4. Heath

Chapter 4

Heath

W hy isn’t Jake here to deal with this clown? The town’s bylaw officer, Klaus, is a royal dick.

“You should’ve checked with me first, Heath. You can’t have the tent so close to the fire hydrant. If you take it down now, I won’t give the ranch a ticket.”

“I can’t just take it down now! It’s shade and shelter for the animals!”

“Then I have to fine you.”

“I followed the map that was approved! Come on Klaus! This is bullshit and I’m not gonna let my animals get heat stroke!”

Klaus calmly pulls out the map and points to our location. “Actually, the map here for your booth says to set up six feet back from the hydrant and to leave enough room between your feed station and tent for a vehicle to pass. It’s right there, Heath. You read it wrong.”

My cheeks burn and I press my lips together. I know what he’s implying with his condescending tone. It’s not the first time I’ve been accused of stupidity. People seem to equate my love of animals with a low IQ. I don’t know why being a compassionate human makes me a target, but one thing I won’t do is follow his orders and risk the animal’s well-being .

“Then write the ticket, Klaus,” I seethe. “Now if you excuse me, I have a job to do here.”

Spinning on my heel, I head over to the booth with feed where a line of excited kids wait. He can kiss my lily-white ass if he thinks I’m going to disappoint the townspeople and take the animals away so soon after arriving. Fuck that guy.

Hank loves kids and even in the small space, he goofs around with his squeaky chicken and accepts food as a reward. The people love him. What’s not to love about a fuzzy, friendly, squeaky ass?

Jeff roams around with Hank and occasionally fluffs his feathers for people, but only if I’m nearby. I also brought the pot belly pig today, Hammy. She’s adorable and missing an eye, but she loves people. Rounding out the menage is one of Dante’s llamas. The llamas are always a hit and this one loves attention and ear scratches.

It’s just a tiny crew, but it’s enough to keep me busy and the crowds happy. And to fade the sour memory of Klaus suggesting I remove the tent. I rarely get mad. But when you display such a disregard for an animal’s welfare, well, I’m going to show my fangs. They aren’t that sharp, but still.

The afternoon is a steady stream of people. At the first lull in the crowds, I fumble around under the counter for my lunch bag and travel mug.

Taking a sip from my mug, I wrinkle my nose. “Damn it. I hate cold coffee.”

“I guess I picked a great time to show up then.”

A massive pair of tattooed hands set a drink tray in front of me. My eyes scan up the stranger’s muscled arms. He has a shitload of ink and it looks quality. Damn .

Finally, I remember my manners.

“Oh, uh, thank you. Which one is for me?” I point to the tray and the stranger swallows. His mouth opens and closes before he finally points to a cup.

“That one. The white one is for your cock. I mean, your peacock.” He mutters under his breath and rubs a hand on his neck. He forces a smile and sticks out a hand. “I’m Marko. I own the new tattoo studio, Dark Horse, and I hope that didn’t sound too creepy.”

Jeff squawks when I shake Marko’s hand and we both chuckle.

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Heath. Let me give this to Jeff. Unless you want to?”

His brow crinkles and I realize how confusing that must sound.

“Jeff is my peacock’s name.”

“Oh!” he huffs a little laugh that makes me smile. “Um, yeah. I could. What do I do?”

“Walk up to the gate and take the lid off. He knows the sound. Set it on the ground after he walks up. I’ll come with you.”

I don’t know what it is about this massive man covered with tattoos, but I already like him for bringing Jeff a cup of ice water. Opening the gate to the pen of animals, we both step inside and Marko removes the lid. Jeff was already strutting over as I knew he would be. He side-eyes Marko but when he notices the white cup, he chirps and dips his head in it after Marko sets it down.

“Can I pet him? I’ve never been this close to a peacock before.”

“Uh…probably not. He’s very protective of me, and he takes a while to trust new people. But bringing him a cup of ice water just earned you mega points.”

Marko nods and stuffs his hands in his pockets .

“What about a donkey? Ever petted a donkey? Hank loves everyone.”

“I don’t think I ever have.”

Marko moves towards Hank and the donkey happily comes over. He bumps his nose into Marko’s pockets and pulls at the hem of his shirt with his lips. Marko hesitates, but then laughs when Hank noses into him harder and places his hand on Hank's neck.

“He’s looking for carrots or sugar cubes. When people are in the pen like we are, we have pockets full. Well, I do, and he knows it. Here.”

I pull a few remaining baby carrots from my jeans. They’re covered in fuzz and probably sugar, but I take Marko’s hand and uncurl his fingers.

“Just roll out your fingers and keep your palm flat like this. Okay?”

He nods as his gaze darts to mine. “Yeah. Okay.”

Pressing the carrots to his palm, I push Hank back so Marko can hold out his hand. After he does, Hank steps up and takes them as gently as he always does, and I swear he smiles at Marko. Hank honks once and prances away.

