Fifteen | Lyric
Fifteen
Lyric
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I said, staring in disbelief as Dean, Cole’s dad, closed the gate, locking a baby goat in the pen.
“The other one should be here soon,” he replied, looking down at his watch. “But I’m not sure when Cole is going to get home. We’ll need to find a way to secure them in there because they’ll figure out how to escape in a hurry.”
“We have goats.” I shook my head as if that would somehow clear the image of the goat staring up at me and force me out of the dream I had to be in. There was no way I was now responsible for taking care of two baby goats while also trying to figure out the ropes of caring for three kids.
“That we do,” Cole said, startling me as he walked up beside me and slid gloves on.
“You scared the shit out of me,” I hissed, smacking his chest with the back of my hand.
Something flickered in his eyes as he smiled at me, instantly putting me at ease. I fought the urge to reach out and touch him again, just to feel the electricity that sparked through my fingertips every time they came in contact with him.
The sky darkened as the sun slipped behind a cloud, giving temporary relief from the heat that had been beating down on me. While it was nice to have some reprieve from the heat, I no longer had the sun to blame for the flush on my skin.
“What are we supposed to do with them?” I asked, looking up at Cole as if he held all of the answers.
“Hell if I know,” he muttered loud enough for me to hear.
He glanced at me, not taking his eyes off the goat long enough for it to escape. The corner of his lip curled into a slight smile, helping to settle my nerves.
“Goats are fun,” Dean answered for him. “They’re great at keeping weeds under control for one.
The kids can help take care of them, which will be great.
But for the most part, they’re pretty low maintenance.
Rufus and Magnolia are already weaned from their mother, so just make sure they have plenty of food and water, and they should be fine. ”
“I still can’t believe you guys did this,” Cole said, shaking his head as he eyed the pen that would be the new home of our goats.
“You know your mom is a sucker when it comes to those kids.” Dean shrugged, then looked up at the dark clouds moving in. “We’d better get a move on securing this before that storm hits.”
My heart fluttered as I heard the love in his voice when he spoke of how much his wife loved the kids.
I knew they had been a constant source of support for Cole since Clay died, but I also knew they were the kind of people who had been involved long before then.
I would be willing to bet money that they had been there from the very start with all three kids, loving them the way only grandparents could.
“We’ve got this if you want to head inside and finish working before the kids get home,” Cole said, tilting his head as he studied my face. “Sorry for interrupting your day with all of this.”
“It’s okay,” I replied, shaking my head to keep from gazing at him any longer than I already had been. “Today was just getting things set up so I can make sure I’m ready to go before my meeting on Wednesday. Thankfully, everything has been smooth sailing for the most part.”
Until baby goats showed up and derailed everything. Just when I thought I was getting things figured out with working from home, another obstacle had been dropped in my lap.
“That’s great. I’m happy to hear it.”
I smiled and took a deep breath in, trying to focus on the soft scent of rain teasing the air rather than the scent of his cologne that wafted up around me.
I hated how so many things were comforting with him because I found myself leaning more and more into the familiarity of what had once been.
Neither of us could afford to go down that road again, but somehow I couldn’t find the strength to stop myself.
“Okay,” I said, clearing my throat. “I’m going to head inside, but let me know if you need anything.”
“Will do.”
I turned and walked away before I could say or do something stupid.
When it came to Cole, it felt like I was on a slippery slope, constantly fighting to stay above water so I didn’t drown in the love I once held for him.