Their New Home

by Marla Monroe

  “I feel the same way about fucking weeds,” Mason added.

  “Don’t get me started on milking that damn cow,” Randi added. “It hates me. It tries to bite me every time I milk it.”

  Bryson chuckled then ducked when Randi threw a cucumber at him. “Hey! Don’t play with the food. We need that for this winter.”

  “You make pickles out of them. I’m ready to burn the entire garden to the ground,” Randi said with a snarl.

  “I’m with you on that,” Mason agreed.

  “Well, take a break and start again later. We all need some time away from the work. Let’s take a nap like we used to instead of going back to work right after lunch. I think we all deserve it.” Bryson approached Randi as if he were a little frightened of her.

  She bared her teeth at him. That stirred up the bunnycat who hissed at him when Bryson wrapped his arms around Randi.

  “Don’t hiss at me you monster. I’m not an enemy.” Bryson hugged Randi. “I’m sorry this has been so hard. I’d say it will get easier next year, but I guess that would be a lie.”

  “At least the other women feel the same way. They’re having to juggle their other jobs along with putting up their share, as well. I may be canning the majority of it, but they’re working hard, too.” Randi tried to feel for the other women, but right then she was fed up with the work.

  From sun up until late into the evening, she’d worked her ass off for weeks, and she couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. The damn plants just kept on producing.

  “How much longer until it snows?” she asked no one in particular.

  “Probably another couple of months. It usually starts in December,” Mason said.

  “I don’t think I can do this eight more weeks. Can’t we just let everything go to seed now and then chop it down?” Randi whined.

  “Nope. We’ve got to be sure we have plenty to eat all winter. Believe me, come winter you’ll be happy we’ve got all of this put up. We’ll start putting the potatoes, onions, and garlic in the cellar for you, so you don’t have to climb down there anymore. Just show us what needs to go down out of the canning you’re doing, and we’ll do that, as well,” Mason told her.

  “That would help. I appreciate that. Once we fill up our shelves, everything else will go to the others.” Randi sighed. “We need to be sure we keep enough root vegetables for ourselves. I don’t know how much that needs to be. Any ideas?”

  “Probably the best thing is to divide it out into threes. That gives us all an equal number. What else do you need help with?” Bryson asked.

  “Maybe after you work on the blasted weeds you could shuck the corn for me? I plan on cutting it off the cob and freezing it,” she said.

  “We’re going to pick up meat when we take over some of the canned things. Don’t forget to save room in the chest freezer for that.” Mason kissed her on the head.

  “Go on. Get out of here. I need to get back to work. I can’t stop for a nap until I have what I’ve got on the stove finished.” Randi walked over and gave the tomatoes another stir.

  She couldn’t believe how much work putting up enough vegetables for three families had turned into. They were doing some of their own, but taking care of the store had turned into a bigger job than either of the other women had expected. They had families from the outer reaches of the planet coming in nearly every day to pick up stuff or drop off some of what they’d harvested. This was a busy time for them, as well.

  The other reason she was so bitchy was that she was sure she was pregnant. Her body had begun to change just enough that it had hit her the day before that she’d missed her period. She wasn’t upset that she was pregnant so much as worried that it would interfere with finishing off the season. If she started to get sick in the mornings or afternoons or whatever, it would be a problem.

  I’m a little excited, but I’m worried that it will upset the guys, too. They had so much work to do, and if I have trouble with being sick, it will mean more work on them.

  The idea of them trying to put up the last of the garden would be kind of funny if she wasn’t so worried about it. They didn’t have a clue how to do any of it. They’d trash her kitchen.

  That thought hit her like a heard of bison. There was no way she’d allow them loose in her kitchen. She’d just have to suck it up and manage.

  Her other worry was telling them. When was the best time? Could she wait another month when things might slow down a bit? Could she keep the secret that long? Should she keep it from them at all? Didn’t they have the right to know? It was their child, too. Randi rubbed her face with both hands before jerking at her ponytail in aggravation.

