Chapter 17 Say My Name
Say My Name
Seth wondered what Mara would name the other hens. Whatever it was, he was sure it would make him smile. Hell, everything about the woman made him smile.
She’d have been a great boost to morale overseas. Not only would her baking improve anyone’s day, but her cheerful attitude would help even on the darkest days. Nothing got her down for long.
He’d bet half of his team would have sung along with her playlists, especially Maki. The kid had been born to have fun and to be happy.
And he hadn’t made it to his thirtieth birthday. Maki would have made a great dad and grandfather. He’d deserved to lead a full life, making everyone smile.
When they’d talked about what they would do if they weren’t in the army, Seth had known he could cook anywhere. At the time he’d been sick of fancy, big-city kitchens, so he’d said he’d maybe run a diner in a small-town.
Maki had jumped on that idea. He’d wanted everyone to live their dreams, and was convinced everyone had at least two or three they should follow.
Maki’s older brother had a heart condition, something to do with the valves in his heart being the wrong size.
The condition kept the man from serving, but otherwise, he led a normal life.
Maki had said Blake was the best man he knew.
Blake had wanted to be a soldier, but when his health condition had made that dream impossible, he’d followed another one, becoming an excellent mechanic in their hometown.
Maki had joined the army to make his brother proud and to live that dream for him. After his stint in the army, the kid planned to become a medical researcher. Try to help people with conditions like his brother’s. Or maybe join his brother as a mechanic at the shop he owned.
Seth sighed. A good man, a good life full of potential cut short because greedy assholes around the world wanted to have more than their share, and figured they could do as they wished.
Maki had believed in helping, and he’d done a hell of a job.
Seth managed not to flinch when a soft touch on his arm brought him back to the present. Mara watched him with concern. “You okay?”
He nodded. “Just thinking about what a good life this is.”
She smiled. “And about your former team?”
He nodded. “Caden would have loved it here.”
“Is that the one you called Maki, the one who died in the explosion?”
He nodded, and Mara hugged him. “I’m sorry about your friend.”
He wrapped his arms around her. “Thanks. Me too. He wouldn’t want anyone to dwell. He’d likely tell us to suck it up and get on with living. But he’d like knowing we still think about him.”
“And spreading his story so he’ll live on with you and everyone who hears about him.”
Seth tightened his arms and let her relentless optimism and essential goodness seep into him.
When he stepped back, she smiled. “Let’s see what our Maki is up to. I want to take pictures of them and put up the sheet with their names on it soon. That way, everyone can use their names when they talk to them.”
“Pretty sure they don’t respond to their names like dogs.”
Mara shrugged. “Neither does Fritter, not yet anyway. We’re going to use them anyway, so they’ll know they’re special.”
He chuckled as they entered the chicken yard. They’d bought an automatic door for the entrance to the coop. It sealed the door an hour after sunset, and opened at six so the hens could exit themselves and use the run.
It wasn’t as if Mara wasn’t up well before six to do her baking, but he didn’t want her wandering the farm on her own. He was glad he’d spotted her on his walk to the inn this morning.
Sure enough, the chickens were wandering the run along the back of the enclosure. A headcount showed one missing, but even as he thought it, another hen poked her head out of the coop and walked down the ramp with exaggerated steps.
Mara clapped her hands. “Look at her go. The bars across the ramp help her, just like the articles said. It’s perfect.”
Currently, the hens needed a human to open the door from the run to the rest of their yard.
That was an added layer of safety. Predators would need to enter the enclosure, and then pass through the next wall of hardware cloth to reach the birds.
That would hopefully give them time to get to the coop, or for humans to arrive.
They’d installed a few motion lights around the enclosure to deter nighttime approaches. He wasn’t sure how determined Vermont predators might be; he wasn’t even sure what those predators were, but the birds had survived the first night.
He was glad for the hens, but even happier that Mara hadn’t come across carcasses. Nothing should ruin her glow.
Seth opened the door to the storage unit they’d built at the back of the coop and scooped out a few handfuls of feed into the bowl they planned to use.
Grinning, Mara led the way inside the enclosure. “Look, Maki is at the door watching us. She knows we’re bringing her food and giving her more room to play.”
Or maybe Maki was the nosiest, but he didn’t say that out loud. Either way, it would make Caden laugh.
Mara opened the door between the run and the rest of the enclosure, then stepped back. “Come on outside, Maki. Lead the others to the yard. Let them know it’s safe.”
Sure enough, the bird pecked her head and stepped out into the yard, Johnny and Squid right on her heels.
The group of hens named after his team was all shades of that orangey-brown color, but there were enough differences to tell them apart.
The other six hens were similar in shape and size, but in different patterns of black, grey, and white.
Some of them followed Maki’s group into the yard, while others remained in the run. Seth passed Mara the bowl of feed and checked on the watering device.
As soon as Mara spread some of the feed, the entire dozen birds swarmed her. Her laughter filled up the enclosure right along with Seth’s heart. She was magnificent.
He pulled out his phone and snapped a few photos while she squatted down to play with the birds. He caught joy and wonder on her face.
Getting chickens had been a hell of an idea. Which made him realize they hadn’t even checked the nesting boxes for eggs. That had been the primary reason for getting the birds, but neither of them had thought of it until now.
Seth knew his reason.
Mara set down the empty bowl and ran her hands over the feathers of whichever birds were closest. Maki fluffed her feathers and spread her wings, all while staring at Mara.
She laughed and ran her hand over the bird’s head.
When the bird nestled into her touch, her eyes widened with joy, and Seth snapped another photo.
