A Heart Not Easily Broken Read online

  Chapter 8

  The forest fire subsided, leaving the air breathable enough for families to spend Saturday outdoors.

  I loved days like this. My usual work assignment kept me behind the scenes cleaning cages or assisting the veterinarians with routine checkups. Today, I worked in the children’s petting zoo. Watching children run along the gated area, their faces lit up with excitement, reminded me of my love for animals when I was younger.

  The petting zoo held tame animals that were free to roam during the day and housed in stalls at night. My responsibilities included keeping the troughs full of food and water, and making sure the walking areas were free of waste. The job wasn’t glamorous, but I wouldn’t trade it for a thing.

  I held my breath, scooped up a large pile of dung, and walked it across the yard to the compost pile.

  “I don’t wanna touch it!”

  “Cody, stop being a baby.”

  “I’m not a baby!”

  A little boy stood, his arms crossed and bottom lip poked out. He appeared to be at least six years old. He directed his hazel eyes at an older girl with long blond ponytails. She returned his pouty stare with a glare.

  I set my shovel down. “Hi, my name is Ebony. What’s going on?”

  “Cody’s being a scaredy cat. He won’t touch the goat,” the blue-eyed girl said.

  “I’m not a scaredy cat,” he whined. “It’s gonna bite me.”

  “See?” Cody’s sister threw her hands up in exasperation.

  I smiled warmly, keeping the laugh inside. “The goats don’t bite. I’ll show you how to touch them, okay?”

  He nodded, wiping at the corners of his eyes.

  I held his hand and walked over to a goat in the pen.

  “This is Delilah. She’s very friendly and won’t bite.”

  His eyes widened, filled with disbelief.

  “I promise it’s okay. Start petting her here.” I demonstrated by running my hand over her rump. “Don’t pull her tail though. When you’re ready, you can rub here.” I ran my hand over her back.

  Cody joined in with his free hand, hesitant at first, while gripping my hand tightly. He relaxed and an excited smile spread across his face.

  His sister, on the other hand, stood with her arms crossed refusing to touch the animal. “Touching is for babies.”

  “You know, you’re right. Why don’t you try this?” I released Cody’s hand and pulled hay from the trough. To her delight, Delilah ate from my hand. “What’s your name?”

  “Hannah.”

  I squatted down. “Here, Hannah, hold it steady so she’ll come to you.”

  Hannah followed my instructions, but her hand trembled. Delilah turned to consume it.

  “Wow,” Hannah said in a small voice.

  “Uncle Brian, Uncle Brian, look at me!” Cody yelled, jumping with excitement.

  I laughed at his enthusiasm and followed his line of sight. My mouth fell open in surprise.

  Brian walked toward me with a confident swag. “Looks like we meet again.” He stood with his hands in his pockets and a sexy half-smile on his face. A red t-shirt, shorts, and sandals fit him perfectly. “What are the chances?”

  Even though he’d cleaned up nice the evening we went out, he was just as attractive now. I wiped my hands on my pants and stood. “Uncle Brian, huh?”

  “Yeah, these are my sister Lisa’s kids. They wanted to come to the zoo. Their parents needed a day to themselves so,” he shrugged, “I volunteered.”

  Giggles erupted from the kids as they exchanged glances but stopped when he cleared his throat.

  “Really.” For some reason I found that excuse hard to believe. “Cody, keep rubbing her that way. You’ll be fine.” I grabbed my shovel and moved toward a newly released pile of dung as I shot him a look over my shoulder.

  Brian followed closely, wrinkling his nose. “Wow, this looks fun.”

  “Shoveling crap? It comes in all forms.” I threw the dung into a pile.

  “Ouch,” he chuckled. “Okay, the truth is I hoped to run into you.”

  I faced him, stabbed the shovel into the ground, and leaned on it. “It’s a big place, Brian. Your chances were slim. I’m usually behind the scenes.”

  “Guess today was my lucky day.”

  When it came to finding me, Brian never seemed to run out of luck.

  I couldn’t help but smile. “Okay,” I shook my head. “Now what?”

  “What are you doing tomorrow?”

  I sighed. “Brian, I’m not going out with you.”

  “I didn’t ask you out. I just want to know what you have planned.” He tried his best to be charming and innocent at the same time.

  “Am I supposed to believe that?” I forced my smile to stay hidden.

  “I swear my intentions are pure. If you’re free, I’m going to the amusement park at the Pier. It would be fun to ride the Ferris wheel, grab a funnel cake…talk while watching the tide come in. It’ll be nothing more than just two friends meeting to hang out.”

  I eyed him skeptically. “And it wouldn’t be considered a date?”

  “Not if we meet there.”

  “We did that last week, and you considered it a date.”

  “That was at night. This is during the day.”

  I laughed at his reasoning. He seemed to make a habit of making things work to his advantage.

  “It sounds nice, but I don’t think so. I’ve got studying to do.”

  Even though school wasn’t starting for two months, I had borrowed books to read. Between my friends talking me into going out, spending the evening with Brian, and work, I hadn’t studied in days.

  The glow in Brian’s eyes fizzled. And great, now I felt guilty. Though he seemed disappointed, his smile remained genuine.

  “That’s too bad. Well, if you change your mind, I’m going around three o’clock. You’ve got my number. Text me, and I’ll meet you at the gate.” He looked over his shoulder. “Hannah, Cody, let’s go. There’s a lot to see before we eat lunch.”

  Cody ran to his side. “Can we eat at McDonald’s?”

  Brian ruffled his hair. “Sure thing, kid. Did you guys thank Ebony?”

  Both blond heads turned. “Thank you,” they sang in unison.

  “You’re welcome. Have a good time.” I waved at them as they left the petting area.

  They’d walked a few feet when Hannah’s voice floated over. “You were right, she’s very pretty.”

  “I did what you said, Uncle Brian, can I still get cotton candy?”

  I shook my head and laughed. Sneaky bastard.

  Brian peered back over his shoulder, a sheepish grin on his face as he grabbed Cody in a headlock. “Kids, gotta love ’em.”

  “You talk too much, Cody,” Hannah said.