He's Got Her Goat (24 page)

In the warm moonlight she could see open fields and smell the newly tilled earth. “It’s lovely here.” She couldn’t imagine what compelled him to leave and wanted to ask, but he was staring somewhere behind her left shoulder as if he’d seen a ghost.

Paige heard a metallic click and whirled around to see an old man in boots holding a shotgun aimed right toward them.

“Dad?” was all Sterling said.

Paige watched the man lower his weapon. He seemed to be digesting the word in his mind. He uncocked the gun and set it against a nearby tree before sprinting toward Sterling and clutching him as if he were a man drowning.

The man’s shoulders were convulsing, and as he turned slightly, she caught the glitter of fresh tears on his cheeks in the moonlight. He was sobbing.

“Oh, my boy,” the old man said. “I thought I’d never see you again, but you’re here right when I needed you.”

The timbre of his voice reminded her so much of Uncle Bill that Paige had to swallow her own tears. It hurt to think she’d never have such a reunion and that Sterling had pushed away someone who obviously loved him so deeply. Sterling’s eyes were closed. At first, he seemed stiff. Then it was as if something in him melted, and he embraced his father back with equal fervor.

Paige stepped away to give them privacy. As she did, she tripped on a small stone and caught herself, but it was enough to end the moment.

Father and son pulled apart. The older man wiped his face with the back of his hand and spoke as though this were an ordinary day. “So is this your wife?”

“No.” Sterling motioned for Paige to join them. “Just a friend. Nothing more.”

Paige remained silent. Hurt but silent.

The truck door opened, and a sleepy Austin emerged.

Sterling’s dad lit up in excitement. “And is this your boy?”

“No, no.” Sterling patted his dad’s shoulder. “Austin’s a friend, too. I work with him. Look, Dad, I’m in trouble. Because of me, Paige lost her goats, and we stole them back. I only need to board them here for five days, and then we’ll be out of your hair.”

His dad looked as if he hadn’t heard him.

Sterling began to repeat himself. “I was stupid and made Paige lose her herd. . .”

“I got it the first time.” His dad’s voice was suddenly gruff. “Well, put ‘em in there. Anything else can wait till morning.”

PAIGE HURRIED TO THE TRUCK
, pulled down the ramp and led the goats into the barn. They were nervous and clingy from the ride, so it was easy. Even Petunia followed without complaint. Sterling slammed the back door of the truck shut and parked the U-haul, so it couldn’t be seen from the road. In the barn Austin held his wrinkled papers to make certain each animal was accounted for.

As Paige walked back toward the house, she was met by Sterling’s dad watching from the kitchen door. He nodded her direction. “The way a woman treats God’s creatures is a good indicator of how she’ll treat her future children. You pass, young lady.”

“Thank you.” Obviously, Sterling’s dad had never talked to Dotty or he may have a totally different attitude about her. When Sterling came up behind her, she was a little surprised he put his arm around her waist.

He spoke to his dad. “All right. We’re all bushed. Where do you want to put us?”

His dad stroked his chin. “Well, you and your friend will have to bunk together.”

Sterling’s grip tightened, and Paige’s eyes popped wide open. “Excuse me?”

Sterling’s dad continued. “And the young lady will take Linda’s room.”

Relief flooded across her and she asked, “Who’s Linda?”

Sterling whispered in her ear. “My older sister. We’re only fourteen months apart.”

Paige liked the idea of Sterling having a sister and even liked his father so far. As Sterling walked away to get their bags, she wondered again why he would ever leave. By the time he got back, Austin was still nowhere in sight. A light was on in the barn.

Sterling was about to head that way when Paige stopped him. “Let me. You can take the bags upstairs. We’ll be right there.”

Father and son were left together. Paige hoped they’d talk while they had the time alone. She hurried across the wide driveway, amazed how much it reminded her of her own farmhouse, except bigger. At the barn Austin was still trying to count the herd. His hands and face were smudged with muck. “They removed the collars. I’ve counted four times but can’t get it right.”

She leapt up on the fence and swung one leg over the top, straddling it. “Let’s finish in the morning.”

He shook his head. “No, something’s wrong.” He started all over again.

She swung her other leg over and hopped into the stall. “They’ll still be here when you wake up. Come on.”

Austin shifted his focus. “Wait, are you the boss or is Sterling?”

The question took her by surprise. “Well, since they’re my goats, I’d say I am.”

“Then, as my boss, are you demanding I retire for the night?” Austin looked very serious, and she tried her hardest not to smile. This was why she liked him. He was so black and white. You knew where you stood with Austin. Unlike Sterling who said one thing and did another.

“Yup. It’s time to retire.”

“Very well.” Austin folded up his papers without argument and strode from the barn. “I’ll be back at first light.”

Paige had to rush to catch up to him and found Sterling standing at the back door waiting. The lights in the kitchen were on, and as she stepped through the threshold, she couldn’t believe her eyes. The yellow walls were a replica of her own house back home. Now she understood Sterling’s first reaction when he came into the farmhouse. It had nothing to do with her.

Suddenly, more tired than before, she trailed behind the boys, up the stairs and straight down the hall to a little room. Sterling pulled a string. The naked bulb exposed a full-sized brass bed beneath a large window in a gabled room. The walls were covered with thick cedar paneling, and the window was framed in pink ruffles. Paige bade the men goodnight and shut the door, so exhausted she could barely stand.

