The next time she glanced at the clock it was 8:00 AM. She rolled out of bed and strolled into the kitchen where she found Bob, Mitzi, and Luke sitting at the table eating breakfast.
“Can I make you some eggs, dear?” Mitzi asked, a wide smile spanning her face as she rose from her chair.
“No, that’s okay. I’m going to just have some toast and coffee.”
Mitzi sat back down.
Marissa sat across from Mitzi and Luke and ate her breakfast.
“The girls and I are going to town to do a little shopping. They’re getting ready right now. We would love for you to join us.”
Marissa glanced at Luke.
“Bob will stay with Luke,” Mitzi offered before Marissa even said anything. “Come with us, we’d like to spend some time with you.”
How could she refuse that? She’d like to get to know them better as well.
Traffic in town was heavy but after driving down Main Street for the third time they were lucky enough to find a parking spot. They filed out of the vehicle and began hitting all the unique little shops. Inside one of the few clothing stores on Main Street, Bianca and Jessica loaded their arms with clothes and headed for the dressing room. Eyeing the price tags, there was nothing in this store Marissa could afford.
Mitzi was eyeing the beautiful racks of sweaters and then shot a glance over her shoulder at her. “Marissa, why don’t you pick out a couple and try them on?”
“Oh, no, that’s okay.” It didn’t pay for her to even look at them.
Mitzi spun and stepped toward her. “Please, pick out a couple, my treat.”
Marissa opened her mouth to protest but Mitzi cut her off before any words escaped her mouth. “No arguing, I insist. Now hop to it.”
Marissa couldn’t help but wonder if Jessica and Bianca had a clue as to how lucky they were to have a mother like Mitzi. Her love for her daughters shone with every breath she took, and every move she made. What little Marissa could remember of her own mother told her that had she lived she would have been very much like Mitzi in that respect. She imagined Dylan’s mother was the same way as well. The sadness she saw in Dylan’s eyes every time he spoke of his mother only reinforced her assumption.
They loaded their bags into Mitzi’s car, freeing their arms for more packages, as they hit the rest of the shops on Main Street. Then Mitzi treated them to lunch.
During lunch Mitzi got a call from Braden, letting her know he got a six point buck and that he and Dylan were just about ready to start skinning it in the garage. Mitzi disconnected the call. “Well girls, it looks like we have some work to do when we get back to the house.”
Jessica grimaced and groaned.
“Oh, it won’t kill you.”
“I know, but it’s just so gross,” Jessica replied to her mother.
Marissa wondered exactly what they were talking about.
Mitzi zoned in on her. “Have you ever pressure cooked venison?”
“No.”
“Well today is your lucky day, I’ll teach you how.”
“I thought Dylan was the one who canned all those vegetables and meat in the basement.”
Mitzi smiled. “He does, but since I’m here I’ll help him out so he can enjoy his hunt with his brothers. It’s not hard to do, it just takes so much time to cut meat up and pressure cook each batch, and then grind and mix whatever amount he needs for burger. We’ll stop at the meat market on our way home and pick up some pork to mix in with the venison.”
Mitzi parked in the driveway, and they all filed out of the car. They unloaded most of the packages from the trunk and headed toward the garage service door.
Jessica threw a glance over her shoulder. “Marissa, word to the wise, don’t breathe through your nose when we pass through the garage, it’s going to reek, especially if they are still skinning the deer. The stench will be enough to choke a horse.”
"Oh, it's not that bad. Jessica just has a sensitive nose," Mitzi assured.
Marissa stepped into the garage to find Dylan and Braden already wiping down a folding metal table and mopping up the floor. Though Marissa ate venison and enjoyed it, she hadn’t been looking forward to seeing the deer carcass hanging there.
Braden beamed with excitement when they walked through the door. He grabbed the deer’s head from the bench and held it up for them to see. Yep, a six pointer all right. Jessica gagged and shot into the house. Mitzi laughed before stepping toward Braden to take a better look at his buck. Bianca and Marissa followed suit and ogled Braden’s buck.
Dylan stepped forward and patted his brother on the shoulder. His glow was as bright as Braden’s. “It’s a fine buck.”
