He took the hint, gave me one last small but genuine smile, then turned to go.
I closed the door before he’d even made it to the driver’s side and glanced back down at Portia, who seemed rather put out that I didn’t let her properly greet our guest and get some scratches.
“Not someone worth knowing,” I said, taking the envelope into the kitchen and tossing it aggressively onto the island.Portia was at my feet, grunting and squeaking for some kind of good-girl reward, since she did as she was told and didn’t demand butt-scratches from the guest.
I rolled my eyes and broke a banana from the fruit bowl in half, handing it to her with the peel still on.She chowed it down with enthusiasm, then her soft-brown eyes drifted to the other half in my hand.
“Glutton,” I muttered, handing her the other half.She ate it with the same vigor as the first bit, then gave me those big baby eyes asking for more.“No,” I said, heading toward the front door.“You’ll get fat.”I yanked open the door and stalked across my yard toward the brays and whinnies coming from inside the barn.
Portia happily trotted beside me, grunting with each step.I held the door open for her, and she stepped in first, going to each stall to greet the horses and ponies.Some of the lot were already out in the yard—they could mostly come and go as they pleased—but a few liked to hang out in their stalls in the morning until I came in to officially say good morning to them.
I’m not sure how I ended up with such needy animals, but as much as I gave them all grief, I didn’t really mind.
I went up to the first horse along the row, Galahad.It was hard to pick a favorite among all the animals, but gun to my head, I might have to say this old gent.Because he really was a gentleman who truly lived up to his name.A blue roan Quarter Horse x Tennessee Walker he got along with everyone.His best bud, however, was Conrad, another older man who could be a bit skittish.I rarely saw the Spanish Barbe with the white and brown splotches without his emotional support horse, Galahad, by his side.
“Buongiorno, signore,” I greeted Galahad, scratching his neck as he hung his big gray head through the opening of the stable door.He closed his eyes and leaned to the side to rub his forehead against my head.
Snorts and snuffs down the way said I needed to keep moving and greet the rest.
I made my rounds, as Portia made hers.She was sure to give Kenny, the grumpy old bay roan Thoroughbred a proper hello.Kenny tended to keep to himself.He tolerated Monarch—the big gentle Percheron who had aged gray from black—but besides me and Portia, he didn’t want anything to do with any other animals.Portia stood at Kenny’s door, and the two seemed to be deep in conversation about something.Almost like she was filling him in on the morning’s intruder.
I tried to give the last horse, Mouse—a very shy, small female Quarter horse—a kiss on the nose, but she jerked her head away at the last moment This wasn’t unusual though, as she rarely let anyone touch her.Then I headed over to the donkey barn to let those crazies out for the day.
It was nearly noon by the time I’d completed all my daily farm chores.Feeding everyone, mucking stalls, collecting eggs, and being followed around by Cannoli the protection goose.I got him a few years ago from a farm that was looking to separate their geese that fought, and unfortunately, it was owned by an extremely religious family.Cannoli’s original name was “God is Love”.I quickly changed that.
While he sometimes tried to nip my ankles, he did a good job protecting the flock of chickens and ducks from eagles and other predators in the sky.
With about ten eggs in my basket, I thanked the ladies and went to check the duck house.There weren’t as many eggs there, and I wanted to hatch the ones that were.So I used my flashlight to check on them to see if they were viable, and left the ones that seemed to show a yolk with promise.
All the horses, donkeys, and ponies were out in the field now, enjoying the sunny morning.Portia had found her way through a pig-sized hole in the fence and was catching up on all the daily gossip with Olive and Buddha, two of the donkeys.The other donkey, Piñata, was off doing what he did best, which was terrorizing the rest of the animals.
“Piñata!”I called out, causing the big idiot with the gray coat and twinkle of evil in his eyes to lift his head from where he was busy chasing around the goats and causing them to charge him.“Piantala!”
Piñata was distracted enough by me, that Taco—the biggest male goat I had—took his opening and charged Piñata good, knocking the devilish donkey off his feet a little.Taco’s horns curled back toward his tail, So it wasn’t like he’d gore Piñata, but the donkey needed to be taught a lesson from time to time.
I was halfway across the yard with my basket of chicken eggs when another vehicle, this time a white RAV4, came rumbling down my driveway.I didn’t recognize it, nor the blonde woman behind the steering wheel.That is, until she parked in front of my porch steps.Then, I realized she was one of the pretty women last night from the vineyard who won Bonn Remmen’s land.
I set the wire basket of eggs on the top step of the porch and held my hand down at my hip to stop Portia from charging the woman as she stepped out of the SUV.
Portia did as I commanded, but not without a bit of argument.She grunted and groaned at me as her entire back end wiggled in excitement and anticipation.
As if she’d grown more beautiful overnight, the woman with the hesitation in her beautiful green eyes made my breath snag almost painfully in my throat.
I exhaled deeply and evenly out of my mouth and waited for her to approach me.The morning sunlight glinted off her wavy, blonde hair until it looked like she wore a bonnet of spun gold.My body temperature climbed several degrees even though, from where I stood in the shade, it was chilly with that wind off the water.
“Mr.Barone?”she asked, with a slight quaver to her voice.
I held out my hand and nodded.“Si.But call me Tom.”
Blinking a few times, she held onto my hand with her soft one for a few seconds longer than I was sure was normal.But I wasn’t inclined to let go.
Eventually, we had to, and she glanced down at the ground, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.“Um, I believe Cameron Arendelle mentioned to you yesterday about the … about my daughter, Sam, possibly coming to do the same thing as his daughter Francesca?”
I nodded.“Si.Yes.He did.”
Portia grunted at my feet, her butt and tail still wagging furiously.
The blonde woman’s eyes dropped to my pig, then went wide.“Is she … is she friendly?”
