I nodded. Bill was very smart. We circled the goats, Lady bringing them in closer and tighter. We worked on basic commands such as come by and away to me, and she picked them up somewhat well. It would take time. At the end of hercord, she finally got the goats packed into a corner. “Wait,” I called. She lay down. Not the proper response, since I wanted her to just hold her position, but that could be worked on as well. After about forty minutes, I called her back with a brisk ‘That’ll do,’ just like the Scotsman on the internet did, and she bounded back to me. I dug her favorite toy, one of my old socks tied into a knot, from my coat pocket. She was thrilled with it and the heaps of praise I gave her as we made our way back to the fence.
“That was so great!” Bella clapped her hands before handing Lady a dog treat through the fence.
“That dog there has got some good blood in her,” Granny announced with pride. I grinned widely as if I’d been the one to birth the dog or something. “Why don’t we all go inside? I got some coffee and muffins waiting. Bill, your wife still got you on a Keto diet?”
“We are, sadly, but if you don’t tell Penny I had a muffin, then I won’t either,” Bill said with a wink at Granny. We made our way inside. Coffee and muffins were about gone when Dodge, Ollie, and Dahn showed up.
“Did we miss her training show?” Dahn asked as he raced into the laundry room where Lady was stretched out in front of the dryer on an old throw rug. I could hear the boy giggling madly as Lady slathered him with kisses. That dog did love that boy. They had the same energy output, Dodge liked to say.
“Sorry, yeah,” I called into the laundry room as Aiden, seated to my left, placed his arm on the back of my chair. Baker took note but said nothing, just passed the three remaining muffins to Ollie as Dodge poured himself and his man some coffee at the counter. “Bill said she did well. We can work with her later, after chores at the goat barn.”
“You can work on her more after church,” Granny interjected. Linc made a sound, and he got him a stern look from Granny. The big man immersed himself in plucking muffin crumbs fromhis beard. “I’m doing a pot roast with all the fixings for Sunday dinner. Aiden, you’re more than welcome to eat with us. I worry you’re not getting enough to eat since you got to feast on Ford’s poor neck all the time.”
My cheeks went red instantly. Aiden, calm as a cuke, gave my earlobe a tug then turned his sights on Granny as the others all tittered.
“I suppose all your grandsons are tasty,” he tossed out.
“I second that,” Ollie said as he sat down beside Dodge, who gave him a playful swat.
“I mean, look at you,” Aiden went on, giving Granny the full force of all that charm of his. “I bet you were edible when you were a young thing sowing your oats out in Las Vegas.”
Granny batted her thin, silver lashes. “Trust me, I could have taught all of you boys a thing or two about nibbling on sweet meat. I recall a night in ’64 when I found myself in the company of a man who did contortions as an opening act for Wayne Newton. That man could bend himself into positions that were illegal in fifteen states.”
Everyone at the table nearly choked on their coffee. Dahn exited the laundry room, Lady at his side, his hair a mess from doggie love.
“What’s a Wayne Newton? Is that like an old-time cookie?” Dahn asked, which set Granny off into hysterics.
Since I also had no idea who Wayne Newton was, I added the name to my research mental list and settled back into my chair to enjoy the weight of Aiden’s arm resting on my shoulder.
***
As a huge frost moon climbed high into the night sky, I was with Aiden.
At his home. On his sofa. Eating roasted beef sandwiches and French fries as I researched important herding dog facts. I lagged behind in devouring the food he’d cooked as I was deep into trying to find a trainer nearby. I’d not been having luck.
“Do you think I should have her spayed before or after I start training her to gather goats?” I asked as I nibbled on a fat, homemade fry dripping au jus down my chin. He ran a thumb under my lip to gather the beef juice. I glanced over to see him suck the droplet off his thumb. Okay, that was hot.
“I doubt it will make much of a difference. Perhaps she’ll be more focused on training if she’s not dealing with heat cycles,” he replied, letting his hand fall to the back of my neck. He began rubbing my nape with sure, strong fingers.
“Okay, that makes sense. Can you do it, or should I take her to the small animal hospital?”
“I can technically do the surgery, but I don’t have the in-house equipment they have at Dr. Dolly’s. Anesthesia monitoring is the first thing that comes to mind.” He wiggled closer as I stared at my phone while plucking another fry from the plate resting on my thigh. “Those have got to be cold by now.”
“It’s okay. I like cold food. So on my calendar I have: get Lady spayed and begin training with a qualified person.” I tapped my lower lip with the slice of tater, intent on my online day planner. “If I can’t find someone to take her to, I could possibly buy some books and apply my own techniques. There are also videos I could watch. I wonder if the Scotsman has—” His left hand fell to my thigh, the one without a plate of food on it. Then his fingers began to creep higher and higher on the inside of my thigh. It made concentrating on Lady’s important files for education really difficult. “What are you doing?”
He nuzzled his nose into my neck to nip my skin. My dick was instantly interested in that short, sweet nibble of teeth on tender flesh.
“I’m trying to lure you into having sex with me.” He picked his head up to look into my eyes as his hand slipped up to cup my fattening cock. “Are you lured yet?”
I rocked my hips upward just enough to let his palm press on my prick. “I’m eyeing your lure like a big old bass at the bottom of a farm pond. I’m not sure if I want to commit to swimming up to bite your flashy lure or if I’d be more tempted to dash up to swallow down a fat, juicy nightcrawler. Your dick would be the worm.”
He snickered. “I assumed that to be the case. Would you like me to fuck you?” He stroked my dick through my pants. “Or would you rather fuck me?”
“Both.”
“Mm, tonight or spaced out over a length of—”
“Tonight. In your bed.”