May, 1949

Converse County, Wyoming, United States

The last thing Sam Troy wanted to hear waking up in the morning was ruckus from his livestock, especially when that ruckus was before his alarm was set to go off. He dragged himself out of bed, feeling like half his brain was still asleep, and staggered over to the window. Cattle were everywhere. The horses had somehow escaped their stalls, and chickens were running around, spooking everything in their path.

He exhausted his curse words in English before switching to curses in Greek as he headed down the stairs, still undressed. He struggled to compose himself before taking his phone off its hook and dialing. What a wonderful start to the day, he thought.

Eventually, a woman's voice said, "Hello? Who is this?"

"It's Sam, sweetheart. Your chickens got out and they're terrorizing my animals," Troy replied.

Shauna McPherson laughed. "Did you forget to lock the coop, Sam?"

"I swear, I locked it. They unlocked it."

"They're not that smart."

"Yes, they are! Come wrangle your chickens!"

Shauna kept laughing. "Come on, Sam, it can't be that bad, can it?"

"I'm struggling to figure out how the horses escaped."

"Oh." Shauna stopped laughing. "I'll be right there."

"Thank you." Troy hung up, sighing heavily before looking out another window to see chickens madly flapping their wings as they flew above one of the horses.

About ten minutes later, Shauna's truck pulled into the driveway. She was still buttoning her overalls as she left the vehicle, running toward the fence where the chaos was taking place. Troy went outside to assist, trying to take control of a horse while Shauna chased chickens. There was quite a bit of yelling, chickens squawking, horses neighing, and a single rooster crowing louder than everything else. Eventually, every animal was put back where it originally belonged. Troy was seated bareback on a horse, and Shauna was standing nearby with a hen in her arms, feathers raining around her.

"Well, that was fun!" she said.

"Oh, yeah. Fun." Troy sighed. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. This'll be your responsibility when you're ready to stay here."

"And I'll enjoy every minute." Shauna put the hen back in the coop, then jogged back over to Troy as he guided the horse back to the barn. "I almost forgot—" Shauna threw her arms around Troy to kiss him. "Good morning."

"Good morning," Troy muttered. "It'll be a better morning when I have a cup of coffee and can get the sound of chickens clucking their heads off out of my ears." He put the horse back in its stall, then gently pulled Shauna closer to him. "I got to see you early today, so it's not all bad," he said before planting a kiss on her cheek.

"Maybe you left the chicken coop unlocked on purpose so you had a reason to call me over so early," Shauna said.

"I'm telling you, sweetheart, I made damn sure that coop was locked."

"Right." Shauna grinned up at him, then stood on her toes to nuzzle Troy's face and kiss him again.

"Okay, okay," Troy said. "We have work to do, sweetheart."

"You need your coffee first, though."

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. Care to join me?"

"I'd love to." Shauna clung to Troy while they headed into the house for coffee and breakfast. Once the coffee was brewing and a couple of eggs were frying in a pan, Shauna turned to Troy and asked, "So, in all seriousness, how are you taking to the chickens?"

"They're a handful, but I think it'll be easier with you actually here with them," Troy replied.

"They're not all that used to new people, that's for sure," Shauna said. "All they know is me. I hope they like you."

"Well, the rooster pecked me in the ass before I went inside for the night so… it's a work in progress."

Shauna laughed. "Oh, poor Sam!"

"It's alright. Just hurt. No blood."

"Still. The rooster will get used to you. Just be patient with him."

"I'm trying. Whether or not the rooster's going to be patient with me is another story."

"The idea of you winning a game of patience is amusing."

"Hey, I can be patient when I need to." Troy poured a cup of coffee for Shauna, then handed it to her. "For you, I'll wait till the end of time."

"Fortunately, you won't have to wait that long."

"Nope." Troy glanced at the eggs to make sure they weren't burning. "I just want to make sure you're absolutely ready for this."

"For living with you? I feel I am. You're passing the chicken test."

"Look, even if I hated the chickens with a burning passion, I would put up with them for you, because I love you."

"I know." Shauna gave Troy a huge grin. "Now I'm just waiting for you to say those four words."

"What four words?" Troy knew exactly what she was talking about, and hid his own grin with his coffee mug.

"You know what four words, Sam."

"I don't have a ring yet."

"So?"

"I will ask when I have a ring. I want it to be special, okay?"

