Page 78 of Till The Cows Come Home
He delivered a quick kiss to my lips before turning to address the crowd, who’d begun to swoon.
“Please enjoy,” Miles waved to the food, “You’ve more than earned it.”
I’m not sure that there was a dry eye in the crowd as the claps began, showering Miles with the love he deserved.
“Too much?” Miles asked, grinning as he took his spot next to me.
“Just right.” I sniffled, leaning my head on his shoulder as I watched the crowd dig in, soaking in the buzz of excitement as people chattered about the big day.
As I finished my meal, the sun was setting behind the new barn, illuminating it in a way even the best photographs couldn’t replicate and the jitters over the endeavor were replaced with a calmness.
That tranquility lasted until the familiar hiss of brakes stopped me mid mouthful, my senses simply unable to process what I was seeing. It appeared that an eighteen wheeler had pulled into the lot, but my brain scrambled as I tried to understand. The girls were supposed to arrive tomorrow, and I scoured my mind for what could possibly be delivered that would warrant the truck.
“No,” I mumbled in disbelief.
“Surprise, pretty girl.”
Before I could think, I was on my feet and I could hear Miles’ close behind me as I ran. Mr. Chambers was opening the back, and I let out a sob as the moos of the girls echoed through the truck, bellowing their pleasantries. The porch quickly emptied, our guests congregating as Miles opened the gate, nodding to John to let the first cow off the back.
“Come see your new home, girls.”
The first cow cleared the ramp, pausing when she got to him as if she too was waiting forconfirmation that this was really happening. He scratched her forehead, whispering something to her as the rest of the truck continued to unload.
Miles made his way to my side, and as we watched the barn fill with life, he leaned down to my ear.
“Welcome to Blossom’s Creamery, Sage.”
The world ceasing to spin nor the deafening cheers erupting around me could have stopped the words from echoing in my ears.
Blossom’s Creamery.
The perfect name for a new beginning.
Epilogue
Sage
Four Years Later
Icrouched in front of the incubator, feeling the tension of tiny hands pulling on my overalls. The chicks were due anyday, so I wasn’t surprised when the shrill screams of my favorite toddler approached me after noticing pipping in a few of the eggs.
“I swear I saw it, Auntie Sage.”
“I believe you, Asher,” I whispered, and a moment later we watched one of the eggs jolt from the commotion inside.
“See!” he whispered as best he could, but he practically screamed in my ear.
“Why don’t we get a hold of our friends?” I chuckled. “That way no one misses their chicks hatching.”
Asher was at the barn more than not, and for the past two or three days he sat in my classroom, eyes glued to the incubator. We had a calendar marked on day twenty-one, the predicted due date, and he insisted on crossing each day off. As we grew nearer, he couldn’t handle the excitement in his tinybody, so he used his energy to guard the chicks, watching carefully for signs of hatching.
“Can we call Uncle Jack too?”
“Yes,” I chuckled, “We can call Uncle Jack.”
As Miles and I’s relationship progressed we spent more and more time with Ruby, which then turned into time with Ali and Asher, and Ruby being Ruby made Uncle Lumberjack stick, Uncle Jack for short. Miles welcomed it with grace, though, smitten with Asher’s baby voice each time the words left his mouth. I sent out a group text to all the parents before dialing Miles, who was picking up fencing at the hardware store to finish up the expanded coop.
“Hello, pretty girl.”
