11. Chapter Eleven #2
Thankfully, the drive to the farm was short and uneventful.
When they parked in the driveway, he waited for Lily to get out.
Once she was walking Dasher back to his pen, he peered at the backseat just to see if Dasher had eaten his upholstery for dessert.
A quick glance said, no. Tony breathed easier.
Whack-whack-whack.
Tony’s gaze shifted to the old farmhouse. He spotted the screen door bouncing off the door frame. Sam stood on the back porch. He looked over and waved. Tony returned the gesture.
Then Sam made a beeline for Lily. When Tony glanced in her direction, he noticed that Dasher was no longer walking nicely with her any longer. The little goat figured out what she was up to and was refusing to go back in his pen.
He used all four feet as brakes. Dasher leaned back while Lily pulled on the makeshift leash to no avail. The little goat wasn’t going anywhere he didn’t want to go.
Sam took long quick strides over to the goat. The next thing Tony knew, Dasher was up in Sam’s arms. The goat shrieked. The sound startled Tony. He didn’t know goats could make that kind of sound.
Dasher kicked his legs, but it didn’t slow down Sam.
The farmer headed directly for the goat pen.
Dasher was gently deposited inside. Sam made a hasty exit, only pausing at the gate to secure the latch.
He checked it once and then twice. It didn’t look like Dasher had any hope of escaping any time soon. Good.
It was only then that Tony realized Lily had returned to his side. She gently elbowed him and held out his belt. When he took it from her, he gave it a once-over to find that it wasn’t any worse for the wear. He put it back on.
“Sorry about that.” Sam joined them. “It’s been a while since Dash made a trip into town.”
Not long enough as far as Tony was concerned.
“We’re just happy he’s home safe and sound.” Lily elbowed him once more.
“Ah, yes, we are. He’s gained quite a few fans.”
“You might want to start him a social media page.” Lily smiled at the idea.
Sam shook his head. “I don’t think that will be happening any time soon.
Nikki was in charge of feeding the goats this morning.
She was in a hurry because her grandmother was coming to pick her up, and she must not have gotten the gate latched all of the way.
I swear Dash checks every day, just waiting for the moment he can make his escape.
I hope he didn’t cause any problems in town. ”
Tony’s thought turned to the garbage strewn in the road, but he wasn’t going to mention it. Instead, he was going to tell Sam about the crowd of onlookers. “Well, actually—”
“Actually,” Lily said over him, “he was too busy entertaining the tourists to get into any trouble. Isn’t that right, Mr. Mayor?”
Tony was not happy she didn’t trust him to answer, but now wasn’t the time to clear up that matter. In that moment, he knew there was only one right answer if he wanted Lily to talk to him on the way back into town. “That’s right.”
“Good.” Sam sent them a weak smile. “It’s just been a lot with Aster in the hospital.” Sam eyed up Tony’s injuries. “What happened to you?”
He was surprised there was actually someone on the island who hadn’t heard about their escapade. And so, they gave Sam the broad strokes of their elevator ordeal.
Sam shook his head. “Wow. You guys got lucky. You could have been in the hospital with Aster.”
“How’s she doing?” Lily asked, changing the subject.
“She’s fighting with the doctors to come home. She says she can rest here just as well as she can in the hospital. The only problem is, I don’t know if I’ll be able to rest with her here.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know what I’ll do if something happens to her or the baby.”
Lily stepped forward and placed a hand on his arm. “They’re going to be fine. You just have to believe it.”
He lifted his head. The worry was evident in his bloodshot eyes. He didn’t look as though he’d gotten a wink of sleep.
“I’m trying. I just keep seeing her collapse on that stage and...” His voice faded away.
What does one say to that? Tony was never very good in the comforting department. He looked at Lily, hoping she knew the right words for this awkward situation.
After a moment of silence, Lily said, “We came not only to return Dasher, but also to ask you if by chance Aster’s work laptop is here at the house.”
Sam sent them a puzzled look. “I thought it was at the office.”
“We looked there,” Tony said.
“And we couldn’t find it,” Lily finished. “We thought maybe she brought it home and had forgotten about it.”
Sam raked his fingers through his hair again, as though he were giving the idea some thought. “Not that I know of but that doesn’t mean much. I wouldn’t have noticed something like that. But you’re welcome to come in the house and look in the office. Just don’t mind the mess.”
He led them inside. The kitchen table still had a cereal box on it. There was also an empty bowl as well as some other dishes on it. The sink was full. And there were a couple of empty pans on the stove.
Tony didn’t know what this place looked like normally, but he had come to know Aster pretty well, and something told him this wasn’t how she normally kept her house. He glanced over at Lily to see if she had noticed. She was quietly glancing around.
“Don’t mind the house.” Sam stopped and turned to them.
He ran a hand over the stubble on his jaw.
“I’ve had to manage the farm, the kids, and make it to the hospital to visit Aster.
And well, as you can see, I haven’t done such a good job keeping up with everything.
I plan to have it all cleaned up before Aster gets home.
Anyway, if the laptop is here, it’ll be in the office.
” He guided them down a little hallway and then opened the door. “This is Aster’s office.”
Tony followed Lily into the small room with bookshelves on one side, a window on the other wall, and a desk in the middle of the room. This room was the exact opposite of the kitchen. It was all neat and orderly. It wouldn’t take much to find the laptop. And then they’d be on their way.