"Sam, you've never done anything by the book."

"Sweetheart, you know I'm not delaying because I don't want to marry you. I want to find something truly special for you, and I'm having trouble. That's all." Troy took a sip of his coffee. "And, no, I'm not telling you what I have planned. It's a surprise."

"Could I have a hint?"

"No."

"Please?"

"Nope."

"Sam—"

"No, no, and more no. It's a surprise. You'll have to wait."

Shauna pouted. "I was going to make your grandmother's recipe for baklava as a treat for you. Now I won't."

"Were you really?"

"Yes."

Troy gave her a suspicious look. "You know I was tortured quite a bit during the war. I'm not giving in to temptation or bribery that easily."

"You're impossible, Sam."

"I love you, too, sweetheart." Troy smirked. "You really want a hint?"

"I do."

"Are you going to make baklava?"

"Only if you give me a hint."

"Alright. Your hint—and this'll be your only hint—is that the surprise involves…" Troy paused for dramatic effect, "a rock."

"A rock?! Sam, that's a terrible hint! There must be more than that! That's so vague!"

"Nope! That's your only hint, sweetheart! A rock."

"You really are impossible."

"You wanted a hint, and I gave you one."

"It wasn't a very good one." Shauna folded her arms over her chest.

"Does this mean I'm not getting baklava?"

"Yes."

Troy gave Shauna a look of mock disappointment.

"Don't give me that face. I'm not making anything for you until you give me a better hint."

"'Better?' You just want me to spoil the whole surprise."

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do." Shauna grinned at him.

"And I'm not spoiling the surprise."

Shauna walked up to Troy, and was about to yank his hat over his eyes when there were three knocks at the door. "Are you expecting someone?"

"No," Troy said. He set his coffee down, and went to answer the door. He was quite stunned to see the tall and skinny Hans Dietrich standing on his porch. "Okay… hello, Dietrich," Troy said, unable to think of anything else to say.

Dietrich gave him a small smirk. "Hello, Troy. I apologize for showing up so suddenly, but I am finally taking you up on that offer to visit."

"And it only took you thirteen months." Troy gestured for Dietrich to come inside. "Well, better late than never. Come on in, make yourself comfortable."

He noted Dietrich's hesitation. Eventually, the former captain stepped inside.

"Who's this, Sam?" Shauna asked, coming up behind Troy.

"Oh. Shauna, this is Hans Dietrich. I told you about him."

Shauna glanced at Dietrich. "Didn't you tell me he cut his—"

"Uh, I did." Troy motioned for Shauna to stop talking. "Let's leave it at that."

"Is this your girlfriend, Troy?" Dietrich asked.

"Yeah. Shauna McPherson. She's worked for me for four years now, and we started dating last November."

"Fascinating. With that in mind, I hope I am not interrupting anything."

"Oh, no, you're not interrupting anything. Just coffee. Want some?"

"It would be appreciated."

Troy went back into the kitchen to get a mug for Dietrich. Shauna followed close behind, occasionally glancing over at the German standing and looking around the living room with his hands in his pockets. She leaned over to whisper to Troy, "I know you told me about him, but I didn't expect him to be so… thin."

"Yeah. I told you why, though."

"You did, but I thought you told me a couple of your friends were helping him with that."

"They did."

"They did?" Shauna looked back at Dietrich. "How bad was he before if this is considered progress?"

"Well, if you hug him, you run less of a risk of his shoulder blades cutting you."

"Be serious, Sam."

"He's fine, Shauna. All I ask is that you don't bring it up with him."

"Sam, you told me he was deliberately starving himself. Any normal person would be concerned."

"And I'm telling you to not bring it up. He doesn't like it."

Shauna sighed. "Alright."

"Thank you." Troy brought the steaming mug of coffee out to Dietrich. "There's cream and sugar in the kitchen."

"If my presence is going to cause an issue for you and your girlfriend, it might be best that I leave," Dietrich said.

"There's no issue. We're just… uh—"

"Talking about what we're doing today," Shauna quickly cut in.

"Yeah. That." Troy leaned in to whisper, "Nice save, sweetheart."

"I take it I have ruined your plans?" Dietrich asked.

"No. You haven't ruined anything. We meant… work around the ranch. Actually, you can help us out, if you want."

"I did a little farmwork when I was a POW in Pennsylvania."

"In that case, you can… just sit here and relax."

