But as I pulled back, Zaya’s eyes filled with tears. “Don’t you want me?”
“Oh, baby, don’t cry. I want you more than anything, more than my next breath. Just not right after you’ve had a nightmare about that Saark torturing you.”
Despite my discomfort, I hugged her close again, rubbing her back and stroking her hair, hoping I was doing the right thing. When Zaya hugged me back, nodding against my chest, I knew I had.
“I just want to give you a little more time to regain your equilibrium.” I kissed the top of her head. “We have time before our transport arrives. Would you like to take a shower while I order some breakfast?”
Zaya sighed, “Yes, I would like that, but you will have to show me how to work it.”
I smiled. “It’s very simple. You just tell it what you want. It’s voice-activated.”
After a moment, I pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, then rolled out of bed and offered my hand to help her out. She took it and then headed to the bathroom, looking a little embarrassed. I regretted making her uncomfortable, but I felt certain I’d done the right thing.
While she showered, I ordered a breakfast of eggs, toast, and juice. Zaya emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, looking refreshed just as our food arrived. I removed it from the auto cart and put it on the small table by the window.
“Come eat while the food is still warm.” I gestured to the chair across from where I was about to sit. As we sat, I reached out and rubbed my hand down her upper arm to reassure her that I understood.
“While you were in the shower, I ordered some supplies, including food for your animals and us. I also ordered a warm coat for you as temperatures will soon be getting colder in Montana. We could get a frost any time now, even snow.”
“So, on top of everything else, I missed the whole summer.” Zaya shook her head. “I’m glad you killed him.”
I nodded grimly. I, too, was glad.
Zaya
Just over three hours later, we arrived at my ranch house. I was pleasantly surprised to find the temperature mild and the sun shining. While the supplies were unloading, my dog Bruno came running and barking until he recognized me. Then he yipped and jumped up on me, wagging his tail.
“Oh, Bruno. You are so thin,” I crooned when he settled down so I could run my hands over him. His fur was so thick; that was the only way I could assess his body condition.
“Don’t worry, Zaya, we have food for him, too,” Steele assured me.
“Bruno, where are the goats?” I asked. “Minnie, Jackie, Billy, Lucy, where are you?”
Beyond the yard, the rest of the land was so grown over with tall grass that even my full-sized goats would be easy to miss. Shortly, I heard the familiar sound of goats responding to my calling them. Soon, they emerged into the yard where Steele’s friends had cut the grass in the front yard with a pathway to our barn. They surprised me with two small baby goats emerging from the tall grass behind them.
“Oh, my. Billy, you’ve been busy.” Apparently, the babies belong to Minnie and Lucy because Jackie was still heavily pregnant. Where Bruno was thin, the goats seemed to be in prime body condition.
Hearing a rooster crow, I walked over to the barn and peeked around the corner to investigate. I could see five of the seven chickens the cyborgs had mentioned after their visit to check on my ranch. I decided to check the chicken coop, preparing myself in case the other two were gone. That’s when I heard the peeps. Two hens were inside, keeping a small flock of chicks warm under them. A couple were walking outside the clutch, and I couldn’t resist picking one up.
“Zaya?” Steele softly called when I’d been out of his sight for several minutes.
“Over here, Steele,” I called back.
I turned as he came around the barn and smiled at him, holding a tiny chick cradled in my hands. “They’re all here, and they have babies, too.”
“I am glad because it makes you happy,” Steele said with an admiring glint in his eyes. “Now that we have located all of your animals, do you think we should check the inside of the house?”
“I’m almost afraid to look. It wasn’t locked because I was just in the garden. I don’t even remember if I closed the door.”
“Raven and Trinity said it was closed. Apparently, no one had been there since you were taken,” said Steele.
He stopped me outside the kitchen door and seemed to stare at it for a few seconds. “No one is here,” he assured me.
“How do you know?”
“I scanned the building.”
“Of course you did.” I nodded, smiling at him.
