Page 18 of Stealing Kisses

“I’m great at cleaning up messes.”

“I can imagine.”

“And I’m a terrific helper,” Teddy added, stepping into the chicken coop and casting a glance around the space for a way to lend a hand. Besides roosting boxes, bars for perching, chickens, and wood shavings on the floor, the building was mostly empty. He didn’t see a broom or rake or anything to work with. An air-tight container stood in one corner and a half-full, five-gallonwater bucket sat upside-down in a metal base, which plugged into the wall.

“I could fill up this water dispens?—”

“It’s fine,” Baylin interrupted. “I’m about done.”

“Surely there’s something I can do.” Teddy turned a circle in the relatively small space, shuffling to step around Baylin, but remaining in her way instead.

That earned him another admonishing look of exasperation.

“I’m finished feeding, and the water heater’s set for the night. Hens don’t lay as many eggs during the winter, so there are fewer to gather.”

“At least let me carry some, so we don’t drop more,” he added, taking the egg basket from her without asking permission first.

“We,huh?”

Teddy confirmed with a slight nod and a playful wink.

“Do the heat lamps help?” he asked, gesturing to the box heaters glowing orange in each corner of the coop.

“They keep the chickens alive, and extra feed helps, but the chickens use most of their energy staying warm. That leaves little to spend on laying eggs.” She reached under a hen to retrieve two more and handed them to Teddy. The basket remained less than a third full.

“Does this give you enough to sell at the festival? Minus the one I need to pay for, of course.”

Baylin’s posture relaxed a fraction at his self-effacing guilt. She took back her basket with a tug and set it on a wooden shelf.

“Yes, I’ve been collecting them for weeks. I have a bunch…” Baylin held her apron to create a bowl for the eggs and emptied the basket. “…even without that prized, golden egg on the ground,” she said with a teasing smile.

Oh, I could get used to that smile.

Their eyes locked, right there in the middle of squawking and pecking and the smell of chickens. They both froze for a split second, just a ripple in time, but enough to create that sizzle in Teddy’s chest again.

Glancing down, Baylin tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Then she looked into his eyes once more and stepped around him with a faint, “Excuse me.”

“Oh here, I’ll take some,” Teddy offered.

She hesitated.

“They’re safe. I promise,” he pledged. “I’m good with my hands.”

Her eyebrows shot up and her chin tilted.

“I mean, at using my hands,” he said, tripping over the words while suppressing a laugh. “At catching things,” he added. “Usually.”

She continued to eye him with uncertainty, but he’d have sworn a little laughter bubbled behind her eyes.

“What I’m trying to say is that I won’t drop any eggs.” Teddy held out his hands for Baylin to fill with fresh eggs. She stacked them in his large palms until her apron was empty. “Where do they go?”

“Down the back hallway, there’s a walk-in pantry next to the kitchen. You’ll find a stack of empty cartons on the shelf by the green refrigerator. The eggs go in the cartons, and the cartons go in the fridge,” she instructed.

“Do I need to wash them first?”

“No, they last longer if you don’t.”

He nodded and moved toward the house. Then he stopped mid-stride.

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