"It will not dig up any bad memories, Troy, I am not a delicate daisy."

"Alright. If you want to help, you can help. First—" Troy gestured to Dietrich's clothes, "get changed into something you don't mind getting dirty. We're shoveling manure today."

Dietrich hadn't been sure what to expect when he finally worked up the courage to go all the way out to Wyoming to visit Troy. He knew he had to do it at some point. It had been on his mind ever since he broke down and finally allowed Troy to help him with his depression. Sure, he confessed that he didn't know how to fight it, but he wasn't certain he was ready to truly be friends with Troy.

In a way, he was ready, and he knew visiting the American's ranch would be the first step.

Dietrich continued warming up to the idea after Hitch and Tully helped him a month after he moved into his new home in Hammelburg. He came to really appreciate them and everything they did for him, and found himself really enjoying their company. In general, it was nice not to be so lonely anymore.

He didn't see Troy again until Moffitt's wedding. It was greatly amusing to see Troy's shock when Dietrich was the one to offer him a cigarette and a moment to talk outside the reception. Dietrich had built bonds with Moffitt, Tully, and Hitch. He couldn't hide anymore from the fact that it was time to forge a new bond with Troy.

And yet, he hesitated.

He continued hesitating until having a long talk with Hitch's mother, Irena, just a couple of weeks ago. She got through to him that things wouldn't change if he kept putting it off, and said that a new leaf doesn't turn on its own—someone has to turn that leaf. Troy had offered the leaf to Dietrich, now Dietrich had to be the one to turn it.

He knew he couldn't turn back once he was on a plane to Wyoming. Out the window, Dietrich could see vast spaces of land, sprawling forests, and snowcapped mountains. It certainly looked like every picture and movie he had ever seen depicting the American West. It was wild and remote. Not nearly as desolate as North Africa, but something about where the plane was headed felt incredibly lonely. He was truly going to be alone with Troy. Granted, there was a town near where Troy lived, but Dietrich was a complete stranger here. He wasn't sure he liked that.

At the same time, he felt like a stranger everywhere. He didn't know anyone and nobody knew him. Part of him wanted that to change. Another part didn't.

He thought about everything that led up to him shoveling cow manure alongside Troy. It really wasn't any different to the work he did as a prisoner-of-war, except he was doing it with Troy. Shauna was involved, too, and Dietrich could see why Troy liked her—she was a very hard worker and not afraid to get her hands dirty. She kept up with him. Dietrich never thought Troy would ever find a woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, but here he was, watching Troy and Shauna work together smoothly.

Dietrich didn't say much of anything while hauling shovelfuls of manure into a nearby wheelbarrow. When it was full, Shauna would take it, and provide Dietrich with another. "How are you faring, Hans?" she asked.

"Me?" Dietrich gave her a confused look.

"Yes, you. I'm not talking to the cows, now, am I?"

"Uh… I am doing well, thank you for asking."

"It'll get quite warm today. I can get water if you need it."

There was a slight accent to her voice, but Dietrich couldn't place it. "Where are you from, if you do not mind me asking?"

"England. I was sent here with my siblings when the bombing started during the war."

"Ah, so you have been here a while."

"It'll be nine whole years in a couple of weeks."

"What prompted you to stay here?"

"Oh, a whole bunch of things. All my siblings returned to England when the war ended. I… am not on good terms with my mother, and—" Shauna looked over at Troy, "him. I responded to an ad in the newspaper from him looking for ranch hands. Wasn't sure I'd enjoy it, but I needed a job. He took the time to teach me everything. He's given me a lot, and that progressed into me liking him as more than just a friend. Now, here we are." Shauna smiled. "Haven't looked back."

"Forgive me for prying, but are you planning on getting married?"

"We've been discussing it. Actually, before you showed up, Sam said he has a surprise planned for me. He gave me a very bad hint."

Troy glanced over at them, and leaned against his shovel. "Dietrich doesn't know anything about what I have planned, so don't try to weasel answers out of him."

"I wasn't trying to get answers out of him!" Shauna said.

"We were having a perfectly honest conversation," Dietrich added.

"Okay, if you say so." Troy went back to shoveling manure, but he kept looking at Dietrich and Shauna with a smirk on his face.

Dietrich sighed. "You know my experiences with Troy were not… always positive."

"Oh, I know. Things are different now, though. He talks a lot about you, wondering how you are."

