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As if knowing it was out of reach, the goat skidded to a stop, spun around and bleated again. This time, it sounded as if it was laughing at Connor. And Samantha couldn’t help but join the four-legged foe in her mirth. A man defeated, Connor rolled onto his back and swore out loud.
Pushing herself off the railings, she took steps towards the two. ‘Why don’t you let me have a go?’ She grinned at his look of astonishment as he got to his feet. ‘Maybe it just needs a woman’s touch.’
‘Okay, but if it rears up, you get out of the way, quick smart.’ His thumbs hooking through his belt loops, he gave her a look of utmost seriousness. ‘I’ve learnt the hard way how much a kick to the shins hurts, too many times.’
She nodded, trying but failing to match his seriousness. ‘Trust me, I can move quickly if need be.’ She hoped her lips weren’t smirking.
‘Okay, but I’m right here to help if things go pear-shaped.’ He stepped out of the way. ‘I got you,’ he added, with an affirming nod.
‘Thanks.’ Amused, but trying to remain deadpan, she turned her back to him and faced the goat.
Approaching the defiant animal carefully while affirming she wasn’t going to hurt it, she stopped a couple of metres short of the seemingly calm creature. Leaning down ever so slowly, she plucked the lead from the ground, and then stepped out of harm’s way. Accomplishment filled her with absolute pride. This was further than Connor had gotten.
Go me!
‘Come on then, you rascal, let’s get you back home, huh.’ She gave the lead a little tug.
The goat bleated but didn’t budge.
Yanking the lead, she made a bleating noise back to it.
Connor’s laughter echoed. ‘What are you trying to do, Sammie?’
‘I have no idea,’ she called out while not taking her eyes off the goat for a second. ‘But this bugger isn’t going to get one over me, nope, no way.’
‘Righto,’ Connor replied. ‘We’ll see.’
A few minutes later and she was basically leaning backwards with the obstinate goat attached to the other end of the rope, doing the same. A game of tug-rope ensued. Her determination to see this through, and get the job done, was now overriding her common sense. After another minute of grunting and groaning, she basically turned into a drill sergeant as she barked everything she could at it, including a tongue-in-cheek threat of murder.
‘Here, Sammie, I’ll take over.’ Connor arrived at her side, hands reaching for the lead rope.
‘No, I’ve got this.’ She tugged it out of his reach, jolting the goat into another bout of senseless heaving and hoeing.
Connor was smirking now. ‘It kind of doesn’t look that way from where I’m standing.’
‘I said, I’ve got it.’ She gave him a look that spoke of hell to pay if he challenged her.
He cocked his head and smiled at her. ‘Are you sure about that?’
She growled beneath her breath. ‘Yes, I’m absolutely one hundred and fifty percent sure.’
‘Righto, if you say so.’ Holding his hands up in surrender, he took a step back.
Clenching her teeth while ignoring the beads of sweat rolling from her forehead, she yanked the goat’s lead harder, pulling with all her might, and that’s right about when she realised she didn’t have it at all. Not in the slightest. The collar sipped from its neck and the goat took off, straight through the gate they’d been trying to coax it towards. Arms flailing, she tumbled backwards, landing in a pile of fresh manure. A gate slammed shut near her – Connor had jumped in and secured the goat into the enclosure. The manure squelched between her fingers as she quickly tried to stand. A muffled chuckle caught her attention, and she glanced up to witness absolute mirth written all over Connor’s face.
‘Is something funny?’
‘Nope.’ His grin grew wider.
She threw him her best I’m-going-to-make-you-pay-for-this glare before bursting into laughter. And that gave Connor the freedom to join her. And just when she thought they’d stopped, he’d simply look at her and they’d burst into side-splitting laughter again. Once she felt as if she could stand up without being crippled by mirth, she held her manure-covered hands up. ‘Are you going to be that gentleman you’ve been up until this very point in time, and help me up, or just stand there taking the piss?’
Connor screwed his face up at the sight of her dung-covered fingers. ‘I think I’ll choose the latter because your hands are gross, and besides, it’s more fun taking the piss.’
‘Fair enough.’ Grabbing two handfuls of the still-warm manure, she flung it towards him. He ducked but wasn’t quick enough. ‘Oh my gosh, what an awesome shot!’ she exclaimed after it smacked him fair in the face.
Grimacing and chuckling at the same time, he wiped a hand across his cheek, succeeding in nothing other than smearing the wad of manure even further.
She pointed at him. ‘You’ve got a little something on your face, Gunn.’ Now it was her turn to laugh like a hyena.