“I’m going to put the horns on a plaque and hang them in my room,” Braden stated with sheer excitement emitting in his tone.
“That’s a wonderful idea,” Mitzi replied. She glanced at Dylan. “Tell me what you want done with the meat and the girls and I will take care of it so you can get back into the woods.”
Dylan smiled at his aunt. “Thanks, I appreciate the help.”
“No problem.”
Plastic tubs of meat sat on the kitchen countertops. Marissa and the girls dropped their bags in the living room where Bob and Luke were playing a board game and returned to the kitchen where Dylan and Mitzi were discussing what to do with the venison.
“I’ve already vacuum sealed the loins and put them in the freezer.” He pointed at one of the plastic bins. “I’d like to pressure cook that bin,” then he pointed at the other two smaller bins, “and that we’ll use to make burger.”
“Okay, I’ll get the girls slicing up meat for pressure cooking, and Marissa and I can start grinding the burger.”
“I’ll go get the grinder and the bags,” Dylan said as disappeared through the doorway.
Dylan returned a moment later and set the large automatic meat grinder on the table. He started setting it up before Mitzi shooed him out of the kitchen. “Go, we got this. Get back into the woods, you're losing daylight.”
He smiled, kissed his aunt on the cheek, and shot Marissa a heart-stopping glance before he spun on his heel and headed out the door. Braden trailed him.
Jessica and Bianca started slicing the hunks of venison into tiny bite size pieces, trimming off what little fat there was clinging to the lean meat. Though Jessica pulled her turtleneck over her nose, she still gagged until her eyes watered.
“For crying out loud, Jessica. This isn’t your first go-around,” Mitzi commented as she fed meat into the grinder.
Jessica swiped at her teary eyes with her sleeve. “I can’t help it.”
Bianca laughed. “It doesn’t bother me any.”
Once Bianca and Jessica had enough meat and onions sliced up for the first batch, Mitzi showed Marissa how to sterilize the jars. When the jars were ready, they packed them full of venison, mushrooms and onions, scooped in some canning salt, and poured in a bit of beef broth, before loading them into the pressure cooker.
“Once the weight on the top of the cooker starts rattling we’ll start the timer. These quart jars will have to go ninety minutes at ten pounds of pressure.” Mitzi eyed the remaining meat the girls were slicing up. “Looks like we’ll have just one more batch for pressure cooking.”
As Mitzi continued grinding the burger, Marissa mixed it with the pork and seasoning.
“So, Dylan says you’re studying accounting.”
“Yes.”
“You’re enjoying school, I take it?”
Here it came, like she knew it would. Mitzi was scoping her out. But she didn’t mind, she liked Mitzi.
“Yes, it was very overwhelming at first but my roommate is awesome, and her older sisters are helping us figure things out. Plus Cole helps me a lot.”
“So you talk to Cole quite a bit?”
“Yeah, almost every day. He’s so easy to talk to.”
Mitzi smiled slyly. “Unlike Dylan.”
Marissa wasn’t sure if she was supposed to respond in some way.
Mitzi continued, “Cole’s a free spirit, a lot like his mom. Dylan is more like his dad was, quiet and reserved. You’ll not find more caring men than either of them. Both have turned out to be fine young men and I couldn’t be prouder.”
Marissa stopped what she was doing and caught Mitzi’s gaze. “I know. They’ve been wonderful to me, taken me into their family, no questions asked, and treat me like I belong here.”
“You do, dear. You’re a godsend to this family, especially Dylan. They needed you as much as you needed them, I'm guessing.”
The woman’s warm, sincere gaze swallowed Marissa whole. She couldn’t seem to find words.
“You know what? I think you should call me Aunt Mitzi, rather than just Mitzi.”
Tears flooded Marissa’s eyes. “I’d like that.”
“Great.”
Mitzi fed more meat into the grinder.
“So, back to my nephew.”
Marissa’s pulse raced. Where, and how far, was this conversation going to go?
