isn’t a problem.”
“Are you kidding? I never turn down help with chores.” She studied Shea for a moment, glancing at her jeans and boots. “I don’t suppose you brought a pair of work gloves with you.”
“Oh...I did.” She dug the keys out of her pocket and used the remote to unlock the Toyota’s rear door. The gloves were still in the package but she removed them, then used her teeth to break through the binding plastic ring. “I bought them in town yesterday. Jesse suggested I’d need something better than what I’d brought with me.”
“Jesse?” Annie said, her brows arched in surprise.
“Jesse McAllister.” Shea felt funny suddenly. Though she hadn’t said anything wrong...she didn’t think.... “I’m staying at the Sundance.”
“That’s right. Rachel mentioned it. You won’t meet a nicer family.”
“They’ve been wonderful. I hate that I’m imposing but I was desperate.” She walked with Annie toward the barn, taking an extra step every few feet in order to keep up with Annie’s mile-long legs.
“I’ve only known the McAllisters for two years, but I doubt you’re intruding. Number one, they’re very supportive of the shelter and are happy you’re volunteering. And secondly, if you got Jesse to talk long enough to recommend gloves, then I’m sure they all love you to pieces.” Annie stopped to pick up the bucket she’d left in the entryway of the barn. “If you don’t mind, I’ll wait until Molly and Hank, the other volunteers, arrive before I give a tour.”
“Absolutely,” Shea murmured, torn between being a bother and wanting to ask about Jesse.
“But I’m happy to have you come along while I feed the animals,” Annie said. “The more exposure you have the better.” Her kind blue eyes sparkled. “Now come meet Kiki. She’ll be a little ornery at first but as soon as she gets some grain in her belly she’ll be sweet as pie.”
In a matter of seconds, Annie had flipped the moment’s awkwardness into positive action. Envying the woman’s ability, Shea followed in grateful silence as they entered a fenced-off section inside the cavernous barn. Hay was strewn across the hard dirt floor where chickens clucked around the hooves of grazing goats.
Shea had never seen a goat up close before and she was amazed at their varying sizes and how different they looked. She spotted a particularly tall brown-and-black one with big floppy ears who towered over the others and looked as if she might be the matriarch of the bunch. “Is that Camel?”
Annie slid her another curious look. “Jesse?”
She nodded. “He said she’s partial to human hair.”
“Never turn your back on her,” Annie said. “Even if she’s just eaten. It won’t matter.” She swung open the gate to a stall and a medium-size brown goat with tiny ears came trotting excitedly toward them. “This is Kiki, behind her is Angel.”
Shea let out a delighted gasp at the still-gangly white baby goat that was smaller than a border collie. Except, like the brown goat, she practically had no ears. “She’s adorable. How old is she?”
“About three weeks. They grow fast and they come out almost ready to walk. They’re Lamanchas. That’s why the small ears.”
Even if Shea didn’t know what was going on, apparently both goats knew what to do. She stood back to give them room and watched as they anxiously squeezed into the stall with an odd-looking wooden contraption. Kiki immediately jumped up onto the platform, stuck her head through something that might have been a neck harness and stared at the empty metal bowl sitting on a stump.
“Here you go, mama.” Annie poured grain into the bowl, then latched the harness around Kiki’s neck to keep her in place.
Angel had already jumped up onto the platform and started to nurse. Busy munching the grain, Kiki ignored the baby.
“Why do you have to lock her up like that?” Shea asked.
“So that she’ll let Angel nurse and not hurt her. Kiki
“Are you kidding? I never turn down help with chores.” She studied Shea for a moment, glancing at her jeans and boots. “I don’t suppose you brought a pair of work gloves with you.”
“Oh...I did.” She dug the keys out of her pocket and used the remote to unlock the Toyota’s rear door. The gloves were still in the package but she removed them, then used her teeth to break through the binding plastic ring. “I bought them in town yesterday. Jesse suggested I’d need something better than what I’d brought with me.”
“Jesse?” Annie said, her brows arched in surprise.
“Jesse McAllister.” Shea felt funny suddenly. Though she hadn’t said anything wrong...she didn’t think.... “I’m staying at the Sundance.”
“That’s right. Rachel mentioned it. You won’t meet a nicer family.”
“They’ve been wonderful. I hate that I’m imposing but I was desperate.” She walked with Annie toward the barn, taking an extra step every few feet in order to keep up with Annie’s mile-long legs.
“I’ve only known the McAllisters for two years, but I doubt you’re intruding. Number one, they’re very supportive of the shelter and are happy you’re volunteering. And secondly, if you got Jesse to talk long enough to recommend gloves, then I’m sure they all love you to pieces.” Annie stopped to pick up the bucket she’d left in the entryway of the barn. “If you don’t mind, I’ll wait until Molly and Hank, the other volunteers, arrive before I give a tour.”
“Absolutely,” Shea murmured, torn between being a bother and wanting to ask about Jesse.
“But I’m happy to have you come along while I feed the animals,” Annie said. “The more exposure you have the better.” Her kind blue eyes sparkled. “Now come meet Kiki. She’ll be a little ornery at first but as soon as she gets some grain in her belly she’ll be sweet as pie.”
In a matter of seconds, Annie had flipped the moment’s awkwardness into positive action. Envying the woman’s ability, Shea followed in grateful silence as they entered a fenced-off section inside the cavernous barn. Hay was strewn across the hard dirt floor where chickens clucked around the hooves of grazing goats.
Shea had never seen a goat up close before and she was amazed at their varying sizes and how different they looked. She spotted a particularly tall brown-and-black one with big floppy ears who towered over the others and looked as if she might be the matriarch of the bunch. “Is that Camel?”
Annie slid her another curious look. “Jesse?”
She nodded. “He said she’s partial to human hair.”
“Never turn your back on her,” Annie said. “Even if she’s just eaten. It won’t matter.” She swung open the gate to a stall and a medium-size brown goat with tiny ears came trotting excitedly toward them. “This is Kiki, behind her is Angel.”
Shea let out a delighted gasp at the still-gangly white baby goat that was smaller than a border collie. Except, like the brown goat, she practically had no ears. “She’s adorable. How old is she?”
“About three weeks. They grow fast and they come out almost ready to walk. They’re Lamanchas. That’s why the small ears.”
Even if Shea didn’t know what was going on, apparently both goats knew what to do. She stood back to give them room and watched as they anxiously squeezed into the stall with an odd-looking wooden contraption. Kiki immediately jumped up onto the platform, stuck her head through something that might have been a neck harness and stared at the empty metal bowl sitting on a stump.
“Here you go, mama.” Annie poured grain into the bowl, then latched the harness around Kiki’s neck to keep her in place.
Angel had already jumped up onto the platform and started to nurse. Busy munching the grain, Kiki ignored the baby.
“Why do you have to lock her up like that?” Shea asked.
“So that she’ll let Angel nurse and not hurt her. Kiki
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