"Of course he does."

Shauna frowned. "I would think it would be nice having someone care about you like that."

"Not when it gets oppressively fussy. Granted, Troy has gotten better about that in his letters, but it is still a reason I was hesitant on visiting. It… has to be done, though, if anything is going to truly change." Dietrich felt like he said too much—and to someone he hardly knew. There was a part of him that felt Shauna could be trusted, and he couldn't explain why. At the same time, he wished he had kept quiet. Hitch and Tully have gotten me comfortable with talking. Perhaps a little too comfortable. Dietrich resumed working, not wanting the conversation to continue.

He didn't even realize Shauna had walked away. For a moment, Dietrich wondered if he should have ended that better, but he saw Shauna was working her own section of the field. He could fix things later.

When the field was as clean as it was going to get, Shauna offered to take care of the horses on her own so Troy could spend some time with Dietrich. Troy was hesitant, but ultimately accepted. Dietrich trailed behind Troy when they went around to the back of the house.

"You did good," Troy said. "I appreciate it."

Dietrich wasn't sure how to respond. He didn't exactly come to Wyoming to work, but he wasn't comfortable with just sitting around and doing nothing while Troy and Shauna worked around him.

Troy stared at him. "You in there, Dietrich?"

"Yes. What do you want?" Dietrich asked.

"I said, I appreciate your help today."

"And?"

"Usually, people respond with, 'you're welcome.'" Troy studied Dietrich for a moment. "You didn't appreciate being put to work as soon as you arrived, did you?"

"It is hard to say. I do not want to sit around while you work, but I also feel this will limit our ability to interact and actually fix things."

"What else needs to be fixed?" Troy asked. "I thought your behavior at Moffitt's wedding implied that you were truly ready to move on."

"I am."

"Okay, so… what next? Are you going to leave now that you've visited?"

"No. I thought… I would spend a few days here."

"Alright. Nothing wrong with that."

"You are not opposed to that?"

"No. Why would I be?"

"I feel as if I am intruding."

"You're not. You clearly want to spend time with me, and I'm happy to oblige."

I guess that is the phrase I was looking for—spend time with Troy. That will never not sound ridiculous. "Yes. I want to… spend time with you."

"Yeah. That's what friends do."

"Alright, then." Dietrich set his dirty boots outside so they could be hosed off later. He had borrowed some of Troy's work clothes, and only now was he realizing how loose they felt on him.

"Is there anything in particular you'd like for lunch?" Troy asked.

"No, not really."

"Well, you're not having nothing."

"I never said I wanted nothing. I just have no preference."

"Alright. Just making sure." Troy opened the back door. "After you, buddy."

Dietrich hesitated again, but went inside. He went into the bathroom to change into cleaner, more comfortable clothes, then took his time with heading back to the kitchen. He peeked into Troy's bedroom, noticing that the bed was unmade. Of course, Dietrich thought, rolling his eyes. He left the room, and went downstairs. Troy was in the kitchen, not paying attention. Instead of going into the kitchen, Dietrich glanced around, seeing the entrance to a smaller and extremely disorganized room. He was appalled at the mess when he peered inside. A desk situated in front of a window overlooking the eastern section of Troy's property was covered in papers and books. A cracked mug was being used to hold pens and pencils, and looked ready to burst if someone tried to put another writing utensil in it. The bookshelves surrounding the desk were packed with volumes that were quite dusty, and, upon further inspection, Dietrich noticed that many of them weren't even in English.

His disdain for Troy's organizational skills—or lack thereof—quickly faded into curiosity as Dietrich pulled one of the books out. He opened the book, trying to narrow down what language it was in. The alphabet wasn't even the same as English.

"You looking for something?"

Troy's voice pulled Dietrich from his thoughts. Dietrich suppressed a jump as he turned around. "No, not really," he said.

Troy glared at him. "You realize this is my office, right?"

"No. I did not."

"I know it looks a bit like a library, but it's not. I just put all my books in here and haven't made a dedicated space for them." Troy's gaze fell to the book in Dietrich's hands. He sighed heavily and looked at the floor.

"Is something the matter?" Dietrich asked.

"No, just…" Troy grinned a little. "Bet you didn't know I was part-Greek until today, huh."

Dietrich shook his head.

"Well, now you know."

"To be completely honest with you, I never would have expected you to know another language."

