5. Aubree

five

Aubree

K eeping the goats clean while we loaded them onto the trailer was easier than I thought it would be. River, Kyson, and Bowen are naturals with my goats. They're the perfect goat daddies for my goat babies.

Where did that thought come from? I've only known the three of them for less than eight hours, and I'm already dreaming about a future with them.

I grip the steering wheel tighter, slightly jerking it, causing my truck and the attached trailer carrying my beloved goats to swerve. I quickly straighten the wheel and concentrate on the road, not the three sexy, all-be-it-grumpy hockey players crowded in my extended cab truck.

"Everything okay?" River asks from his seat on the front passenger side.

"Fine," I lie. "It was just a pothole in the road I was trying to avoid." The lie sounds fake to my ears, but thankfully, they don't press the subject.

Instead, Bowen changes the topic, asking me how I ended up on a goat farm.

I'm not comfortable talking about it, but since we still have about twenty minutes before we reach town, I decide to give them the less pathetic version.

"My parents liked to travel, and since I was still in high school, I stayed home on the farm." Before they can voice their pity, I continue. "One Saturday afternoon, I was walking along the riverbank and heard a pathetic sound from the tall grass. I went to investigate the sound, and I found Tipsy Hooker trapped in a discarded fishing net, which the large fishing nets are illegal anyway. Obviously, the fisherman who left it didn't care if a helpless animal got tangled in it."

I can feel the anger rolling off the guys at my story, and it melts my heart to know they are just as upset about what happened to Tipsy Hooker as I was.

"I untangled her, thinking she would go off back to where she came from. Instead, she followed me—well, she followed me the best she could. Her balance was a little off, so it took us a while to get back to the farm. That night, I bathed her, snuggled her in blankets, and fed her. I slept on the floor next to her in case she needed something during the night."

Crap, I wasn't going to add the pathetic parts of the story. Too late now.

"The next day, I read everything I could find on the internet about goats, deciding if no one claimed her, I was going to keep her. I put up posters everywhere, but no one ever claimed her. Next thing I know, random goats are showing up on my property. Word got out that I was housing unwanted goats, so people dumped off the ones they didn't want anymore.

"I cleaned out both barns and made sure they were suitable for all my goats. When my parents finally stopped home for a few weeks between trips, they didn't complain—they gave me a credit card for any expenses I needed."

I can feel their anger turn to pity. Needing to finish my story quickly, I add, "I discovered how to make soap from goat's milk. I started my own online store and sell at craft shows and farmers' markets around the area. I want to branch out with the goats—that's where goat yoga comes in."

Thankfully, Maggie's yoga studio comes into view before they can ask questions, "Here we are." I pull into a double parking spot to the right of her building as Maggie rushes to my window. I roll my window down to hear what she has to say.

"Sorry, Aubree, but no one signed up for the goat yoga class." Maggie's eyes stray to the three guys in my truck I have yet to introduce to her.

My heart drops. This was the first step in expanding my goat farm. Instead of hanging my head in defeat, I hold my head up and say, "It's okay, Maggie. It was a long shot, anyway. I better get the goats home." I push the button, and my window begins to rise.

"Wait!" Kyson yells from the back seat. "Does your yoga studio have a window to the street where people walking by can watch your classes?"

"Yes. Why?" Maggie steps closer to the truck.

"What if the five of us have our own goat yoga class? Maybe if the people walking by see how much fun it is, they'll sign up."

"That's not a bad idea." River adds. "We'll unload the goats while you and Maggie get everything set up in the studio."

This time, when my heart melts, it's not from sadness but from the idea of these three sometimes grumpy, sometimes lovable guys offering to help a virtual stranger accomplish her dream. I better be careful around them, or my heart won't be the only thing melting. My core clenches at the thought.