Page 26 of Take My Love

“There, that’s better.” Mila pats his butt. “Now stretch back slightly and hold.”

I walk around and find Silas glaring.

“Lookin’ good, city boy.”

Grabbing a handful of treats, I get one of the goats’ attention and direct them to climb on top of Silas’s back. His eyes widen at the added weight.

“Push on your tiptoes if you need to steady your balance,” I tell him.

His posture isn’t perfect but it’s doing the trick. Mila instructs everyone to get into the same pose while I keep the goat in place with treats.

Once the goat jumps down, I give Silas’s ass a little love tap. “You can rest now.”

He collapses. “That wasn’t any of the things your little marketin’ bit said it’d do.”

I scoff. “You didn’t relax. You were too tense.”

Walking through the class, I help with getting the goats to climb on their backs and bribe them with more treats. Mila directs the class into child’s pose, lotus pose and then a plank—all ones that make it easy for the goats to climb them while they balance and stretch.

Giggles echo through the air as the goats hop from person to person, getting more treats and lots of pets.

Once the time is up, Silas helps me get them loaded back into the crates. Mila closes out the class and thanks them for coming.

“Well, that was…interestin’.” Silas glances at me from the driver’s side, taking us back to the barn.

“In a couple weeks, you’ll easily hit that pose. Probably a few other ones too.”

“Please tell me you’re not gonna keep makin’ me do that twice a week?”

“The women loved you! Pretty sure a few of ’em were throwin’ heart-eyes your way. Now they’re gonna expect you each time, so you gotta keep doin’ it.”

“I didn’t agree to that…am I gettin’ paid for this?”

“You’re livin’ in my house rent-free,” I remind him.

He snorts. “Doyoupay rent?”

“That’s none of your business.”

Dad wouldn’t take my money even if I did offer to pay. He said he’ll only take it when I buy land to build a house and since I’m nowhere near ready to do that, I’ll take the free cabin.

“Fine,” he agrees. “But then you’re buyin’ all the groceries. And I wantflavoredcreamer. None of that half-and-half crap.”

“What? No way. You probably eat twice as much as me.” I scoff. “And what’s wrong with half-and-half?”

“If I’m lettin’ goats stand on my ass twice a week, that seems fair.” He lifts a shoulder. “And it’s borin’. I like a little caramel in my coffee. Or vanilla even. Pumpkin Spice when it’s available this time of year.”

I roll my eyes at his basic-ass tastes. “We’ll go shoppin’ tonight after work. But I’m only payin’ foronecreamer.”

“Deal.” He grins, backing up his truck in front of the fence. “Look at us compromisin’ as roommates already.”

“Mm-hmm,” I mutter. “I wouldn’t get used to it.”

He winks before jumping out of the truck.

Following him, we get the baby goats back inside the fence, I put the crates away, and then he unhooks the trailer before climbing back into his truck.

“I gotta change and grab my boots,” he tells me. “Can you let Ian know?”