Chapter 8 Getting To Know You
Getting To Know You
Mara reminded herself firmly that this wasn’t a date. They were going on a road trip to discuss adding chickens to the farm.
Chickens they’d tend together. As partners, not a couple.
But a girl could dream.
Working in the kitchen with Seth hadn’t made her crush disappear. If anything, it grew stronger daily. She was too old to have crushes, but her feelings wouldn’t stay under control.
He was stoic and quiet. Not quite grumpy, but skirting the edge. She wondered how much of that was pain. Physical and emotional.
She knew he’d been injured in the army, which was why he was no longer enlisted.
Ford had never talked much about his own time overseas.
Maybe with their dad or one of their brothers, but she suspected that if he needed to talk about what he’d experienced over there, he spoke with Knox or one of the other men who’d experienced similar things.
She couldn’t imagine. Didn’t want to.
She didn’t watch plays or read books without happy endings. There was so much sorrow and pain in the world. Nothing she wanted to experience herself, even vicariously.
That might make her a coward, but she wasn’t built for a dangerous life. Instead, she did her best to spread a little joy with her food. It wasn’t much, but her dad told her every piece of joy was important.
The silence on the drive toward Phail was comfortable. Thanks to spending time together in the kitchen, she knew Seth was an internal person. He didn’t need to fill the silence, and he didn’t do much small talk.
Okay, he never did small talk, which meant she didn’t have to stretch for a topic today. She could enjoy the scenery and his presence.
Seth had texted ahead, so when they pulled in to park beside a pretty yellow cottage, Kimi and Garrett were waiting for them, with a trio of dogs at their side.
Seth and Garrett knew each other from the military, and they did the backslapping man-hug she’d seen so often at the farm. None of these people were afraid of hugs.
Like her family. Her dad ensured they were comfortable showing love. Looking back, she could see how hard he’d worked to be both parents. Firm and kind, he’d always looked at them as individuals. And he’d made sure they had strong connections with him and with each other.
He would like these people. Mara talked to him every couple of days, but watching these men interact had her aching to call him again. She’d do that back at the farm.
Kimi reached out her hand. “I’m Kimi Twinishe-Briscoe, and this is my husband, Garrett. We’re glad to meet you. Welcome to our farm.”
Garrett shook her hand. “We hope you’ve got a little time. We love showing off everything we’re doing here.”
Kimi nodded. “We do, but if you need to hurry us along, feel free to say so.”
Mara grinned. “We don’t have guests at the inn yet, but Seth has a turkey in the oven, so we have to be back before it dries out.”
Seth nodded. “I’ll keep an eye on the time, but we’d love to see it all.”
Kimi’s veterinarian business was in the barn behind the cottage, so they headed that way. “We use these smaller corrals for new or injured animals. Or those who are nervous around the rest. Except for Snoops over there.”
A donkey brayed at them, and Kimi reached out to pat him, narrowly missing getting snagged by his enormous teeth.
Mara stayed out of reach. “I’ve never seen a live donkey before. Does he always try to bite you?”
Kimi shrugged. “Pretty much. He tries to pretend he’s fierce, but it’s mostly bravado.”
The experience reinforced Seth’s claim that a donkey wouldn’t be the best guardian for their chickens.
A group of tiny goats raced by, ducking into the donkey’s corral, and Mara’s heart raced for them. Before she could truly panic, the goats bounced around Snoops, and the grumpy donkey reached down to nuzzle at them.
Kimi smiled. “On day one, these pygmy goats decided they were going to befriend Snoops. I think he’s mellowing in his old age.”
As if in response to their conversation, the donkey brayed at Kimi again, making her laugh.
They walked to the next corral, and a pair of peacocks strolled along the path ahead of them. Kimi pointed. “Pretty and Awesome. They free-range on the farm. Most animals prefer a designated space, which makes them feel safe. A few like to be free.”
“Terry Fox. Terry Fox.”
Mara whirled around at the shriek that seemed to be right behind her. A bright parrot sat on a fence post staring at them. She smiled at the bird. “Hello, there.”
“Michael J. Fox. Michael J. Fox.”
“Is that your name? Or are you Terry Fox?”
The parrot repeated both names. Kimi smoothed the feathers on his head. “This is Canuck. He showed up last year and has stayed since. He only speaks in Canadian celebrities. He knows a lot of them.”
“I think I’m in Wonderland.”
Seth grinned and nodded. “Agreed. This is amazing.”