“He’s going to be a tough nut to crack. He’s so cautious about every move he makes. It nearly drives me insane. I wish he’d learn to relax a little bit and enjoy life. But he’s all about work and all about making sure his brothers want for nothing, taking no time for himself.”
“Oh, you’re talking about Dylan?”
Mitzi’s hands stilled and she slid her gaze back to Marissa. “Well, which one did you think I was going to talk about?”
“Cole.”
“Why would I talk to you about Cole when you’re in love with Dylan?”
“People sometimes think Cole and I…” Marissa stopped. Her diversion plan wasn’t going to work, and why she was trying to divert Mitzi’s attention from Dylan to Cole she didn’t know anyhow. Especially, since deep down she knew the woman knew from the second she walked through the door the day before, she was in love with Dylan.
Jessica and Bianca stopped working and flew to her side.
“You’re in love with Dylan?” Bianca asked excitedly.
“Now girls, give her a little breathing room,” Mitzi instructed though she was the one who seemed to pull all the oxygen from Marissa’s lungs.
Jessica pulled the turtleneck down from over her mouth. “Do tell!”
“I am, but he’ll have no part of it,” Marissa confessed.
“I’m not surprised,” Mitzi said with a nod.
“What do you mean?” Marissa asked, desperately needing to know what his aunt meant by her statement.
“Like I said, Dylan’s cautious, and he’s got a lot on his plate. It’s no secret he took on a great deal of responsibility at far too young of an age when his parents died, and that didn’t come without sacrifices. Though he’s never once complained.”
Mitzi paused and left Marissa feeling as though Mitzi wanted her to ask. “What sacrifice are you referring to in particular?”
“Dylan was in love, or shall I say, thought he was in love with Tracy, a girl he met during his junior year of college. She wasn’t up for the challenge of taking on the role of a mother to his brothers, and she gave him an ultimatum. One in which I’m guessing she wasn’t happy with the outcome.”
“Oh no,” Marissa breathed out before placing her hand over her mouth. No one had ever made mention of Tracy before.
“What’s the matter?” Mitzi asked.
“Tracy wasn’t the only woman who gave him that ultimatum.”
“What do you mean?”
“When I first came into the picture, Dylan was dating a woman by the name of Lora. It’s a long story, but I heard her breakup with him was on account of the boys, when really that night it was my fault their date was interrupted.”
“What happened?”
“I didn’t know Dylan was on a date with her and I called to see if he could help me with my dad.” Marissa sighed. “My dad is a heavy drinker and was out that night causing problems at the bar, so the bartender called me to get him out of there before he had to call the cops. Dylan came to help me, dragging his date along. After he took my dad home, we took Lora home, and it didn’t end pretty for poor Dylan.”
Mitzi wiped her hand on her apron and then reached toward her and squeezed her shoulder. “That wasn’t your fault. Dylan doesn’t have any room in his life for a woman who won’t accept his brothers as part of the package, or anyone else he cares about for that matter. And why are we fretting over this? I think we all know how this is going to turn out.”
“I hope you’re right, but how long will I have to wait?”
Mitzi winked at her. “Who knows, but I’m guessing not long. I see the way he looks at you, between that, and judging from his recent actions, I know how deeply he cares for you.”
Her heart slammed in her chest. “What do you mean? What did he do?”
“He bought your father’s farm before it could be foreclosed on.”
“What? You mean my dad has no place to live now?” Tears instantly seeped from her eyes. Though she hadn’t talked to her dad much in the past six months she still worried about him and certainly didn’t want him to be homeless.
Mitzi stepped closer to her. “No, no, just the opposite. Your dad is going to stay there. Dylan’s been renting and farming the land for years now, my brother did as well, so Dylan bought it and told your dad he could live there for as long as he wanted. It’s the land Dylan needed, not the house, and I suppose he did it for you as well so you didn’t have to worry about your father.”
More tears fell from her eyes, only now they were tears of joy, happiness and love.
“He does all that, but then won’t let me near him, or tell me about it.”
Mitzi hugged her. “He needs more time, dear. That’s all.”
