their own.
Allison placed her end of the leather onto the nearest workbench, and they headed out the door.
Out in the yard, they were greeted by a scene of total chaos. Six goats frolicked on the grass, four goats raced up and down the driveway, and two more kicked up their heels on the porch. Aaron could only imagine how much damage those goats would do if they didn’t get back in their pen quickly. The two on the porch needed to be corralled first, as one of the goats had jumped onto a chair and was nibbling away at the petunias dangling from a pot that hung from the porch ceiling.
“Bessie, why don’t you and Sarah try to catch the goats in the yard, while I capture the ones on the porch?” Aaron called to his sister.
“Jah, okay!” Bessie hollered in response.
He glanced over at Allison. “If you’d like to join in, you can take your pick of whatever goat you want to chase.”
With no hesitation, Allison headed for the porch. Aaron was right on her heels. By the time they reached their destination, both goats were standing on chairs, and Mom’s pot of flowers was half eaten.
“Stupid gees! You’re nothing but trouble,” Aaron fumed. He lunged for one goat at the same time Allison did. The goat slipped between them and darted off the porch. Smack! —their heads came together.
“Ouch!” Allison pulled back like she’d been stung by a hornet.
“Yow!” Aaron did the same.
“Are you okay?” Allison asked, rubbing her forehead.
He fingered the pulsating spot on his head and nodded. “I think I’ll live. How about you?”
“I’ve got a little bump, but the skin’s not broken.”
Aaron fought the urge to touch the swollen red spot on Allison’s forehead. “Sorry about that,” he mumbled. “Guess I should have told you which goat I was going for.”
“It’s okay; no permanent damage has been done.”
Pulling his gaze away from Allison, Aaron turned to see Sarah, Bessie, and eight frolicking goats leaping around the yard like a bunch of frogs. The goats that had been on the porch now joined the six in the yard, and the four that had been in the driveway were still slipping and sliding in the gravel.
“I guess I’d better see if my brothers can help out,” he said.
Allison nodded. “We’re going to need all the help we can get.”
Chapter 11
I am glad you were free to go on a picnic with me this evening,” Katie said to Allison as they rode in Katie’s buggy toward one of the ponds off Highway C. “This will give us a chance to get to know each other better.”
“Sorry we couldn’t have left earlier, but Aunt Mary needed my help getting some things ready for tomorrow evening’s barbecue.”
“That’s okay. I had plenty of chores to do at my place today, too.” Katie flicked the reins, and the horse broke into a trot. “I’m glad I got an invitation to your aunt and uncle’s barbecue.” She smiled. “You mentioned that the Hiltys were invited, so I’m hoping Joseph will be there.”
“You’ve heard about little Emma’s surgery, haven’t you?”
Katie nodded. “It’s a shame about her appendix.”
“Sarah and I stopped by the harness shop yesterday to invitethe family to the barbecue. That’s when I heard about it. Aaron said maybe he or one of his brothers might bring Bessie over.”
“If only one brother can come, I hope it will be Joseph,” Katie said wistfully.
Allison chuckled. “I think you’ve got a one-track mind, and it leads to only one place.”
“Where’s that?”
“Joseph Zook.”
Katie’s face heated up. She cared for Joseph a lot, but she didn’t feel she knew Allison well enough to discuss her deepest feelings. “Sure is a pretty evening,” she said as they pulled onto the dirt road that led to the pond.
“Jah, it’s real nice.” Allison grinned. “Would you like to hear about my embarrassing experience while Sarah and I were at the Zooks’ place?”
“Jah, sure. What happened?”
“The goats got out, and Aaron
Allison placed her end of the leather onto the nearest workbench, and they headed out the door.
Out in the yard, they were greeted by a scene of total chaos. Six goats frolicked on the grass, four goats raced up and down the driveway, and two more kicked up their heels on the porch. Aaron could only imagine how much damage those goats would do if they didn’t get back in their pen quickly. The two on the porch needed to be corralled first, as one of the goats had jumped onto a chair and was nibbling away at the petunias dangling from a pot that hung from the porch ceiling.
“Bessie, why don’t you and Sarah try to catch the goats in the yard, while I capture the ones on the porch?” Aaron called to his sister.
“Jah, okay!” Bessie hollered in response.
He glanced over at Allison. “If you’d like to join in, you can take your pick of whatever goat you want to chase.”
With no hesitation, Allison headed for the porch. Aaron was right on her heels. By the time they reached their destination, both goats were standing on chairs, and Mom’s pot of flowers was half eaten.
“Stupid gees! You’re nothing but trouble,” Aaron fumed. He lunged for one goat at the same time Allison did. The goat slipped between them and darted off the porch. Smack! —their heads came together.
“Ouch!” Allison pulled back like she’d been stung by a hornet.
“Yow!” Aaron did the same.
“Are you okay?” Allison asked, rubbing her forehead.
He fingered the pulsating spot on his head and nodded. “I think I’ll live. How about you?”
“I’ve got a little bump, but the skin’s not broken.”
Aaron fought the urge to touch the swollen red spot on Allison’s forehead. “Sorry about that,” he mumbled. “Guess I should have told you which goat I was going for.”
“It’s okay; no permanent damage has been done.”
Pulling his gaze away from Allison, Aaron turned to see Sarah, Bessie, and eight frolicking goats leaping around the yard like a bunch of frogs. The goats that had been on the porch now joined the six in the yard, and the four that had been in the driveway were still slipping and sliding in the gravel.
“I guess I’d better see if my brothers can help out,” he said.
Allison nodded. “We’re going to need all the help we can get.”
Chapter 11
I am glad you were free to go on a picnic with me this evening,” Katie said to Allison as they rode in Katie’s buggy toward one of the ponds off Highway C. “This will give us a chance to get to know each other better.”
“Sorry we couldn’t have left earlier, but Aunt Mary needed my help getting some things ready for tomorrow evening’s barbecue.”
“That’s okay. I had plenty of chores to do at my place today, too.” Katie flicked the reins, and the horse broke into a trot. “I’m glad I got an invitation to your aunt and uncle’s barbecue.” She smiled. “You mentioned that the Hiltys were invited, so I’m hoping Joseph will be there.”
“You’ve heard about little Emma’s surgery, haven’t you?”
Katie nodded. “It’s a shame about her appendix.”
“Sarah and I stopped by the harness shop yesterday to invitethe family to the barbecue. That’s when I heard about it. Aaron said maybe he or one of his brothers might bring Bessie over.”
“If only one brother can come, I hope it will be Joseph,” Katie said wistfully.
Allison chuckled. “I think you’ve got a one-track mind, and it leads to only one place.”
“Where’s that?”
“Joseph Zook.”
Katie’s face heated up. She cared for Joseph a lot, but she didn’t feel she knew Allison well enough to discuss her deepest feelings. “Sure is a pretty evening,” she said as they pulled onto the dirt road that led to the pond.
“Jah, it’s real nice.” Allison grinned. “Would you like to hear about my embarrassing experience while Sarah and I were at the Zooks’ place?”
“Jah, sure. What happened?”
“The goats got out, and Aaron
Similar Books