They followed the dogs through a gate into an enormous field filled with horses and ponies. The sign read Shaggy’s Place.
Seth huffed out a breath. “She’d like this place, Scooby. She’d be so impressed with what you’ve created here.”
Eyes misty, Garrett nodded. “She would. Shaggy was my K-9 dog overseas, Mara. She died during a mission, saving a school full of kids. She was special.”
The largest of the dogs, a black and white pit bull named Olaf, leaned into Garrett’s legs. “She would have liked you, too, buddy.”
They watched a dozen horses play and graze while Kimi and Garrett told stories about the animals, leaving Mara grateful there were people like these new friends who saved animals in need.
More corrals held sheep, cows, and different goats. Kimi explained that some animals were recuperating from injuries; others lived there.
She pointed to the back. “Rheas are playing in the corral over here. They’re a friendly bunch. And then there’s the chicken coop that you came to see.”
The rheas resembled small ostriches and zoomed around the pen in a group. She’d never seen anything like them.
Beyond the chicken coop, large pigs rooted around the ground and watched both sets of birds.
Garrett grinned. “The pigs like watching the birds. They don’t share a pen because pigs will eat most anything, but their curiosity about each other keeps them all happy.”
Mara looked at Seth. “I don’t think we’re up to adding pigs.” The pigs had to weigh two hundred pounds each.
Seth shook his head. “Chickens are more than enough. We’re hoping for fresh eggs without much work. Amber thinks the guests would enjoy seeing the chickens, but I don’t want the coop too close to the inn either.”
Kimi nodded. “They can be noisy. They’re comfortable with people and other animals, though. A coop and a covered run to keep them safe from predators would be the best way to go.”
They talked about coops, the best chicken breeds for Vermont, and how to keep them safe and healthy. Kimi echoed what Mara had read, but added details no article had mentioned.
Kimi asked for their phone numbers and put them in her contacts. “I’ll ask around to see who has chickens that would work best for you. Once you have the coop and run all set up, we’ll get them to you.”
The timer on Seth’s phone beeped. “Thanks so much. I’ve got to get the turkey out, but this has been great. We’ll talk it over with Claus and Amber, then get back to you.”
Mara was glad they were returning to the farm. Seth didn’t give much away, but she knew him well enough now to recognize that he was in pain. There was a slight hitch in his step, and whenever they stood for a few minutes, he took an extra second to push off and get his leg moving.
They said their goodbyes and promised to return to see the rest. They hadn’t gone inside either of the barns. It was a fascinating place, and she’d love to visit again.
Mara debated her offer, but decided it made sense to speak up. “How about I drive back?”
His head whipped to her, and he frowned. “I’m good.”
His stiff body and frown belied his words, but she didn’t argue. It was his vehicle, and it wasn’t like she could force him to let her take the wheel. She also trusted him to know his own limits.
Once they were on the road, quiet settled in around them. Hopefully, she hadn’t annoyed him. Apparently, Seth didn’t like to acknowledge he was in pain.
With an internal sigh, Mara shook off her worry about him. She didn’t want to lose the progress they’d made in their friendship by being intrusive. “There’s a lot more to raising chickens than I expected.”
He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “I didn’t expect them to need so much protection. If you want to forget the whole thing, we can. But if you’re up for sharing the duties, I think we can handle it.”
She smiled across the cab of the truck. She doubted she could refuse this man much. If chickens made him happy, she’d be all in. “I am. Ford will help us with the coop, so it shouldn’t take too long to get it prepared.”
He grinned back at her. “Daily fresh eggs. Another thing for Amber to use as advertising.”
“Farm-fresh veggies, herbs, fruit, and eggs. This place is amazing.”
“Sure is.”
The smile they shared made her toes tingle. The smile remained on his face as he turned back to the twisting road.
Sure felt like a date.
Seth should have taken his cane along for the tour of the farm. He hadn’t thought about it before they’d left the car. He’d been too focused on learning about chickens and spending more time with Mara.
Even if he’d thought about the cane, he doubted he would have taken it.
Dumb male pride being what it was, he didn’t use the cane often. His stubbornness might cost him some pain, but it had also given him back the ability to walk, so he wasn’t complaining.
Mara’s offer to drive back to the farm had surprised him, but maybe it shouldn’t have. He hadn’t expected her to notice, not when there’d been so much to see at Shaggy’s Place.
Instead of heading to the farmhouse, she walked with him when he moved toward the inn. The turkey had to come out, and he had more prep to do before dinner.