With all the venison processing, nobody felt like cooking so Mitzi sent Bob to the Rusty Combine Saloon to pick up pizza for dinner. He returned shortly after Dylan and his brothers surfaced in the kitchen.
Marissa caught Dylan’s gaze the second he entered the room. Should she let him know she knew about her dad’s farm? Not now, not in front of everyone. She’d talk to him later.
“Anyone see any more deer?” she asked.
“I did. But it was gone by the time I woke up Cole,” Nate replied with a disgusted shake of his head.
“Hey, I thought we were keeping that between us?” Cole questioned.
“We’re supposed to be hunting, not sleeping. Tomorrow I’m going with Dylan,” Nate replied.
Everyone burst out laughing, even Cole.
Bob surfaced in the kitchen a moment later with four large pizza boxes in his hands and set them on the table. Everyone sat in the same spots they had the night before and the boys tore into those boxes like there was no tomorrow.
Marissa couldn’t take her eyes off Dylan, especially now, knowing what he had done for her and her father. Okay, part of his decision surely was done as a result of what was good for the farm business, but she was sure some of it hinged on what was good for her and her father as well.
* * * *
Dylan took another bite of pizza. Why was Marissa staring at him so strangely? What had his aunt told her today? He’d have to find out from his aunt later.
After dinner Dylan, his brothers, and uncle crashed in front of the TV set, as Marissa, his aunt and cousins finished with the venison processing in the kitchen. Though he felt guilty for not pitching in, his weary body thanked him for taking up residence on the couch. It always amazed him how tired he got just from sitting outside in his deer blind in the fresh, cool air.
Cole’s snore let him know he wasn’t the only one who was tired. How could he possibly sleep so much though? According to Nate, Cole had slept nearly the entire day in his deer blind.
Luke was sprawled out over him and Cole on the couch. The poor kid didn’t have anywhere to sleep until the living room emptied so they could pull out the sofa sleeper. Everyone else had their weary eyes glued to the TV set.
Dylan blew out a sigh, his aunt and her
family would be leaving tomorrow, and he was sure to miss them for more than just the selfish reason that he loved having her around to help out. Without her, he would be cutting up venison and pressure cooking it until the cows came home. But what he really liked about having his aunt around was the fact she reminded him so much of his dad. It was both a blessing and heart-wrenching at the same time. Additionally, she and his uncle had a way of reassuring him he wasn’t turning out to be a big fat failure where his brothers were concerned.
His Aunt Mitzi stepped into the living room and swung her gaze around the room. “You all look half dead. Why don’t you go to bed and rest up for your morning hunt? The girls and I are just finishing up in the kitchen and they’re going to turn in as well.” She giggled. “All that shopping took a lot out of us today.”
Uncle Bob rose from his chair, and the boys followed suit, disappearing from the living room one by one.
Dylan stood with Luke in his arms. Marissa surfaced in the living room and pulled the cushions from the couch, opened up the sofa sleeper and pulled the sheet back. Bending over, Dylan set Luke on the mattress, the kid never stirred, not even when Dylan, then Marissa, kissed him on the forehead and wished him a good night. Before he could even grab the blanket, Aunt Mitzi’s hands were gripping it and flinging it over his little brother.
She smiled warmly at the child. Tears glistened in her eyes. “He’s such a good boy.”
“He is, he’s such a joy to be around. They all are,” Marissa said as she reached over and squeezed his Aunt Mitzi’s shoulder.
Mitzi’s gaze bounced from Luke to Marissa and then zoned in on Dylan. “It’s good upbringing.”
“I do believe it is,” Marissa added.
Both women’s intense gazes bore into him. His cheeks heated. The two women he cared about most on this earth had just paid him the nicest compliment ever, yet he felt both apprehensive and embarrassed.
“You look tired, Dylan, but do you think you can stay awake a few more minutes to spend with your dear old aunt here.”
“I guess I’ll turn in,” Marissa stated, evidently picking up on the hint. She leaned toward his aunt. “Good night, Aunt Mitzi. Thank you for a wonderful day of shopping and buying me those sweaters. And also for teaching me how to pressure cook the venison. That was really nice of you.”
Family Forever Page 10
