Page 153 of Huckleberry Hill
“I don’t know. Probably.”
“Probably?”
“Well, why would she care about marriage if kids aren’t on the table?”
“People get married and don’t have kids.”
“Yeah, but more people get married to have a family. It’s just the way of it.” She looked at me and quickly looped her arm through mine. “I’m sorry, sugar. I wasn’t thinking. Ignore me. I’ve entered the phase of my life where I have no filter and I say whatever’s on my mind.”
My lips twitched. “You’ve been that way for as long as I can remember. So you can’t use the age excuse.”
“Still, I’m sorry about what I said. It was thoughtless.”
“No.” I shook my head. “I have to get used to hearing things like that. From people I love as well as strangers. I can’t expect people to curb what they say.”
She fell silent and didn’t say anything else. We got to the truck and I opened the driver’s side door.
She hugged me and held me for a long moment before letting go. She pulled back to look at me. “I’m proud of you, Hadley.”
“For what?”
“For being you.”
She squeezed my shoulders and then dropped her hands.
“See you at home,” I said. “Drive safe.”
I got into the driver’s side seat and shut the door. My phone pinged with a text.
Dad
Your present got here.
Me
On my way home.
Chapter Thirty-Five
The Ranch
* * *
“You didn’t,” I said as I got out of the truck.
“I did,” Dad said with a rueful grin.
“You didn’t!” I squealed. I ran to the front porch and held out my hands.
He lifted the kid and placed it in my arms.
“It’s a she,” he said. “A Nigerian Dwarf goat.”
She was black and white with black socks, and I hugged her to me. “You got me a baby goat!”
“You’ve wanted a goat for years,” he said. “And now that you’re staying . . .”
Tears gathered in my eyes. “Thank you, Dad.”