He’d never been one for pictures, but he had a feeling his camera roll would soon be full, and Mara would be the star.
While Mara played with the birds, Seth wandered the interior and exterior of the enclosure, looking for signs of predators.
He found no scratches or tears in the fabric. There wasn’t a single sign that anything had tried to get to the chickens.
Kimi’s expertise, Ford’s skill with construction, motion-sensor lights, and some of Dani’s whirligigs in the trees had probably all helped.
Alongside managing her apiaries, Dani crafted metal art, including spinners.
She’d donated all she had in stock when she’d learned that the motion in the trees might help protect the chickens.
She promised to do some research and make some specific to Chick Inn Time.
Her work was amazingly detailed, and he couldn’t wait to see what she designed for the hens.
He wondered if she’d be willing to teach him and Mara how to make some themselves.
That would be fun. Lawson said it was more difficult than it looked, and it looked like a challenge. One he’d love to take on with Mara.
He wanted to take on unlimited challenges with Mara.
Once he’d ensured the enclosure was secure and Mara had enjoyed her time playing with the hens, they locked up. “Want to check for eggs?”
Her eyes flew open. “I can’t believe I forgot about the eggs. I was having way too much fun playing with the hens. They’re so sweet. Maki is definitely the leader and the bravest of the bunch.”
“Any names for the rest?”
She sighed. “Not yet. I want to think about it a little longer. I took lots of photos of the teammates, so I’ll get those printed on a sheet this afternoon. Maybe that will trigger names for the others.”
Seth opened the carabiner that held the nesting boxes secure. He gestured with a flourish for Mara to lift the lid.
Laughing, she crossed her fingers and leaned up on her toes to brush her lips over his. “For luck.”
He growled and pulled her closer. The kiss went from sweet and innocent to dark and wild in a breath.
When he managed to release her, Mara was slow to blink her eyes open . Her smile was full of desire when she fluttered her eyelids. “Now that was lucky.”
His body was hard as a rock. Again. He hoped like hell she was ready to take the next step with him soon. He’d wait forever if he needed to; he just hoped she didn’t need much longer.
Cheeks flushed, Mara held up her crossed fingers again. “Let’s see.”
Mara lifted the lid and let out a whoop of joy. Two eggs sat in the nesting box. Not a lot for a dozen hens, but really great for their first night. Kimi had said stress sometimes caused hens to stop laying for a while. This was a good start.
Mara bounced up to kiss him again. “We’ve got eggs. Chick Inn Time is a success.”
He laughed, knowing it was a success even without the eggs. Anything that made Mara so happy counted as a success.
She lifted the eggs out gently, cradling them to her chest. “We have eggs.”
Seth closed the lid and set the carabiner back in place, then locked the bowl back in the shed.
Mara lifted the eggs to show the chickens. “Thank you, ladies. Great job. We’ll come back to visit you later.”
Seth slung his arm over her shoulder as they walked back to the inn. He hoped to have many more mornings just like this one.
“So, what are we going to make with the first two Phailed Eggs from Chick Inn Time?”
Because two eggs weren’t many, Seth whipped up asparagus tartines for the group. He’d need far more than two eggs, but he’d keep these separate and use the fresh eggs for him and Mara.
In the kitchen, he mixed some ricotta with fresh herbs and plated the dishes as Mara filled a platter with her muffins and took them into the dining room.
He grabbed some of Amber’s fancy linens and cutlery and set places for the two of them at the island.
Mara swung back into the kitchen and grinned at him. “That looks amazing. I have a better idea, though.”
He frowned as she picked up the place settings. She smiled and gestured with her head for him to follow.
He grabbed the plates and followed her down the short hallway that led to her rooms. He hadn’t been inside since the day everyone had helped move her in.
Bright pillows and blankets matched her personality. Fritter rose from where he’d been snoozing in a sunbeam and stretched. The cat had filled out nicely with a regular, healthy diet.
Mara set the placemats and cutlery on a bistro table, then smiled at her cat. “Hey, Fritter. How’s your morning been? Have you spotted any birds?”
The cat wound around her ankles, and she reached down to stroke its back. Lucky bastard.
Mara smiled up at Seth, oblivious to his thoughts. “He must have been an indoor cat at one time. He loves watching the birds and butterflies out the windows, but never makes any motion to get out the door.”
“That’s a damn lucky cat.”
Mara looked up from where she’d squatted to play with Fritter. Whatever she saw in his eyes had heat flaring in hers.
Still, Seth didn’t move, didn’t push. It would be up to her to make the first move. Up to her to take the next step.
God, he hoped she was ready to do that particular dance.
While her hand continued to stroke the cat, Mara’s eyes searched his face. He didn’t try to hide the need, the desire. It took all his control to remain standing where he was, to keep his body relaxed. He wasn’t pushing her, not even subliminally.
But he couldn’t break eye contact. Couldn’t move toward the table and set down the plates.
He stood there, watching the woman who’d captivated him like no one else ever had. The woman he didn’t want to let out of his life. He wanted to cling to her, wanted her clinging to him.
He should yank his mind away from that direction, but his renowned control was nowhere to be found.
Mara rolled her lips together, still stroking the cat, still watching him.
Then she blinked slowly. When she opened her eyes, he saw the spark and the sparkle he wanted to see.
As she rose, her smile widened, and she eased closer to where he stood.
She reached out to take the plates from him.
His heart teetered as she set them on the table.
Instead of sitting, Mara snagged one of his hands. “We can eat later.”
Relief soared through him, then was shoved out by lust. And something more. Something he was pretty sure was love.
For now, he’d focus on the lust and pleasuring the woman in front of him until she could only think of him.