Page 18 of The Solstice Additions

“Now chickens, on the other hand. You cannot herd chickens,” I added as we cut around the white geese to steer them gently into Kenan’s—damn it—our driveway. Their new coop was around the back. They were going to love it. The coop was bigger, the fenced-in area wider, and they even had an in-ground pool of sorts. It was a wee pond that we’d worked on all summer since they would lose access to their creek playground. This one was heated so it could be used in the winter. No more beating the ice out of frozen water dishes and tubs.

“Or cats so I hear,” he commented before easing around Fred, arms out, to get him back on the right path. “We got an email from Molly Moore this morning. She’s wondering if we’re going to have more goslings next spring. I told her I would speak to you about it.”

“That’s up to these two.” I waved a hand at Fred and Wilma. They stopped to investigate a pumpkin left on the back steps. “I’ll bust that up for you after Halloween.” They seemed okay with that, then carried on with a few random honks. “Does she want more?”

“No, one of the other kids in her 4-H group fell in love with her two at the fair and wanted to raise some for show.”

The cold wind whipped his hair into his face. With a smooth move, he thumbed it back, but it was blown right back again. Mother Nature was in a blustery mood today. Dead leaves spiraled around us in a small circle.

“Ah okay. Well, if they set, we’ll for sure offer any to the 4-H kids.” That had been great fun. Lyle had taken his two geese a few weeks after they’d hatched and word had reached little Molly Moore via a customer at the bar that we had four goslings that would need a home. It had been short notice for her, butshe bought them with her own money—twenty bucks for the four plus a bucket of feed—and entered them in the county fair where they won blue ribbons. Granted, they were the only geese entered, but to a nine-year-old that doesn’t matter.

“Okay, gooses, in we go,” I called over the wind as we eased them into their new digs. They hit the goose hot tub instantly. We closed the wooden gate that held the BEWARE OF THUG GEESE sign, then stood there watching them bathe for a few minutes.

“They seem happy with the facilities,” Kenan said, looping his arm around my shoulder.

“We should get a hot tub.”

“Hmm, we could. We’d have to expand the back porch. Put that down on the list for next summer.”

“I kind of love that we have honey-do lists.” I pecked his scruffy cheek.

“That’s what people who live together do. They make up stuff for their partners to do.”

“Well, I have an idea of what we can do now.” I snuggled into his side and let my hand fall to his tight little butt and gave it a squeeze.

“Unpack some of your stuff that was just dumped in the spare room?”

That was not atallwhat I had had in mind. “No, that stuff can wait. Making love to you in our home can’t.”

He turned to face me, wrapping me in strong arms, his hair wafting into my face. I could just catch the smell of his new lemon verbena shampoo as the curls tickled my nose.

“I do love hearing you call it our home,” he whispered before capturing my mouth.

And I loved saying it.

Our home.

Our love.

Our future.

THE END