Page 42 of Taming I Do
“You know how Tie Dye gets.” Abby crossed her arms over her chest. “He’s just saying hi.”
“She doesn’t need a haircut.” I turned my attention toward Delilah. “You okay?”
“I’m fine.” She patted down her hair.
“Sorry about that. Damn goat’s got a mind of his own.” I glanced toward Tie Dye, who’d recovered and stood nibbling on a huge carrot that Abby must have given him.
“At least now I know where he got his name.” Delilah’s lips spread into a grin as she looked back toward the goat.
“Abby filled you in, huh?”
“Sure did.” Abby shrugged. “You’d think the color would be gone by now, but it’s just faded a little.”
I shook my head. “Silly goat. You should have seen the inside of my truck after I brought him home. That’s some strong dye.”
“How do you think he got mixed up in it in the first place?” Delilah turned her gaze on me, sparking that same spot in my lower belly that always seemed to light up under her focused attention.
“There’s a place in town that does fabric dyeing for a linen company. My guess is he was poking around for something to eat and got himself mixed up in it.” I let out a chuckle. “He’s one of a kind though.”
“That he is.” Delilah held out her hand and the ornery goat trotted over, knocking his horns against the fence as she scratched behind his colorful ears.
As we shared the quiet moment, a bell began to clang.
“Time for dinner.” Abby’s gaze darted back and forth between me and Delilah. “Want to race to the house?”
“You go ahead.” I waved her on. My little sister had been running cross-country track for the past two years. Wouldn’t do me any good to get bested by her while I tried to run half a mile in cowboy boots.
Abby took off, leaving me alone with Delilah.
“She’s great.” Delilah gave Tie Dye a final scratch, then began the walk back to the house.
I fell into step next to her. “She’s a tough cookie. Mom and Dad thought they were done, then eight years later Abby showed up. She puts up with a lot having so many older brothers.”
“I can’t imagine having one sibling, much less seven.” She glanced over. “What’s it like to be one of the oldest?”
I let the question sink in. How could I explain the sense of responsibility I felt toward my younger brothers and sister? Toward my parents and even Aunt Suzy to make sure things stayed all right? Instead of telling her the truth, I kept it light.
“It’s all right. I figure it’s my job to break in my parents, right?”
Her lips twitched up in a hint of a smile. “It’s a lot of work though, too, isn’t it? I’ve heard older siblings feel responsible for their younger brothers and sisters. Not that I would know anything about that.”
“Stick around and Abby will probably claim you as the older sister she’s always wanted.” I could think of a few ways I wouldn’t mind claiming her as well. But those feelings were far from brotherly, and I’d rather swallow my own tongue than admit them.
“She did ask me for some advice on makeup. Do you think your mom would be okay with me showing her a few things?”
“I imagine it would be all right, but Abby ought to check to make sure. I don’t know what age the makeup restriction gets lifted in our house, seeing as Abby’s the first one it applies to.”
Delilah wrapped her fingers around my arm, the gesture so natural after escorting her around the vineyard that I wondered if she even realized she’d done it. She might have been stomping around the pasture with my sister, but she still smelled like sunshine and lemons. I’d have to keep reminding myself to not get used to this. Three days into my monthlong stint and I was already having a hard time remembering what life was like before Delilah Stone.
CHAPTER 11
DELILAH
I bowedmy head along with the Taylors as Jasper’s dad said the blessing. I was grateful for the few moments of quiet. Ever since Jasper and I returned to the house, it had been nothing but chaos. On one hand, the way the brothers jostled one another around and flung insults back and forth made me yearn for a big family. On the other, no one seemed able to get a word in, so everyone shouted. Seemed like whoever could yell the loudest got the final say. I didn’t know how they all made it through the day without recurring headaches. Kind of like the one throbbing behind my temples as I took the bowl of salad Jasper passed me.
“Do you have any brothers or sisters, Ms. Stone?” Mrs. Taylor asked.
“She’s an only child,” Abby answered. “I bet she never had to share a bathroom with a bunch of stinky boys growing up.”
