How to Woo a Goose #2
“Settle, Lucille,” Bobby said, running a hand over her ruffled feathers.
“We walked past your place no problem, but when we got to the corner, I swear she took off like her tail was on fire. Yanked the leash right outta my hand!” He scratched his head.
“Dunno what got into her. Still, no harm done, right, Doc?”
Mason nodded his agreement, still keeping a wary eye on Lucille.
Lucille honked loudly.
“You going to the bakery, Cash?” Bobby asked, glancing down at Dog on his leash. “I could walk down with you.”
I watched Lucille as she struggled to get out of Bobby’s grip and tried to think of a polite way to refuse. I liked Bobby, but I’d heard about the time Lucille went for Chase’s nuts, and I didn’t fancy the idea of giving her access to mine, not when I was only just starting to have fun with them.
“I actually need Cash to help me with something for a few minutes,” Mason said smoothly.
I shot him a grateful look.
“Well, maybe another time then,” Bobby said. “See ya!”
I waved goodbye and he wandered off down the street with his goose tucked under his arm, still honking loudly.
I watched him go and said, “Lucille was acting weird, right?”
“Yeah,” Mason said. “Even for her.”
“It’s gonna end up like that movie,” I said darkly.
Mason laughed and then he kissed me, soft and slow and so full of affection that it made my heart skip a beat.
We kissed until Dog tugged impatiently on his leash to remind me that it was time for his walk, and by the time I went outside, the coast was clear and the only goose in sight was the ugly ceramic one Mason had brought home.
I heaved a sigh of relief and started toward the bakery.
The next morning I didn’t get out of bed at the same time as Mason because I was already awake.
I’d spent half the night curled up on the couch in a blanket burrito after a nightmare had yanked me awake.
Mason had stayed up with me, holding me close, rubbing a hand down my spine and making soothing noises until my heart rate dropped back to normal, but once I was less jittery, I’d shooed him back to bed.
He needed his rest, and I wasn’t going to be sleeping any time soon.
Luckily he understood and left me alone after pressing a soft kiss to my temple.
I’d ended up putting my earbuds in and listening to an audiobook about an Ancient Roman murder mystery, but I fell asleep before I found out who did it. When I woke up, there was soft light filtering around the edges of the curtains, and Mason was crouching in front of me.
I moved my legs down so there was room next to me on the couch, and Mason slid into the empty space. I leaned my head on his shoulder and he put an arm around me. “You okay?”
I nodded. I had a lot less nightmares than I used to, but they still left me feeling wrung out. But at least I hadn’t punched anyone this time. Baby steps, right?
“I can go get us breakfast,” he said.
As soon as he said the word “breakfast,” there was the sound of claws clicking against the floorboards as Dog trotted into the living room and sat at Mason’s feet expectantly.
“You’ve been fed,” I whispered to Dog, knowing Mason would have done it.
Dog turned sad eyes on me and silently communicated that he had never been fed a day in his life, pulling a smile out of me. Mason also huffed out a laugh as he reached down and gave Dog scritches. “I definitely fed him, but he can come for a walk.”
I nodded and closed my eyes. Mason got up, and I heard the rattle of Dog’s harness and leash as they headed downstairs and the front door opening—and slamming shut. Then I heard a muttered, “Are you fucking kidding me?”
I stood with my blanket still wrapped around my shoulders and went downstairs. Mason was standing next to the door with his back pressed against the wall like he was trying to avoid being seen.
“Mason?”
He held a finger to his lips and pointed outside.
I peeked out the window to find Lucille strutting the length of the porch, wings flapping.
She was like a tiny, angry prison guard on patrol—and we were the inmates, because there was no way in hell anyone was getting past her without serious injury.
“Is Bobby there?” I whispered.
We both looked again, hoping for a glimpse of star-spangled salvation, but Bobby was nowhere to be seen. Mason pulled his phone out of his pocket and sent a text. “I’ve let him know she’s here.”
Lucille continued to waddle up and down, right until Dog decided he’d been waiting long enough for his walk and let out a short bark. The effect was immediate. Lucille flew at the door, battering the wood furiously with her beak, which made Dog bark again—and that had Lucille honking angrily.
It was chaos.
Mason’s phone buzzed. “Bobby’s on his way,” he said, and the relief in his voice was clear.
It was only a couple of minutes later that Bobby’s battered old truck pulled into the driveway, and he climbed out and hurried up the steps, clutching Lucille’s harness and leash.
