’ll pick up dinner on the way home. Text me later and let me know if you want fried chicken or burgers.”
Fricassee screeched so loudly, it echoed through the house.