  For the next hour, Randi worked on finishing the tomatoes she’d cooked, and after turning off the canning pressure cooker and letting the pressure release, she left the jars and cleaned up before collapsing on the couch for a much-needed rest. She didn’t much feel like eating, and the guys knew where the sandwich supplies where if they were hungry. Right now, all she wanted was a few minutes with her feet up.

  She fully expected the guys to join her, but she fell asleep before they showed up. In her dream, she told the guys about the baby and was horrified when they got upset with her. They told her she should have waited until winter, that they had way too much work to do and she was behind already. It floored her that they’d blame her for getting pregnant when they’d had just as much to do with it as she had.

  They stormed out of the house leaving her to try to put herself together again. All she could do was cry and sit in the middle of the kitchen floor surrounded by piles of vegetables that needed cleaning, peeling, and cooking.

  * * * *

  “Shh. Don’t wake her up. Let her sleep a little longer,” Bryson told Mason. “She’s been on her feet all morning and has a long afternoon ahead of her. It won’t hurt for her to get another hour or two of rest.”

  Mason nodded and slipped out of the living room behind Bryson. Bryson was hungry. They’d skipped lunch in favor of a nap, but now he needed something to eat.

  “I’ll fix sandwiches while you make up some tea. Randi hasn’t had time to do that today yet,” Bryson said.

  “I’m on it.” Mason washed out the empty container then ran fresh water in a pot to boil up the posco for tea.

  Bryson gathered the bread and sliced roast. He made them two sandwiches each, making sure to wrap the bread back up so it would stay fresh. Poor Randi had a lot on her hands with not only tending to them with meals but putting up nearly all the huge garden they had. The least they could do was handle carrying everything down to the cellar for her. Besides, he didn’t like her walking up and down the stairs with her hands full.

  “Tea’s going to be warm, but should be ready in a few more minutes,” Mason said.

  “I’m starved. Let’s drink water now with our meal then have a glass of tea before we head outside.”

  “Remind me to take the jars that are finished downstairs before we leave,” Mason said.

  “Good idea. I’ll carry down all the root vegetables before we come inside this evening. It will be easier using the outside entrance than carrying them in here then down to the cellar.”

  Mason nodded as he took a bite of his sandwich. “Is it me, or has Randi been a little more, um…”

  “Bitchy? No, it’s not just you. I’ve noticed it, as well. I don’t know if something’s wrong or if she’s just worn to a frazzle and taking it out on us and the vegetables.”

  “I can understand if she’s just frustrated and tired, but I’m worried that something else is wrong. She’s been harder to wake up in the mornings and mumbles to herself a lot lately,” Mason said.

  “Yeah. I’ve noticed that, too.”

  “Should we talk to her about it?”

  Bryson winced. “I’m not sure that would be a good idea right now. If she doesn’t seem some better in a few days, maybe then. I don’t think she’s sick or anything.”

  “Well, if it keeps up much longer
we need to talk to her about it. I can handle her being short if she’s just worn out, but I don’t want there to be something going on and we ignore it.”

  “That’s true,” Bryson agreed. Then he thought of something. “Maybe she’s on her period. That would explain it.”

  “I haven’t noticed, but we pretty much haven’t done anything but work, eat, and sleep this month. That’s probably what it is.”

  Bryson felt better about the situation now that they’d figured out what was wrong. He’d been worried that it was something else. He’d already concluded that he loved Randi. She meant more to him than anything else. He hadn’t told her yet but had been waiting for the right time. In the middle of harvest wasn’t a good time, he didn’t think.

  He finished his second sandwich and wondered if Mason felt the same way or not. He couldn’t see how the other man couldn’t love their Randi. She was pretty special. They were all a little cranky right then with so much on them, but for the most part, she’d been perfect for them.

