Chapter 15
CHAPTER
FIFTEEN
“Hey, Bay, I think this kid is warm enough now.”
Bailey turned from her examination of a pregnant ewe at the sound of OJ’s voice. He carried the baby goat that had come in a few hours ago, the smaller of twin babies that had been born and then rejected by his mother.
OJ had been with her every step of the way, from bringing warm towels from the dryer and setting up a crate with clean bedding. He’d held the kid while Bailey examined him, and he’d written down the temperature and weight of the animal.
“If he’s warm,” she said. “We can feed him. Remember, you have to write down what time and how much he ate.”
OJ nodded solemnly, taking his volunteer duties at her veterinary clinic very seriously. The kid lounged peacefully in OJ’s arms, though he’d been shivering and bleating weakly when Harold Olson had brought him in. He was alert now, and Bailey felt sure he would make a full recovery.
What she would do with him after that, she wasn’t sure, though she’d already thought of Reeves and the goats he owned. Perhaps she could get one of his momma goats to foster this one, but she wasn’t even sure if he had any dams at the moment.
“Remember, we want the milk to be body-temperature warm, but not hot,” she added. “I think for that kid’s size—”
“I named him Frosting,” OJ said, beaming down at the kid and then Bailey. “See how he has this beige fringe? It looks like frosting over a vanilla cake.”
Bailey smiled at him, because OJ could make the most mundane things an adventure.
“Frosting, okay. I think for Frosting’s size, you’ll want to mix up the colostrum replacer and heat it to one hundred and two degrees.
” She nodded to the table against the wall.
“Read the directions on the can. It’ll tell you how to mix it up. ”
“How much?” OJ asked.
The kid was about eight hours old, and Harold said he’d only fed once from his momma.
When he’d realized the kid had been rejected and was hiding in the corner of the pen, he’d tried to get the dam to accept him, but she wouldn’t.
He’d then brought the kid to the clinic, where OJ and Bailey had assessed him, and OJ had been working to warm him up.
“Mm, let’s start with four ounces and see what we can get him to take.” She smiled at OJ. “There are thermometers to check the temp in the far-left cabinet above the table.”
OJ nodded and turned to move over to the station, where she’d already gotten out the can of colostrum replacer and the goat kid milk replacer. They were both powders that OJ could mix up and heat in a microwave, and she didn’t need to babysit a fourteen-year-old mixing water with powder.
She returned to her work with the ewe. Her owner had reported her as listless and not eating much, and Bailey needed to figure out if she’d gone into labor and needed help delivering her baby, or if there was something more serious going on.
OJ hummed behind her, and she watched him for a moment, noting that he only worked with one hand so he could continue to cradle the kid in his other. It made her heart happy to see him work with animals so naturally and love them the same way she did.
She took out her phone and snapped a quick picture, which she then sent to Bryce, Otis, and Georgia with the words, I promise I won’t let him bring a baby goat home.
Bryce sent back laughing emojis, and Otis sent the ones that rolled their eyes.
Dear Lord, Georgia sent. Yes, that’s me starting my prayers now.
Bailey giggled and tucked her phone away, refocusing on the job at hand.
Restlessness vibrated through her, and she’d had a hard time staying on task today.
She wasn’t sure why, as she and Reeves talked every day, and she either saw him in the evenings after work, or he brought something over while she was gone.
She’d found chocolate chunk cookies on her porch on Tuesday morning, and while she hadn’t seen him that evening, he’d come over on Wednesday afternoon and told her that he’d gone camping—“Just a quick overnight trip,” he’d said.
She’d worked off-site yesterday, and they had pizza-making dinner date plans that evening.
He apparently had a pizza oven that he’d brought out of winter storage and wanted to get working again.
He said he’d make the dough and provide all the toppings, and all Bailey had to do was show up after a long day and week of work.
She wouldn’t be able to leave the kid alone overnight, and she should probably text him and ask about his goat pens and facilities…and if he perhaps wanted to add one to his herd. But if she did that, she’d get to flirting with the man, and this pregnant ewe would never be properly cared for.
“You’re right. She is out here.”
She turned at the sound of Reeves’s voice as she unlooped her stethoscope from around her neck. He held up a brown bag, which surely contained lunch, and Bailey’s whole life got brighter.
“I had to come pick up some feed from IFA,” he said. “And I thought you might like lunch.”
“He brought lunch for everyone,” Marina said, her dark eyes glittering like Reeves had come for her.
Bailey’s eyebrows went up, and she stepped over to the gate and unlatched it.
She moved out of the sheep pen, confident that the pregnant ewe wasn’t going to expire in the next several minutes.
She glanced over to OJ, a bout of nerves moving through her unexpectedly.
She’d told Reeves about OJ already, but now he’d have to meet the boy face-to-face and know the truth.
“You brought lunch for my whole clinic?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Reeves curled one arm around her waist and pulled her against him. “I called Marina first and got everyone’s order, and she told me she’d be able to keep it a surprise from you since you were working out in the livestock shed.” He glanced over to OJ. “Is that OJ?”
“Yes,” Bailey said. “I’ll introduce you in just a second. He’s taking care of an abandoned kid that was brought in this morning.”
Reeves’s eyebrows went up. “Maybe he got your veterinary talents.”
“Maybe,” Bailey hedged, because she didn’t want to talk about that. Her momma, and sometimes even Otis and Georgia, pointed out the similarities between her and OJ often enough, and honestly, it didn’t help anything. “First, tell me where you went for lunch and what you brought me.”