Marko stands motionless, and I place a hand on his forearm.

“Are you all right?”

“Yeah, sorry. I’m…that was fucking cool.” Marko laughs and smiles so big I swear I see his molars. He’s a really attractive guy. Dark beard trimmed short with matching dark hair. His eyes are a deep, warm brown, and when he smiles, they dance with little creases in the corner. Very cute.

“Hank is pretty cool.” I notice there are a few kids waiting outside to feed the critters and I motion for Marko to take my chair. “Would you like to wait while I let these kids do their thing? We can talk more after?”

“Yeah. Can I help you at all?”

“Nah. I don’t want to put my new friends to work the first time I meet them. Maybe in another hour, though.” I wink and laugh, and he returns a crooked smile that makes my belly feel swoopy… and okay, that’s odd. I’m probably just hungry.

Marko sits and watches as I take kids with their single cup of feed, two at a time, to the animal pen. Unlike other petting zoos, I’m very careful of what they get fed and how often. Some animals will eat until they make themselves sick and while mine don’t do that, I keep a very close eye on them. Except for Hank, the other animals love the attention more than the food. Hank is all about the goofing around, and the kids love it.

So do I. I love seeing their happy little faces when the pig grunts and smears them with drool or they feel how soft the llama’s fur is. Usually, Jeff is fine while I do this, but sometimes he’s a dickhead and squawks to scare them. But I carry a giant dog crate with me just in case. If he’s too disruptive, I have no choice but to corral him at these kinds of things. But he never wants to be left behind and it’s the compromise to deal with his mood swings.

More time than I expected passes and I fully expect to see an empty chair, but Marko still waits. A small smile dances on his lips and his giant hands rest on his thighs.

“I’m so sorry about that. Sometimes I get carried away.” I reach for the coffee cup, and, of course, it’s cold—though I drink it, anyway.

“Perhaps we should meet properly over a hot coffee. I’m sure this one is just as cold as the one in your travel mug by now. ”

Laughing, I place the cup back on the tray. “I’m sorry you wasted your money on this one. But I’d love to meet you for coffee.”

He nods and when he smiles, there’s a small part of a dimple visible on one cheek. It just peeks past his beard, and why do I think that’s as adorable as a newborn barn kitten?

“Do you… ah, is there a day that works for you? For coffee I mean.”

“I can make Wednesday work if you’d like. I’ll leave Jeff at home and maybe we can do lunch instead? More time to get to know each other.”

“Yeah.” His voice is breathy, and he hands me a business card. “If your plans change, that’s my personal number. Call anytime. Well, I mean, call if you want to. But if something comes up and you can’t make it, let me know. I’ll be done by noon.”

“Great!” I pocket the card and we stare at each other until he nods and waves as he walks away.

Huh. That was nice of him to bring me coffee and Jeff water.

I wonder if he does his own ink? He sure has a lot. Nice ones too.

Pulling out his card, I examine the logo with the horse on it for Dark Horse Tattoo. It’s very elegant, and the horse’s mane flows like it’s running fast, nostrils flared, and its eyes glow. It’s beautiful. I wonder if he designed it too?

If he chose a gorgeous horse for his logo and wanted to pet a donkey, he obviously likes animals. And that’s an instant friend in my books.

I can’t wait to learn about him when we go for lunch.

And maybe see more of his ink.

** *

“That asshole gave you a fine on a community event day?”

Dan reads over the ticket before raising an eyebrow.

“Yep. He said I set it up wrong, and he’s right. I didn’t read the whole thing. I just wanted to get the animals on the grass and not the pavement. It’s my fault for not understanding.”

Dan shakes his head and removes his reader glasses.

“It’s not your fault, Heath. Nobody blames you. And Klaus has always been a dick. He should’ve ignored it. It was an event to build community spirit and awareness for local businesses. The businesses who help pay his salary.” Dan scowls at the ticket before motioning for me to join him at the table. After pulling out a chair, he settles into one next to me. “I heard you had a visitor Saturday who you brought into the animal pen with you. An adult visitor.”

“Sure did!” He was the highlight of my day. “Marko is his name. He owns Dark Horse tattoo. Really nice guy.”

He also has gigantic hands and fantastic ink up his arms. But I keep that part to myself.

Dan nods. “And he brought water for Jeff, I hear. How do you think he knew about that?”

Until now, it wasn’t something that crossed my mind. Except that it was an incredibly thoughtful gesture.

“I…don’t know. I never asked. But I will when I meet him for lunch today.”

“Oh. You’re meeting him again? ”

Dan’s eyebrows raise so high they might push his hat off. What’s that about?

“Yeah, he asked if I’d like to go for coffee sometime. He waited for me to be done with all the kids. The coffee he brought me got cold, so I said let’s do lunch. He even petted Hank, so why not? Is that not good?”

