by Marla Monroe
“That’s true,” Benton said, then sighed. “I’m so looking forward to that.”
* * * *
Gail grinned as she told each wolf pup their names. Travis and Benton had groaned at her choices, but hadn’t complained—much.
“Now remember this time, guys. You’re Wolfie,” she told the largest dark brown pup with the black lines beneath his eyes.
“You’re Max,” she told the light brown wolf with the gorgeous blue eyes.
“These girls are Sasha and Gigi. Now, remember your names and answer to them,” she told them all.
“They’re too young, Gail. Give them time.” Travis picked up Sasha and cuddled her before letting her go to climb over Max in the pen.
“I know, but I’m telling them every day until they remember. How did the wood chopping go?” she asked.
“Benton took over. I had to come in and get us something to drink. Someone is too busy playing with the wolf pups to think about poor us working our tails off.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll do better. They need to go outside for bathroom time. Help me take them out, then I’ll bring you something to drink.” Gail grabbed Wolfie and Max while Travis picked up Sasha and Gigi.
“I’m dreading when it snows. I don’t know what we’re going to do when that happens.” Travis followed Gail through the kitchen and outside.
“I’ve been thinking about that. There’s enough newspaper in the cellar to work for puppy pads for a few months. Maybe that will work if it’s too snowy to take them outside.”
Travis groaned. “Nasty. Wolf poop. Just what I want to deal with.”
Once they’d deposited the pups outside in their improvised pen, Gail hurried inside to get out of the cold and pour the guys a glass of tea. It wasn’t getting easier making the tea anymore. She’d have to start boiling water over the fire in the fireplace soon. The guys had managed to carve out a place large enough for them to cook over the open fire. She wasn’t looking forward to it, but they’d keep the fire going to stay warm now.
“Here you go.” She handed Benton a glass, then Travis. “I’ll help stack the wood for a while. Sorry I got behind.”
“Playing with those wolves, no doubt,” Benton said with an exaggerated sigh.
“I’m trying to get them used to their names and coming when I call it. We’ve got to stay on top of their training.” Gail took the empty glass back from Benton. “Do you want another glass before I start hauling wood?”
“No thanks. That did the trick.”
Gail took both glasses inside, then returned to cart wood with Travis. “What happens when we have the back porch full?” she asked.
“We keep adding wood to the side. We can make two stacks if the first one gets too long.” Travis left her at the door to the back porch to walk add his to the other side of the porch.
“Still think it might snow soon?” she asked.
“Look at those clouds? They’re heavy with it. Won’t be long now.”
He caught Gail before she picked up another piece of wood. When she looked up at him, he just kissed her and gave her a quick hug.
“What was that for?”
“Just because. Everything’s going to be fine, hon. Don’t fret about it.”
“I’m not. Just thinking.”
“About what?”
“If we have enough food stored if you guys can’t hunt or trap.”
“We’ll be fine, Gail. Stop worrying about it. I promise we’ll make it,” Travis said.
“Okay.”
She still wasn’t so sure. They’d originally planned for two of them. She’d thrown a wrench into their plans. They hadn’t expected to have another mouth to feed when they’d chosen that house. Was the area where they’d dug up the garden large enough for three of them? What about if she got pregnant, would it be large enough for four of them?
Pregnancy had been something she’d thought about when she’d been playing with the wolf cubs. They weren’t using any type of protection since there wasn’t any, and that meant she’d probably get pregnant at some point. It worried her and scared her all at the same time. She’d love to have a baby, but they weren’t ready for that.
Would they ever be ready? She wasn’t sure. She also wasn’t sure how the men would feel about a baby. They hadn’t exactly talked about it. Gail doubted the men had even thought about it. When they did, it might scare them as much as it did her.
A baby? What would they do?
Gail tripped on her way back from depositing her wood on the back porch. Fortunately, Travis was close enough behind her that he stopped her from face-planting on the cold, hard ground.
“Careful, Gail. I don’t want you to hurt yourself. You need to take a rest. You’re wearing yourself out.” Travis gave her shoulders a squeeze. “Go inside and warm up for a while.”
“I’m fine. I just wasn’t paying attention.”
“Don’t care. You need a break. It’s nearly time for lunch anyway. What’s cooking?” he asked.
“Squirrel. It should be ready by the time we finish out here.”
“We’ll be finished soon. You’re going inside. Don’t make me sick Benton on you.” Travis turned her around and gave her a gentle push toward the back porch. “Inside.”
Gail sighed. There was no reasoning with him when he got all bossy. While he was the more laid back of the two, Benton was the agreed upon leader of the group. Yet when Travis wanted to, he could get stern with her just as easily.
Lunch was a quiet affair as the men scarfed down the meager meal, then took a few minutes while she cleaned up to rest in front of the fire. She joined them, waking them up after an hour so they could get back to work. She hated having to do it, but understood it was necessary for them to have as much wood as possible ready for the long hard winter that was sure to come.
Gail checked on the rabbit in the Dutch. While the stew would be much better for the guys, she wished they’d kill another deer or the much-coveted moose, but knew it would be better if they waited for the first snow when they could keep some of the meat in a cooler buried in the snow.