His hair was sticking up at all angles and his suspenders were missing, and I got the feeling he’d rolled straight out of bed and into his truck.
“Lucille! How did you get here?”
Lucille hissed and spread her wings.
“None of that,” Bobby said with a chuckle, and in a single fast move, he swooped in and clipped her into her harness, ignoring her frantic honking and flapping.
It was like watching a one-man SWAT team in action and honestly kind of impressive.
Bobby took her and secured her in the back of the truck, then put a hand in his pocket and pulled out a treat for her—a strip of goose attack victim jerky, probably—and she snatched it out of his hand.
He petted her and murmured something, then made his way to the front door and knocked. “You in there, Doc?”
Mason opened the door and stepped cautiously out onto the porch. Dog and I followed him. “She got loose, huh?”
Bobby shoved his hands into his shorts pockets.
“I’m real sorry about this, Mason. You know, in all the time I’ve had her, she’s never escaped once.
But she’s sure taken a liking to the clinic.
” Lucille honked from where she was tied up in the back of the truck, and Bobby ran a hand over his wild hair.
“I’d best get her home and try and figure out how the heck she escaped. Sorry again, you two.”
Mason waved a hand. “It’s fine. And at least she didn’t attack me this time.”
“Those aren’t attacks. They’re love taps,” Bobby said. “Hey! Maybe she has a crush on you.”
Mason let out a nervous laugh. “Let’s hope not.”
Bobby laughed as well, and then he wandered over to his truck. I slipped my hand in Mason’s and quietly said, “Do we have a goose stalker?”
“I hope not,” he said. “But it’s Lucille, so who knows?”
And then he kissed me before setting off for the bakery with Dog trotting happily beside him.
“Lucille is stalking you? Hilarious,” Kayla said once she’d stopped laughing. Mason had just filled her in on our morning adventure with Goose Run’s most notorious resident.
“I swear. This is the second day in a row she’s ended up on our porch. Bobby says she has a crush on me.” Mason snorted before picking up his coffee cup.
Kayla, though, gave a thoughtful hum. “You know, maybe she does. It’s not unheard of for birds to form human bonds. There was a crane that bonded to its keeper for fourteen years. Did the mating dance for him and everything.”
Mason sprayed out a mouthful of coffee. I patted him on the back while he caught his breath, and when he could breathe again, he said, “Bullshit!”
Kayla locked eyes with me and we had a silent conversation. And honestly, it was too good an opportunity to pass up.
“It’s true. I read about it,” I said, doing my best not to laugh at the horrified expression on Mason’s face.
“Lucille does not have romantic feelings toward me!” Mason said firmly.
“Uh-huh,” Kayla said. “Do I need to remind you that the last person who turned up on your porch every morning was Cash? And look how that turned out.”
I would have been offended, but she wasn’t wrong—and I had zero regrets about it.
Mason finished his coffee and he and Kayla got ready for the day, and I decided to go and see Chase at the bakery.
He’d already texted me to check in when I hadn’t turned up to collect our breakfast, and even though I’d told him I was fine, I knew he wouldn’t be happy until he’d seen me with his own eyes.
When I got to Gobble de Goose, I waited outside until the rush was over and then stuck my head in the door. Chase saw me and immediately yelled, “I’m on break!” before hurrying out from behind the counter. He didn’t even stop to grab cookies, so I knew he was worried.
Lee poked his head out from the kitchen. “You can’t just take—oh, hey, Cash. Tyler, you wanna cover for Chase?”
I nodded my thanks to Lee, and me and Chase went and sat outside on the bench. “Where’s Dog?” Chase demanded.
“Back home,” I said. “Good to see you too.”
He looked me up and down, eyes narrowed. “You’d tell me if living with Mason wasn’t working out, right?” If you didn’t know Chase, it might have sounded like a threat, but nobody knew him better than me, so I knew what he was really saying was “please tell me you’re safe and happy.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been better,” I said. “You can stop worrying.”
“Never,” Chase said with a scowl before his expression softened. “Are you really okay, though?”
I shrugged. “Bad night. It happens.”
Chase leaned his head on my shoulder, and I gave him a one-armed hug. I held him like that until I felt some of the tension drain out of him, then said, “Don’t you have a job to get back to?”
Chase sat up and shot me a wicked grin. “It’s fine. I’m dicking down the boss.”
“You’re so gross,” I said, grinning back.
“I think you pronounced awesome wrong,” Chase said.
We stood and he gave me a hug before heading back to the bakery. I hung around out front for a few minutes, knowing he’d return with cookies.
He did.