“Hurry up!” Devon shouts as we exchange seats. “Company’s coming.”
She lets out a laugh and races back for the car. I grab her, tug her in, pull the door shut, and Devon takes off.
Elijah is sitting in the passenger seat, shaking. He splutters and chokes on a laugh.
“This day is insane; I love it. What’s next?”
“Little Bootie,” Devon and I say together.
Her eyes gleam. “Okay. I’ve got this. I’ve been preparing all my life. But if something does happen to me, I name you three my successors.”
We go back into town and then head inland to Patrick Balderson’s farm. Little Bootie’s son looks up when he sees us. His massive jowls wobbling. He’s big and black with a red sheen, and his eyes are bloodshot.
“He is big.”
“He’s bigger than his dad and meaner, too,” Devon says.
“We’ll be here to distract him if he gets too close,” I say.
“Ready?” Devon asks.
She looks at him. “I’m not going to think about this; I’m just going to act.”
“Good. Let’s go.”
Devon takes her hand, and they run. Elijah stays with me as they make it to the halfway point, slam a hand down on a metal trough, and then turn and run back.
Little Bootie charges them; his aggressive and mad mooing gets louder and louder. I swear, his hooves hitting the dirt is the sound of thunder.
“Hurry up!” I shout.
Devon puts on a burst of speed, dragging her with him, then they are climbing over the fence, falling on their asses on the other side.
I look up into the eyes of Little Bootie Jr, who lets out a furious moo.
“Better luck next time.”
He lows again, paws the ground, and then turns and ambles back the way he came, shaking his massive rear at us.
“Elijah, are you all right?” Sofia asks.
“Look at the size of the balls on that bull,” Elijah whispers. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
I double over, laughing so hard I can't breathe.
“Jealous?” Devon asks.
“Where would I put them?” Elijah asks with a straight face.
Devon has to hold Sofia up; she’s laughing so hard.
Elijah hums, then he holds out his hand. “My turn.”
Sofia puts her hand in his. “Where are we going?”
“The river.”
Her eyes gleam.
