Page 24 of I Loved You First

“The big goats and sheep are in the other pen,” Cam added.

Brady hesitated, then nodded. “Okay.”

Fiona stood, still holding Brady’s hand. “Okay.”

Cam gained his feet, walking with them, impressed that Fiona’s magic words had done the trick. “Let’s go say hello.”

Brady stopped. “Not you, Dad. Just me and Fiona.”

Cam stopped short, holding up his hands as he huffed out a pained laugh. “I know who the chopped liver is around here.”

Fiona laughed one of her big laughs as she kept walking with Brady, buying the goat food in a paper cup before they entered the pen.

Crouching down as one of the miniature goats approached them in the center, she petted him and then fed him some of the pellets on her flat hand.

Brady hesitantly petted the same goat, then stepped closer, clearly at ease as he smiled at the animal.

Fiona said something as she put food on Brady’s hand, helping him keep his palm flat.

Brady laughed when the goat began to eat. “It tickles!”

Fiona grinned with obvious delight as she met Cam’s gaze.

“Christ, you’re beautiful,” he muttered, adoring how her guard came down when Brady was around—how she was so warm and kind to his son.

Fiona gave her attention back to Brady. “You’re doing awesome, buddy.”

Brady nodded. “Yup.”

She nuzzled her nose against his when he hooked his arm around the back of her neck while they beamed at each other.

Cam swallowed, recognizing the affectionate gesture, remembering how Fi used to do the same thing to him. He clenched his jaw, missing how things used to be—when Fi was easy and open with him.

And then there was a commotion as the interior fencing gave way, crashing to the ground. Soon, children were screaming and crying as the larger animals joined the smaller ones. Within seconds, Fiona and Brady were surrounded.

Immediately, Fiona picked Brady up when the animals shoved at them. “They like you so much they crashed through the gate to say hello,” Fiona said over the chaos.

Brady grinned. “They really like me.”

Fiona attempted to move toward the fence as the animals closed in tighter around them while the farmer righted the interior fencing, and another ran after two of the sheep that escaped with several of the children and their parents.

“Do you need a hand?” Cam asked.

She looked up. “I think we do.”

Cam leaned into the pen, grabbing Brady. “Here we go,” he said as he set him down outside the mess, realizing Fiona grew more trapped as the animals continued to surround her and the food she held.

Laughing, she threw the pellets in the opposite direction, but the animals didn’t move. “That didn’t work.”

“Can you make it to the fence?” Cam asked her.

“Yes, I think so. But do you think it’ll hold my weight if I try to climb over?”

He nodded. “Definitely. You’re not that heavy.”

She took a step, then let out a little squeal as she reached down when one of the large goats tried to take her sandal.

“Hey, goat! Don’t eat Fiona’s sandal!” Brady yelled. “Dad, save Fiona!”