It was probably the most random question he’d ever been asked. “There was this boutique at Seaport Village in San Diego where I could go have my own blends mixed in—but I just picked out a few things and they whipped it up for me.”
“Ah, mate, what is your life?” Collin asked with a small chuckle. “Normally, Spencer’s at home to help me with this, but someone from down the hill just brought two litters of abandoned kittens, so he’s getting them sorted, and I need to prep for the Market. I have a stall on the weekends where I sell soap. A lot of them are based from the goat’s milk, but I try to keep a variety.”
“And you want me to help with it?” he asked, unable to hide the disbelief in his tone.
“It’s easy,” Collin promised him, though his smile was a little deceiving.
They walked to a set-up under a metal awning, and Lorenzo couldn’t make heads or tails out of it. There were jars, silicon molds, and buckets of things like flowers and small plastic goats and massive tubes of paint or food coloring.
“I’ve got a blend here all prepped, we just need to add fragrance, color, then get them into molds. I thought you might enjoy the clear ones. They’re my allergen free,” Collin said, and pointed to the end of the table.
Lorenzo blinked at him. “…okay?”
Collin laughed again and shook his head, reaching for a bucket of the little plastic goats. “Just stick one of these at the bottom, pour from that jar there, and let them set. Easy as that. Also don’t forget gloves, because the jars are bloody hot.”
Lorenzo noticed the thick gloves at the end of the table, so he slipped them on, then shook the bin of goats. “He really is a local celebrity, isn’t he?” Lorenzo asked when he realized all the plastic goats were missing a leg.
Collin snorted, but he looked a little sad. “Trying for some better PR. Sorry little sod’s made a name for himself and not in the way I’d hoped. I think he’s acting out, and Max reckons I’m being a bit of an idiot about the whole thing and Robert’s just acting out his nature.”
Lorenzo found the idea of headbutting dicks as a goat’s nature to be somewhat debatable, but he couldn’t help but admit the little furry creature with his floppy ears and missing eye and three legs had an adorable appeal. “I’m not the only one he’s gone after though.”
Collin shook his head. “One name on a long list, mate. But doesn’t mean you’re not special.”
Lorenzo began to place the goats in the molds, setting them upright and waiting for Collin to nod. “I’m not sure I want to be special in that way.”
With a snort, Collin began to swirl marbled waves of color into a white mix, then he gingerly tipped the mixture into hearts. “I’m just glad he didn’t scare you off.”
Lorenzo shrugged before he grabbed the jar off a hotplate, wincing as the heat seeped through the gloves, then he started to pour. It was harder than it looked, and he knew his technique was sloppy, but he didn’t spill too much over. “I’m just surprised you wanted me back. I’m definitely not cut out for farming.”
“Most of us aren’t,” Collin said with a wink. “Max would rather die than have to deal with most of this, but he’s got his garage and his cars.”
Lorenzo loved the way Collin said garage—gah-roge. It made him grin as he filled the second set of molds. “You must adore him.”
“I do. Both of them—and who’d have ever known,” Collin said quietly. “You make any progress with your…whatever it was?”
Lorenzo had very carefully avoided telling Collin anything personal. Not just to keep his own business private, but it wasn’t his place to talk about Wilder without him knowing. “I think so.”
“You’re smiling more today.” Collin set his mixture aside, then went under the table for a second. “You want to make something for him?”
Lorenzo’s mouth dropped open to deny that there was anyone, but he realized Collin hadn’t asked specifics about who it was. He was just being kind. “Yeah, that might be nice.”
Collin beckoned him over, then lifted up a small bin that was filled with tiny, brown bottles. “I have nearly every scent you can think of—I assume you want to avoid baked goods?”
Lorenzo flushed hotly and hoped it didn’t show on his face. “Someone told you?”