Sugar Lust

Chapter Eighteen

Emmeline drove across the city, thankfully avoiding the bulk of the traffic that generally burdened the roads, following Ginny's precise directions. She got off the highway and took some surface streets until she turned down the long drive to a farmhouse at the edge of an urban area that threatened to overtake this peaceful area at any moment. There she put the car in park after double-checking the address. It would be her luck that she'd walk straight into a stranger's house and move in!

She unbuckled Millie from her car seat and pulled her out, hearing the crow of the rooster perched on the garage roof. Emmeline wondered what she had gotten herself into. It seemed Ginny had left out a few crucial details. At a quick glance, there was more than just a rooster living here, and Emmeline wasn't sure how to deal with that. She didn't even have a dog growing up; forget about barnyard animals. Millie babbled and reached for the bird, well beyond her reach, obviously happy with the situation.

Leaving their suitcases and boxes in the car, she made her way up to the house. It sat, looming, built from gray fieldstone and two stories high, with black shutters decorating the windows. A long, wide porch wrapped around the front, and a large oak door suddenly swung open.

"You're here!" an elderly woman greeted them, dressed in jeans splattered with paint and a hot pink kerchief in her hair, rubbing her arms in defense against the cold.

Emmeline came closer and to introduced herself, but was told to forgo the formalities; Pernella knew exactly who they were, and welcomed them home. She ushered them into the kitchen. Emmeline followed her, taking in what was to be their home, at least the next little while.

Pernella put on the kettle, and then asked, "So, what do you think?"

"There are goats in the kitchen," Emmeline blurted out, forgetting her manners. A group of fifteen goats, as well as she could count, were jumping around a coordinated off area at the far end of the kitchen, blocking the back door. Pernella looked at her as if to say, Of course.

"Aren't they adorable? I've been waiting for days for them to arrive!" she cooed, reaching down to pet one of the salt and pepper goats.

"But, but, they're in the kitchen," Emmeline stammered again, overwhelmed by the feeling that she had made a huge mistake by coming here. She couldn't raise her kid in a house full of goats. What else was going on in this house that she didn't know about? She started to calculate how much money she had from Nicholas's life insurance, plus the little that some of the people from town had given her to help out, and how long that would last if she needed to immediately rent an apartment.

"It's too cold for them outside. They're only three days old. Poor darlings. I don't want them to freeze to death! As soon as it warms up, they go outside," Pernella insisted, picking one of the goats out of the pen and snuggling it in her arms. The goat bleated happily in response.

Millie squirmed to get away from Emmeline, reaching her arms out. She obviously wanted to touch one too. Emmeline was torn between running screaming away from this place and running away quietly. She was reluctant to let Millie down, no matter how much she squirmed, despite how heavy she was getting and how hard it was to keep holding her when she wanted down. Millie was just starting to crawl around and pull herself up to standing.

The February temperature was well below freezing. Emmeline looked at the baying creatures and her kid fighting her to get closer to the animals. What have I got myself into? she wondered. Goats in the kitchen! What's worse is the crazy lady makes sense! Emmeline wouldn't have the heart to put these babies outside either in this weather.

"I'm Emmeline," she finally said, feeling the need to back up and start afresh. "And this is Millie."

"Adorable! Babies, I love them. So happy you're here. Maybe it'll get my family off my back!" Pernella chuckled, bringing the goat closer for Millie to pet. Millie squealed with delight.