10. David
10
David
T he farm was overrun.
Cameras. Lights. Food service. A whole bunch of people who seemed to run around and shout things but not do a hell of a lot else.
They got there early in the morning and didn’t leave until late at night.
I raised the mug of coffee to my lips and watched the chaos from the picnic table where I could be out of the fray but still observe all the crazy.
We were beginning day two of this shit. How many more we’d have to endure I didn’t know. I’m not sure they knew.
And the worst part was, Heather hadn’t been here for any of it. The only reason I’d actually stuck around through all of this was the hope of seeing her again.
I thought for sure she’d be here. This was her baby, after all. Her brainchild. Or hers with Lucy, who wasn’t here either even though Drew would sure like her to be.
He watched who was getting out of the vehicles each morning like a hawk. All I could figure was that he was hoping for a visit from Lucy as much as I was craving one from Heather.
So far we were both disappointed.
“We need some close-up shots of the rooster.”
The comment came from a guy so young looking I had to wonder if he’d skipped school to be here today.
“All right.” I tipped my head, wondering why he felt the need to tell me about it.
“Can you, like, take him out of the cage?”
I drew in a deep breath. I hadn’t allowed Drew to let the chickens out to roam since putting Rowdy inside. I figured if he escaped, Heather would never forgive me.
The run was a decent size but the birds were overdue to stretch their wings and eat some bugs and fresh greens, like they were used to doing everyday until I showed up with Rowdy and messed with their schedule.
He was happy here. Chances were he wouldn’t take off. I sure as hell wouldn’t if I were him. Not with all the hens he could jump and all the feed he could eat.
“All right. I can let him out for you. Unless you want to go inside the pen with him.”
The look that last suggestion got gave me my answer. There was no way city boy was going inside a chicken pen.
Although if the director currently bellowing at everyone told him to, I bet he would. That guy shouted and everyone scrambled.
It made for hours of amusement—as long as he wasn’t shouting at me.
So far he’d kept his distance. But then again, so had I. I’d signed the damn release in case I ended up on camera but I didn’t make it easy for them.
It had been a nice coffee break while it lasted, but now I put down my mug and pushed off the picnic table I’d been leaning against.
I tried to ignore the cameraman who was suddenly shadowing me as I headed toward the coop. I unlatched the screen door of the run and swung it wide. The hens didn’t waste any time scurrying out and half flying, half running toward the grass and weeds growing around the porch of the house.
Rowdy was a little slower to respond. He took a few steps toward the doorway and paused, cocking his head to glare up at me.
“Go on, buddy. You don’t need my permission.”
He didn’t look like he believed me. With a sigh, I reached down and grabbed him with both hands and tucked him beneath my arm.
Now I was a damn rooster wrangler.
Turning, I frowned at the camera I found much too near me, then glanced back at the kid. “Where do you want him?”
“Uh, I don’t know. What will he do if you let him go?”
“Don’t know. Let’s see.” I set him on the ground and he stood there, glaring up at me again. “Come on, Rowdy. Go get yourself some bugs. Or go see your girls over there.”
He sat on the toe of my boot. Then closed his eyes and looked like he was sleeping.
What the hell? Had he imprinted on me? Like I was his momma? He was an adult bird. That shouldn’t be. And Heather was his damn rescuer. She should be the one he was attached to.
Although I was the one who hooked him up with his hen harem. I guess I was his wingman and he wasn’t letting me get too far away.
The problem was, I had a bad feeling until they got their shots of Rowdy, they weren’t going to leave him—or me—alone.
I shook my head and bent to pick him up and carried him to where the hens were having a feast in the weeds. “Here you go. Do something camera-worthy, dude.”
And wouldn’t you know it, the damn bird did. He flopped his way up to the railing of the porch, and let out the most perfect crow I’d ever heard.
I let out a laugh. “Good boy.”
That should give the city folks a thrill. I glanced back and saw the cameraman focused in on Rowdy and a look of relief on the kid’s face.
“Got it?” I asked him.
“Yeah. That was great. What else can he do?” he asked.
Well, since he’d asked.
With a mischievous grin, I grabbed Rowdy and put him right behind one of the hens, who, with her head down and ass up as she pecked the ground, offered an irresistible temptation to Rowdy.
Just as I’d hoped, he took advantage of it.
“He does that,” I said. Then added, “Often.”
The kid’s eyes widened, but the cameraman was right on top of it, moving to get more angles of the poultry porno playing out in front of the camera.
Maybe this whole production wouldn’t be so bad after all. I just had to make it fun.
