Page 44 of The Moment They Can't Forget

“Which doesn’t mean you can do it to anyone else,” Brody said.

“Anyway,” Ally said quickly. “About Parsnip and Pumpkin.”

“When is this school fair that you need my goats for?”

“Today.”

“Today?”

“Today,” she repeated. “I have to go soon to help set up, but Uncle Sawyer said he’d come and pick them up in his trailer.”

“If it’s okay with JD,” Brody added.

“Right. So is it?” Ally asked.

“Okay, sure.” Her screech had him wincing. “But I can’t guarantee they won’t eat anything because they are not well-behaved in that way, Ally,” he said.

“Cool! See you soon!”

“You sure about this, JD?” Brody asked, having taken the phone from his daughter.

“Yeah, no worries. Your kid is hilarious.”

“And then some, but it’s good for her that at least one person in her life says no,” Ally’s father drawled. “She’s also lazy, won’t do her chores, and refuses to hurry in the morning, which makes her late for school,” he said in a louder voice.

“Dad,” Ally said in a whining tone.

“I’m not going to be that one person, Brody.”

He sighed loudly. “Thanks, JD. Sawyer will head up to get the goats.”

“Sweet. I’ll get them ready.”

“Don’t let them eat your Manolos,” Brody said.

“Hilarious.”

“Thanks again, bud.”

He cut the call, finished his coffee, then took a shower. After making his bed, JD put on the wash and then headed to the barn. Now he thought about it, he’d seen the flyers saying that today was the school fair. He hadn’t planned on going, but maybe he’d drop by to check on his goats.

He headed for the barn with the dogs running at his side. Velma flew past him.

“Show off.”

JD walked inside to bleating, mooing, and stomping of small hooves. He owned two goats, two cows, and a donkey. All had needed rehoming and the locals had decided he was the man for the job.

After feeding everyone and giving pats and head scratches, he let them outside to run in the paddocks. His animals didn’t seem to mind cohabitating with each other and were just happy to have a home and food. All except Potato. His continually pissed-off-with-life donkey.

JD put her feed inside and then leaned on her stall to watch her eat. At least she was clean today. If there was a mud puddle, she found it.

The sound of a vehicle told him Sawyer had arrived. This business with Zoe couldn’t affect his relationship with his friend. He wouldn’t let it. Not that there would be anything between him and Zoe anymore. After last night, he thought he knew exactly what she thought of him.

He found Sawyer and Lil getting out of his pickup. He was towing his horse trailer.

“You look like shit,” Sawyer said by way of a greeting. He had on old shorts and a long-sleeved T-shirt with a rip in the neck. The man was all class.

“Thanks, love you too. Good morning, Lil.”

---