by Marla Monroe
“I can’t believe she got pregnant already. I mean, yeah, we don’t have birth control, but still. We’ve only been here about six months now.” Jane shook her head.
“Do you think about it much?” Felicity asked.
“What? Getting pregnant? Not really. When I do, all I can think about is how are we going to manage everything,” she said.
“I know. I don’t do nearly as much as you guys do outside the store, but keeping up with all the supplies people need and filling orders all day is tiring. I suppose that when I do end up that way, one of the men will have to do the heavy lifting and pulling things down off shelves for me.”
“Does it scare you any that we’re out here on our own with no doctor to help?” Jane asked.
“Yeah.”
“What if there are complications?”
Felicity sighed. “I know. The doctor would need to come, and then it could be too late.”
“They really haven’t thought this out too well.”
“We said that when they only sent three families to handle the entire station.”
Jane nodded. “Looks like they figured it out since they’re sending two more as soon as the houses are finished. Let’s hope they get here before winter, or it will be spring before they can travel.”
“Oh, and I just remembered that I need to order baby supplies for Randi. She’s going to need everything from clothes to diapers to a baby bed.” Felicity ran around to the other side of the counter to type into the computer. “I can’t believe I forgot about it so soon.”
“Hey, when you do that, it’s almost like shopping online used to be on Earth.”
“Yeah, only without it costing us anything.” Felicity grinned. “Want to order some things?”
“Better not. Maybe when I get pregnant I will. Lord, I sure hope it’s awhile yet. There’s so much to do right now.”
“I’m kind of looking forward to it,” Felicity told her in a soft whisper.
“I’m not. I’m worried how we’ll manage with me pregnant, with everything that the guys already have to do, there’ll be more,” Jane admitted.
“I want at least two, a boy and a little girl,” Felicity told her.
“They need to be at least a year apart so that I can cope with being a mom before the next one pops up.” Jane shook her head. “I never wanted kids when I was on Earth. I grew up in the foster system where there were so many kids who weren’t wanted in the first place. Now I’m expected to have as many as I can. It’s a little overwhelming to me.”
“Just wait until you hold your baby in your hands. Then you’ll change your mind. You’ll see. I’ve seen it happen too many times when I was on Earth.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” Jane said. “I’d better get back to logging in the new supplies we got this morning. Talk to you later.”
Felicity waved her off as she continued pecking away on the computer. Jane let what they’d talked about swirl around in her head as she worked. Maybe Felicity was happy with the idea of getting pregnant, but Jane wasn’t as excited. All she saw was work and worry. Poor Randi had it even worse. She had a huge garden to take care of, even though her men were there to help. Still, it was a big responsibility.
As soon as she finished the lot that had come in, Jane walked out to the warehouse to let the guys know she was going home to try and finish up the last of the beans and peas. The garden was coming to an end with the exception of some of the root vegetables. They’d plant greens next, and those would come in with the first frost. That wasn’t too long in the future though. Already there was a nip to the air as she walked back toward their house.
The guys had cautioned her to watch where she walked and to be aware of everything around her. So far, she hadn’t seen a single animal or creature, as they’d begun to call the animals on the planet. The guys had taken turns keeping a close watch on the fence lines making sure nothing was digging or burrowing beneath it.
As soon as she made it home, Jane washed up and started shelling peas while the beans cooked on the stove. To her surprise, she kept nearly falling asleep while she shelled. It wasn’t like her to get that tired in the afternoon. She smiled. It had to be because of all the extracurricular activities each night.
Now that Rusty’s hand was well, they’d returned to making love each night. Sometimes all three at the same time and sometimes individually. She loved sucking Rusty’s cock because of how long it was when she had a difficult time getting her mouth around Jared’s thick dick.
I need to stop thinking about sex and concentrate on what I’m working on. I’m going to end up letting the peas boil over on the stove, and that will mean a huge mess.
Still, little nuggets of memories had her pussy wet and her breasts tingling. Her nipples seemed awfully sensitive. It was no wonder when she thought about the guys sucking on them at the same time. It had nearly made her come without them even touching her clit.
Jane enjoyed seeing their eyes darken as they got aroused watching her fall apart between them. It went a long way to erasing some of the hurt knowing that Jared might never fall in love with her. Still, it hurt.
* * * *
Rusty unloaded the last of the supplies onto the hover cart and slammed the doors on the transport.
“That’s it, Aaron. You can pull out now,” he yelled.
Jared maneuvered the cart into the warehouse toward the slots where the last of the supplies for winter were going to be stored. They only had another three or so weeks before the first of the winter storms came through. There probably wouldn’t be any more supplies come in. Now they would be shipping out supplies to the surrounding families until the driving snow cut them off, as well.
They’d shipped out four transports full of grain over the last month as well as several of hay. They’d kept just enough hay to take care of the cows and plenty of feed for both the cows and the chickens. The trick was going to be to take care of them through the snow. Someone would have to get to them each day to milk and feed the cow and gather eggs and feed the chickens. He’ never thought about that until he’d started thinking about what they’d do during the winter months. No, there wouldn’t be near the down time they’d talked about.
