Page 81 of Forgotten Desires

I chuckle and kiss her forehead. “If I get nights like this, I’m going to build you a barn starting tomorrow.”

She sighs heavily and then wraps her arms around me, and we fall asleep literally wrapped in each other’s arms.

* * *

“We need to put the pig in the pen with the sheep and the cow,” Brynn explains as she’s herding animals around.

“Daddy, I got a chicken!” Layla calls, showing me the chicken scooped under her arm.

Brynn turns to her. “That’s Bonita, she’s been with me since she was a baby. She’s very sweet.”

“I love her.”

“Can you bring her back in the chicken area so she’s nice and safe when we leave?”

Layla nods and looks to me. “Will I see her again?”

“You will. We’ll come back here next time you’re with me. Would you like that?”

My daughter’s eyes brighten. “Come on, Bonita, I’ll put you somewhere safe.” Layla pets Bonita and talks to her, telling her about her toys as she walks into the large chicken area.

I smile and glance at Brynn who looks ready to cry. She turns to me. “Come on, we have to work, or we won’t get her home in time.”

“Right. Pig in with the sheep and cow.”

I’m able to locate the cow, since it’s huge and all, but I’m not exactly sure how the fuck I’m supposed to move it. “Come on, cow, we have to go in the barn.”

And when I say barn, it’s more like half of a building. I’m sure at one point it was a very beautiful barn, it’s not now. It’s missing large parts of siding and has some plastic roofing sheeting around it. The stalls inside don’t have doors, they’re more like makeshift wood slats that are propped up.

I sigh as I try again with the cow, this time pulling a little on the harness. “Let’s go inside.”

The cow doesn’t move.

“You’re making me look like an idiot,” I tell it and she swishes her tail. “I’ll give you an apple or whatever cows like if you don’t make me have to ask her how to do this.”

The cow just stares at me.

“Any tips?” I ask Brynn as she lifts a sheep in her arms. Not like I can lift the cow and carry it.

“Bridget, barn,” she commands, and the damn thing starts to follow her.

“Really?” I ask Bridget as she passes me.

An hour later, we have all the animals where they need to be, Layla is in the house with Cliff, getting all her new clothes and toys together, while Brynn and I are walking hand in hand.

“Thank you for helping.” She rests her head on my upper arm. “I’m glad we came, and it seems Layla likes it here.”

“She definitely does. I see why you love it here.”

Her beautiful brown eyes find mine. “It has its weaknesses too.”

“Bad Italian food.”

She laughs. “That and while having a ton of land and nothing around for miles, you have very little privacy, thanks to the people.”

“In New York, we have no privacy, and no one gives a shit about you. I’m not sure your end of the deal is all that bad.”

As we get closer to the house, we see her brothers leaning against the fence rail, watching us with shit-eating grins.

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