Chapter 5 #2
He chuckled and pulled out of my grip. “I haven’t washed my hands since I touched the chickens, so the fun stuff will have to wait.”
“Oh, shit.” I jerked away from him and held my own hands out to the side.
Finn laughed. “It’s fine. We’re only dirty. The chickens, amazingly enough, didn’t show any signs of mites or lice. Plus I brought some powder to put in their coop once it’s set up just in case.”
Grimacing, I went over to the sink and scrubbed my hands with soap. There was soap in the shower, but still.
Chuckling, Finn washed his hands at the sink as well. “I’ll try to remember you’re squeamish about animal dirt.”
I started to put my hands on my hips but held them up instead.
“Excuse you, I have a pet rabbit, and at home I spend a lot of time at an animal rescue ranch. Sue me for wanting to be clean.” I pointed at him.
“Aren’t vets supposed to be like doctors, always washing their hands and trying not to transfer germs and stuff? ”
His eyebrows shot up, and he stabbed a finger in the direction of the shower. “We’re about to be covered in water and soap!”
I threw up my hands. “Well, get on with it!”
His ass jiggled enticingly as he stomped into the shower enclosure. I was gratified to see his erection was still just as stiff as mine.
I closed the glass door behind us, and Finn pulled me under the spray, his mouth hard and insistent. Hell yes. I was a few inches shorter than him, and he obligingly spread his legs apart so we could rock our dicks against each other. Fuck, that was good. I moaned into his mouth.
I reached over to the built-in shelf and fumbled for my shower gel. The smell of citrus and mint filled the air. I didn’t bother pretending to wash either of us; I went straight for our dicks.
“Yes!” Finn clutched my ass as I squeezed my hands around our erections. It didn’t take very long before he tore his mouth from mine. “Coming!”
I wasn’t far behind, crumpling into Finn’s body as I shuddered my release. His arms came up to support me, and I panted into his neck.
After a moment I felt him reach for the shower gel, and he washed me thoroughly. I stood there with my eyes closed and let him run his hands all over my body. He soaped me up, then he shampooed my hair. I’d never let anyone take care of me like that before, not that anyone had tried.
After he rinsed me off, I opened my eyes and smiled. “Thank you. My turn.” I could see he was about to object, so I snatched the shampoo off the shelf. “Stand still.”
He snorted but leaned his head down so I could wash his hair.
Since I was feeling lazy, I used the shampoo on the rest of his body instead of switching to the shower gel.
I enjoyed tracing his skin with my hands.
He was ticklish in places, but other spots, such as his nipples, made him moan and thrust his hips.
He was half-hard again by the time I finished with him.
I was way too tired for any more sex tonight, but I appreciated the compliment.
We got out of the shower and dried off, and I gave Finn some boxer briefs and a t-shirt to wear while I put his scrubs in the washing machine.
I could’ve given him a pair of sweats to wear home, but I’d only offer if he told me he wanted to leave.
I dearly wanted to lie on the bed and go to sleep, but I needed food, and Finn probably did as well. “There’s a bunch of frozen stuff in the freezer. Wanna split a pizza?”
“Sure.”
I set Finn to filling glasses of water while I preheated the oven and examined our pizza options. “Pepperoni or cheese?”
He shrugged. “Either is fine with me.”
I pursed my lips. “I’ll make both, then we can give the leftovers to Mabel for her dinner.”
Finn scrunched up his face. “Forest monsters eat pizza?”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “She eats chicken casserole. And sewer turtles eat pizza, so why not?”
I’d opened a bottle of cabernet last night, so we finished it off with our meal. I was grateful as hell when Finn announced that he’d accompany me to drop off Mabel’s dinner. Though that did force me to produce a pair of sweatpants for him to wear.
He didn’t hesitate to wear his orthopedic shoes to tromp through the woods. I put on a clean pair of jeans and my boots again. He didn’t appear bothered by the chilly air, but I wore a hoodie.
The woods seemed quieter tonight, and I found myself keeping my voice low. “It’s this way.” I didn’t want to take the time to stop by Zeke’s for a flashlight, so we used our phones to light our path.
The moon, almost full, shone through the leaves when there was a break in the trees.
Occasionally we could hear insects or other creatures, but mostly all we heard was our feet in the grass and leaves.
It might’ve been this quiet on my past treks to take Mabel her dinner, but I’d had Zeke with me, yammering about how the festival operated or which people on the festival committee were pains in his ass and which got things done.
Tonight, though, the silence was unnerving.
I looked back at Finn, who was following me. “Have you been out here at night when one of the festivals is happening?”
He shook his head. “Other than visiting Zeke or attending a festival, I haven’t been out this way at night at all.”
We were less than a mile from the fence between Zeke’s compound and the festival grounds.
“I bet it’s loud. I wonder if Mabel would even come over here to eat then.
” I snorted at myself. “If she exists.” Though I had seen something moving through the trees before Charles had run onto the highway. Something big.
“I asked my friend Nate about her. He’s a forestry technician, and he’s never seen any evidence of her. But Charles swears he saw her, and Alex has always maintained he saw her when we were kids. Both of those sightings were behind my parents’ house, so I don’t know.”
