“I thought I would head back to town, get some more supplies and another dome,” he said at last. “I really didn’t think about the fact that she might not want to share the habitat with her husband and another man.”
“Long trip in the rover,” Jonah said noncommittally. “Even longer if you’re hauling a trailer.”
“Well, I sure as hell don’t want to sleep in the mine from now on.”
Jonah snorted. “Doubt she’d let you. Too softhearted.”
“Which means I need to go to town.”
“Do you know what a woman wants? What she needs to feel at home? What a baby needs?”
“Hell no. Do you?”
Another snort. “Reckon we need some advice before you go haring off to town. Go see Clint. His woman can probably help. Then we can make a plan.”
“You always did like a plan, Sarge.” He grinned as he said it, but the words hung in the air between them and he realized just how long it had been since Jonah had cared enough about anything to make one.
It was a good sign that his own desperate plan was succeeding, but why did it leave him feeling so hollow? He had wanted to bring Jonah back to life, to see him take some joy in his existence, to have some hope for the future, but he had never considered that he wouldn’t be a part of that future.
“Maybe I should talk to Clint about getting a ranger job.” Once the initial terraforming efforts were complete, most of the cyborgs had taken jobs as rangers—a job that frequently involved long, remote patrols. He had been afraid that such a position would leave Jonah even more isolated and suggested the mining claim instead.
“Why the hell would you do that?” Jonah scowled at him. “This mine was your idea. Partners, you said.”
“I know, but things have changed. You’re a married man now.” He tried for his usual grin, but somehow, he suspected that neither one of them was fooled.
Jonah rubbed the scars beneath his eye.
“Partners,” he said firmly. “Don’t you forget it.”
Warmth crept over him despite the frigid air and this time his grin was a lot more sincere. There was still a place for him here.
He clapped the older man on the back and whistled for Galahad. The big red stallion came trotting eagerly over from the shelter they had constructed on one side of the clearing. Jonah’s horse followed more sedately but nudged Galahad aside so that he could take the dominant position next to the two men, and B-669 had to hide his smile. It was amazing how much the mechanical animals took on the personalities of their riders.
“I’ll be going then.” He hesitated. “Watch over her.”
“Of course.” Jonah scowled at him. “Safe enough with me.”
“I know she is. She knows it too.”
Without waiting for a response, he mounted Galahad and rode off down the mountainside. The sun was fully above the horizon now, illuminating the layers of color in the rocks, giving the harsh landscape a severe beauty. He took a deep breath, the air too thin for full human lungs but more than enough for his altered biology. His nanites processed the limited amount of oxygen quickly and efficiently, and he was filled with an unexpected sense of wellbeing. Jonah still wanted him as his partner, and even though he wasn’t Daisy’s husband, he would still get to be around her, to see her sweet smiles and help make a home for her.
It was enough. It would have to be enough.
As he approached Clint and Jo’s small homestead, he took note of the improvements they had made. In addition to the main living dome and a transport shed, there was an attached module for a hydroponic garden and another for a chicken house. Hmm, he hadn’t considered the possibility of raising their own food before but it would make more sense than having to make frequent trips to town to ensure some variety in Daisy’s diet.
Big Red, Clint’s horse, was meandering around next to the habitat and he dismounted and sent Galahad off to join him. The horses picked up nutrients from the Martian soil in addition to absorbing energy from the sun and looked almost as if they were grazing.
Clint met him at the outer door of the airlock, and B-669 blinked in surprise. A powerfully built man with broad shoulders and a harsh face, the main indications that Clint was a cyborg were the glowing red cybernetic organs that had replaced his eyes. For as long as B-669 had known him, he had kept them hidden behind dark glasses. This morning, his face was bare, his hair tousled, and despite the fact that he was presently scowling at B-669, he looked more at peace than he had ever seen him.
“What the hell are you doing here so early?” Clint snapped.
“I wanted to talk to you. To you and Jo.”
“It’s a bad time. Come back later.”
“Now stop that,” Jo scolded, stepping out to join her husband. A tiny woman with a cap of curly dark hair—equally as tousled—she grinned at B-669 from behind her breathing mask. “Come on in, Bill.”
“Your timing sucks,” Clint muttered as he reluctantly stepped aside, keeping his voice low enough that only cyborg senses could detect his words.
“That’s my specialty.” He grinned as he followed Jo through the airlock and into the cozy living quarters.
“Would you like some tea?” she asked.
“I don’t need anything. Thank you,” he added hastily.
Jo put her hands on her hips and frowned at him. “I swear, all of you are alike. I didn’t ask if you needed some. I asked if you wanted some. It’s okay to want things.”
Her words caught him by surprise, but he recognized the truth in them. Between the trauma of the transformation and the harsh conditions on Mars, most of them had learned to forget about human wants, human pleasures.
“Then yes. Yes, I would like a cup.”
She beamed at him and Clint growled, stepping between them.
“Stop that.” Jo’s small hand pushed at the big cyborg to absolutely no effect. “He’s your friend. Now go and sit down.”
To his shock, Clint just shook his head at her and obeyed, gesturing B-669 to a chair by the window.
“Why are you here?”
“Sarge—J-817—has a wife now.”
“A wife?” Jo squealed from the small kitchen area.
“A legal one?” Clint frowned at him.
