3. Henry

Henry

" S am, where are you?" Henry yelled as he ran into the goat barn. The barn was separated into three different sections and Sam was in the stall for the smaller goats.

"What?" Sam stumbled over a goat as he hurried to the stall gate. "Shit, sorry Goaty McGoatface."

Henry leaned over the stall walls, hanging down to pet one of his favorites, a brown pygmy goat named Popcorn. "Something happened."

The blood drained from Sam's face. "Is it Teague? Corey? Aunt Mia? Did the murderer get them?"

Henry rolled his eyes. "For fuck's sake, Sam. No one is dead. There's not a crazed murderer running around Hobson Hills."

Sam fell against the stall gate. "Don't scare me like that. What's happened?"

"Tomás Wilson." Henry focused on scratching under Popcorn's chin, suddenly feeling like a fool for rushing all the way home just to talk to Sam. The man was just so easy to talk to, and he always made time to listen to Henry.

Sam leaned back and studied him for a moment. "You look good when you smile like that."

Henry rolled his eyes and pulled Popcorn's ear. "I smile all the time."

"Not like this." Sam shook his head and propped his arms on top of the gate, ignoring the goats gathering behind him, slowly moving closer. "This is a real smile, full of joy and shit like that."

"You have such a way with words."

"Don't pull out your snooty voice," Sam said. Goaty McGoatface was the first to start nibbling on Sam's coat, but the other goats quickly followed suit. "Damn it!"

Henry snickered as the goats pulled Sam to them, the shorter ones hanging from where they'd clamped onto his clothes. "Gramps talked about his family, but there's so there's so many of them that I can't keep them all straight. Do you know anything about Tomás? Is he single?"

Sam hopped in place, trying to dislodge the goats. "Can I get some help?"

"Nope."

"You're so mean." Sam spun around in a circle, the herd of goats turning with him. "I had already moved away when the Wilsons adopted him and his sister, but Aunt Mia kept me caught up on the gossip. First, everyone talked about how he was too old for Bennett and Marco to adopt since he was eighteen. Then when he enrolled in high school with their kids, some parents were worried because he was a big guy, and no one knew anything about his past. He was only there for a semester before he graduated, so talk quieted down quickly. Other than that, I think someone told Aunt Mia he'd been in trouble with the law before. I don't know. Small town gossip isn't exactly reliable."

"I don't want to hear gossip." Henry shook his head. "What do you think about him?"

"He's quiet and kind," Sam said, coming to a stop and smiling at Henry. "Tomás and the other Wilsons have helped us several times here at the sanctuary. He's good with animals and gentle with his younger siblings. His sister, Tali, adores him. Also, I'm about ninety-five percent sure that he's not a murderer."

"You really need to let that go." Henry sighed and opened the gate, moving to help Sam with the goats. "And I'm two hundred percent sure he's not a murderer."

He thought back to the hour he'd spent talking with the young alpha. Tomás was in his early twenties, big and well built, with close cropped black hair and sparkling dark eyes. Yeah, he was handsome, but Sam was right. Tomás was also kind . He had listened to Henry ramble on about ridiculous things and simply encouraged him.

"He's going to make a coop for Sophie," Henry said, tugging at Goaty McGoatface. "He also liked the idea of having a grooming station in my mudroom. He's letting me style Mitzy, his Havanese-mix, too."

"You could do that professionally, you know." Sam darted away from Popcorn. "No, you just let go. Get!"

Goaty McGoatface finally let go of Sam, but Henry felt a tug and looked down. Tin Can had latched on to the pocket of his jeans. "Oh no."

The goats circled Henry and Sam, bleating softly as they nibbled at their clothes.

"We're surrounded." Sam sighed. "I left my phone inside."

"I left mine in Journey's pooch pouch." Henry shook his leg, but Goatzilla had latched on tight. "I shouldn't have left him with Aunt Mia."