"I do have some book smarts. Some."

"Does Moffitt know about this?"

"Yeah. He wants me to teach him. I told him to just borrow some of my books, because I can't teach a language. I can show someone how to ride a horse, rope cattle, and all the ins and outs of a ranch, but academics—" Troy shook his head. "There's a reason I didn't want to go to college."

"You are far more intelligent than you give yourself credit for."

Now Troy was the one acting hesitant. "Just because I can speak and read another language doesn't mean I'm smart."

"On the contrary. You are—"

"Dietrich, just drop it."

"What did I—"

"Enough. Put the book back and come eat."

Dietrich stood in the room with his mouth hanging open in confusion when Troy left. What did I say? He slid the book back on the shelf, and went out to the kitchen. Troy was nowhere to be found, but Shauna came in through the back door, strands of hay sticking out of her long, dark-brown hair.

"What on Earth did you say to Sam?" she asked. "He came out to the stables looking quite upset, and told me he wanted to be alone for a bit."

Dietrich shrugged. "I have no idea what I said. I went into his office without realizing it was his office, found a book in Greek, told Troy that I was impressed, and asked if Moffitt knew. Troy said yes, and said that Moffitt wanted to learn it. Troy then told me that he is terrible at teaching anything that is not related to ranch work. He sort of… closed off after he said that there is a reason he never went to college."

Shauna nodded. "Ah. That explains it."

"What does?"

"Sam has a bit of a rough history in regards to college. I feel I should let him explain it in detail."

Dietrich debated with himself whether or not he wanted to press. He knew better than anyone that trying to get answers on a painful subject was difficult, and guilt gradually began sinking into him when he realized that he had done to Troy what he didn't want ever done to himself. How was I to know this was not something Troy wanted to talk about? Dietrich sighed, and decided not to continue on this topic. "Is Troy alright?"

"He will be." Shauna gestured out the kitchen window, where Troy could be seen riding a gray and white Appaloosa out near the fence. "He just needs to ride for a bit and he'll be alright."

"I see." Dietrich's shoulders slumped. "I came here expecting Troy to be a bit more open. After all, he pressured me to be open."

"He kind of had to." Shauna looked at Dietrich's wrists. "You actually tried to end your own life. Sam has his difficulties, and he is open about them—with me. Give him enough time and patience, and he'll be open with you, too. I wasn't kidding when I said he talks a lot about you. No one would think he was talking about a German officer who tried to kill him on more than one occasion with how positively he talks about you."

"Why? Why speak so highly of me? I will never understand it."

"He considers you a friend, and he cares about you."

"Yet there is still so much we do not know about each other."

"I think you will learn more as time goes on," Shauna said. She gently squeezed Dietrich's shoulder while smiling. "And don't hesitate to talk to me. I know Sam very well."

"I appreciate that, Miss McPherson."

"Oh, you don't have to be so formal." Shauna nudged him. "Look at me! I have hay and horse manure all over! Not much of a lady, now, am I?"

Dietrich couldn't help but smirk. "My apologies, Shauna."

"Apology accepted. I can be a lady when I want to be, though." Shauna leaned in to whisper despite her and Dietrich being the only two people in the house. "Sam claims he's not one for romance, but he's not exactly good at hiding the fact that he enjoys being doted on. Making him blush is my specialty."

"I am happy that he has you. I can see that you make each other very happy."

"What about you, Hans? Do you have someone?"

"No, unfortunately. I do not feel ready to look for someone yet. I… want to gain more control over my depression before I start looking."

"I hope Sam and I can help. For now, just enjoy yourself here."

Troy's mind had gradually begun to clear as he rode Alverstone, a young gelding he had bought not too long after establishing his ranch, around the perimeter of his property. He cursed himself for getting upset with Dietrich. It's not like he said anything mean. He was giving you a compliment… you're just afraid of being accused of not applying your intelligence in meaningful ways. Come on, you know Dietrich wouldn't do that. Just tell him. Out of everyone, he'll understand. His family hurt him, too. Troy let out a heavy sigh, slowing the horse from a canter to a walk. You're not going to get anywhere by hiding things from Dietrich. He'll understand.

Troy kept arguing with himself as he rode Alverstone along the inside of the fence. Eventually, Troy progressed to talking his thoughts out, earning him confused looks from the Appaloosa. He wore himself out after another lap around the fence, and came to a complete stop at the stables. With another sigh, Troy dismounted, and led Alverstone back to his stall. After the horse was secured, Troy went back in the house, where Shauna was tossing a used tea bag in the garbage can.