“Ready to call it a day?” Jared asked as they tossed the last of the boxes in the slot.”
“Hell, yeah. I’m ready to eat and take a nap. What about you?”
“I could use something to eat. I’m starved. Those sandwiches with the soup were good, but I’ve worked up a pretty good appetite.”
Rusty walked over to the office to tell Felicity that they were leaving to find her door closed and the lights off.
“What time is it?” Rusty asked.”
“Hell, it’s nearly six. Fucking long days screw me up. No wonder it’s so dark out. We better take a beam with us. I sure as hell don’t want to run up on some creature out there without one.”
Rusty agreed. He grabbed one off the charger next to the door and followed Jared out into the dark. The beam reached quite a way in front of them and made it much safer walking over the uneven ground. Even the once lush grass was beginning to die out with the colder nights.
They reached their house without a problem. Rusty snapped the beam to one of the charging units by the back door and walked into the kitchen. The smell of food cooking made his mouth water. It always smelled good inside their home. He smiled. Home. That was what he liked to think of it instead of just a house.
“Jane. We’re home,” he called out.
A few seconds later, a very sleepy-looking Jane walked into the kitchen with brows knitted. “What time is it? I think I fell asleep.”
“Six. We’re a little late. Transport came in late. What’s for dinner?” Jared asked, stepping over to the stove.
“Chicken and dumplings and buttered bread. I hope that will be okay. The dumplings should be filling.” Jane yawned and stretched. “I can’t believe I fell asleep. I guess the last few weeks are catching up with me.”
&nb
sp; “You’ve been putting in a lot of long hours between the station and putting up vegetables for the winter,” Rusty told her.
He noticed she looked worn out despite the nap she’d evidently had. Maybe they needed to hold off on some of the sex at night. She needed more rest. They’d been keeping her up well past midnight some nights. He loved making love to her, but if she was this tired, they were overdoing it.
“Feeling okay?” he asked her.
“Yeah. Just tired. We’ve all been running nonstop for the last few months,” she said.
“Go clean up. I’ll dip up the bowls from the stove.”
Rusty made quick work of getting ready for dinner. He took a shower in the guest bathroom while Jared used the master. That way they were both ready to eat much sooner. He met the other man in the hall on the landing.
“Jane looks worn out,” Jared pointed out.
“Yeah. I was thinking the same thing. Do you think she’s coming down with something?” Rusty asked.
“Don’t know. We need to watch her and see. I don’t want her to get sick before winter shuts us in out here in case she needs to see the doc.”
“Good point. She looks a little pale to me. She hasn’t mentioned anything happening, has she?”
Jared shook his head. “No. I think she’d have told us if she’d hurt herself. She knows how dangerous it can be here.”
They continued down the stairs with Rusty deciding to ask her more questions after dinner. He wouldn’t push it while they ate. He didn’t want her to lose her appetite because he was hounding her.
The dumplings were delicious. Then again, everything she cooked was amazing. She’d been right. They’d filled him up, and the chicken and bread had, as well.
“Thanks, baby girl. That hit the spot. I was starving, and now I’m stuffed,” Rusty told her.
“I feel even fuller than I was at the harvest party we had at Randi, Bryson, and Mason’s place the other week. I never thought I’d top that, hon.” Jared patted his stomach.
“Thanks, guys. I’m glad it was good. Go on and relax while I clean this up,” she told them.
Rusty nodded at Jared. “We’ll help, Jane. You worked hard cooking this up. It’s the least we can do.”
“Really, there’s no need. There isn’t much to do.”
“Put out what you want the leftovers to go in, and I’ll pour them in while Rusty helps rinse the dishes,” Jared said.
Rusty was proud that Jared was working with him to take some of the work off Jane. They usually remembered to rinse off their dishes but didn’t often help with the full cleanup. Then again, they were usually so exhausted that they barely managed to eat.
“Thanks, guys. I really do appreciate it.” Jane took the dishes as Rusty rinsed them and loaded the dishwasher.
They were finished in no time. The three of them relaxed in the living room with Jane on the couch curled up with a blanket. She still looked a little peaked to Rusty. He didn’t like that look on her face. If she wasn’t much better in the next day or two, he was going to insist that she go to the doc’s back on Space Station One. He wasn’t taking any chances on her health. He was pretty sure Jared would feel the same way.
“Hey, guys. I can’t keep my eyes open. I’m going to head on up to bed. See you later.” Jane walked over and kissed each of them on the cheek before leaving the blanket draped over the back of the couch without folding it as she normally did.
As soon as she was out of earshot, Rusty looked over at Jared. “I’m worried. She’s not acting normal at all.”
“I agree. If she isn’t better tomorrow, we may need to consider taking her to the doc,” Jared said.
“That was what I was thinking. I don’t want to get caught with the snow coming down and her ill.”
“The weird thing is that since we’ve all ended up with that weird cell in our bloodstream no one really gets sick anymore. Not unless they get pricked by something or bitten by something. She hasn’t mentioned any injury, and I think she would. She knows how dangerous things can be here.”
