Jacob and I walked to the mama goat’s pen.
“You and Kasey seem close,” he said.
I looked at my bare feet. “She’s a good kid.”
“Does she live here with Meg and Jim?”
“For now,” I replied. “Until I finish school. Then she can come live with me.”
He focused his eyes on the horizon as dusk settled over the sky. “Does she see them at all?”
He didn’t have to specify who he was referring to.
“Every weekend. She sleeps over a couple of nights and then comes back on Sunday morning.” I wasn’t thrilled with the arrangement. But Aunt Meg had convinced me that it might not have been such a bad idea. Doug had never touched Kasey. And he seemed to be able to hold off on letting my mom have it until Kasey had returned to the farm. Too bad he wasn’t so considerate when I had lived there. “She still thinks she needs her mom.”
Jacob gave me a tight-lipped smile and nodded.
When we reached the pen, the mama goat was bleating and seemed restless.
“Whoa.” Jacob crouched down on his knees in front of the pregnant doe. His damp shirt clung to the grooves of his back. “That’s one pregnant goat.” She sat down and then stood up again.
He ran his hand down the doe’s spine and squeezed at the ligaments around her tail. The doe started to paw at the ground. “She’s starting to nest.”
“Uncle Jim said it should be anytime now.”
“Probably within the next forty-eight hours.”
“Great.” I could feed the chickens, and someone would be here in the morning to help with the cows. But I knew jack shit about delivering baby goats.
Jacob stood straight again and brushed off his hands. “I helped delivered a few on the farm I used to work on back home. I should be able to handle it.”
“I’d really appreciate it.”
Jacob locked the kidding stall, and we headed back to the house. My cellphone rang with an unfamiliar number. Jacob sat at one of the chairs and removed his muddy shoes.
“Hello?”
“Maeve?” Aunt Meg’s voice cracked.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “How is he?”
“Stable. He’s sleeping right now. He’ll have to spend a few nights here. Thank God, Jacob was there to give him CPR or else…” She sniffled into the phone.
I gazed at Jacob. “Don’t worry about things here. I’ll stay as long as I have to.”
“What about your job?”
“I’ll call and explain what happened.”
Aunt Meg reminded me that one of the hired hands would be around early in the morning to help feed the animals. I wrote down a few notes as she talked before finally hanging up.
I stared at the phone after ending the call. “He’s going to be okay.”
Jacob stood up, and I trotted over to give him a hug.
“Thank you,” I said into his shoulder. “You saved his life.” I inhaled the scent of his shirt.
Jacob gave me an awkward pat on the back. It was like he was afraid to touch me. “It was nothing. I’m just glad he’s going to be okay.”
I broke away. “I’m going to jump in the shower and head to bed. Are you settled into a room yet?”
“Yeah, the one down the hall.”
“Okay…well, let me know if you need anything.” I stalled a minute at the foot of the steps. “It’s good to have you home.”
He smiled. “It’s good to be here.”
* * * *
Someone was knocking on the door. Maybe it would stop if I ignored it long enough. I threw the comforter over my head.
More knocking.
I kicked my legs and threw the comforter over my head.
I rolled off the bed, my eyes barely opened in the sunlight-drenched room. I swung the door open without saying a word.
“Morning.” Jacob was wearing a shirt with the sleeves cut off, revealing a little of the elaborate tattoo on his shoulder.
“Morning,” I groaned, pushing the hair from my face.
“I, uh, could use your help.” He seemed to be having trouble focusing his eyes on something, other than me of course. I didn’t know it was possible to repel someone this much.
I shuffled back toward the bed as he stood in the threshold of the open door. “Well, are you just going to stand there and watch me get changed?” I rested my hands on my hips. I couldn’t help it—making him squirm was so easy.
His face flushed. “Uh, no. Sorry.” He turned his head in the opposite direction and reached for the doorknob. “I’ll meet you downstairs.”
A minute later, Kasey busted through the door.
“Nice knock,” I said.
She plopped onto my bed, still in her pajamas. “Will you braid my hair?”
“You can’t braid your own hair yet?”
She grabbed a chunk of her dark locks. “I can’t do them as pretty as you can. Please?”
I sat down next to her and sighed. “What kind?”
“French,” she said with a grin.
“Go grab a brush and a hair tie.”
She sprung off the bed and darted to the bathroom.
“Maeve?” she said as I started to braid.
“Yeah?” I undid a few stands and re-braided them. My hair braiding skills were a little rusty.
“It’s Friday.”
“I know.”
“I’m supposed to go to Mom and Dad’s tonight.”
I waited a few seconds before saying, “Okay.”
“Aunt Meg usually drops me off.”
My fingers froze, still holding the soft strands of her hair.
“Maeve?” Her head shifted a bit, like she wanted to look over her shoulder to make sure I was still there.
“I can drop you off.” I had to force the words out.
“Okay,” she said, the tone of her voice a little lighter.
I set the rest of her hair in the braid and tied the end off with the elastic band she handed me.
As she checked out my work in the bathroom mirror, my cellphone rang. It only rang twice before I picked up.
“Aunt Meg?” I said. “How
