Page 60 of Brooke's Bliss
And then he’d gotten roped into doing a bunch of work on theset.He liked working on the set and it happened more and more.Once Cleofigured out he was handy, she’d been more than happy to give him a to-do list.
Damn, but he liked living with her.He liked everythingabout it, from waking up with her all sweet and sleepy in his arms, to gettingher coffee because the sweet part didn’t last long and she needed caffeine, tohaving dinner with her.Simple things like she’d made spaghetti and garlicbread and a salad.Sitting and talking about their days, knowing he would sleepwith her… It felt too good to be true.
“You’re sure it doesn’t hurt them?”Nell sat on a camp chairten feet away from them, her hand on her belly.
She looked like she probably should have had that kid acouple of weeks ago, but everyone swore she still had some time.
What would Brooke look like?Did she want kids?How many?They would be lovely, like their momma.
He would love them.Whether they were biologically his ornot, he would be their dad and he would never, ever leave them or make themthink for a moment they weren’t loved and welcome.He would never treat themlike trash someone left behind.
Yeah, he had some issues to work out.
“It doesn’t bother them at all,” Noah replied.“But then itdidn’t bother Poppy either, did it, big girl?Doc Caleb said you were a champ.”
Poppy stood with her father, petting the goats.She’d beencalm and patient with all of them, and even the nastiest of the group seemed tochill out around the girl.
Maybe she could talk to them.He could believe it.Afterall, it was Bliss, and weird shit happened here.
“It hurt, but the doctor told me it was like a little sting.It was a big sting,” Poppy replied and wound her arms around the goat’s neck asthough she could protect him.
Nell stood and made her way to Poppy, putting a hand on herchild but looking Noah’s way.“Are you sure this is necessary?I’ve beenthinking about vaccines…”
Henry cleared his throat, and his gaze narrowed.
Nell sighed.“I do believe in science, but is it necessarysince the goats are all adults?How can we know they need this?”
“Because all goats need to be vaccinated for tetanus andClostridium,” Noah said as he handed Henry the syringe.“It’s safe, Nell.Iknow you don’t like to think about putting chemicals into the animals, butthere’s a reason we no longer lose whole herds.It’s not going to hurt him.It’s going to ensure he has a good long life.”
“But what if he’s already had it?”Nell asked withuncertainty.
Shane held the goat as Henry carefully cleaned the spot hewas going to use the needle on.“Ma’am, these goats were all neglected.Theowner didn’t feed them.I seriously doubt they kept to a careful vaccinationschedule.They didn’t love these goats like you obviously love Poppy there.”
Nell’s eyes filled with tears, and he worried he’d saidsomething wrong.Then she nodded and leaned over.“What did you say the dosagewas, Noah?”
Noah started talking to her while Henry expertly filled thesyringe.Poppy and her mom were suddenly invested in the lesson, while Henrygot on with the job.
“Thank you.”Henry pinched the skin and slid the needle in,administering the dose.The goat barely moved.“That was exactly the rightthing to say to her.My wife is a loving woman, and sometimes she worries she’sdoing it wrong.Sometimes she needs to be reminded that love is the mostimportant part, and she does that spectacularly.”
“She’s a kind woman.”From what he could tell Nell tried tohelp everyone she could.
“She is.”Henry petted the goat and nodded at Shane to lethim go.The little thing happily ran into the meadow.“Brooke seems to besettling in at the G.I saw her yesterday with Beth and the kids.”
The Flanders family was spending a lot of time out at the Gwhile they were setting up their sanctuary.“She seems to like it, but it’sonly temporary.She’s looking for a new job.”
It was a lie, but one he kind of needed to tell himself.Shewasn’t looking, from what he could tell.For days she’d seemed perfectly happyto go to the theater and work with Cleo and her group and come home and work abit more before she started dinner.She read while they cleaned the kitchen,and then they went to bed.For hours.
It was heaven.
It wasn’t going to last.
“Do you think so?”Henry mused as he looked over to whereNoah was showing Nell how to measure the dosage.
“I mean she’s not going to stay.She needs to work, and thetheater is only open in the summer.Besides, I can’t see her staying.SometimesI wonder how she grew up in this place.”
Henry looked at him, the glasses making the man seem veryintellectual.“Why do you say that?”
He shrugged.“I don’t know.She’s very…what’s the word…chic.I see her in fancy hotels.Not here.”
