“It’s okay, ladies. I’ll be home soon, and I promise I’ll have your presents for you. I won’t forget my babies,” Jasper called.
His promises didn’t stop the bleating, but he kept his hand tucked in mine as we trudged across the pasture. At the front of my house, a truck with a trailer sat waiting.
“You Hank Vogel?” the driver asked as we approached. The dust kicked up by the truck made the air hazy, but the noises in the trailer were muffled behind plywood.
“Yeah, that’s me. Thanks for doing a delivery on a Sunday. You got the invoice for me?”
“No problem,” the driver said. “I was headed this way for home, so it wasn’t an issue to make a detour. You know where you want them?”
“Yeah, front pasture. If you move your trailer around, we can unload them directly into it. You can use the gate we just came through.”
I whistled for Mac, who came out of the barn at a dead run and planted himself by the gate, waiting for instructions. He was crouched low, but his entire body was tensed with anticipation. He knew he was about to get to herd and was excited for it. The driver backed the trailer into place, and I asked Jasper to stand on one side in case anything bolted while Mac covered the other.
“I’m going to need you not to look in the trailer,” I told Jasper.
“Oh, come on, how am I not going to look?” he asked, exasperated.
“I know it’s a lot, but I just need you to trust me, sugar.”
Jasper sighed but nodded. He turned his face away, though I caught him trying to peek over the plywood barrier on the trailer. When I arranged for the delivery, the lot owner thought I was crazy for wanting the trailer modified the way I did, but when I offered to pay extra, he laughed and said if I wanted to waste the money, he was happy to oblige.
I whistled the ready signal for Mac, then opened the gate. The trailer door rattled as I swung it wide. Six Babydoll Sheep barreled out, tumbling over each other in their rush to the pasture.
The second the first woolly body appeared, Jasper whipped his head around. His gasp carried clearly over the clanging of the gate.
“Daddy, how did you do this?” The wonder in his voice made every penny worth it.
“Sugar, I told you I needed something in this pasture.”
Jasper balled his hands into fists and set them on his hips. “You did no such thing.”
“Well, I meant to. If I forgot to say it aloud, it’s because I wanted to surprise you.”
“How long are you going to be able to keep them?”
“What do you mean? Why wouldn’t I be able to keep them?”
“Because you told me before that you never own stock yourself, you just keep it for other people.”
“Well, sometimes I say things, and I don’t know what I’m talking about. I think this pasture needs something permanent in it.”
“You mean they’re staying?”
“Yep. I thought maybe your ladies might like some company.”
Jasper crossed the space between us and wrapped his arms around my waist. I circled his shoulders and squeezed him just as tightly. He looked up, and I dropped a kiss on his sweet lips. They still tasted faintly of coffee, so I went back for a second. Once wasn’t enough. I lingered this time, running my tongue along his bottom lip before giving a soft nibble. I didn’t care who was watching. I was going to kiss my boy any time I wanted.
When I finally pulled back, Jasper looked bemused.
“Are these the Babydolls from Saddle Up?”
“Yep.”
“How? You said they got sold off.” Jasper looked suspiciously at me but kept glancing away to gaze at the sheep with a soft smile, then back to me with suspicion.
“It can be done if you’re quick enough.”
“And you were,” Jasper said with delight. He escaped from my grasp and headed straight into the pasture. Mac kept the animals herded close. Within minutes, they had him encircled and were vying for his attention. Jasper’s happiness carried across the field and his giggles filled the air. I could watch this man be happy for the rest of my days.
