Page 6 of Cabins Cows Critics
I spot Atlas walking Loki my way, and I freeze. Loki is a deaf rescue horse that has a habit of pretending to die of fright if he is remotely spooked. Atlas has been working with him every day since he arrived, and he seems to be making progress. Hence, I am freezing in place right now. If I stand still until he comes up to me, then he will usually let me pet him and not fall over stiff as a board.
“How is our god of mischief going today?” I ask, and Loki nudges me with his nose, which is his approval to go for the pat.
“He’s doing great. We made it all the way past the guest cabins without a single incident.”
“Did any of the guests come out?”
“No, but I’m sure if they did, he would have been fine.”
“Yeah, cause this guy is totally cool with surprises.”
“He’s getting better.”
“Is he, though?”
Poppy runs back around the corner, only this time Loki spots her. He brays, head jolting to the side, then his body goes stiff, like the way goats do when you scare them, and drops to his side in the muck. His nostrils flared with heavy breaths.
“You know we can hear you breathing,” Atlas tells him, like he can hear a word he says, and I just shake my head.
“So much better.” I laugh, and Poppy jogs over and pets his head.
“It’s okay, Loki. Sorry I scared you,” she says, looking up at us. “Sorry, Uncle A.”
“No worries, Poppy, he’ll get back up in a minute. Are you helping out with the cuddle cove today?”
“Yep. There are at least three girls from my class coming today, too. They are so jealous that I get to cuddle them all the time, and they have to pay.”
I grab one of the brushes from a bucket hanging over one of the posts and pass it to Poppy.
“You can cuddle Miss Moo after you brush down the mini Highlands, okay?”
“Sure thing, Uncle C.”
Loki stirs and Atlas crouches beside him.
“Come on, boy,” he says in what would be a soothing tone, and if the horse could actually hear it, he might be soothed, but he just stares blankly at him. I mean, I think he’s looking at him.
“In about twenty minutes, there’ll be about fifteen children climbing all over this cuddle zone. Do you think you can get him up by then?”
“I hope so. If he’s down for too long, the cold ground will drop his body temperature too low. He just needs a minute. You’ll see.”
I leave Atlas to it and head into the mini barn behind the cuddle cove to start bringing through more of the animals. I knew all about cattle before arriving on the Beaker Brothers Ranch; being the heir to one of the largest beef empires will ensure that. But being in the Richmont family will also ensure you grow up an entitled dick, partying and fucking your way through every city you land in, looking for something, or someone to fill the giant hole in your soul.
I was in the headlines weekly with a new actress or model on my arm, and then my father died, and my grandfather informed me that it would all go to me sooner than I expected. But there was a catch. I would only inherit if I married before I was thirty-five. I had only just turned twenty-three and had zero desire to settle down, but I wanted the family business. More importantly, I wanted the money that came with it. It’s funny how quickly things change.
“Mommy, look, there they are!” a child squeals, and I wrangle the last of the baby goats into their section and close the gate, picking up Lulu for a quick snuggle.
“Now, you behave and stay in here with your friends,” I tell her, and she headbutts my chin in reply.
“Welcome to the cuddle cove,” I say as the child climbs the rail to look in at all the animals waiting for their playtime with today’s guests.
“Can I pat them?” he asks, and I nod.
“Sure thing, kiddo, climb on in.”
He makes a beeline for the mini Highlands where Poppy is still brushing their soft coats.
“Can I brush them, too?” he asks her, and she hands him her brush.
