Page 40 of Saved By Love at Christmas
“I don’t snorethat bad,”she protested, watching Fred sleep.
“Okay, maybe not that loud. Are you ready to meet my ladies?”
“Sure. Lead the way.”
My chickens squawked at me from their pen at the bottom of my garden, reminding me they hadn’t yet been fed. I had six of them. They were battery hens, destined for slaughter, and I saved them. I honestly hadn’t meant to adopt them, but one look at their faces and I couldn’t resist. I checked the henhouse; there were several eggs ready for collection.
“Okay, ladies. Let me get these and then I promise you’ll be fed. Do you want to give me a hand?” I asked Ruby.
She nodded and followed me inside their pen. I handed her a basket.
Their clucking noises were always calming to me. Ruby’s voice was soft and low; I loved how she talked to them. I fed them while she collected the eggs. After she’d gathered them, we watched the hens for a while as they pecked their food and scratched at the ground.
“That’s Hilda.” I indicated to the noisiest one of the group. “She’s a nosey lady who follows me around everywhere when she’s out of her coop.”
Ruby smiled at me, and I was momentarily blinded by the gorgeous woman in front of me.
“Hilda. that’s an interesting name.”
I chuckled and scratched my chin. “Hmm, yeah. They all have old-fashioned names.”
She laughed in return. “What is it about chickens that makes them look like they need old names, huh?”
“I know, right?” I responded.
“Does she like being picked up?” Hilda was clucking away, pecking at Ruby’s wellies.
“Not usually, but she seems to like you. Have a go.”
Ruby spoke softly to her, and Hilda let her hold her gently in her arms. “Good to meet you, Hilda.”
Hilda started to flap her wings, so Ruby placed her back on the ground.
“Do you want to come and meet the rest of my girls?”
“Yes. Please introduce us.”
“Ladies, I’d like you to meet Ruby. Ruby, here’s Enid, Gladys, Florence, Henrietta, and Gertrude.”
“Hey, ladies.” She giggled some more at the hens, who paid no interest to us. “They’re adorable. Where did you get them from?”
I threw some more seed for them, the clucking getting louder as they fought over the food.
“They were being used as battery hens and not kept in very good conditions. The RSPCA rescued about a hundred of them and put out a call for homes. So, I rescued these six. Would love to have had more, but these are more than a handful.”
“I’m surprised Grandad didn’t volunteer,” she mused almost to herself.
“He thought about it, but there’s more chance of foxes getting in where you are, so he decided against it.”
“Yes, you’re right. I hadn’t considered that.”
We watched them for a little while longer, and I noticed Ruby had started to shiver.
“Let’s go in and have a hot drink. Then I can show you to your bedroom.”
* * *
RUBY
