Page 63 of Lavender Lake
Bowman crawled out from under the porch, Tempest bleating against his chest.
“What do I do now?” he demanded.
“You wait right there, don’t move, don’t let go of that goat. I’m going to go make Muddy’s skunk spray destroyer recipe, and then I’ll be back.”
“You might want to change your clothes,” he stated.
“Why would I need to changemyclothes?” I demanded.
“You’re washing the goat.”
“Like hell I am.”
“Either you wash her or I turn her into goat kababs.”
“Goat curry would be better,” I joked.
He looked down and glared at the baby goat who peered up at him, and then licked his cheek.
“Son of a bitch,” Bowman muttered again.
“Nothing cuter than a man holding a baby goat,” I said as I skipped my way to the house.
“What about a man holding a baby?” he tossed out.
Declan’s words came roaring back about Bowman not being a family man.
I didn’t reply, and instead just kept on walking.
“My, my, my, how things change,” I said, raising the bottle of beer to my lips.
Bowman ran a hand down Tempest’s back—Tempest who was currently curled up in a towel on Bowman’s lap.
“Not a word,” Bowman said.
“You’re a goat convert,” I quipped, completely ignoring him. “Something happened when you bathed the skunk stink from her fur. You bonded. You’re connected. You’re going to goat-nap her from Hadley, thus inciting a fight between you and Declan. Fists will fly over a baby dwarf pygmy goat.”
“I’ll pay you to stop talking.” He grabbed his bottle of beer that rested on the stump next to his camp chair.
We were outside, enjoying the afternoon sun and a beer, but the scent of skunk still hung in the air. It would take days to clear out.
The sound of a truck rumbled up the driveway on the other side of the house, but the noise didn’t disturb Tempest who was perfectly content in Bowman’s beefy arms.
I want him to hold me with those arms.
A groan escaped my lips.
“You okay?” Bowman asked.
“Peachy,” I grumbled.
A truck door slammed shut.
“Declan,” Bowman said.
I nodded.
A few minutes later, the back door of the house opened and Declan came outside.