She yanked on the string to turn out the light and flopped down on the mattress fully clothed. Through the window, the vivid stars demanded her attention. The sky was that deep blue black that looked like velvet. No more like silk. She smiled to herself. It really looked just like that dress still hanging in the closet in that Texas hotel. Paige remembered her quick departure, thinking she’d lost Sterling forever and right after discovering she’d lost the herd. What a dark time.

The first pinprick of light emerged when she found Austin still at the house and then Petunia in the meadow. The next was when Sterling found her. Without any one of them, she’d never have found the herd or had a place to keep them. All she had to do now was keep her head on straight for the next four days, and the whole deal would be defunct. Then they could all go back to their lives. Well, sort of. Sterling and Austin would both be unemployed, unless she hired them.

The idea made her tingle. Austin was such a hard worker, and Sterling could steer her through the steps of expansion with his eyes closed. Of course, he would have to make some adjustments to his business strategies, but she could work with him on that. Together, they could make Lindon Beauty Cakes everything she had envisioned. Remembering his reunion with his dad gave her hope. If he was willing to swallow his pride and come home for her, he could change.

Paige tucked her hands behind her head and stared at the dark ceiling above her bed. Only one thing still bothered her. Sterling still hadn’t told her why he left. She thought of his advice yesterday morning, to disclose as little as possible. At least no one could accuse him of being a hypocrite. But she wondered what his father had done or was it his mother or sister? Who had hurt him so badly?

Above her, a circle of eerie green light seemed to be pushing through the paneling.

She blinked and blinked again, but it was still there. Someone must have taken a glow stick, broken it open and written above the bed. The chemicals looked to have soaked into the wood paneling years ago, leaving the message there longer than intended. A heart surrounded a single name. DARRYL. Was that one of Linda’s old boyfriends? Funny, no one who didn’t sleep in the room would even know it was there.

Chapter Thirty

I
T WAS STILL DARK WHEN THE SOUND
of bleating goats woke her. They were either afraid or in trouble. Paige took the stairs two at a time and raced across the yard, the laces of her sneakers untied. The garage door was open with no car inside. The U-haul was still hidden to the side of the barn where it had been parked yesterday. The eastern horizon was growing lighter, hinting the promise of a new day.

Hurdling the barrier at the entrance of the barn, Paige stood among the goats and scanned their backs. They were so restless. Something wasn’t right. Then Austin’s head popped up from the center of the herd.

“Austin?”

He got off his hands and knees, and rose to his feet. “You said I could resume at first light.”

“More like first pale.” She supposed that a sliver of the population may consider this morning. “Since I’m up anyway, can I help you?”

“As a matter of fact…” Austin held out the wrinkled papers that seemed to be his lifeline. “. . . that would be most appreciated. You see, after reviewing my written descriptions in more detail, I have come to a shocking conclusion.”

Paige found a five-gallon bucket in the corner, turned it and sat on it. Beside the bucket, six stacks of apple crates reached to the rafters. “What?” she said half-heartedly.

“One goat in this barn is not yours. We stole it outright. At least the others were your property previously. We’d be given legal lenience, but stealing a goat that doesn’t belong to you changes our actions from an undecided dispute over ownership to grand larceny.” Austin had droplets of sweat running down his cheeks though the morning was chilly. “Do you see my concern?”

“Yes.” Paige got to her feet and scanned the goats. One had a cropped white coat and stood about four inches taller than the rest. She serpentined through the herd’s close knit bodies to get to him. His horns were clipped, and he was shorn, but his roman nose and clear eyes were unmistakable. She dropped to her knees and hugged him. “King, it’s you!”

Austin stared at her like she’d lost her mind.

“He’s mine alright.” She laughed and hugged the buck again. “The reason this goat’s not on your list is because I lost him months ago.” She thought of bringing up Blanche but didn’t want to have to explain. “I looked everywhere and asked the neighbors, but no one said they’d seen him.”

“Him?” She heard a deep voice behind her.

Turning, she found Sterling leaning against the gate. His hair was wet from a recent shower, and he looked right at home with his flannel shirt and jeans. She smiled and led the buck over to him. “This is King. He’s a Xinjiang/Saanen mix I thought I lost last fall, but it looks like he was stolen. Could Elaine have done this?”

“I’d bet on it.” He patted the goat’s head and caught Austin’s eye. “You get what this means?”

Austin nodded. “Hard evidence.”

He clasped Paige’s shoulder. “You might beat Elaine yet.”

The first ridge of the sun edged over the horizon, waking the clouds in deep lavender. Paige couldn’t remember feeling so happy, but the rumble of an approaching car broke the spell. All three went to high alert. Austin stood beside her, while Sterling jogged to the entrance of the driveway. He called to them, “It’s my dad’s pickup.”

Paige hadn’t realized she’d been carrying so much fear until that moment. It was a real possibility they could all wind up behind bars.

Sterling’s dad pulled into the garage and emerged holding a paper grocery bag. “You’re all up? I’d hoped to catch you still sleeping like city folk.”

“Dad, did you tell anyone we were here?”

“Well, I ran into an old girlfriend of yours but told her you were taken.” He winked in Paige’s direction, and she couldn’t help but smile.

Sterling’s voice grew louder. “Did you say anything about the goats?”

His dad looked like he wanted to spit. “How much of a fool do you think I am? I heard what you told me, that they were absconded.” He trotted away, and Sterling stared after him.

“Uncle Bill’s the same way,” Paige said. “Gets offended if you look at him wrong.”