Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 130255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 651(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 651(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
“Does it work?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen them fight. I think she just saw it on the Internet and wanted to do it because she could. Hence the rainbow headpieces.” He motioned to the boys’ section of the barn.
They were quite fancy.
Selena Goatmez poked her head through the fence bars and licked the feed off his hand until it was all gone. Everyone else realised there was food on offer and seven other goats all shoved their heads through the bars of their respective enclosures and made snuffling noises for attention.
Max sighed. “I should have known that was a mistake.”
“Have they not been fed?”
“Oh, yes. They have troughs full of food, if you look.”
I peered over the side of the bars. They did, indeed, have full troughs of food, but it seemed as though hand-fed was better. “I think they prefer it from your hand.”
He grunted and tugged the feed sack over. “Grandma has spoilt them.”
“I didn’t know you could spoil goats.”
“These are a prime example of it.” He scooped up a handful of feed and held it out to a black and tan goat. “Yeah, there you are, you little sod.”
The goats all bustled around his hand, and when he got another fistful of it and held it out, they all snaffled it up in a second or two.
“Can… Can I have a go?” I asked softly.
Max looked over his shoulder at me, one eyebrow quirking. “You want to feed them?”
“I’ve never done it before. I only kept chickens as a kid, and the local farmer never let us feed his goats. They used to bite. Or so he said.”
His lips twitched into something that might’ve vaguely resembled a smile. “All right. Come here.”
I walked over to him.
“They can be quite aggressive,” he said. “Not in an attacking way, but they’re really quite fond of their food.”
I felt that on a deep level.
I, too, was fond of my food.
“Get a handful and hold your hand flat before you offer it to them,” Max said gently. “They’ll shove their heads through, but they’re just greedy.”
I swallowed and scooped up some food, then slowly moved my hand towards the goats. They all did as he’d said and shoved their needy heads through the bars, even tilting their heads to the side to get their horns through, and I inched my hand closer.
“Hold it flat,” Max reiterated.
I uncurled my fingers, pausing. “Like this?”
“No. You’re still bending your fingers.” He stepped towards me and took hold of my wrist. His left hand held it steadily, and a tingle danced up the inside of my forearm. His right hand controlled the gentle uncurl of my fingers until my hand was fully flat. “Like this,” he said softly, with his body right next to mine. “Or they might bite your fingers.”
“You might have told me that a moment ago,” I mumbled, holding my hand back from the goats.
He had full control over my hand; make no mistake about it. He was solely responsible for the unfurling of my fingers and the slow movement of it towards the goats.
And his body…
Well, he was right beside me. It was strong. Firm. The kind of body you could press your back against and feel safe with.
Ahem.
Not that I was noticing.
Max moved his left hand to cup my elbow and used his position next to me to turn me towards the goat. “I prefer to feed them this way,” he said in a low voice. “With my thumb facing away. Less things for them to munch on.”
“You’re not instilling confidence in me.” I swallowed. “They won’t bite me, will they?”
“Maybe.”
“Hey!”
“You asked.”
“The correct answer was no.”
“Shh. You’ll scare them.” He moved my hand towards the goats. “Ready?”
“Absolutely fucking not,” I replied.
He laughed. “You asked for this.”
“I rescind my request.”
“Too late.”
Max pushed my hand towards a goat. I squealed, shutting my eyes. My entire body tightened with apprehension, and I even leaned back into him a little.
Was I leaning into him or away from the goat?
I’d never tell.
The goat licked my hand, snaffling up the feed pellets.
It… was like a very large cat.
I opened my eyes to see a pair of very large lips lapping at my palm.
It tickled.
“There’s no need to look so scared.” His words were almost a chuckle in my ear.
“You just said they’d bite my fingers off.”
“Only if you don’t keep your hand flat. They’re not the smartest.” He scooped a handful of feed back into my palm. “Keep your fingers flat. Like a board. And keep your eyes open, because if they’re going to nibble you, then you can see it.”
I made a little grunting noise to express my displeasure at the idea of having my fingertips nibbled on by a goat, but I slowly put my hand in front of them. Vincent van Goat lapped up all the pellets gently, and I pulled my lips up into a smile.