I tipped my head toward her as well, smiling when our foreheads touched a little.“I am okay.It is a lot, but it’s not too much.”Our eyes met.“It is Goldilocks.”
She grinned, the corners of her eyes crinkling in such a way that all I wanted to do just then was kiss her.“Just right?”
I exhaled, held back from taking her lips with mine, and simply sighed out, “Si.”
We held each other’s gaze for another moment until I became acutely aware of her family watching us.Clearing my throat, I sat back and dipped some of my batbout into the remaining sauce in my bowl.“So, uh, Danica says that I should try to win over the islanders to help with my case against Vincent,” I said, ignoring the heat in my cheeks and the sly smiles around the table.
Heads bobbed.“I think that’s a very good idea,” Gabrielle replied.“It certainly can’t hurt to curry favor with the locals.”
“Any idea how I can do that?”I asked.“I am installing a gate to keep people from trespassing and cameras.But I am putting the gate down the driveway so people can still come see the horses.”I glanced at Danica.“This was Danica’s idea.”
Her eyes glittered back at me, and she smiled, reaching beneath the table to give my thigh a squeeze.
“I’m guessing you don’t offer pony rides or anything like that?”Raina asked.
I shook my head.“The horses I have are all recovering from very stressful, neglected, and often abused lives.I do not want to put them through any additional stress.Some are less skittish than others.But all can be unpredictable.”
“And then you’re dealing with additional insurance if you decide to make it into a business of sorts,” Gabrielle added.“Even a non-profit comes with all kinds of liability and all that fun crap.I don’t advise turning it into a pony ride or petting farm.The community center has a petting farm with the goats on the roof anyway.”
Everyone seemed to be in agreement with that, and I breathed a subtle sigh of relief.The last thing I wanted was a never-ending parade of strangers traipsing through my property, harassing the animals or getting harassed by Piñata.
Lips twisted in thought as we all finished up our dinner and sipped our various libations.
“You fund the entire endeavor yourself?”Maverick asked after several moments of quiet contemplation passed through our little dinner party.“No outside funding?”
“None,” I confirmed.“The land belongs to my son, and of course, I pay the necessary taxes.But my career in football was a very successful one, and I managed my money wisely.Neither I, nor the animals, want for anything.”
“He pays to have vets and farriers helicoptered in,” Danica said, smiling as she sipped her wine.
Brows rose quietly on several faces, and my own face grew hot from embarrassment.
The only one who didn’t react that way was Maverick.Probably because he was also a retired professional athlete and knew the kind of money that came with it, and how much good we could do in the world.He was, however, studying me quietly.The way a man far older than him would.Deep in thought, with many cogs spinning, and ideas taking shape.
“While I agree that a petting farm or horse rides isn’t the right avenue to take,” Maverick started, pursing his lips until they resembled a duck’s bill.“Community education and outreach are important.We also don’t want to take away from the good being around the animals in a calm environment is doing for Sam or Francesca.But what about meeting in the middle?”
“How so?”Gabrielle asked.
“Piggybacking on the gate that’s halfway down the driveway idea so people can still come and see the animals, you could print some nice bulletin board signs to go along the fence.Provide the names of the horses and donkeys, as well as their breeds, ages, where they’ve come from, and what kind of lives they’ve had.”
“Like athlete statistics but for animals?”I asked, intrigued by his idea and wanting to know more.
He nodded.“We could make up a website and have collectible cards for the animals.Nobody is allowed on the property beyond the gate, but I guarantee they’ll want to come see the animals at the fence.Have allowable treats available, like it’s been suggested, and signage stating that these animals have come from stressful lives.so if they come to visit at the fence, great, but otherwise, we’re going to leave them alone.For the most part, people are pretty good about that kind of thing.Particularly when it comes to animals who have had abusive pasts.”
More heads bobbed around the table.
“Both Raina and Damon are great on the computer,” Gabrielle added.“Raina built our website and manages it, and she does all of our graphics.And Damon is shockingly fast at uploading videos and editing them.”
“I’ve got a sign guy on the mainland who owes me a favor.So I could probably have him expedite some big signs once we have the graphics finalized,” Naomi chimed in.
“And all it would take is ordering more wood to build a little covered structure so the treats don’t get soaked from the rain,” Danica added before glancing around the table.“And we’d all help build the gate and structure.”
“God, I love brainstorming shit like this,” Jagger mused, tipping his beer back and taking a swig.“Particularly when it involves a community coming together.My brothers and I are in, however we can help.”
I glanced around the table at all the bright eyes and wide smiles.“You do not even know me, but yet, you will help me?”
“Dude, you’re helping Sam,” Maverick said, bewilderment in his tone.“And besides, even if you weren’t, that’s what you do for a member of your community.We’re islanders, we have to stick together.”
“Look at you acting like a local,” Gabrielle teased him.