Oh shit. Did I break a rule? Dan’s face is all scrunched up like he wants to spit out a cherry pit or something. Maybe I’m not allowed to meet up with people after they’ve come to a Ranch-sanctioned setup.

Dan rubs at his jaw before clearing his throat.

“No, it’s fine. It’s just… he asked you out, Heath. You know that, right?”

“Yeah, as a friend.”

Dan cocks his head and crosses his arms. “When’s the last time you’ve been on a date? A real one.”

I take a hot minute to comb my brain for the answer, and I almost need to take out my phone and scroll back through my calendar. Almost.

“Two years in June. Stacy Laforge. We went to a concert in Rosevale.”

“And what happened after that?”

I shrug as I recall with some sadness that she ignored my messages after that night. After many unreturned calls, I just gave up. “She never called me again.”

Dan sighs. It sounds painful. “Heath, I won’t pry into your private life but… Marko probably asked you on a date. A romantic one. Didn’t you think it was different for him to bring you and Jeff something when he came to say hello? He could’ve just stood in line like anyone else, but he specifically went out of his way to talk to you and make an impression. If you’re not into men, tell him that right away. I feel like he was asking for more than a friendly meeting.”

“What? No. He’s a friend. He’d never petted a donkey before or a peacock. He was making friends, and I was being nice to the new guy. That’s all.”

Dan stares at me long and hard. He opens his mouth, but then closes it and stands up. “Just…be careful, okay? If you ever want to talk, you know I’m here.”

“Thanks, Dan. But he’s a new friend. There’s nothing to talk about. And I’m sorry about the fine.”

“Don’t worry about it. It was worth it. Mrs. Laliberte from the feed store said she took her granddaughter Maddie and might come by to look at one of the mares we need to re-home. Maddie wants to get into horseback riding, and I think we have two that would be a good fit. So a fine is worth finding a forever home for a rescue.”

Dan squeezes my shoulder and wishes me a good day. If we find a home for a rescue, I feel better about the fine. Klaus is still a dick, though.

Jogging down Dan’s porch steps, I head over to my loft above the equipment barn. Wednesday afternoons are my free days. Volunteers come to do my chores as part of their volunteer hours for school and Alec always supervises. I don’t mind one bit either. Usually on Wednesday afternoons, I end up taking a trail ride or something else that keeps me on the ranch. Today is the first time in, well, since I was dating Stacey, that I'll be leaving the property on my free afternoon.

Charging up the staircase, I fling open the door to my tiny sanctuary and head straight to the shower. I don’t need to smell all barn-y when I meet Marko. As the water warms and the mirror fogs up, I step in with Dan’s words rattling in my head.

Did Marko really ask me out? People ask to go for coffee as friends when they meet, don’t they? And how have two years passed since I had a date?

Rubbing the shave gel on my face, I grab my razor and tilt the shower mirror back. I wonder how Marko keeps his beard trimmed so short? Do they make trimmers for that? I liked how his beard followed his jawline and was just as black as his hair.

Speaking of hair, mine has grown a little shaggy. I wonder if I have time for a haircut before I meet him? Probably not. I’ll have to go after.

Towelling off, I stare at myself in the foggy mirror and wonder why Stacey never called me back. Wrapping a towel around myself, I leave the bathroom and find my phone where I left it on the kitchen counter. After I find her number in my contacts, I hit call without a second thought.

“Hello?”

“Stacey?”

“Yes. Heath? Is that you?”

“It is! So, listen, I have a weird question.”

“Um…okay?”

“Why didn’t you ever call me back?”

No sense wasting time with small talk. I’d just like an answer now that the question is in my brain .

“Honestly? You seemed way more interested in talking to the guy who spilled his beer on you more than anything else. Either I was really boring or you were into the guy.”

“You weren’t boring! He was just apologizing, and he said he had a farm, too. We just had a lot in common.”

Which is true. He used to do rodeo and told me all kinds of stories that reminded me of Alec. He even gave me the info for the ranch he owns and I should call if I ever pass through. Then he offered to buy me a beer and not spill it. I thought he was quite nice. The concert was more Stacey’s idea, not my kind of music. But I’ll always talk to people about farms and animals. It’s just being polite.

“More in common with him than with me, anyway. So I just left it alone. I think…listen, you’re a nice guy. It wasn’t you exactly. I liked you, but I think maybe you weren’t on a date with the right person.”

Oh.

“I’m sorry if I made you feel shitty. I liked you.”

“Thanks, Heath. You didn’t. Just…maybe give yourself time to meet people and explore yourself.” There’s some conversation in the background and before I can ask what she means, she wishes me well and ends the call.

Glancing at the clock, I notice I only have an hour to finish getting ready and get to the Burgatory on time.

I shoot Marko a text to say I’m looking forward to it and head to my closet.

I hope he wears short sleeves. Those tattoos went on forever and I want to see them again.