I've dreamed of the perfect marriage ever since I was a little girl: a marriage complete with a hardworking husband while I tended to the home and our children, preferably four little rugrats to call my own. I dreamed of a life filled with laughter...
Author's Note: This chapter's song choice is religious and some may not want to listen to it. That's fine! Please pause it or stop listening at 1:20. It NAILSthe vibe I'm going for with Lottie and living a life of "I'm fine", so I'm giving you a heads-up in case you don't want to listen to it.
Now, to the salon!
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Breathe in.
Breathe out.
This has been my focus ever since arriving here: to breathe, to swim, to be. It keeps my mind from going to places that hurt, places that break, places that take me to my past. It keeps me grounded so I can keep my eye on the here and now.
And, what's the here and now? A problem I have no solution for.
"How do you suppose he got up there?" I ask in a whisper.
"I haven't the faintest idea," Penny whispers back, nudging me with her shoulder. Her attempt at humor forces me to look at her. She bounces her eyebrows and I have to bite my lip because we can't afford to laugh right now. The situation, as ridiculous as it seems, is dire. "I think the better question is how do you suppose we get him down?"
Now that's a good question.
If we approach him, he'll faint.
If he faints, he'll fall.
If he falls, he'll break his little goat neck.
We're careful not to make any sudden movements or talk too loudly while Goatsley stands on the roof of the ranch's largest tractor, happily bleating as if he's an overlord overlooking his kingdom.
"Do you think he's shouting orders, but because no one speaks goat, no one's responding?" Penny asks.
A snicker sneaks out and I have to cover my mouth. "Stop it, Penny. This is serious."
"Right. You're right," She says. From my peripheral, I see her slowly reach into her back pocket and pull out her phone. "I'm getting a video of this to add to TikTok and Instagram."
Beau and Penny don't live here; they have an entirely different life, in an entirely different state. Beau is a freelance web designer with a bit of a food addiction. Penny is a third-grade teacher with an extensive romance novel addiction that she refuses to talk about. Whenever she's on break, they help around the ranch since Beau can work anywhere. Their goal for this summer vacation is to build a social media presence for Last Hope Ranch and gain more traction and potential for donations and volunteers. So far, they've managed to get fifty thousand followers, increased donations by ten percent, and doubled the volunteer count in just over a month. Apparently, there's a market for unruly animals that are a wee bit self-obsessed, and by "wee" I mean extensively.
