Have Mercy - Christina Lee Page 0,20

animosity between them, and from what I could tell, they worked together well but also gave each other space. When Kerry had disappeared the other evening, I didn’t dare ask where he was off to, nor the subsequent night when Sienna did the same. The farm wasn’t the only life they had, and even I had enjoyed a couple of trips to town, once to pick up supplies with Sienna and the other to deliver dairy to a local mom-and-pop shop with George. Sienna thought it would be a good idea to view another store’s setup. And it helped, because Sienna’s style was more country chic with a sophisticated slant, just like the decor at the farmhouse.

“Glad to hear it,” Caitlin replied. “Mom always thought you two could become friends.”

“Why, because I like boys too?” I rolled my eyes. “Not that he knows that. And I might just keep it that way.” Besides, getting to know him on a more organic level was better. Unless he already had me figured out. I’d been caught staring at him more than once, not that he’d ever called me on it.

“You know Mom always had a soft spot for him, especially growing up in the same town,” she said. “Coming out might not have been as harrowing for you, but it definitely was for him.”

“No kidding. This is a totally different way of life.” One that I was actually enjoying, for now.

But I could feel the tension just from the couple of times Kerry’s mom had shown up at the farm to visit Ainsley. The stilted conversation I’d witnessed between them when she mentioned Kerry’s father being busy with one thing or another made my stomach feel queasy. He appeared to take it in stride, but I could see flickers of anguish in his eyes.

I had even brought it up to Mom in our video call the other day when I’d shown her the silo, and she had frowned and sighed, wondering as I did if they would ever come around. Then she’d stayed on with me while I walked back to the house, where I put Marta on the spot. But the two of them briefly caught up and seemed glad for the contact.

“Wait, is that snorting I hear?” Caitlin asked.

“That’s my new friend, Hamlet. Here, look.” I turned the camera toward the tiny thing—though not that tiny. Sienna said he and Phoebe were about thirty pounds each. “They have another pig named Phoebe, and she’s a light pink color.”

Caitlin squealed like I knew she would. “So they’ve become family pets?”

“Obviously, and I’d go out on a limb and guess they have some of the same characteristics as dogs.”

“Like what?” she asked, sounding completely fascinated.

“They love rolling in muddy stuff and rooting through the ground for things to eat or chew on.” One time I’d caught Hamlet trying to eat my underwear while I was in the shower, after he’d foraged through my pile of dirty laundry.

“They sound like my pugs.” Caitlin had two dogs she and her fiancé endlessly doted on.

“See?” I snickered. “They love to run around the farm, then sleep in the shade with the goats.” I’d also witnessed them getting scolded by George for digging up the flower bed outside the farmhouse. But they seemed pretty intelligent too, because the next day they ran away just as he was approaching.

“That’s too cute. Does he sleep with you?”

“Sometimes. But it has to be on his terms.” I’d quickly learned that his way of showing affection was nudging my legs and sometimes licking my bare toes, which was weird. “He does not like to be picked up, nor does Phoebe.”

“How do you know?”

“Oh, you can’t miss it. I’d pick him up now, but he’d squeal his head off and disturb everyone.” I shook my head. “So I wait for his cues. If it seems like he wants on the bed, I lift him up.”

“Sounds awesome,” she replied with a dreamy smile. She’d always had a strong desire to get out of the city. She’d made a compromise with her fiancé that they’d look for a house in Connecticut or Jersey after the wedding and commute by train to work. Plus, there would be more room for their dogs to roam free, and being out here made me appreciate that concept even more.

Once our conversation ended, I noticed I could smell myself, so I rolled out of bed, intent on a shower. I should’ve done it before dinner, but I just