"Hello, Sam," she said.

"Hi," Troy replied.

"You feel better?"

"Yeah. Where's Dietrich?"

"Bathroom." Shauna opened a jar of sugar before looking at Troy. "I didn't tell him why you got upset, only that you have a bit of a rough history when it comes to college."

"You could've told him the truth if you wanted," Troy said, shrugging.

"I think that would be better left to you."

"Fine." Troy quickly changed the topic. "Did Dietrich eat?"

"Yes, he had honey with toast."

"Don't you mean toast with honey?"

"No. I had to stop him from using half of the jar on his toast."

"Hitch did say Dietrich's got a bit of a weakness for honey."

"Should I give him Mr. Hopkins's address? I'm sure he'll appreciate having another customer for his honey."

"If he doesn't mind shipping overseas."

"I'm sure he'll figure something out. You should eat, too, you know."

"I will." Troy refused to admit that he didn't have much of an appetite at the moment. He was searching the cabinets when Dietrich returned to the kitchen.

"May we have a moment alone, Shauna?" Dietrich asked.

"You can," Shauna replied. She picked up her tea and left the room.

Dietrich walked up to Troy, and sighed before speaking again. "I apologize for prodding about your past."

"Don't worry about it," Troy said. "You're fine." He kept searching the cabinet, but gave up. "Dietrich?"

"What?"

"I really don't want to seem like a hypocrite with you. I pressured you to be open because that's what your situation demanded. I don't want… everything to come pouring out at once. There's a lot you don't know, that I never wanted to tell anyone during the war because of the constant risk of capture."

"You kept your life from your own men. Hitch and Tully told me that it was a little frustrating at times, but they still respected you because at the end of the day, you were a highly competent leader whom they both were willing to fight for."

Troy couldn't say he was surprised that Hitch and Tully said that. You withheld practically everything aside from a few things. Things that you never would've mentioned if certain situations didn't prompt them out. Like your father's death. "What else did they talk about?"

Dietrich was quiet for a moment. "They mentioned that you were captured by Colonel Beckmann, and that after his arrest, you were a bit jumpy. It did not go unnoticed by them that you hate being watched while you are eating. That was also something I observed whenever you were taken prisoner, and I assumed it was something you did to not show a shred of vulnerability in front of me or my guards. I had no idea that you acted the same way with your own men. I did not say this out loud to Hitch and Tully, but when they told me about your behavior, I felt sorry for you."

"There's nothing to feel sorry for." Troy glanced at Dietrich. "It's fine." He knew that was a lie. He just told Dietrich that he didn't want to talk about everything all at once.

"I doubt it is truly 'fine,'" Dietrich said. "Things like that never are."

Troy wasn't sure how to respond.

"I will not constantly ask you about it. You can tell me when you feel that you are ready."

I should be ready by this point. Dietrich told me everything that led up to him wanting to die. Seems only fair that I tell him why I hid everything from everyone. It was more than just the fear of being captured and the enemy using that knowledge against me. Troy stared at the cabinet door, realizing he had been standing in front of it the whole time. He turned to Dietrich. You were the last person on Earth I would ever consider telling about my life. Funny. Now you're the one person who I know will understand better than anyone. "I'll tell you eventually. Just… not now." He knew Dietrich wouldn't push, but he wondered if Dietrich was going to need to push just so they could finally start putting the past behind them.

Dietrich didn't offer much of a response apart from a nod. He looked out the window, then gave Troy a concerned expression. "I could have sworn those chickens were locked in their coop a minute ago."

Troy went over to the window. The chickens were pouring out of the coop, flapping their wings and running toward the fence. "Shauna!" Troy shouted. "The chickens are escaping again!"

"How's that possible?" Shauna came running in from the living room. "I locked their coop!"

"I told you, they somehow learned how to unlock it!"

Shauna's hazel eyes were wide as she watched the chickens file toward the fence. "I think you're right, Sam."

Troy sighed, then looked at Dietrich. "Want to learn how to wrangle chickens?"

"Oh, no, he's going to learn how to deal with the chickens," Shauna said. "He can't be trusted in here alone with the honey jar in the cabinet."

At least, Troy thought, Dietrich was smiling.