Page 52 of Organized Chaos

She rolled her eyes and focused on sweeping the coop clean.

Bleats and bellows filled the air with such sudden force that she dropped her broom and ran for the gate.

Grayson stood in the open yard, his hands on his hips and a look of disbelief on his face. “I think I let the goats out.”

As though to prove him right, five goats ran toward the barn and then split off in every direction. One headed toward the open fields.

“Quick. Get them back.” She took off running after a white and brown spotted goat that was on its way to the driveway.

Grayson held his hands up. “How?”

“I don’t know. Catch them?” She didn’t have time to say anything else. Her boots ground into the grass and she flew toward the wayward goat.

It bleated again and jumped on top of a haybale stacked in front of a tractor, then up and onto the tractor seat.

“I’m going to get you.” Kayla barreled forward and leaped up after the goat.

It screamed—there was no other way to describe the sound coming from the goat’s gaping mouth. Its legs stiffened, and it fell over onto its side, legs kicking.

She stopped so fast her arms windmilled. “Grayson!”

“What?” He came running around from behind the tractor and skidded to a stop beside her.

Wordlessly, she pointed at the goat. “I think…I think it’s dead.”

He buffed the back of his neck with one hand and let out a gusty sigh. “We should tell the Garrett’s. It’s my fault. I opened the wrong gate and let them out.”

He sounded so sorrowful that she put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “I’m the one who chased it. We’ll tell them together.”

They probably should have went straight to the Garrett’s instead of trying to take care of things themselves. Then she wouldn’t have the guilt of a dead goat on her hands.

“How’s it going?” Gina ambled up from the other side of the tractor.

Kayla startled and covered her mouth with her hands. “Mrs. Garnett, I’m so sorry.”

“It wasn’t Kayla’s fault.” Grayson jumped to her defense without a moment’s hesitation. “I opened the gate to get the wheelbarrow and the goats ran out.”

Gina frowned at them for a moment, then followed their likely horrified gazes to the goat lying on the green tractor seat.She shook her head and slapped her hands together. “Get on up, Maybelle. Go on. Shoo.”

The goat shivered, and its legs convulsed again, then it hopped back onto its hooves and jumped down.

Kayla’s eyes popped wide. “What?”

“Fainting goats.” Gina explained with a smile. “Should’ve told you. Maybelle and a few of the others will faint when they get frightened. Kind of funny to watch long as you know what’s happening.”

Grayson leaned in close and whispered in her ear. “Next thing you know, they’ll be telling us that the dogs are wolves and whoops but the horses can talk. Sorry we forgot to tell you.”

The urge to laugh and push him away tipped her lips up in a smile. “Stop it,” she whispered back.

Gina followed the goat back toward the pen and scooped up a handful of feed from a blue barrel tucked into a small room at the back of the chicken coop. She held it aloft. “Anytime you need to move the goats, or get them back to the pen, just do this.” She rattled the can. “Come on, babies. Come on goaties.”

“I’m not saying that.” Grayson harrumphed from beside her.

She elbowed him without remorse. It was funny how she already felt comfortable with the grumpy man’s snark and sarcasm. “You’re going to get us in trouble.”

“It’s not junior high. They can’t kick us out for telling the truth.” He said it with such distaste that she wondered again why he was here when he was so obviously miserable.

Who could be miserable in a place like this? They were outside on a beautiful spring day, with blue skies and great puffy clouds soaring overhead.

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