“It’s Chinese,” he said. “From The Darling Dragon. Marina said you love the coconut honey-glazed shrimp there.”
Pure affection streamed through Bailey’s blood. “I do love that shrimp,” she said. “Did you get something for OJ?”
“I got whatever Marina told me to get.” He frowned over to the teenager. “I’m assuming he was probably on the list.”
OJ’s humming paused, and he turned around. “Bay, he’s drinking!”
OJ did everything with a certain level of enthusiasm Bailey often wished she could find in her own life. She stepped out of Reeves’s arm and dropped her hand to his free one.
“Come meet him,” she said. “And then we’ll go find somewhere where we can eat together.”
Reeves moved with her, and Bailey smiled at the teenager holding the baby goat.
“Yeah, look at him.” Bailey peered past the bottle and found the kid drinking noisily. “He’s sucking really good.” She met OJ’s eyes. “Good job, bud.”
“I measured it and recorded the temperature.” He nodded to the open notebook on the counter behind him. “He weighs seven pounds and twelve ounces, and this says he should have twelve ounces in the first twenty-four hours.”
“Then four is a great start,” Bailey said.
“Maybe I can take him home and do another feeding tonight right before bed,” OJ said, wearing such hope on his face. “And I can give him another four in the morning, and then bring him back.”
Bailey smiled widely at the boy. “I already promised your momma I wouldn’t send you home with a baby kid.
” She nodded to Reeves. “OJ, this is Reeves Durham. He’s my new boyfriend.
” She paused and looked at OJ, trying to find a reaction on his face.
“He lives right next door to me, and he has goats.” She looked at Reeves next.
“I’ve been meaning to text you, but it’s felt like one thing after another today. ”
Reeves wore surprise in his expression, and Bailey hastened to explain further.
“Do you have any pregnant goats who might want to foster one who’s been abandoned by its mother?”
Reeves tore his eyes from OJ and looked at Bailey. “I have four pregnant does this year,” he said. “None of them have given birth yet.”
Bailey’s hopes fell, and she looked back over to OJ. “I’ll take him home with me,” she said.
“I can do it, Bailey,” OJ said.
“I know you can, bud.” She reached out and stroked one finger along the hoof that poked out of the warm blanket OJ had wrapped the kid in.
“But buddy, you know this is part of our agreement of you volunteering here. You have to talk to your momma and daddy and get both of their permissions before I can send any animals home with you.”
A fierceness entered OJ’s eyes. “Then I’ll call them right after he finishes his lunch.”
Bailey sighed and indicated Reeves again. “You didn’t say hello, and he brought you lunch too. Marina will have it at the front desk.”
OJ finally focused on Reeves, and his familiar brightness shone from him. “Yeah, I know who you are,” he said. “I can’t believe you’re dating him, Bay!”
Confusion ran through her, and it turned a bit cold when Reeves cleared his throat. “What do you mean?” she asked.
“I love your videos,” OJ said, as he wasn’t known for being able to stay on task for very long either. “We don’t really camp in my family, but we go glamping, and sometimes my daddy will let me show him a video of yours, and then we make the recipes.”
Reeves said nothing, and Bailey’s mind whirred with the speed of a cyclone.
“But my uncle Luke goes camping a lot,” OJ said.
“Like, a-lot-a-lot, and he’s the one who told me about your videos.
He’s watched all of them, and he bought me one of your shirts for my birthday last year.
I haven’t worn it yet, though, because my birthday is in December, and it was a T-shirt, and my momma won’t let me wear T-shirts in the winter, so I’m going to wear it this summer. ”
OJ took a step closer. “Do you think I could come on one of your camping trips with you? I could even just use the camera, or you could do a series on how to camp with teens.” He looked over to Bailey, his eyes wide and hopeful. “Bailey will tell you how good I am at following directions.”
“Yeah,” Bailey said, her voice hardly her own. “He takes correction really well too.”
She released Reeves’s hand and turned her body halfway, so they made a triangle instead of her and Reeves facing OJ. “What’s he talking about?”
Color started to seep into Reeves’s face, and Bailey didn’t like how he didn’t immediately laugh and dismiss everything OJ had just said.
“Bay, he’s famous,” OJ said. “Didn’t you know you were dating the Teton Mountain Man? His channel has, like, four million followers.”
Bailey didn’t even look at OJ, because she couldn’t tear her gaze from Reeves.
Cold, harsh betrayal stung through her, and she hated how he stood there silently and said nothing to either one of them.
OJ had a shirt with this man’s name on it, and she’d been out with him a few times, and Bailey suddenly didn’t even know who he was.
OJ opened his mouth to say something else, and Bailey sucked in a breath and turned toward him. “OJ, why don’t you go feed that kid inside where it’s warmer, and then talk to Marina about your lunch?”
“Okay,” he said happily, and he moved past Reeves, only stopping at his shoulder to say, “Maybe I can get a picture with you before you go. Uncle Luke would love that. He’ll be so jealous.
” He sounded absolutely gleeful as he glanced back to Bailey.
“I can’t believe you’re dating Reeves from Teton Mountain Man!
” He sounded like this was the greatest thing that had ever happened to him, then he turned and left the livestock shed, leaving Bailey and the still-maddeningly-silent Reeves alone.
She folded her arms and settled her weight on her back leg to put a few more inches of distance between them.
With OJ gone, Reeves couldn’t stay silent and let someone else chatter away.
Bailey certainly wasn’t going to say anything more.
She’d asked her questions, and he wasn’t going to get away without answering them. Not again.