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beyond anything Christina could imagine herself having the ability to

accomplish.

The goats were adorable. There was a big mama goat and her two little

babies, as well as massive, ornery daddy goat who stayed in his pen. They

had spent time petting the babies instead. Christina found it alarming that

they had a propensity for trying to consume clothing and hair, but Taylor

had assured her that was natural.

After seeing the animals, Taylor suggested taking a walk. Her dog,

Peppy, was absolutely thrilled to be back on the farm. He might have been

getting up there in years, but he’d eaten a piece of siding off the barn in his

eagerness at being out of the city. Taylor thought a walk would help cool his

jets and wear him out.

They started off from the barn. They had to clear the fence, which Chloe

and Taylor did with ease. Peppy squeezed in between the posts.

“Just put your boot on the bottom rung and climb it like a ladder. Swing

your leg over, hold onto the top, and climb down in reverse.”

Taylor made it sound so easy. Christina had worn appropriate footwear,

jeans, and a casual, plain shirt, since Taylor warned her ahead of time, but

she was still afraid of slipping, falling on her face, or splitting her pants

going over. The jeans weren’t that tight, but still. Christina wasn’t used to

scaling or climbing anything. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d

had to use a ladder even.

Chloe giggled from the other side, but Taylor shushed her with a look.

They waited patiently while Christina gripped the second to the top round

wooden fence post. She slid her boot onto the bottom one. They were

hardly industrial. Meant more for fashion, they still got the job done

anyway. She climbed steadily, gripping the smooth, worn wood. Being tall

really helped her heft her leg over the top to clear the last post. After that,

turning and going down was easier. A sensation of triumph echoed through

her when she hit the ground.