Miss Bridgette gives a shake of her own head. “I adore that girl, but she’s quite a handful.” She flashes me another approving smile. “Not like our sweet Alexis here.”
Pride once more blooms in my chest. “Thank you, Miss Bridgette.”
Behind me, Mommy gives my shoulders a squeeze and bends down to press a kiss to the top of my head as the other girls all come walking up to ask if they can feed the ponies too, all in noticeably quieter voices than Nelly. That spark of jealousy ignites in my chest once more as Miss Bridgette praises them each for asking so politely.
I try to ignore those feelings as my friends each feed the ponies, their expressions full of awe even though I’m sure it’s not the first time they’ve done so. Before long, Nelly joins us, her eyes rimmed with red.
“Miss Bridgette, may I please feed the ponies?” she asks softly, earning her an approving smile from the foreman.
“Of course you may, sweetheart. I have a few bits of apple left.”
As Nelly feeds Rosie, Uncle Evan sends an apologetic look Miss Bridgette’s way. “I’m so sorry, Bridgette. I know you’ve had to talk to her before about not startling the animals.”
“I have. Thank you for handling it.” Miss Bridgette runs a hand over Nelly’s hair. “I’m sure it won’t happen again, will it, Natalie?”
“No, Ma’am. I’ll be good, I promise. I don’t want to upset the ponies.”
“I know you don’t, sweetheart.” With another clap of her hands, Miss Bridgette draws everyone’s attention to her. “Now, who wants to go see the cows?”
Five hands shoot in the air, though my friends are all careful not to shout like they did outside and Miss Bridgette laughs. “Come on, then.”
I follow my friends through a door to what basically amounts to a larger barn, with higher ceilings and much more space for the animals to move around, and I stop short again at the sight that greets us.
Really, I don’t know what I was expecting. But for some reason, it didn’t actually occur to me that the cows would be humans as well.
And yet, here they are, curled up in little groups together in various stalls, or watching us with curious eyes as they munch on what appears to be hay.
Before I can fully process what I’m seeing and the implications for what comes next, Miss Bridgette steps in front of us and gives one of those single claps letting us know she wants our attention. “It’s almost milking time, girls. Who wants to help?”
Chapter Twenty-One
Catharina
I didn’t think this through.
All at once, each of my Little nieces shoots their hand in the air, excited for another chance to milk the cows. Alexis looks around, uncertain, but then slowly raises her hand to join them.
Jealousy is not an emotion I’m used to entertaining. In the past, if a woman has shown the slightest bit of interest in someone else, I’ve simply let her go. I’m not interested in forcing someone to remain loyal.
But now… Now that unfamiliar emotion grips me by the throat as I watch my Little girl move forward with the rest of the group as the cows are led into the milking stalls. The thought of her hands on another woman’s breast, even a woman who is living her life as an animal, has my vision going red at the edges.
“Are you all right, Cat?” Gideon’s soft voice reaches my ears, but it does nothing to ease the grip jealousy has on me.
“I’m fine,” I lie, literally through my teeth, which are gritted together in an attempt to keep from screaming as Alexis settles on a stool beside one of the cows. She listens attentively as theranch hand assigned to her explains the process, showing her how to tug on the cow’s nipples so that her milk squirts into the pan beneath the other woman’s swaying tits.
“You don’t look fine. You look like you’re about to murder someone.” Amusement winds around my brother’s voice, and it’s all I can do not to snarl at him.
“Then why the fuck are you still talking?”
“Uh-oh.” Now it’s Jasper joining us, his voice taking on the sing-song quality of a teasing older brother and I have to clench my hands into fists to keep from reaching for his throat. “I recognize that look. Who’s pissed Cat off?”
“No idea,” Gideon says, still with that hint of amusement in his tone. “But I have a feeling it has something to do with her Little girl putting her hands all over that pretty cow’s teats.”
“Ahh. Yeah, if they were 'milking’ bulls there’s no way I’d be letting Juliet get within five feet of them. Can’t say I blame you, Cat.”
It’s the genuine understanding in Jasper’s voice that finally has my vision clearing and the tightness in my throat easing. “It’s fine. She deserves to have the same experiences as the other girls. I’m being ridiculous.”
“Perhaps… but understandably so,” Jasper assures me, clapping a hand on my shoulder and squeezing. “Want me to cause a distraction?”