"It's alright. I have my phone," Teague called from outside the stall. He held his phone up, clearly videoing their distress. "This is going on our social media for sure."

"Don't just stand there," Sam said, glaring at his husband. "Grab the treats and save us before they decide we're edible."

It took half an hour and a bag of treats, but eventually, the goats were distracted enough to let them flee with their clothes intact. Mostly.

Teague hadn't stopped laughing since he'd first seen them. "You always have to remember to bring the treats in with you."

"Haha, laugh it up, asshole." Sam hugged Teague. "You're back early."

"A woman called to arrange a drop off, so I came home right after the surgery."

"Is it a goat?" Henry asked. The sanctuary received a lot of farm animals. Some had health problems their owners couldn't cope with and others turned out to be more work than their humans expected. Either way, goats were a common drop off here. With Teague's skills, they were even able to rehome a lot of them, but they still had a barn full of goats.

Teague winced. "No goat. Columbo is an elderly scarlet Macaw parrot and belonged to the woman's grandfather who just passed away. She tried to keep him with her family, but it didn't work."

"Why not?" Sam asked.

"He's old, irritable, and curses. This one is probably going to be a lifetime resident."

Henry frowned. Not many people wanted a pet that wasn't cute and cuddly. Birds were harder to rehome in general, but one that would need that much care? Teague was right. No one would want him.

"He'll stay with us in the house, right?" Henry bit his lip. "He can stay in my room."

Teague shook his head. "We need to keep him quarantined until I check him over. We'll see after that. Being in a house with as many pets as we have may be more stress than he can handle."

Outside, the sun was getting low and the rain had picked up.

Sam slid in a patch of icy mud. "We need to re-gravel the walkways again. Damn it."

Henry sniffed. "I've already arranged for the walkways to be paved. I made an appointment for next month."

"That's too much money." Teague shook his head. "Your dad has already given us more than enough help."

" Our dad," Henry corrected. "And this is my money, not Dad's. Well, it's Grandfather's, but it's from my trust fund. I can spend it how I like."

Sam's boot sunk into the mud covering the path in front of them. "I vote we thank Henry and move on."

Teague growled. "I don't want to take advantage of you, Henry."

"I'm not a fool," Henry said, hurt. "Yes, I may mismanage my money sometimes, but I'm not stupid enough to spend it on someone who doesn't deserve it."

"We don't need it," Teague said, shaking his head. "You shouldn't worry about us."

"Seriously?" Sam gave them an exasperated look. "Teague, Henry is part of our family too. He lives and works here, so let him help when he wants to. Henry, no one here thinks you're stupid. We love you for the sweet baby bumblebee that you are."

"You've been talking with Audrey." Henry winced. "Shit."

Sam ruffled Henry's hair, making him huff. "Yes, I have. Now, Teague just needs to get used to accepting help from his family. Remember, he only had his dad to rely on for most of his life. Now, there's all of us. It may take him some time."

Teague sighed. "Why do you have to make so much sense?"

"Because I'm very sensible." Sam linked his arm with Henry's. "Let's go see get ready for the incoming bird."

By the time they reached the house, a blue minivan was parked in the driveway. A short, blond woman slammed the door behind her as she got out.

"Fuck off!" Columbo's squawks and curses were loud enough to wake the dead.

The woman closed her eyes, expression pained. "All day and all night. Please take this bird before I murder it."

Henry hurried around to the back of the van. Through the window, he could see Columbo. His feathers were dull and missing in places. He looked ragged, exhausted, and very unhappy.

"Fuck off," Columbo squawked again, head bobbing aggressively.

"Hey, handsome," Henry crooned. "It's going to be alright."

Sam led the woman to the house to fill out paperwork while Teague and Henry carried the bird and his large cage to one of the smaller barns.

"I have a space set up for him next to the exam room," Teague said, grunting as Columbo flapped around, unbalancing his cage.

"Poor guy." Henry huffed as they settled the cage in the exam room. "What can I do to help?"