Rusty sighed. “Not unless it was something with the vegetables she’s been putting up. She wouldn’t think anything about it. Maybe they’re getting too acclimated to the planet.”
“I don’t know, but I really don’t think that’s it,” Jared said. “Let’s see how she is tomorrow. It could be nothing more than she’s tired.”
Rusty hoped that was all there was to it. He deeply cared about Jane. Hell, he knew he was more than a little in love with the woman but wasn’t ready to tell her just yet. He’d hoped Jared would grow to love her, as well, but so far, the other man hadn’t indicated he had more than strong feelings for her.
I want him to love her like I do. Jane deserves two men who love and adore her. She’s a special woman who’s been dealt a hard deck of cards.
If Jared never fell in love with her, Rusty was going to make sure she never felt that loss as if it were the most important thing he could do for her the rest of his life.
Chapter Nine
Jane smiled as she got dressed early the next morning. A good night’s sleep had seemed all she’d needed after being so worn out the day before. She felt wonderful.
By the time the guys had come down, she’d milked the cow and gathered the eggs and had a hardy breakfast cooking on the stove.
“Morning, Jane. How are you feeling?” Jared asked with bunched brows tightening his face.
“Good. How about you and Rusty? I got a good night’s sleep,” she told him.
“I’m good,” Rusty said as he looked over at Jared.
“Me, too. Glad you feel better today. I was a little worried about you yesterday, Jane.” Jared kissed her on the cheek.
“I was just tired. We’ve all been going nonstop for the last few months. I’m fine now.”
Rusty kissed her other cheek then poured milk and coffee for all of them as she scooped eggs out for all of them. Jane added slabs of ham to each plate.
“Eat up. I have leftover dumplings for you to take to work with you. I’ll be along later. I want to put on a load to wash and fold what’s in the dryer.” Jane smiled as she took a bite of egg.
She really did feel much better. It was a testament to just how bad she’d felt the day before as she’d left the load of clothes in the dryer instead of folding them. She never did that. What had been wrong with her? Why all of a sudden had she gotten so tired after making it for all those months of constant activity? All she could come up with was that it had finally started catching up to her.
I’m fine now. No use worrying over it. Now maybe I can talk my men into some fun when they get home tonight.
She’d been fast asleep when they’d come to bed the night before. She didn’t plan on that happening tonight. No, she wanted her men. It had been a few nights since they’d had sex. Since she felt so much better, she was going to insist on their messing around.
Once she’d put up the clothes out of the dry and changed over the load washing, Jane put a roast in the crockpot then cleaned up and headed to work. She’d been smart to wear the coat. It was much cooler than she’d thought it was. The wind blowing over the open area between their home and the warehouse was chilly.
“Hey, Jane. How are you feeling this morning?” Felicity asked when Jane walked into the front of the store.
“Good. Did I look that bad yesterday? The guys were all worried, as well.”
“Yeah. You were kind of pale and out of it. I was worried, as well. I was glad when you headed out at lunchtime to go home. Looks like all you needed was a good night’s sleep. Not getting much rest at night?” the other woman teased.
“Well, you know how it can be with two men,” Jane pointed out with a wide grin. “Really, though. I don’t know why I was so tired. I feel fine this morning. Actually, I feel better than I’ve felt in a few weeks. Probably all that extra work we’ve had lately.”
“I expect you’re right. My guys are gone more than yours are, so I get more rest at
home. I fix something for them to eat then rest until they make it back. They warm theirs up most nights,” Felicity said.
“Do you miss having them around more?”
“I guess. Mostly I’m used to it because I haven’t had them around like you and Randi do. I expect that I’ll miss them a lot more next spring after having them home more during the cold months. They’ll make some deliveries, but once the heavy snow hits, they won’t be making those trips.”
“Have you talked to Randi lately?” Jane asked.
“Talked to her the day before yesterday. She’s sick of the guys babying her all the time.”
“I bet. Can you imagine what it’s going to be like for us? I’m not sure Rusty will even let me walk by myself,” Jane said.
“I know. I’ll enjoy it at first, but that will get old fast.”
“Me, too.”
“Better get busy. I’ve got two orders to get ready before the families come to pick them up later this morning.” Felicity grabbed a clipboard and walked around the counter.
Jane walked to the back of the building to get to work. She decided that as tired as she’d evidently been the day before she might better double check her work to be sure she hadn’t screwed anything up.
By the time she’d gotten down to the day’s work, Jane was convinced she’d had a twenty-four-hour virus or something. She’d had to rework part of her numbers since she’d pretty much screwed up the latter part of the day’s locations. The mornings had all been fine. Now she’d be working until the guys got finished for the day.
There was nothing to it. She’d have to do it and not complain. The next time she felt bad she’d go on home instead of thinking she could work her way through it. All she’d done was make more work for herself.
By quitting time, she was ready to go. She walked back to the warehouse to find the guys marking their paperwork. They looked up and frowned.
