"No," Carmen said, happy to change the subject. "Are the goats cleaning it up pretty good?"
"Yes. It's amazing how fast they can work on that brush. You've already got new grass coming up in some areas.
"We'll have to ride up there this weekend. I was reading a book in Texas and it gave me an idea. I know goats aren't native to the United States, but neither are Longhorns. They both have a long history here, though. Still, I never realized how many ways they can be used. Did you know they can be used as pack animals?"
Sam laughed. "Are they better than a horse?"
Carmen grinned. "I don't know, but hikers can use them to haul their things. I thought maybe we could have guided tours and maybe camp out at night."
"That sounds like a good idea." Sam said.
Sam climbed into her truck. "Well, whatever you do, don't push yourself too hard."
It was nice to have someone concerned about her without taking over. Of course, to be fair, Sam was an employee and Alex would have to live with the results of whatever she did … like killing his horse.
Carmen watched Sam's truck disappear behind the brush that lined the road. The situation with Alex wasn't totally resolved. Things were working well now, but if she got distracted, he could feel as excluded as she had. From now on she intended to talk things over with him before she leaped into it.
That said, she was ill prepared for the reaction she got from Alex when he saw the puppy. She was in the floor with Jonathan, Destiny, Matthew and Natalie playing with the puppy when Alex came home. Matthew was laughing uncontrollably over the antics of the puppy. Alex walked over to them and knelt beside Carmen.
"Who does this belong to?"
Carmen smiled up at him. "Us. Sam brought her by this morning. Isn't she cute?"
"She?" he said, his attention focused on the puppy. "Part Collie?"
"She," Carmen confirmed. "Half Collie and half Golden Labrador. We haven't named her yet."
Alex looked disappointed. "I was going to get you a dog, but I thought maybe it was too early. I guess not."
Maybe she should have asked him before accepting the puppy. Was there a decision so small that he need not be consulted?
"I'm sorry," she said. "I should have asked you. The truth is, if someone had asked me if I was ready for another dog yet, I probably would have said no. There's just something about this one."