Mara set down the empty bowl and ran her hands over the feathers of whichever birds were closest. Maki fluffed her feathers and spread her wings, all while staring at Mara. She laughed and ran her hand over the bird’s head. When the bird nestled into her touch, her eyes widened with joy, and Seth snapped another photo.
He’d never been one for pictures, but he had a feeling his camera roll would soon be full, and Mara would be the star.
While Mara played with the birds, Seth wandered the interior and exterior of the enclosure, looking for signs of predators.
He found no scratches or tears in the fabric. There wasn’t a single sign that anything had tried to get to the chickens.
Kimi’s expertise, Ford’s skill with construction, motion-sensor lights, and some of Dani’s whirligigs in the trees had probably all helped. Alongside managing her apiaries, Dani crafted metal art, including spinners. She’d donated all she had in stock when she’d learned that the motion in the trees might help protect the chickens. She promised to do some research and make some specific to Chick Inn Time.
Her work was amazingly detailed, and he couldn’t wait to see what she designed for the hens. He wondered if she’d be willing to teach him and Mara how to make some themselves. That would be fun. Lawson said it was more difficult than it looked, and it looked like a challenge. One he’d love to take on with Mara.
He wanted to take on unlimited challenges with Mara.
Once he’d ensured the enclosure was secure and Mara had enjoyed her time playing with the hens, they locked up. “Want to check for eggs?”
Her eyes flew open. “I can’t believe I forgot about the eggs. I was having way too much fun playing with the hens. They’re so sweet. Maki is definitely the leader and the bravest of the bunch.”
“Any names for the rest?”
She sighed. “Not yet. I want to think about it a little longer. I took lots of photos of the teammates, so I’ll get those printed on a sheet this afternoon. Maybe that will trigger names for the others.”
Seth opened the carabiner that held the nesting boxes secure. He gestured with a flourish for Mara to lift the lid.
Laughing, she crossed her fingers and leaned up on her toes to brush her lips over his. “For luck.”
He growled and pulled her closer. The kiss went from sweet and innocent to dark and wild in a breath.
When he managed to release her, Mara was slow to blink her eyes open . Her smile was full of desire when she fluttered her eyelids. “Now that was lucky.”
His body was hard as a rock. Again. He hoped like hell she was ready to take the next step with him soon. He’d wait forever if he needed to; he just hoped she didn’t need much longer.
Cheeks flushed, Mara held up her crossed fingers again. “Let’s see.”
Mara lifted the lid and let out a whoop of joy. Two eggs sat in the nesting box. Not a lot for a dozen hens, but really great for their first night. Kimi had said stress sometimes caused hens to stop laying for a while. This was a good start.
Mara bounced up to kiss him again. “We’ve got eggs. Chick Inn Time is a success.”
He laughed, knowing it was a success even without the eggs. Anything that made Mara so happy counted as a success.
She lifted the eggs out gently, cradling them to her chest. “We have eggs.”
Seth closed the lid and set the carabiner back in place, then locked the bowl back in the shed.
Mara lifted the eggs to show the chickens. “Thank you, ladies. Great job. We’ll come back to visit you later.”
Seth slung his arm over her shoulder as they walked back to the inn. He hoped to have many more mornings just like this one.
“So, what are we going to make with the first two Phailed Eggs from Chick Inn Time?”
Because two eggs weren’t many, Seth whipped up asparagus tartines for the group. He’d need far more than two eggs, but he’d keep these separate and use the fresh eggs for him and Mara.
In the kitchen, he mixed some ricotta with fresh herbs and plated the dishes as Mara filled a platter with her muffins and took them into the dining room.
He grabbed some of Amber’s fancy linens and cutlery and set places for the two of them at the island.
Mara swung back into the kitchen and grinned at him. “That looks amazing. I have a better idea, though.”
He frowned as she picked up the place settings. She smiled and gestured with her head for him to follow.
