Page 70 of Silent Count
I tap the address into the GPS screen in his car. We had to take his SUV since he wouldn’t fit comfortably in my Honda Civic.
“Nope. I want you to be surprised when we pull up.” I giggle.
“But it’s not a surprise party, right? I hate those.”
“No, it’s just us. Well, and some other people that we don’t know, but the day is just for us.” I finish putting the address in and sit back in my seat. “Okay, let’s roll, Callaway.” I clap my hands.
He pulls out of the parking space in front of his house, and we head to our destination. We make small talk on the way. He tells me about his past birthdays and about his circus-themedparty for his tenth birthday, which was his favorite even though he doesn’t like circuses. There were live animals, trapeze artists, clowns, and other circus performers, and I’m sure the food served was incredible. His cake alone, he said, was the size of a small, round kitchen table.
Let’s just say, my tenth birthday looked a whole lot different from his. My sister and I celebrated my birthday that year with social services. It was super fun. My parents had gotten into a fight, and it turned physical, which was normal for us. But one of our old neighbors heard it and called the cops. My parents were arrested because they both assaulted the officers. So, social services was called, and we were picked up from the police station and taken to a shelter for the night. I didn’t have a cake or presents at all. Not that I would have had we been at home anyway because my parents forgot that it was my birthday.
Twenty minutes later, we arrive at the farm where I’m taking Bo to play with golden retrievers. Hearing about him dragging that stuffed animal around when he was little made me sad that he never had a pet.
“What is this? A dog farm?”
We pass through the gates of Golden Prairie Farm, where we see puppies and dogs running through the fields.
“Yes!” I turn in my seat, and I can hardly contain my excitement. I mean, this is like giving myself a present too. I love dogs, and I’m dying to cuddle with some puppies.
He laughs. “Okay, so what are we doing here? You’re not buying a dog, are you?”
“No, silly. So, you know how you told us about your stuffie, Spike?” I lean over the console.
He pulls into a parking spot and puts the car in park, then faces me, smiling. “Yeah, I remember.”
“Okay, well, I got to thinking about what I could get you for your birthday, and then I remembered you telling us that story.So, I looked online to see what puppy farms were in the area that we could just, like, hang out at. Then this place came up, and it was like I won the doggy lottery!” I’m practically bouncing in my seat.
“But what do we do, just play with them or what?”
“I’m glad you asked, Bo.” I pull out my phone from my crossbody. “Our golden experience includes play time with the dogs, a prairie picnic—I’m not sure what that involves other than food—and a tour of the little store they have here. I guess it is a working farm and not just the puppy part.” I set my phone on my lap.
“Come here.” He wiggles his finger toward himself.
I bend further over the console until my face is in front of his.
Bo cups my face and leans into me. “This is possibly the best birthday I’ve ever had.” Then he kisses me softly, tenderly.
When I pull back, I take his face in my hands. “I doubt that, but I felt so bad that you never had a pet, and since neither of us can actually get a dog right now, I thought this could be a temporary fix.” I kiss him again.
“Lucky, this seriously is the best birthday because I get to be with you, but also, I’m not sure anyone has ever done anything so thoughtful for me. Thank you, baby.” He unbuckles his seat belt. “Let’s go see some puppies.” He opens his door.
“You’re welcome! I’m so excited.” I unbuckle my seat belt, tuck my phone back in my bag, get out of the car, and meet him in the back of the car.
He takes my hand in his, and we walk to the entrance.
“Hi. We have a reservation for today,” I tell the girl at the counter.
“Welcome to Golden Prairie Farms. What is the reservation under?” She looks at me with her tablet in hand.
“Callaway,” I tell her.
“Perfect. I have you checked in. You can go outside this door here, and the trail will lead you down to the play area with the dogs. Here’s your bag of treats and a map of the property, so you know where to go for the picnic and where the store is located. Have fun!” She hands everything over to me.
“Great. Thank you so much.”
“Here, I’ll take it.” Bo takes the treats and the map from me.
“Okay, thanks.” I grab his free hand. “Come on. Puppies are waiting!”
