Chapter 5

“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 isValentine’s Day. What would surprise Martha more than that?”