Gail took a break and got the guys some tea before checking on the pups. She took each one out of the pen and worked with them on their names and getting them to follow her and come when she called them. So far, they seemed to be learning at a good pace. They were a good four months now and growing by leaps and bounds. They were going to be big wolves like their mom.
“We’re getting ready to come in and wash up,” Benton called out.
“Okay. Can you guys bring the pups in with you?” she asked.
“We’ll get them,” he said.
The men followed soon after with the four pups, which they deposited in their pen. She was glad they’d planned ahead and made it overly large to accommodate them as they grew.
“Man, that sure smells good, hon.”
“I hope it will be enough to feed us. You guys work up a good appetite and need more to eat.”
“We’ll be fine. Don’t worry about us, Gail,” Benton said.
“We’ll be down in a bit. Need to wash up.” Travis took the stairs two at a time with Benton following at a more sedate pace as he carried the lantern. Though it wasn’t quite dark outside, it was in the house.
Gail had the firelight to work by and already had their bowls and tea sitting on the coffee table. She’d learned to plan ahead. They didn’t want to waste their electricity or the lantern oil. She knew they could make their own vegetable oil from sunflower seeds or hemp or peanuts, but it took a lot of work, and they would be busy with other things come fall. Making oil for the lamps would be the last thing they did.
After they’d eaten, Gail washed the dishes in a dishpan in front of the fire, then stacked them in the drainer she’d set up on the hearth to dry the dishes. They sat around the fire talking when the wind picked up outside. Travis took the lamp to the window.
“Looks like we’re getting snow tonight. I figured it wouldn’t be long.”
&
nbsp; “It’s snowing?” Gail jumped up and ran to the window.
“Yep. Don’t be so excited. It means more work. We’ll have to shovel snow to keep a path out of the house.”
“I know. Maybe it will only snow a little this first time. I’d like to enjoy it just once before it gets bad.”
Travis shook his head at her. “You’re crazy.”
Benton laughed and pulled her into a hug. “Time for bed, hon. We’ve probably got a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”
“Do you think there will be much snow by morning?”
“At least a foot by the way it’s coming down. Hopefully, no more.” Benton banked the fire and check to be sure there was nothing close by that might burn then placed the screen over it.
Travis carried the lantern ahead of them as they climbed the stairs. Gail couldn’t help but hope for a little snow to enjoy. She’d never had a lot growing up as a kid and wanted to experience one good snowfall before she started to hate it later in the winter. She had no doubt she would from the way the guys talked about it.
Gail washed up, then climbed up the middle of the bed to slide under the covers between the two men. Both were already asleep. Their soft snores made her smile. They’d worn themselves out chopping and stacking wood. She was sore in new places after helping, so she understood their conking out on her. Gail prayed that they’d make it through the winter and for more food in their traps the next morning.
Chapter Eleven
“Got a moose, guys. It’s not snowing right now, but could start up at any minute. We need to get this thing dressed and cut up before it does.” Benton burst into the kitchen, calling out to them.
Gail jumped up from the couch where she and Travis had been cuddling with the pups. Moose meant more meat for longer.
“Woohoo! Can’t wait to cook some of it. I’m tired of chewing on deer jerky.” Gail gave the pups one last hug, then dumped her two back into their pen. “I’ll grab some pans to put the meat in when you get it cut off.”
“Good going, Benton. Got it hoisted up yet?” Travis clapped the other man on the shoulder.
“Are you kidding? That thing weighs a ton. I hope the tree limb will even hold it. Going to have to pull it all the way up just to get the head off the ground.” Benton opened the back door, and the two men left, closing it behind them again.
Gail grabbed all of the largest pans, then dove into her coat and scarf before braving the frigid cold with her burden of pans in her arms. She had to be extra careful not to slip on the steps before stepping off into the knee-deep snow.
“Wow! That’s one huge animal.”
“It’s the smaller of the three that were eating standing in the clearing where I found them. I knew I wouldn’t be able to drag anything larger home alone.” Benton helped Travis hoist the huge animal up, then tied off the rope around the tree trunk.
Gail watched as they started skinning the animal with the bucket below to catch as much of the blood as possible. Then, they started cutting out the organs to feed to the wolf pups. She gave them the bucket they used for them, then waited until they filled the first pan with meat to carry it inside, where she’d soak it in snow water to draw out the blood.
She moved back and forth all morning, carrying meat inside. She chose a nice sized roast, and once it had drained enough, put it in the Dutch oven with wild onions and herbs gathered before the snow had killed everything. After setting it next to the roaring fire in the little carved out space the men had made, Gail returned to slice up the hunks of meat into more manageable pieces that she placed in the cooler with a good amount of snow.
Once she had the cooler full of meat, she got Travis to take it outside, where he buried it in the snow next to the house. She prayed it would work like they hoped and keep the meat fresher, longer. Gail hated the thought of wasting meat. Of course, if they could manage to wrap some of it up, they could try and freeze it outside. They might be able to keep it even longer. They were going to try it. Nothing to lose by trying.