“What are you doing?” Drew asked as he walked up behind me.
“Letting the chickens run. They’ve been locked up since Saturday.”
“Uh huh. And that?” He motioned toward Rowdy, who’d just finished and was now roaming around.
“They wanted a shot of Rowdy. So I gave them one.”
Laughing, Drew shook his head. “I’m sure you did.”
I was about to casually ask if Heather or Lucy had been in touch with Drew, since I figured they’d be here for this, when a woman in a headset walked up to me.
“Mr. Strickland?”
“Yeah?”
“Can you come with me?”
“Uh, sure.” I frowned at Drew, who shrugged like he didn’t know what was happening either, so I followed her.
We ended up at a strange set-up. A wooden bench, set against Drew’s old red barn. On either side were bushel baskets overflowing with corn and pumpkins and mums and in spite of the fact we were outdoors, there were lights and reflectors everywhere, as well as a stationary camera on a tripod.
I glanced at her. “What’s up?”
“Can you sit?”
“Uh, sure.”
Why did I have a feeling I was about to be interrogated? I’d been in a bar fight once in college. They’d dragged us all down to the station, to scare us mostly. That night felt too much like this now.
What the fuck? I sat on the bench and rested my forearms on my knees, suddenly wishing I had a beer.
“I’m going to ask you a few questions. I’d like you to answer them.”
“All right.”
“How did you feel when you heard pets were getting sick, some dying, after eating Strickland Feed Corporation’s imported dog food?”
My brows slammed down over my eyes as I stood. “What the fuck is this?”
“Please, Mr. Strickland. If you could sit back down.”
“No, I’m not gonna fucking sit down.” I looked around, for what I wasn’t sure. Drew. An escape route. Someone to punch who wasn’t a woman.
“It was all over the news. Don’t you want a chance to explain?” she asked.
I leveled a glare on her. “Explain to y’all? So you can manipulate my words and edit it to make it all sound worse than it was? No, thank you.”
“You don’t want to make a statement?” she asked.
“No comment,” I said without turning around as I stalked toward the house.
“What’s wrong?” Drew trotted after me. “David. What happened?”
“I’m leaving.” I threw the front door open and stomped across the living room, heading for the guest room to get my shit and go.
He followed me into the bedroom and closed the door. “Tell me what happened.”
I glanced past him. “You think shutting that will give us privacy? They probably have better microphones than the NSA. Fuck, they probably have cameras hidden in here too.”
Drew waited silently for me to get my rant out. The man knew me too well.
Finally I said, “They brought up the dog food from China.”
He cringed. “I’m sorry.”
“That didn’t even happen on my watch. It was one employee making a really bad decision when no one was looking because my father was sick.”
“I know that.”
“But we’re never going to live it down. Just when the press was starting to die down. Just when I had some real hopes of cleaning up Strickland’s tarnished image, you signed on for this fucking reality show.”
Drew pressed his lips together. “I never even considered this might happen. And I should have. I’ll go tell them it’s off.”
I appreciated the offer, even if it wouldn’t do any good. “You can’t. You signed a contract.”
“So let them sue me.”
I laughed. “Nice offer but I need you up and running, not bankrupt from a lawsuit. Strickland needs your chickens.”
“And you need a friend,” he said.
“I’ve got a friend. A good one.” I drew in a breath, calmer but not keen on being here right now. “I just, I can’t be here for this. Not while they’re all here.”
“They’re wrapping up today. Tonight the latest. I asked. They said they should have plenty of footage after the two days. It’s only for a twenty-minute teaser.”
That would be good, having the crew gone. But I was still wondering why I was sticking around.
For Heather, who wasn’t even here?
For Rowdy? Drew would keep him safe.
And my business with Anna was settled. The truck of dog and cat food was scheduled to be delivered sometime today. The check from accounting had been cut.
I had no reason to stay. Except that I really didn’t want to leave.
“Why don’t you go head out for the day. Go visit the shelter. Or hell, hit the beach. I’ll text you when they’re all gone. Then you come back and we drink to it all being over.”
“All right.” I could decide when I was leaving later.
A knock on the bedroom door had me regretting the decision.
Drew pulled it open. “Yes?”
“Uh, we, uh, can’t find the rooster.”
My eyes flew wide. “What?”
“He was like there one minute and then gone the next.”
“Mother fucker.” I pushed past the young guy and headed for the front door.
Could this day get any worse?
Out in the yard I spotted Heather’s car and I had my answer. Yes, it could definitely get worse because now I got to tell the woman I’d lost her bird.
Fuck.