JASPER
I finishedup my early morning chores around the barn and was eager to set eyes on Delilah. After Colin had crashed, I’d lain awake for hours, trying to convince myself the time we’d spent stargazing in the back of my truck hadn’t just been a dream.
As I entered my mom’s big country kitchen, I caught sight of Delilah sitting on a stool at the kitchen counter. She cupped her chin in her hand and had a cup of coffee sitting in front of her while she chatted with my mom.
“Good morning.” I wanted to greet her with a hot-blooded kiss. But seeing as how I didn’t know if she had any regrets in the bright light of day, I grabbed a mug of coffee and slid onto the stool next to her.
“If you say so.” She turned to face me, and I realized she hadn’t been resting her chin in her hands but had been holding a bag of frozen sweet peas to her cheek.
“What happened?” I swiveled to face her, my hands reaching for her face.
“I got in a fight with your goat.”
“Tie Dye?” I’d never known the goat to be aggressive. I also had no idea when she would have found the time between whenI dropped her off at the house and now to be in the goat’s presence. “When did that happen?”
“Last night. My mother called and I stepped onto the porch, so I didn’t disturb anyone. Tie Dye came up and I figured he got out of his pen, so I thought I’d be helpful and take him back.” She pulled the peas away from her cheek. “He caught me with his foot when the gate clanged shut.”
I felt like someone had run me over with a combine. The shiner Delilah sported on her right eye rivaled several of the ones I’d earned from fistfights over the years. “Are you okay?”
She managed a shaky smile. “As long as you don’t need any photo ops in the near future.”
“I’m so sorry. Mom, isn’t there something we can do? Do you have any rib eyes in the freezer?”
My mother shook her head as she prepped something to toss into the slow cooker for dinner. “Ice is the best thing.”
“I’ll be fine.” Delilah put the peas back on her cheek. “I’ve never had an actual black eye before. I suppose it’s like a rite of passage for some, isn’t it?”
“With seven boys, it’s more like a way of life.” Mom slid a plate of toast in front of Delilah. “Here you go, sugar.”
“Thank you.” Delilah took a sip of coffee. “Please tell me we don’t have any appearances today. I don’t know if they’d take too well to me showing up with a black eye.”
“I’ll move some things around. You sure you’re okay?” I wanted to do something, anything, to help. But she shook her head and took a bite of toast.
“This is fabulous, Mrs. Taylor. Did you make the jelly yourself?”
My mom’s face shone with pride. “Homemade preserves. They won first place at the Fall Festival last year. You’re going to enjoy all of the festivities. Don’t you think so, Jasper?”
“Yeah, you sure will.” The Fall Festival. That reminded me, I needed to call Lacey and see what she thought about the ideas I’d talked about with my brothers. But first, maybe I could switch up Delilah’s schedule and send her out to Zina’s for the day.
“I can’t wait,” Delilah said.
“Do you mind if I step out and make a few calls?”
Delilah waved a hand, her mouth full of another bite of my mom’s homemade preserves.
I slid my phone out of my back pocket and pulled up Zina’s number. If Delilah went out to tour the dog rescue, it would give me some time to help my dad work on the orchard. Seemed like we’d never get all of the trees cleaned up from the storm.
When I returned to the kitchen, my mom had gone upstairs. “It’s all set. Zina’s expecting you after lunch.”
“Great. I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of place she has out there.”
I sat down next to her. “I’m really sorry about your eye.”
“It’s fine.”
“I wish there was something I could do to make you feel better.”
She tilted her head. “There might be one thing I can think of.”
