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I felt the panic rise in my chest. “There’s a goat in the bathroom!”

I heard Wells’ footsteps approaching the door, slow and deliberate. A moment later, the door creaked open, and I saw his head peek around the corner. His eyes widened at the sight of Mr. Nibbles, who was casually munching away at the shower mat like he was at a five-star restaurant.

“What the hell?” Wells said, his voice full of disbelief as he took in the scene. He stepped into the bathroom, raising an eyebrow as Mr. Nibbles continued his snack without a care in the world.

“I didn’t invite him in!” I hissed, my face burning with embarrassment. “I was just trying to take a shower, and—” I motioned towards the goat.

Mr. Nibbles didn’t even glance up, too busy enjoying his meal to be bothered by the chaos he’d caused.

Wells, on the other hand, couldn’t contain his laughter. He shook his head, clearly finding the whole situation way too funny. “Guess he thought the bathroom was the new hangout.”

“Get him out!” I pleaded, desperate to end the awkwardness of the moment.

Wells grinned, enjoying every second of my discomfort. “Alright, alright. I’ll get him out of here.”

He crouched down, calmly grabbing Mr. Nibbles by the horns and guiding him toward the door. “Come on, buddy,” he murmured, leading the goat out of the bathroom. “No more naked ladies for you.”

As Wells and Mr. Nibbles disappeared from view, I stood there frozen in place, still clutching the towel to my chest like it was the only thing keeping me sane.

Once the door shut behind them, I leaned against the sink, trying to steady my breath.

I couldn’t help it. I let out a small, incredulous laugh. How is this my life?

A few moments later, I heard Wells’ voice from the other side of the door. “Just wait until you see what happens when I try to fix the fence again.”

I groaned. But I knew. The farm was only going to get more interesting from here.

After a moment of collecting myself, I finally emerged from the bathroom.

I slipped into a comfortable pair of leggings and a soft sweater, the warmth of the fabric a welcome comfort against the coolness of the evening. After brushing my hair out, I headed downstairs, hoping to find some peace and maybe a cup of tea to wind down.

The familiar smell of dinner wafted from the kitchen, and I smiled at the thought of Wells handling the evening meal. As I reached the bottom of the stairs, I caught a glimpse of him in the kitchen, standing by the counter with his back to me. He seemed focused on whatever he was cooking, but I couldn’t help but notice the way his shirt hugged his shoulders as he moved, the familiar ease with which he worked in his element.

I hesitated for just a second before stepping into the kitchen, trying to shake off the last vestiges of embarrassment from the goat fiasco.

“Well, look who’s finally clean.” Wells said, his voice playful and teasing as he glanced over his shoulder. His eyes ran over me with a smile that was half-amusement, half-admiration. “I was starting to wonder if you were planning on living in that towel forever.”

I rolled my eyes, walking over to the kitchen counter where he had set a plate of food. “Ha-ha, very funny,” I said, trying to sound unbothered. But I couldn’t help but laugh. “If I had known what this farm life would be like, I might’ve opted to swallow my pride and head back to Seattle.”

Wells chuckled and turned back to the stove, flipping something in the pan with practiced ease. “You’ll get the hang of it,” he said with that easy confidence. “Maybe next time, you won’t have to wrestle a goat into submission just to get a little peace.”

“Don’t remind me,” I muttered, taking a seat at the table and tucked my legs underneath me. “I swear, I’ll never look at goats the same way again.”

Wells grinned, his voice a mix of amusement and something warmer. “You looked pretty cute with your hair all wild and covered in goat slobber. You should consider it your new look.”

“Don’t even joke,” I said, poking at my food with a mock glare.

He gave me a sidelong glance, clearly enjoying every second of my discomfort. “I’m just saying, you make it work.”

I rolled my eyes again but couldn’t suppress the smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. As much as I tried to act annoyed, there was something about Wells’ teasing that made the whole situation less ridiculous.

“Thanks for the food, by the way,” I said, trying to shift the focus away from the subject of goats and showers. “I’m starving.”

“You’re welcome,” Wells replied easily, sliding into the chair opposite me. “Figured you’d worked up an appetite wrangling livestock all day.”

“Livestock?” I snorted. “I was wrestling with one goat and I’m pretty sure he was winning most of the time.”

“Well, maybe you just need a few more lessons in goat-wrangling,” Wells said with a cheeky grin. “Or, we could just let you stick to the flowers. You know, where they don’t bite.”