  “Here you go. The ice is melting, but it will be better than plain water.” Mason handed him a glass of iced tea. It was still a slightly warm despite the ice.

  “Thanks.”

  “Might as well get back outside and finish weeding.”

  “Don’t forget to take those jars on down for Randi. I’ll meet you out back.” Bryson waved as he walked outside.

  The heat was stifling, but they’d rested long enough. Having the extra two hours in the day seemed like a godsend until you actually had to work them. Then it became a nightmare.

  They’d only been outside about an hour when the back door banged shut, and an irate Randi stormed toward them. Bryson could tell she was upset by the way her brows where drawn together and her mouth was pursed.

  “You let me oversleep! How am I going to get everything done that I need to do if I sleep all afternoon?”

  “Easy, babe. You’re exhausted. You needed the sleep. Two hours isn’t going to hurt anything,” Mason told her.

  Bryson didn’t think that was going to help them.

  “Two hours? It was more like three, Mason. I can’t get them back. I’ll never get everything done now,” she yelled.

  “Honey. You’re getting upset over a few hours. You needed the rest. If something doesn’t get done, then it won’t be the end of the world.” Bryson tried to reason with her. “Do what you can, and let the rest go.”

  He watched as she drew in one then two deep breathes before saying anything else. She closed her eyes for a couple of seconds then opened them again. They looked a little less wild, but Bryson wasn’t counting on her having calmed down.

  “Fine. I’ll do what I can and if something ruins then it’s not on me. I’ve been pushing myself to make every vegetable count, and it’s all coming in too fast. I can’t do it all.” With that, Randi turned around and stomped into the house, closing the door only slightly quieter than before.

  “Somehow I don’t feel like she’s all that much calmer. I’m actually more afraid of her now,” Mason said.

  “I’m with you there. Maybe we should watch our backs,” Bryson suggested.

  “We’ll watch each other’s.”

  “These mood swings are scary. I wonder why we never noticed them before when she was hormoning?”

  “It’s probably the stress that’s made it worse. She’ll be fine once all of this is done.” Mason went back to hoeing.

  “I sure hope so. She scares me like this.”

  Mason chuckled. “Even I’m kind of afraid of her right now.”

  Bryson figured that was saying something. Sometimes he didn’t think anything scared the other man. Now that he knew Randi could do that he felt like he wasn’t nearly as wimpy as he sometimes felt around his friend. Bryson wondered what the atmosphere inside would be like when they knocked off for the day and entered the lioness’s den.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Hey, babe. Need anything taken down to the cellar?” Mason asked as he and Bryson walked into the kitchen.

  Randi took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “If you don’t mind, all of those jars on that end of the counter are ready. I’ll have ten more jars of pickles ready in about an hour.”

  “After that,” Bryson spoke up. “No more work for the rest of the night. We can fix sandwiches for super and make it an early night.”

  “I should work a little longer, guys. I need to get one more batch of beans done before I stop.”

  “They’ll wait until tomorrow, Randi. Knock off for the night,” Mason told her.

  Randi yawned and sighed. “Fine. Once these are finished, I’ll stop. I’m not hungry. I think I’ll skip supper.”

  “You didn’t eat anything for lunch, babe. You can manage one sandwich. We’ll make them.” Bryson seemed to be watching her awfully closely.

  Randi wondered if they suspected that she might be pregnant.

  No might be about it. I know I am. My damn breasts are tender, and I’m grouchy.

  If she were going to have a baby, it would be due sometime in May. That meant taking care of a newborn just before harvest season started. How would she ever manage? She needed to get everything put up that she could, in case next year’s canning was slim due to her taking care of a child.

  “What are you thinking about, hon? Your face is pale,” Bryson asked.

  He walked over and checked her forehead.

  Randi stepped back and shook her head. “Nothing. Just thinking of all the work left to do before this is over with. I’ve blown it all out of proportion worrying that I have to get every bean and tomato and pepper saved for the winter. I can’t, so I need to accept it.”

