Page 43 of Herds and Hooves

“I am nice, but maybe just a little onery,” he said with a chuckle.

“A little? Don’t you have a boyfriend to call?” I asked because the cat was well out of the bag on that one.”

“He’s getting a ride out here and he’s going to cook me dinner, so you and Noah are on your own.”

“Wow, I remember the good old days when you cooked for us every night.”

“You mean a few weeks ago?”

“Yeah, I remember it,” I said on a deep sigh before ducking the slap he tried to land on my arm. “Okay, I’m going inside to get ready. You two know what to do.” He patted my back with his good hand as he passed me and walked off toward the house. I watched him walk away, secure in the knowledge that even if I came here with zero knowledge of how to run a dairy, I did now know for a fact how to run this one.

Thirty-Four

Keith

I drove past Nuts and Bolts on the way home and pulled over when I saw Don sitting out front on his usual rocker. “Hey how’s it going, Don?”

“Can’t complain,” he said with a smile.

“Are you going to Asa’s?”

“Yep, just waiting for Jack to drive me out there,” he said and glanced at the door just as Jack walked out.

“Hey, Keith, how’s it going?”

“Pretty good.”

“You ready to go, old man?”

“Yep, I just need to grab that bag,” Don said and pointed at the canvas grocery bag that looked like it was stuffed full.

“What the hell is that?” Jack asked as he hefted it up.

“I’m cooking my boyfriend dinner,” Don said, and stood from the rocker.

“You’re what? When the hell did this happen, and how did I not know anything about it?”

“We’ve been seeing each other for a while on the down low. Isn’t that what you kids say now?”

“Oh my god,” I whispered trying to take it all in without reacting.

“Who is it?” Jack asked.

“Asa Martin, he’s had a crush on me since we were young. Told me so himself, and he’s just as handsome as he was then. Now come on, I don’t want to be late. He broke his arm and I want to help take care of him,” Don rambled while Jack’s mouth hung open in shock.

He finally turned to look at me. “Did you know about this?”

“Not until Asa broke his arm.”

“Your boyfriend’s going to be mad if you’re not at your house when he gets there,” Don scolded me and tried to make me the center of attention instead of him.

“Who the fuck is your boyfriend?” Jack said. Obviously not happy that he’d been left out of all the latest gossip.

“Bart Martin, the guy that came in here asking directions after Pride.”

“Oh my god, how did I not know this?”

“Hey, Keith, how’s Bart doing?” Isaac asked when he walked up to where we still stood.