“Are you serious about him?” Silently, Rowan had sidled up next to me. Damn, he was like a ghost. “Because if you’re not, you need to end it before he ends up with another broken heart.”
“Yeah, what he said,” Gage announced on my other side. I’d heard his approach because he had all the subtlety of a bull on stilts.
“Yeah, I’m serious.” I nodded to them both and joined Jasper on the grass. His family could wait at the fence because I wanted to be with my boy.
“Sugar, what are you gonna name them?”
“I get to name them too?”
The amazement in his voice made me chuckle. “You did a damn good job with the goats, so no need for me to even try.”
“Daddy, you’re silly.” Jasper giggled. “You named Mac.”
“Uh, no, Mac came named. If it had been left up to me, he’d still be called Dog.”
“What? No. You can’t name your dog Dog. Maybe D-oh-gee, but not just Dog.”
“See, I didn’t know that. Good thing I have you to set me straight.”
I suddenly wished his family and the sheep were gone because I wanted to lie him down in the pasture and kiss him until he forgot his own name.
“Jasper?” I waited until he looked up at me and could see I meant every word. “I love you, sugar. Thank you for not running off the first time we met.”
“Daddy, I knew you were gonna be my Daddy. I just had to wait for you to catch up. I’m happy you figured it out.”
“Sometimes, you’re Daddy isn’t the best.”
“Stop it, you’re the best Daddy any boy could want.”
“Is that because of the sheep?”
“I mean, they definitely don’t hurt.” My mock outrage sent Jasper into a fit of giggles that turned to peals of laughter. He danced away from me, and I chased after him.
Damn, I loved that boy.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Hank
Playing with the sheep drew in Jasper’s dad and brothers until we were all gathered by the fence.
“How many acres does it take to support them?” Rowan asked, arms crossed as he studied the pasture.
“Depends on the season,” I said, pointing toward the rotation paddocks. “We keep them moving so the grass doesn’t get worn down.”
Dr. Greer rested both hands on the rail, watching closely. “And the creek? You keep it clear year-round?”
“Yeah. Water quality is as important as feed. I work with a couple of conservation groups on testing.”
I had expected Gage to be cracking jokes, but instead, he leaned against the fence, squinting at the tree line. “You ever lose any to coyotes out here?”
The question was sharp enough to make me do a double-take. “Not since we set the perimeter fencing. You know your predators?”
He smirked. “I know a few things.”
Turns out he’d been listening all along.
Just then, one of Jasper’s goats wandered over and butted its head against Dr. Greer’s knee. He stiffened, straightening his back like he was about to deliver a lecture. “Well, hello there,” he said carefully, giving the goat a polite pat on the head.
