Page 34 of Home Hearts Hooves

“See,toldyou,” Nate says, and I go to fish my wallet out, but he’s waving me away.

“I’ll come for a free cuddle later,” he says, and Rémy frowns my way. “The cows, a cow cuddle. I’m not hugging Dean.” He laughs, and I take another big bite of the delicious tart.

“Thanks,” I say and head back through the crowd as I eat. Sally-May catches me just as I’m popping the last of it into my mouth.

“That one of them there tarts the French Chef is selling?” she asks, craning her neck toward their stall.

“Yeah, blueberry hydrangea, Nate called it. Really good, but your pies are better,” I say, and I’m not lying. Not really. While the tart was incredible, Sally-May’s pies taste like home, and nothing will ever be better than that. She smiles.

“Good, good.”

I look over the table. She’s already sold more than half of what she cooked up.

“Is there no cherry left?” I ask, and she shakes her head.

“But don’t you be worrying, I saved you a cherry pie at home. We’ll have it for dessert tonight.”

“Thanks, Sally-May.”

“STOP THAT GOAT!” a girl calls, and a second later, I spot the white and tan fur of something hardly bigger than a rat slip between the legs of three people before I scoop him up. What kind of goat is this? He’s tiny, my fingers nearly meeting around his middle as I pull him to my chest to try to calm his cries.

The crowd parts a little, and the girl comes running through. I recognized her right away. It’s Isabel’s daughter. Preston’s daughter. Poppy.

“Thank you,” she says, holding out her hands for the baby goat.

“This little guy wasn’t from the cuddle corner, so, where are you two coming from, darlin’?” I askholdingthe tiny goat to my chest. He wriggles a little, then rests his head on my shoulder.

“He escaped from the adoption stall. Preston didn’t tell me goats can jump that high.”

“Goats are clever things, almost as clever as cheeky lamas.”

“You run the farm with Chewie, don’t you?” she asks, and I nod and we start walking over the direction she came.

“Sure do. I’ve seen you with your mom cuddling the cows. Are you here with your mom today?” I ask as she follows along beside me towards Preston’s stall.

“Nope. I’m helping Preston today. He’s got lots of animals that need adopting. You want some more for your ranch?” she asks, and we step up to the small fence surrounding the adoption stall.

“Mr. Beaker has already kindly offered to take in any of these guys we don’t find homes for today,” Preston says as he helps her climb over the small fence surrounding the animals. He looks up at me, and his gaze moves to my chest.

“Is that shirt an invitation?” he asks.

“Huh? Oh, umm… No. You see, it’s for the cuddle corner. I mean, all the guys are wearing them.”

“I kind of figured, well, it looks like your new friend likes it, too,” he says, nodding to the baby goat. “The little thing’s gone right to sleep on you there.”

“He’s too young to be adopted out, isn’t he?” I ask, the goat’s backside resting against my palm easily.

“He’s a Nigerian dwarf brought in by one of the vets a few towns over.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, a surrender from some city guy who thought a Pygmy goat would make a great birthday gift for his girlfriend. Lasted all of a day before it ate one of her shoesandhe handed the fella in. Are you interested?”

“We’ve got some mini highlands, and the baby goats are always a fan favorite. Let me see if Connor is up for a new addition,” I say, and he chuckles.

“I’ll start the paperwork.”

I just smile and nod, then head over to the cuddle corner. Connor coos like he’s just spotted an adorable baby when he sees the kid on my shoulder.

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