The jolly mood saw me all the way home. As I neared Whiteham, I had a moment of indecision. Should I go home or to the alehouse? My phone told me it was just a bit after three inthe afternoon. I desperately wanted to see the goslings, but I also had a duty to my business.
Sitting at a stop sign waiting for some kid to lead his young steer out of the road—ah rural life—I texted Kenan.
Hey guitar man how busy is it? ~ B
Three dots popped up instantly.
Not busy at all. I closed the pub after lunch and am home waiting for you. ~ K
Home. My smile was wide even though the steer was not in the mood to be moved. I never knew cows could lollygag, but this one sure was.
I’ll be there in ten. Fifteen if this cow in the road doesn’t hurry up. ~ B
He sent me a string of cow and car emojis. He’d learned quickly that life in the boonies had all kinds of oddities that big city life didn’t have. Such as cows, pigs, chickens, and an irate ram headbutting cars that could and would hold up traffic.
My Nissan had barely stopped in my drive when I was out the door. Kenan met me at the front door with a hug, a kiss, and a whisper of how much he had missed me. With him pressed tight against me, I was tempted to take him to bed immediately.
“Come see the babies. They have them in the pen.” He gave my cheek a smooch, took my hand, and let me into my house. I tossed my bag to the floor as we hustled along. Out back, the sun was slanted just enough to throw a bit of shade on the coop. Lying in the grass were Wilma and her six little yellow children. They were so tiny. So totally fluffy. Little yellow and gray puffs that were waddling around, picking at the grass and peeping madly. Fred, spying me, stood up and marched to the gate, long neck down, hissing.
“You’re a good papa,” I called over the fence, enjoying the hell out of the family moment. The goslings scooted under Wilma but poked their heads out to watch the big scary humansgrinning down at them. “If you let me in, I’ll clean up the eggshells.” He was having none of that. “Okay, it’s cool. We’ll clean house later.”
“I managed to fill up a little tub for the goslings to splash around in and put some rocks in it, like the book says, so they can get in and out. But then the sun moved, so I reached through and dumped it so they didn’t get wet and cold.”
I glanced over at my boyfriend. “You are a fantastic goose step-granddaddy.”
“When we move in together, do I get joint custody?” He gave my hip a bump with his.
I turned to face him, the soft breeze playing with his hair. “So it’s a definite then. We are going to consolidate two places into one. How?”
“We’ll worry over the how later. Right now, let’s grab a couple of beers, two lounge chairs, and sit out here to watch the grandkids.”
Now that Fred had waddled back to his family, the goslings emerged from under Wilma to scamper about in the rich green grass.
“That is the best idea ever.”
“No, the best idea ever was to trust the handsome stranger at the airport last Christmas.”
I captured his beautiful face in my hands and pressed a kiss to his lips.
“Iamincredibly handsome,” I whispered over his lips before sealing mine to them.
And so damn lucky.
We spent that long summer evening sipping beer, laughing at the little ones exploring their new world, and watching fireflies rise from the lawn when it grew dark. We closed the geese in for the night, dodging a pinch from an over-protective father, andwent inside where I showed him just how much I adored him as a hazy half-moon slid into the velvety black sky.
Spent and sweaty, we dozed off in each other’s arms to the song of crickets and tiny frogs down at the creek, a gentle wind rustled the sheers. Summer reallywasthe season of growth. Both in the natural world and the world of one incredibly blessed barkeep. I felt like a sunflower just bursting through the soil, knowing I would reach tremendous heights with the tender affection of a wonderful man who watered him with love on the daily.
Epilogue
Four Months later
“This is easier than I thought it would be,” Kenan announced as we slowly followed behind Fred and Wilma down our skinny country lane. “I thought there would be lots of running and chasing.”
My geese were checking us out every few minutes, making sure we were accompanying them down this odd road covered with gold and scarlet leaves. They might pretend they don’t like us, but they do. Deep down. Under all them feathers and attitude.
“Geese are pretty easy to herd, especially chubby domestic ones who can’t fly very far.”
We strolled along, the chilly wind making our noses run and our cheeks red. Fall was upon us in earnest now. There was frost on the pumpkin sitting outside Kenan’s front door every morning now. Oops.Ourfront door. I’d sold my tiny place to Linc, one of the regulars at the alehouse, for a very nice price. The cottage that we now call home was bigger. Mr. and Mrs.Blum had raised a child in it, so the extra bedroom was now an office. Well, it would be an office slash music room once it was done being a catchall for my stuff.
