Waiting For August

Part 2~Goat in a Boat

"Huh. How do you think she managed that?" Jackson asked.

"I have no idea. Think she had help?" I glanced around, looking for a set of red-haired boys.

I wasn't the only one who had come "running" to see what the emergency was. Trixie's excitement had garnered the curiosity of most of the other adults as well. Even the small group of teenagers who were lounging on or around the porch had joined us. We were at the lake. I had a small dock, and further out there was a platform. Along its stony shore two canoes were beached. There should have been three.

The third was currently out in the water halfway between the dock and the platform, and Lulu-Belle was in it. She had noticed her audience and was now bleating at us.

"One of us has to go out and get her." I glanced at Jackson.

"Don't look at me, it's your goat."

"Yeah. I was afraid of that." I kicked off my shoes and pulled off my shirt, to the cheers, whistles, jeers, and general laughter of my family behind me. I dropped my jeans and turned to bow in my undershorts, to a round of applause. At least I was wearing underwear.

I ran the length of the dock before diving in. The water was cold. Nope. Freezing. My nether regions threatened revolt. I swam a few strokes before breaking the surface.

"How's the water?" Jackson was on the edge of the dock. "Refreshing?"

I flipped him off. "Why don't you join me?"

He laughed. "No thanks. The views great from here." 

If I had a "second" it would be Jackson. He was a couple years older than me and had pair-bonded with Gillian who had been a couple years older again. They wasted no time in gettin busy. The result was a pair of mischievous boys with fire red hair like their mother.

A few short strokes and I reached the canoe. Lulu-Belle immediately welcomed me by trying to eat my hair. There's nothing quite like having a goat lick your head. I turned the canoe and swam it back. Once on shore, Lulu-Belle wasted no time jumping out. She ran straight to Trixie as if she somehow knew that she was her hero.

***

After the barbecue there was apple pie and after that, Jackson, Ben, Jonah, and I went out to the pit to start a fire. Yep. Cause it took all four of us. Ben and Jonah had carried a large cooler between them. It was filled with soda and beer and wine coolers, and while Jackson lit a fire, the three of us stood around drinking and judging.

At dusk, everyone started to gather round. There were marshmallows to roast and smores to make. Jonah, who was always a character, told ghost stories and Naomi's son Declan—who'd been away at college but had come home for a visit—played guitar and took requests while he sang. He was the envy of the teenage boys and eye-candy for the girls.

Between nine-thirty and ten, a few families headed home for the night. At eleven I rounded up the tweens who were staying and walked them up to the house. The twins had run up ahead, but Trixie was dawdling.

"But I don't wanna go to bed!" She stomped her feet all the way across the porch and up to the kitchen door. She was tired. She wasn't usually a whiny little brat.

I bent down to look at her. "Well, too bad. It's adult time now, so deal with it."

I held open the door for her. She groaned as she walked under my arm. "I know what that means, yah know." She was heading to the stairs but dragging her feet as she did.

"Yeah, it means no kids."

"Uh-uh." She shook her head. "It means you're going to go have sex."

I bit my tongue and tried not to laugh. It might very well have meant that in her house. "Nuh-uh." I said instead. "I haven't found my mate yet, so obviously I can't be having sex."