"It's fine. Just go with it," I said to him as I smoothed a hand down the girl's ponytail. "I've missed you too, sweet girl. How was theater camp?"
"Amazing," she replied. "I learned how to do a kick line. I tried practicing at home but I broke a lot of bowls and cups and shit, and now I have to practice in the barn."
I stifled a laugh at that. "I don't know if Shay told you I'd be bringing some friends with me today but I have a few peopleI'd like for you to meet." I walked her closer to Jude and Percy, saying, "This is Percy. He noticed your clubhouse the minute we arrived. Would you want to give him a tour?"
She waved at him. "Hi. I'm Gennie." The dogs finally caught up with her and Percy's eyes grew wide when they gave him a thorough sniff. "That's Starsky and that one's Hutch. They live here. If you put out your hand like this"—she opened her palm—"they'll give you a shake. It's the only trick they know."
Percy held out his hand for the dogs and, right on cue, they took turns shaking. He laughed as they licked his hand too, and then all over his face. He snatched his tablet from Jude and quickly typed out, "My brother Bagel is a dog but he doesn't know how to shake."
"Your brother's a dog?" Gennie asked.
"Your— What?" Jude peered at the screen as if he expected to find a typo. "That's not how it works, young man."
"Yeah, it is. Bagel is my brother," Percy replied. "I told him we're brothers and he said that was okay."
Jude glanced at me over Percy's head, a completely bewildered look on his face. "What do I do with that?" he whispered.
"Nothing," I whispered back. "Let it be. He'll forget soon enough."
"Really?" Jude asked.
"I have no idea but it's worth a try," I said.
"I changed my mind," Gennie said to Shay. "I'll take a brother or sister if it's a dog."
"You have enough dogs," Shay said. "Enough dogs, enough cats, enough goats, enough chickens?—"
"Don't remind me about the chickens," she said, covering her ears.
"I'd never want a chicken for a brother," Percy said.
Gennie dropped her hands and studied him closely. "Is that how you talk?" she asked, staring at the tablet. He nodded. I sensed Jude stiffen. "There's a kid in my class, Levi, and he uses an iPad too."
"Do you know sign language?" The tablet read out the question while Percy signed it.
Gennie shook her head but tried to reproduce his signs. "No. But I'll teach you the pirate codes anyway."
I heard a breath whoosh out of Jude. I glanced at him, offering my besttrust me on this onesmile.
"Do the codes unlock ancient prophecies?" Percy asked.
"Now, isn't that a great question. I wonder if we can find out any answers over here on the pirate ship," I called, crossing toward the swing set. "Oh, look. No one's on the best swing. I guess it's all mine."
Percy and Gennie shot past me. She went for the monkey bars while he climbed the ladder to the slide. I took a turn on the swings while they blitzed through the apparatus. I liked listening to them figure out how to play together. He relied on the tablet to start but soon enough, they fell into an easy rhythm where they just understood each other.
When it seemed like they had it under control, I strolled back to Shay and Jude. Noah had joined a few minutes earlier, his all-terrain vehicle parked near the farmhouse. He tugged me into a one-armed hug when I approached but didn't stop explaining an issue of some sort to Jude.
"They keep telling me nothing's wrong but I know it doesn't sound right," Noah said.
"It's the fan," Jude said. "The electrical systems on these newer models are a disaster and the fans always end up fucked one way or another." He dipped his hands into his pockets, shrugged. "If we have a few minutes, I could probably fix it."
"Now? Seriously?" Noah rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. "Yeah, of course. The corn isn't going anywhere. What do you need?"
Jude jogged back to the car, reached into the back seat, and pulled out a small case he had stowed there. "Pop it open and we'll figure it out."
Shay and I watched while they examined the ATV. "Boys and their toys," she said.
"Every time," I murmured.