A loud crack, like a branch breaking, came from our right. My hair stood on end. I cleared my throat. “Dinner’s coming, Mabel!”
Finn didn’t stay over. I should’ve expected him to need to be home for Charles. Besides, it was just sex. A hookup. No reason to be dwelling on how good his hands had felt on me or how he’d kissed me like it meant something.
I wouldn’t turn him down if the same opportunity presented itself again, though.
Tonight was the festival committee meeting, but before that I wanted to go into town for lunch and do a little exploring. I’d spent the majority of my days at Zeke’s compound or the festival grounds next door, and I was going a little stir crazy.
I’d tried to let myself sleep in, since Zeke wouldn’t be banging around outside at dawn to wake me up. But guilt made me roll out of bed at 7:30 a.m. to give Dolores and the chickens their breakfast.
I threw on the sweats Finn had worn last night along with my hoodie, putting my feet in my boots sans socks.
I just needed to get some veggies out of Zeke’s fridge for the tortoise and spread some feed for the chickens.
Then I could get a shower and make coffee.
Maybe I’d spend some time working on the song I’d been trying to write.
I dragged myself out the door and around the cabin to head to Dolores’ pen. Well, Dolores and the chickens’ pen now.
But the blanket we’d used to cover our temporary coop was on the ground. And the chickens were... everywhere.
One of the brown ones was sleeping on the hood of my car.
Two of the others were sitting on the fence around the enclosure, and two more were pecking at the grass near Dolores’ burrow.
The sixth chicken, the big white one, was standing on Dolores’ back as she ambled toward me, no doubt wanting her breakfast.
“Fuck.” Maybe they’d get back in their enclosure when I put their feed down. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and panned the camera over the entire scene. Then I opened my texting app.
Me:
Looks like all our hard work was for nothing. [video]
I didn’t bother sending it to Zeke. If he cared, he could check the security cameras.
“Okay, hang on, Dolores, and I’ll get you some food.” I found the energy to jog up the steps to the porch and then hurry inside to Zeke’s kitchen. At least Mabel didn’t need breakfast. Or she was used to getting it somewhere else.
Back outside, I put the food down for Dolores. Her chicken rider eyed me warily but didn’t move.
I was glad I’d put the feed in Zeke’s shed. The birds would’ve eaten it all if they’d been able to get to the bag.
I scattered the feed on the ground inside the area Finn and I had fenced with chicken wire.
All six of them flapped their way over, happily pecking at the ground.
Without the blanket, though, they were vulnerable to predators or they could get lost in the woods.
I groaned as I gave up on my plans for an outing to town, at least until Zeke returned with the coop.
My phone chimed.
Finn:
Well, shit. I’ve got appointments all day or I’d come help you.
Me:
No worries. I’ll just babysit them til Zeke gets back.
With the chickens occupied, I dashed back to my cabin to start the coffee maker and take a quick shower. Once I was dressed, I found a travel mug in the cabinet, and I took my coffee and my guitar outside.
Zeke’s porch had a good view of the enclosure, so I settled on the porch swing, determined to make some progress on the song I’d been having trouble with. I was writing it for Poppy, but at this rate I doubted I’d have it done in time to play for her when she was here next week.
Two badly worded stanzas later, I was beyond grateful to hear the driveway gate open and Zeke’s truck come through. He parked next to my SUV, and I hopped up to help him with the coop he had in the truck bed.
He got out and surveyed the chickens. “Huh. Those’re some weird-lookin’ birds. I hope their eggs taste okay.”
I scrunched up my face. “I don’t think it matters what the chickens look like.”
He shrugged. “Help me get this thing out of the truck. Once we get it set up, I gotta go back to Burlington. My friend’s in a bad way.”
I gaped at him in horror. “Like sick? In the hospital? You should be with them instead of here.”
He waved this off. “Nah. It’s only an hour drive, and they’ll be fine in a day or two.”
“O-kaaay?” I followed him back to his pickup and we unloaded the coop.
It was nice and sturdy, about five feet tall and four feet deep, with more than enough room inside for six chickens.
A large, fully enclosed wire run attached to the front.
The coop and run could be moved to give the chickens access to fresh grass or whatever over time.
“Right.” Zeke dusted his hands off on the seat of his jeans. The chickens were in their new coop, and Dolores was back in her burrow. “Wait here. I need to get you my festival notebook for the committee meeting tonight.”
“Wait, what ?”
But he was already in the house, the screen door slamming behind him. In less than a minute he was back, carrying a large binder stuffed with papers. He handed it to me.
“Uh, you won’t be at the meeting?”
“Naw, but you’ll be fine. Everythin’ you need’s in there.” He punched the cover of the binder with his forefinger.
“You don’t have it electronically?” The binder must’ve been four inches wide, and there wasn’t any room for more pages.
Zeke snorted. “I get a headache lookin’ at the little screen. It’s all there.”
“But isn’t this the last meeting before the festival? How am I supposed to know what needs to be done?” My voice was getting higher as panic set in.
Zeke clapped me between the shoulder blades with his big hand. “You can do it. Festival’s been going on for almost thirty years. Runs like clockwork. Most of the issues don’t show up til the day before it starts.”
And then that fucker got in his truck and drove away.