"How is Seth related to everyone here?" I ask.
"He was Michael's best friend when they were growing up. His mom got cancer when he was in high school—cervical, I think—and he took care of her while she went through treatment. She didn't make it, unfortunately."
"That's awful. Where was his dad?"
"He died when Seth was very young. There wasn't anyone in the family to take Seth after his mom died so he went to live with Renata and James. He's really like another son to her."
"Renata's a special person."
There aren't many people who would take a teenager into their house and make him a part of their family. My heart hurts for Seth, having to go through that with his mother. Maybe I need to be more understanding of his abrasive personality. He's been through hell, losing both his parents at a young age.
Dad gives me his lovesick smile. "She really is amazing."
One thing is becoming crystal clear. There's no way Dad is going to leave Renata behind. If I want to get him home, I'm going to have to convince both of them that the goat farm is an overwhelming amount of work and a bad investment. They can cut their losses, move back to New York and enjoy their retirement together. Hell, maybe Seth would want to take over the farm for them. If I can work this angle, I'll get what I want without having to harm their relationship and everyone will end up happy.
"Hey, I noticed a stain on the ceiling above my bed. You might want to check the roof for leaks."
Dad sighs. "I hope not. Thanks for telling me though, I'll check it out."
"Where's Mutt?" I ask, wondering why Seth's dog isn't whining at us from behind the windows of the house.
"He goes to work with Seth." Dad chuckles. "Renata worries that dog has replaced Seth's need for a female companion. Dogs are easier to deal with than a lot of women, I guess."
"Hey!” I slap his arm. "That's not cool, comparing women to dogs."
"Sorry," he says. "You're right. I just meant that a lot of women are kind of high-maintenance. That's one thing I love about Renata. She's easy to be with and appreciates the little things in life."
"There are just as many high-maintenance men as women, believe me," I say. "You haven't dated as much as I have."
"That's probably true."
"My ex-boyfriend, Kirk? He needed music to fall asleep, only it had to be instrumental music. For a full year, I went to sleep to the sound of the pan flute. The guy I dated before him refused to wear any pants with zippers."
Dad holds up his hands. "Okay, stop there. I don't want to hear any more about your boyfriend's zipper-less pants. I believe you. And you need to date better guys."
"Agreed. Speaking of better men, we're playing the Sox tonight. Want to watch together?"
Dad cringes and gives me a guilty look.
"You're going to kill me, but we don't have cable out here yet. I've been listening to some of the games on the radio when they aren't televised on the channels we get."
"You don't have cable?" I say in disbelief.
Dad shakes his head. "Renata isn't a TV watcher, and I wasn't going to ask her to get it for me, just for the summer. When we decided that I'd stay, I started looking around for the cable company with the best deal. I've got a guy coming this week to set it up." He gauges my reaction. "Sorry about that. I know you like watching those big games."
He loves watching those games, too, or he used to. I don't want my dad becoming one of those people who changes completely for the person they love. I'm not blaming Renata; it's this place. Dad's a city guy trying to go country, and it's not going to work for him.
My heart rate picks up the moment I spot the chickens. They're running around in what Dad appropriately calls a chicken run, a huge patch of dirt surrounded by a mesh fence. In the center is a small wooden house with a ramp leading up to its door.
"I thought you fed them this morning." I cower next to him. "We don't need to go in there, right?"
"We put out their pellet food this morning, but we also bring them composted food." He picks up a metal can I've seen in the kitchen. "These are all our table scraps. They love it, and it's really good for them. I think it's the secret to why their eggs taste so good."
He walks toward the door of the chicken run, and I hang back.
"I'll watch from out here."
"Are you sure?"
