Twenty-Two
Keith
The truck was filled with the smell of warm burritos and coffee, and the lingering scent of Bart.
I brushed my thumb across my lips and checked my rearview mirror as he followed me back to the dairy.
I wondered what Asa would think, but then I remembered Bart said he’d told Asa we were going out so apparently it wasn’t a shock for him.
“Maybe Bart told him he was just going out for a beer?” Fuck I was going to drive myself nuts overthinking it all.
I decided right then and there I’d take Bart’s lead and if he didn’t care that Asa knew about us then I wouldn’t care either.
It was about time I stopped worrying about what the assholes in this town thought about me anyway.
With a firm nod, I turned down the road that led to the dairy.
Bart smiled and waved from where he was still behind me and parked next to me when I pulled up to the house. “Hurry up, let’s get this inside while it’s still hot,” he said and picked up both bags out of my truck before turning back to kiss me. “Thank you again.”
“Anytime,” I said with a stupid grin plastered on my face that I was hopeless to control.
“Oh, good, Noah’s still here,” he said as he held the screen door open for me and hurried across the porch and inside the house. “I hope you’re hungry.”
“Whatcha got?” Noah asked as we set the bags down on the table where Asa was already sitting.
“Breakfast burritos and pastries,” Bart said and passed out the coffee. “Have a seat, Keith.” He pulled out a chair for me across from Asa and next to where he then sat.
“Mornin’, Keith, have a good night?” Asa asked with a sly grin as he took his first sip of coffee.
“Can’t complain, how about you?”
“Well, we got the girls milked and fed so we’re doing pretty good, and no JW sighting today.”
“Day’s still young,” I said.
“That it is.” Asa picked up the burrito and took a big bite.
“Careful, it’s a little spicey,” I said.
“Don’t worry about me. I love it a little hot,” he said.
“Even though he’s ancient he can eat hotter food than I can handle,” Noah said and took a tentative bite then a bigger one when he realized it wasn’t too much for him.
“Puts hair on your chest,” Asa said making us all laugh.
“What’s on the agenda today?” Bart asked.
“Well, I think today is the day that Georgia gives birth,” Asa said like a proud father.
“Really? Should we be out there helping her?” Bart said, and I was reminded this was all still new for him.
“No, not unless she needs help. Believe me when I say she’ll be happier if we leave her alone to take care of business,” Asa said.
“Are you sure I shouldn’t go check on her?”
Asa chewed the bite he’d taken and took his time answering. “When we finish eating, we’ll all go out and see if we can find her. I’m sure she’s found a nice spot to hide from everyone while she delivers that new baby. Don’t worry, we’ll find her and they’ll both be fine.”
“I haven’t seen a newborn calf before,” Bart said and his eyes lit up like he was about to get the best gift ever.
“Pass me those pastries and let’s see what goodies you brought from the bakery.” Asa crumpled up the foil the burrito had come in and held his hand out for the bag. He was thin and wiry, but every bit of him was muscle, and it amazed me how much he could eat.
“We got a variety. Did you know the baker is some famous guy who used to work at a Michelin star restaurant?” Bart said, repeating what he’d read on the menu at the bakery.
“I did not know that,” Asa said and chose a chocolate croissant.
“What’s a Michelin star?” Noah asked and the conversation switched to explaining how a star was a really big deal and the fact the baker now lived and worked in little ol’ Foggy Basin was a big deal.
“All I know is they have really good treats,” Noah said and took another pastry out of the bag.
Bart finished his burrito and leaned close enough to rest his hand on my leg, which I immediately covered with my hand. Asa noticed and gave me a quick wink before finishing his croissant. “It’s going to be a good day on the farm,” he said.
“I can’t wait to see how Georgia is doing,” Bart said and looked past me out the window that faced the pasture. “Have you seen her since milking?”
“No, and she didn’t come in for milking, that’s how I knew it was probably time. She’s always been a cow that prefers to go off on her own to have her babies,” Asa said.
“How many has she had?” Bart asked.
“This will be her third. Audrey is her first, then she had a steer we sold to one of the other farms. He was getting a little too feisty to be around the girls.”
“Audrey is her baby? I didn’t know that,” Bart said.
“Yep, I try to keep all of them that I can. I don’t like to break up their families. There is nothing worse than a cow and a calf being separated and crying for each other. I just can’t do it. I’d rather give up milking and keep the cows as pets,” Asa said.
“Why don’t you? We could get a few more of the hairy ones,” Bart said.
“They’re the cutest little fuckers,” Noah said.
“Maybe someday, but for now we’ll keep doing what we’re doing. Until the girls don’t want to keep up the routine we’ll stick to it,” Asa said.
“I can totally see you having a place where people can come and hang out with cows,” Bart said.
“Is that a thing?” Asa asked.
“Yes, people go there just for the chance to hug a cow, and hang out with them,” I said. “I mean I’ve seen it on TikTok.”
Bart leaned against me and pressed down on my leg. “People love cows. Well really all farm animals, I guess. Mostly it’s people who have never been near any farm animals and they’re curious.”
“Do these people never to go the fair? I mean they have plenty of opportunity to see farm animals at the fair,” Asa said.
“No clue, I only know they seem to love hugging cows.” Bart ate the last of his breakfast and started gathering up the leftovers and the paper bags.
“Well, I can’t say I blame them,” Asa said. “Okay, let’s go see if we can find a new calf.”