Teague smiled softly. "You're a good person, Henry. You know that?"

His cheeks heated as he blushed. "I'll go check if she brought food for him."

"Umhm." Teague studied Columbo, then began to gather the tools he would need for the exam. "One day, you won't run away when I compliment you."

"Sure, and one day you won't hesitate to accept my help." Henry left the room, flustered. It was easy with Sam. They understood one another and were friends. Teague was different. With Henry and his family, Teague was like an unhappy hedgehog most of the time, all his quills up for defense. He still had that soft underbelly, though, and Henry had seen it more than once.

"Fuck, I've been spending too much time with the animals." He rubbed his face. "Get it together."

Memories of a handsome face and a soft voice made him sigh. He bet that Tomás would have known what to say to put everyone at ease. The young alpha had such a calm sense about him.

"He has cataracts, osteoarthritis, and a case of candidiasis." Teague helped Henry settle Columbo's cage onto the table in front of the window of his new temporary home. It was just an empty storage closet next to the exam room, but it had a window and was quiet.

The poor bird looked miserable. "Fuck off."

"I think that's all he can say." Teague chuckled. "I don't blame him, though. He's been through a lot and is in pain."

"What does he need?" Henry asked, shifting from foot to foot.

"Medications will clear up his infection, but honestly, he needs a stable home." Teague looked around the room. "Not a storage closet. However, what we can give him is a nutritious, balanced diet and a clean environment."

"I'll take care of him and make sure he gets some exercise every day," Henry said, nibbling his lip. "Do you think anyone will adopt him?"

Teague shook his head. "Probably not. With a little time, he might be able to handle some company. Bring Journey with you when you visit him, alright? He's good with the older animals. I don't think Columbo will ever be comfortable enough to stay in our living room with all our animals, but maybe we can fix up one of the rooms for him."

Henry studied the parrot. "I have to make a call. I'll check on him before I go to bet tonight."

"Okay." Teague rolled his shoulders and stretched his arms over his head. "I'll go feed the critters."

A few minutes later, Henry smiled as he dialed the number Tomás had given him earlier in the day.

"Hello?" Tomás answered on the second ring. Henry could hear several people talking in the background, the clink of dishes, and the occasional bark or meow of a pet.

"This is Henry Powell. Is this a bad time?" Henry asked, chewing at his thumbnail. It was a bad habit of his, but he couldn't make himself stop.

"Not at all. How are you, Henry?" Tomás's warm voice sent shivers down Henry's back.

"Okay, but there's been a development."

"What's going on?"

"There's this parrot named Columbo that we just took in. He needs a nice, peaceful home and lots of love. I can give him that, right? I'm going to introduce him to Journey tomorrow and see how it goes, but there's room at my house, isn't there? I can give him lots of space and attention. He has arthritis and cataracts and an infection, but we're going to treat the infection."

"Hey, remember to breathe," Tomás said, chuckling. "You can absolutely be there for Columbo. If he gets along with Journey, we can make him an area in your living room, right next to the windows. If not, you have a lot of space upstairs. We'll figure it out. Plus, I'm sure there are cage designs out there for older parrots. I'll look some up tonight. Do you want to meet for lunch tomorrow? We can talk it over."

"Are you sure you have time? I don't want to be a bother."

"I have plenty of time, and you'd never be a bother, Henry." Tomás's voice was full of smiles and sunshine, warming Henry. "This just gives me an excuse to talk with you more."

Henry flushed, then looked around, making sure no one saw that. "Thank you. Columbo isn't pretty or nice and that's what people want. You know? Just because he's not perfect doesn't mean he doesn't deserve a home."

"You're right. The old fella deserves love."

Henry sighed. "You get it. That's why I like you so much. Okay, so I'll see you tomorrow. Just text me the time and place."

"Will do. Now, tell me more about Columbo."

Henry grinned. "He talks big, but I can tell he's a sweetheart."

"I know a few of those. Remind me to introduce you to my friend Juan."