She pointed to the left side of the small building where there were several wood planks nailed horizontally across from wall to wall.
“Over there are the roosting bars.That’s where the chickens sleep and over there are the nesting boxes where we can get our breakfast.”
Her eyes sparkled as she put on a pair of gloves, grabbed a large wicker basket, and began to pick white eggs out of the boxes that were filled with straw.Seeing her like this, content and capable, glowing with purpose, made something inside him twist with both pride and regret.
“You also need to do spot picking of droppings in the boxes.I’ll let you take care of that and always wear gloves.Every week we’ll do a thorough cleaning and changing of the straw to keep things hygienic, but the poop in the nest boxes should be cleaned out every day.You can teach Nick what to do, so you guys can take turns.Sam has chickens too.So they’ll need cleaning and feeding as well.You guys will be in charge of bringing in the chickens at night and letting them out in the mornings as well.”
Nick was going to love this job.Not.
He wondered how Nick was doing over at Sam’s place in relying on instructions instead of a hands on approach like Axel was getting.
She showed him how to delicately collect the eggs and then did a couple of spot checks.
Then she handed him a large pair of gloves.Big gloves but he knew they’d be too tight.He figured they'd belonged to Tim.The thought of another man’s things still in her home sent a dull ache through him.Not jealousy, exactly, but something close.
He wondered if Tim had treated her good.Wondered how he had died.
Cyn hadn't gone into details.And he hadn't wanted to pry, despite curiosity burning through him.
“Think you can handle it?”she asked, as she stood with her egg-filled basket and gazed at him with a half smile that tugged at something deep in him.The part that had always wanted to impress her.
“Yeah, I can handle it.”
“Good, I'll get the eggs back inside the house.Breakfast will be ready in twenty minutes and then I have to get the horses out of the barn.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said at her no nonsense boss attitude.
He forced himself not to smile.
She left the coop and he watched through the open doorway as she strolled across the yard, gently swaying that wicker basket and her lush hips.Sunlight caught in her hair as she walked, and for a moment he forgot to breathe.
“Damn, she is still smoking hot,” Axel mumbled under his breath.
He dragged in a slow breath, fighting the rush of old feelings he’d spent years trying to bury.
He slipped on the gloves, which fit too snug and quickly got to work.
* * * * *
Tension zipped through Nick as he neared the barn and heard a dog barking from inside the big building.
The dog appeared to be good security, for sure.He just hoped the animal didn't bite him.But he’d come prepared.
Jenna had given him the key to Sam’s quaint little farmhouse and tipped him off about the dog biscuits on top of the fridge.
“Give him a few of those and he'll follow you around like a puppy dog,” she’d said.
He just hoped she hadn't just sent him to his death.The dog sounded vicious as it barked up a storm.
Man, talk about nuts.He hoped he could calm it down to a dull roar.
Nick shook the box of biscuits and from the inside of the barn the dog went silent.Just like that.
“Want some yum yum, Daisy?”he called out and held his breath.
No sound.He shook the box again.
“Daisy?Yummy?Yummy?”
