“How’d you find out about that?” Lily asked.

“Isaac told me. Some of the high school boys work out on the ranch for his daddy, and they were bragging about outsmartin’ the police. They didn’t know that Isaac was in the tack room,” Braden said, and then grinned. “I guess I could go with her—so if there is a rat, I could chase it away.”

“How would little old bitty you take care of a dam—darn—rat?” Holly shivered. “And I’m not going anywhere tonight but up to my room to work on my math. If I have trouble, Faith said I can call her and she’ll walk me through the problem.”

“You are mean,” Braden smarted off.

“You are obnoxious,” Holly told him.

“Both of you eat a cookie, and don’t talk with food in your mouths,” Lily told them.

“Mack should be home by now, right?” Braden asked.

“He had an after-school meeting,” Lily answered. “He won’t be here until late.”

“I can take care of the feeding,” Braden said. “You want to help me, Holly?”

“Only if Mama goes with us,” Holly answered.

“Why?” Braden frowned.

“Because if there’s a mouse out there, you’ll get it by the tail and chase me with it,” Holly replied.

“Get finished with your snack, and we’ll take care of the evening chores together.” Lily figured it would be well worth her time to get Holly interested in the goats.

Of course, Holly had to change her clothes, braid her hair, put on fresh lipstick, and get out her oldest boots. Not even the goats were going to see her looking like a bag lady. Lily put on a pair of jeans, a flannel shirt, and her dad’s old work coat. It didn’t fit her much better than it had Braden.

“I’ll show y’all how it’s done.” Braden puffed up with pride on the way from the house to the barn. “It’s not hard, and you’re goin’ to love the new babies, Holly. They’re even cuter than a cat.”

“Not possible,” Holly declared.

The feeding chore only took half an hour at the most, but they spent another hour in the pen, petting and loving on the new babies. Holly was the child who begged for five more minutes when they had to go back to the house, and who pouted when she had to leave behind her favorite little black-and-white kid that was only a couple of days old.

After supper, Holly and Braden hurried to the living room to watch an old movie. They’d argued all during the meal about a funny scene. Holly said that one thing happened in it; Braden swore that it didn’t. That would keep them busy for a couple of hours, Lily thought. She went upstairs to take a long, soaking bath.