  “You’ve just about run yourself into the ground, babe. Relax and do what you can.” Mason pulled the bread out and unwrapped it to cut slices for sandwiches.

  Bryson pulled the meat from the fridge, and the two men got to work fixing their supper. Randi let out a slow breath. She’d been out of control earlier and was ashamed of herself. Now they were tiptoeing around her in case she had another temper tantrum. It both horrified her and embarrassed her.

  “Just one for me, please. I’ll finish up these beans and then eat.” She continued stuffing the jars with beans then placing them in the pressure canner.

  Once she had that going, she washed her hands and sat at the table with the men. They were already on their second sandwich when she started her first. It was good. She was hungrier than she’d realized, but the one would do her just fine.

  “Thanks, guys. This hit the spot.” She gritted her teeth. “Look. I’m sorry about earlier today. I shouldn’t have gone off on you like that.”

  “It’s okay, babe. We figured it’s just hormones, and you’ve been working yourself to the bone.”

  “Hormones?” She knew her eyes were wide as Alpha’s moons.

  Do they suspect?

  “Yeah. That time of the month and all,” Bryson said, his ears growing red.

  “Oh. Well, about that,” she began.

  “Don’t worry about it. No need to talk about it. It’s all in the past.” Mason hurriedly picked up his and Bryson’s empty plates and put them in the dishwasher.

  “We’ll get those jars downstairs for you.” Bryson walked over to the pantry and opened the door.

  She watched as both men loaded up their arms and made three trips each carrying the jars downstairs to the cellar. Then they disappeared into the living room, leaving her alone at the kitchen table wondering what had just happened.

  Obviously, they hadn’t wanted to talk about her having hormone issues that were in their eyes, due to her being on her period. Nothing could have been further from the truth. She had to talk to them. They had a right to know, and if she had any more tantrums, they’d at least know what was behind them.

  Why then was she so worried about telling them? Because they’d all talked about maybe later they’d be ready for children. This wasn’t the later they’d hoped for.

  I’ve got to talk to
them about it tonight. No more waiting for a better time. This is it.

  When she’d tidied up the kitchen after finishing the last batch of beans, Randi walked into the living room intent on breaking the news only to find both men sound asleep in their chairs. She sighed. Naturally, when she’d talked herself into spilling the beans, so to speak, they were napping.

  Randi decided that a nap would work for her. She’d tell them when they woke up. She had to move Tinker off the couch so that she could stretch out. The little bunnycat climbed right back up and settled on her belly. That was funny because normally it slept on the back of the couch above her head or at the foot on the arm. That it had decided to curl up on her belly told Randi that the creature knew she was pregnant by some weird way. Maybe her scent had changed or something. Either way, it made her laugh.

  * * * *

  “Hey, sleepyhead. Ready for bed?” Bryson’s face swam into view when Randi opened her eyes.

  “Oh, what time is it?” she asked.

  “Nearly eleven. We all got in a good, long nap. Mason’s already gone upstairs to take a shower while I woke you up.” Bryson helped her sit up, dislodging an irate bunnycat who hissed at him.

  “Look, you little monster. I’m getting tired of you hissing at me. I was all for you becoming our house pet. Mason’s the one who was against it.”

  Randi laughed. It wasn’t often that Bryson fussed about anything. She hugged him and placed a kiss on his cheek.

  “Don’t mind Tinker. He’s just grumpy from having to get up. I think he was pretty comfy there.”

  “Ready to head upstairs?” Bryson asked.

  “Yeah. Let me get a drink of water first. My mouth is dry. I must have had it open while I slept.”

  “You were snoring.”

  “No, I wasn’t. I don’t snore.”

  “Do so.”

  “Do not,” Randi said.

  Bryson chuckled and followed her into the kitchen. He waited while she fixed herself a glass of water and drained the glass before sitting it on the counter. He pulled her into his arms and gave her a fierce hug.