Eggs and Kisses

Chapter 2-1

Chapter 2

Kiko didn’t notice the goat until the three kids he was currently reading a story to all looked over and pointed. He trailed off mid-sentence and Buddy waved at him.

“I’ll be right back to finish the story,” he said, standing and placing the book on the chair. “Why don’t you all have a look at Mother.”

He got down the stuffed real goose, currently costumeless, and set it on the rug. Mother had been a live display at Yolks on You once, but now that he was dead, he was admittedly a lot easier to manage, if less interesting. Kiko was still upset about his death, even though it had been almost two months ago now, but he’d never admit that to anyone.

The children, however, didn’t bother to listen to him. They hadn’t seen a live animal at the store in weeks and the goat was straining on Buddy’s lead now, wanting to go this way or that. Kiko envisioned it wrecking everything in his store and tried not to shudder. He didn’t imagine the insurance would cover a bored goat. He followed the children over to the animal, glad to see Buddy at least had the sense to awkwardly pull the goat away from them.

“Now, let’s not touch the goat now, right, kids?” the brewmeister said. By the time the children’s parents had collected them and pulled them away from the goat, Dom was standing nearby, too.

“Buddy,” said Kiko, wanting this over with and the goat gone as soon as possible. “What is going on?”

“Well,” said Buddy, scratching the back of his neck with a hand. He loosened his grip on the lead and the goat shook itself, twitched an ear. “Thought you could use a goat.”

Kiko was very aware of Dom grinning hard to keep back laughter. He took a deep breath.

“Why?”

“Buddy Angus said it was time.”

Kiko glanced at Dom, who was probably looking at the high point of his day. Buddy Angus was Buddy’s late cow mascot, beloved by the brewmeister above all else. He’d recently taken to holding séances to commune with the dead animal, with varied results.

“Buddy Angus said it was time I had a goat?” asked Kiko, glancing at the impatient parents. He really needed to wrap this up and get back to story time before his customers got ticked off and left.

“Well, no. Me and Martha had this séance last night—Buddy Angus’s been saying awhile now you should move on—and it turns out the time is right now. Buddy Angus mentioned contact with the goose and everything.”

Kiko watched as Dom held out a hand to the goat’s face, then pulled it back when it tried to nibble him.

“Watch out, she bites,” said Buddy. He seemed more relaxed now that he was relaying the message from his dead cow. “Buddy Angus suggested we find you a new pet, so here you are.”

“Goats have freakish eyes,” said Dom, staring hard. “I’d get nightmares from this thing.”

“The kids already love her,” said Buddy.

Kiko’s temper was short but he forced himself to reply in a level voice.

“I’m touched you—and Buddy Angus—thought of me, Buddy, but I can’t accept a goat.”

“Maybe I like nightmares,” said Dom.

“You stay out of this,” said Kiko, hoping Dom had the sense to do so. What he least wanted was some rumor floating around Mount Angus involving their relationship and a goat. Buddy looked more surprised than disappointed.

“You can’t?” he asked. “But without the goose now—”

“No,” said Kiko, much more firmly. “Again, it’s a nice gesture, but I can’t have a goat around here. She’s more maintenance than a goose, and I didn’t bring her up to socialize her. I can’t have her around children.”

Buddy stood there, blank expression on his face, not knowing what to do. Some of the children were getting fussy, wanting to touch the goat. Kiko needed Buddy out now.

“I hope you didn’t buy the goat,” he began, not wanting to offer to pay for it, but willing to put Buddy off enough to deal with it later.

“Nah,” said Buddy, tugging on the goat’s lead. “Thought we’d figure that one out once you decided to keep her. Guy at the goat farm thought I was going to propose to Martha. With a goat.”

He laughed at the ridiculousness of that, but Kiko leapt at the chance to distract him.

“Maybe you should, Buddy. Propose. It is Valentine’s Day. What would surprise Martha more than that?”

“You know,” said Buddy. “Now that I think about it, I’d better return the goat before they think I’m trying to steal it. But Buddy Angus wants you to think about moving on. Says the goose doesn’t want you miserable forever.”

“And I’ll definitely think about it,” said Kiko, relieved that Buddy was pulling the goat back out into the snow again. “Thanks anyway, Buddy.”

He breathed out long as Buddy left, Dom grinning at him as he turned back toward the Mother Goose Story Time nook.

“I’d like a goat,” said Dom. Kiko rolled his eyes at him but didn’t bother replying.