No Spring Chicken (Clucks and Clues Cozy Mysteries) by Hillary Avis

Author:Hillary Avis [Avis, Hillary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: cozy mystery, animal mystery, culinary mystery, funny mystery
Publisher: Hillary Avis
Published: 2023-10-04T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

After a brief squabble, Truly dropped Dawn off at work. Who was she to deny a woman the chance to impress her cute coworker? It gave her hope that someday far in the future, she might be ready to date again, too.

Then, reminded by the wiggles and peeps of the baby chick in her bra, she directly disobeyed Liv and hit the highway down to Douglas County, where Leona’s chicken farm was located a few miles outside of Honeytree. It was a darling little rural property, with a gnarled apple orchard, heavy with unripe fruit, and a quaint little cottage, in addition to the more “farmy” outbuildings.

Truly parked the Prius by the house. Before she made it up the porch steps, Leona came out, a red hen tucked under her arm, waving a pair of work gloves clutched in her other hand. She jogged down the steps, sun glinting in her blonde-and-silver curls.

“Oh hey, Truly. Cute outfit, I love blueberry muffins. I assume you’re here to drop off your little hatchling? Good timing. I’m heading out to the barn, and I’ve got a couple broodies in there that I was going to bust. Follow me in, and we’ll pick one to be the mama.”

“Not that one?” Truly asked, pointing to the chicken that seemed very content being toted around like a designer handbag.

“Boots? No, she’s a production layer, so she’s unlikely to ever go broody. I’ve got two hens that are trying to set on fallen apples from the orchard, though. They’ll be pleased as a pig in a puddle if one of their green eggs ‘hatches.’” Leona snickered as she led the way to the old barn behind the house.

Inside, Leona motioned her to the back of the barn, where she opened up a wire dog crate that was raised up on a couple concrete blocks. “Option one: Phyllis.”

Truly bent to get a better look. Phyllis was a multicolored hen with a surprising shock of feathers over her face. She puffed up, muttering a protest as Leona prodded her with her gloves.

“She’s not the sharpest tool in the shed, but she’s determined to set. I think she’d do a good job keeping track of one chick, although I don’t know if I’d trust her with a whole group. She can’t see very well through her topknot. Now, option two: Dr. Speckle.” Leona motioned to a second crate nearby, where a red-and-black speckled hen teetered on a roost. “She raised a nice little brood last year on her own, so I know she’s a good mama. She’s been in the broody-busting crate a day longer, though, so her mothering instincts might be a little more dulled.”

“You pick,” Truly said, shrugging. “I trust your judgment.” She fished the chick out of her bra, and Leona cooed as she handed it over.

“Phyllis is going to be your mama, you precious baby! Did you figure out where she came from?”

“Yup. Restaurant kitchen. An egg rolled behind the rice cooker, and they didn’t know how long it’d been back there, so they threw it out.

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