It took the men nearly all day to carve up the carcass. Then they loaded it on the sled they’d built and carted it as far out into the woods as possible and still return before dark. Something would feast on the parts they’d left.
“We’re going to go wash up, then we’ll help you with the rest of the meat, hon.” Benton followed Travis out of the kitchen as Gail sliced up some of the meat to put in the dehydrator. They’d almost used up all of their dried berries and roots.
Gail had already fed the wolves some of the scraps outside. The rest were in the fridge for the next day.
“How are you doing?” Benton asked as he walked back into the kitchen.
“Tired but happy. We’ve got a lot of meat here. I’ve cooked as much as I think we’ll eat the next couple of days. I’ve also filled up another cooler you can put outside.”
“Can’t wait to see what this thing is going to taste like. I hope it’s good. I’d hate to have this much meat that tastes bad.” Benton picked up the cooler to take outside.
“The dehydrator is full. Now all we can do is try wrapping up the meat and freezing it out in the snow. Once it’s frozen, I’ll wrap it in clothes, and we can put it in something on the back porch. We’ll need to check it when the weather warms enough. If it begins to thaw, I’ll need to cook it right away.”
“We’ll keep an eye on it for you. No need for you to go outside when you don’t need to. You already are in and out of the house all the time. I’m afraid you’ll get sick.”
“We’ll be fine. We’ve got better coats than you do. I’m going to look for warmer clothes for you at the stores this spring.” Benton carried the cooler outside.
“Where is Benton?” Travis walked into the kitchen.
“Went outside to bury the other cooler. Will you take the pups out to go to the bathroom for me? I’m still elbow deep in meat here.”
“Got it covered, hon.” He went to the other room, then returned with the wolves following behind him.
They knew the drill and loved getting to go outside to romp and play some. The snow didn’t seem to bother them at all. Benton and Travis returned twenty minutes later with the four wolves right on their heels.
“They really love going outside. Can’t imagine wanting to play in the snow as much as they seem to want to.” Benton stayed behind in the kitchen while Travis took the pups into the living room to put them back in their pen to nap.
“Me either. I really enjoyed the first snow. Making that snowman and having a snowball fight was fun, but you were right, didn’t take long for me to get sick of it.” She laughed when he pulled her into a hug from behind. “Careful, I’ve got a knife and am covered in blood, Benton.”
“Sorry. Just needed a hug. That wore me out.”
“I’m sure it did. You and Travis cut up an elephant out there.”
Travis’s laugh from the doorway had them both turning to look at the other man.
“An elephant? I guess that about covers it. How are you coming with wrapping the meat? What did you decide on to use?” Travis asked.
“I’m using T-shirts I washed and dried. They’re thin, but have the least amount of fuzz. I’m using yarn I found in one of the closets to tie them up. You can take out the first batch if you want to. I still have about eight or ten more to go.”
“Did you save some for the wolves for tomorrow?” Benton asked.
“Yes. There’s plenty for them with what I cut away from the hunks. I figured we could put them on the porch with the dried weeds to disguise the smell until they freeze.”
“I hope nothing finds any of it overnight until it’s frozen,” Travis said when he returned.
“Me, too. You’ve gone to so much trouble only to have it stolen by something.” Gail continued wrapping the meat.
Once she’d finished, she handed over the last of the packages to the guys to bury outside. Then she carried one of the lanterns upstairs to shower while they had the solar batteries going. She used some of the pe
rfumed soap and sighed at the floral scent of it. She needed to learn how to make soap with flowers so she’d have some when she’d used all that was there.
The men were waiting for her when she returned from her shower. They enjoyed a hardy meal of the moose despite the slightly gamey taste of it. She figured they’d learn to like it or at least tolerate it by the time it was all gone.
“That was great, hon.”
“Everything will be better when we have vegetables to eat with the meat to fill us up,” Benton said.
“I can’t wait for spring. Of course, after we’ve slaved planting the garden, I’ll be tired of it, too.” Gail sighed and relaxed against Travis on the couch.
“I’m ready for bed but don’t want to get up to climb those stairs,” Travis admitted.
“Me, too. I’m beat.” Benton stretched his legs out toward the fireplace.
They’d moved the coffee table out from in front of the fireplace once they’d finished eating. Over the last few weeks, they’d developed a routine of sorts. It comforted Gail to have it. She felt like they were a real family and enjoyed sitting and talking together each night. The idea of her past didn’t even make her feel sad anymore. She had something none of those women had.
While they all lived together, other than occasional meetups, none of them had their own man or men. She pitied them now. Gail had never thought much about it at the time, but now she knew the difference and was thankful she’d had this opportunity at a true dream. Yes, things were hard and would get harder before they improved, but she was happy and satisfied.
“Okay, no more procrastination. Time to hit the sack.” Benton stood up and stretched. He reached down and snagged Gail’s hand to pull her up.
“Can’t say that I’ll argue about that. I’m pretty beat myself.” Travis stood up and followed them upstairs with Benton carrying the lamp.
“How soon before spring?” Gail asked as they quickly changed into night clothes.
