A couple of hours later, both of our alarms go off. We silence them, and I reach out and run my hand down her back as she gets up. We dress in whispers, stifling laughter when I pull one of her sweaters over my head by mistake. I’m exhausted but energized at the same time.
She’s in the bathroom pulling her hair back when I’m ready to go. I walk over and kiss her cheek. She turns to face me, and I cup her face in my hands.
“This was…the best night I’ve ever had,” I tell her.
“For me too,” she whispers.
I steal one more kiss and put the hat on, which makes her laugh. When the door closes behind me, I laugh as I pass the dumpster and make my way home. Once I get there, I text her.
Mission: complete. Dumpster status: contained. State of mind: captivated.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
WE THOUGHT YOU WAS A CHICKEN
JULIANA
My skin feels tired and I’m aching in the best ways, but I can’t stop smiling as I make my way downstairs. I pad to the kitchen, turn on some music, and start the water for coffee before I get busy.
Suzanne set me up really well for the morning. Everything is already prepped. Veggies chopped for soups, meats sliced for sandwiches, and the dough for the bread is ready to go. I spend the next couple of hours baking, and right before the cafe is supposed to open, I spill what’s left in my second mug of coffee down the front of me.
I sigh, grab my coat, and head outside. I’m surprised to see a larger path than normal shoveled between the cafe and my house. It’s a little warmer than I expected and the snow doesn’t look too icy, but I still take my time crossing the snow. A screeching “Ra-ra-ra-raooo!” stops me in my tracks. I turn to see what in the world that was, and one of the hens comes charging after me. I pause, thinking I’ll be able to talk it down, but oh no,it does not let up. I bolt into the house and shut the door behind me, bending over to catch my breath.
I look out the window and jump when Papa Hector says, “Good morning, sweetheart.”
“Good morning.” Still breathless.
“You okay, dear?”
“There’s a very angry chicken out there! It chased me!”
“What?” Papa laughs and looks out the window.
The chicken spots me staring at it and lets out that “Ra-ra-ra-raooo!” sound again.
“What in the world?” Papa says, frowning. “Is that…a rooster?”
“I guess it is starting to look a little different than all the rest,” I say, peeking carefully from behind the curtain this time.
“Well, would you look at that,” Papa says. “I believe he is a rooster.”
“What’s he doing out of the coop?” I put my hand on my heart, willing it to calm down.
“That is a good question,” Papa says. “I’ll get him back inside.”
“Careful, he is out for vengeance this morning.”
Papa chuckles. “Aw, nah, not these guys. They’re all as gentle as can be.”
I snort, eyeing the rooster warily as Papa goes out. The rotten little thing doesn’t make a peep when he sees Papa. He also doesn’t make it easy for Papa to catch him. I start to get worried Papa will slip on the ice trying to catch that guy, so I step outside to help.
“Ra-ra-ra-raoooooo!” The sound is even louder this time, and he comes charging toward me, looking like an avenging protector.
Fearing for my life, I grab the snow shovel and wave it toward him, and he lifts off the ground, his wings fluttering. With all thecommotion, Papa is able to catch up to him, and while I’m saying “Watch out, don’t let him hurt you,” the little bastard goes right in Papa’s arms without any fuss.
“I don’t know what got into him,” Papa says. “He wasnothappy with you!”
“Okay, Ralph,” I say to the rooster. “You need to settle right on down.”