“Well, kind of. The ceremony was performed on Earth by proxy before she came, and the papers were filed there.”
“Where no one could check on his status?” Clint raised an eyebrow.
“Exactly.” B-669 grinned at him.
“Interesting. I hadn’t thought of doing that.”
“It isn’t necessary,” Jo said firmly as she joined them, handing them both a mug of tea. “You’re my husband and we don’t need papers to prove it.”
Clint tugged her down on his lap and smiled at her, his face softer than B-669 had ever seen it. “And you’re my wife. But I must admit I wished the government acknowledged it.”
“They should,” B-669 agreed. “Why are we still letting them set the rules and control our lives when they’re millions of miles away?”
“Mars still needs governing. It needs law and order,” Clint said sternly.
“Sure—but we’re the ones providing that. Maybe we should provide our own government too. One that includes humans and cyborgs.”
“I don’t see it happening as long as we’re dependent on Earth.”
“But how much longer will that last? And don’t forget, we have things they want as well. Mining is profitable because there’s a huge market for the minerals back to Earth—even though the government takes a hefty chunk of the profits.”
Clint frowned thoughtfully down at his tea, and B-669 let the subject drop, content to have planted the idea.
“But as I was saying, now that she’s here, we realized we don’t know a lot about making a woman comfortable.”
“We?” Clint asked and B-669 felt his cheeks darken.
“I meant, he doesn’t.”
The other man gave him a thoughtful look. “Gotta say I’m surprised he
sent for a wife. Always struck me that he was too busy thinking about the past to consider the future.”
The heat in his face intensified. “I might have had something to do with it.”
“You sent a wife for him and didn’t tell him?” Jo leaned forward, her eyes wide.
His attempt at a casual shrug fell flat. “He needed something—someone—different to jolt him out of the past.”
Jo clapped her hands and laughed, her dark eyes dancing. “A wife is certainly different. What’s her name? What’s she like?”
“Her name is Daisy. She’s not much bigger than you, Jo, but she’s got enough courage for someone twice her size. She’s got red hair and green eyes and the prettiest smile you’ve ever seen—” He stopped abruptly as he realized they were both staring at him.
“She sounds wonderful,” Jo said after a short pause. “Can I meet her?”
“I think she’d love to meet you eventually, but she’s a little… skittish around people right now.” It hadn’t escaped his notice how she had hidden behind her mask back at the ship and how quickly she had wanted to leave town.
“She in trouble?” Clint asked.
“I think so, but hopefully she left it behind on Earth. I think there’s a man in her past—a bad man.” He took a breath, trying to decide if he should fill them in on the rest of the story, but it wasn’t something they would be able to hide forever. “She’s pregnant.”
“That’s wonderful,” Jo said immediately, then her brows drew together. “At least, I think it is. Do you know anything about giving birth on Mars?”
“Just that it’s never been done. The Sarge has already started reading up on it.”
“I’m sure it will be fine. But that means she’s going to need baby things. You know, blankets, clothes, diapers. She needs to make sure she’s eating properly and getting exercise.” She wound to a halt, frowning at him. “The main thing is that she needs to feel safe and comfortable.”
“She says the Sarge makes her feel safe.”
Clint barked a laugh. “I can see that. He’s a tough old bastard.”
Jo jumped up. “Let me see what I have that you can take back with you. I have some extra tea, and we can spare a pillow, and oh, I know! What about a few chicks? I have some extra now that Hattie gave me some laying hens. Or maybe I should give you one of those…”
“Sweetness, I’m not going to let you give away everything you own,” Clint said firmly.
“It’s fine, Jo, really. I’m going to town for supplies. I just wanted some advice on what to get.”
“I’ll make a list,” she promised, then sat back down on Clint’s lap to do so.
When she handed him the list—a very long list—he grinned ruefully at her. “I can’t bring everything in New Arcadia back to the claim.”
She laughed. “I put a star by the most important items.”
Over his protests, she still insisted on giving him a box of presents and a sealed carrying case with four new chicks.
“The instructions are in the box. I understand if she doesn’t want visitors, but I’d love to meet her when she’s ready.”
“Thank you, Jo. I’ll let her know.”
He said his goodbyes and Clint walked him out.
“This Daisy of yours sounds like a very interesting woman.”
“She’s not my Daisy,” he said quickly, ignoring the pang in his chest.
Clint shot him a quick glance. “Must have taken a pretty penny to arrange to get her here.”
“It was worth it. I can see the change in the Sarge already.”
“How’s that going to work? The three of you, living together?”
“I offered to move out but he wouldn’t hear of it.”
“Of course he wouldn’t. You two are a team. I’ve never seen anyone closer.” Clint scuffed thoughtfully at the ground with his boot. “You know, you were right before. This isn’t Earth.”
B-669 grinned as he climbed on Galahad. “That’s for sure.”
“But that means that things don’t have to be the same here. Maybe a marriage doesn’t just have to be one woman and one man…”
The surge of longing that went through him was so strong that he had to force himself to smile casually. “Are you looking to expand?”
“Hell, no. Josephine is all mine. But then again, I haven’t had a long, close relationship with another man.” The other man raised an eyebrow.
“I’m sure Daisy expects a traditional marriage,” he said stiffly.
“Maybe so. But take it from an old married man: never assume you know what a woman thinks.” Clint slapped his leg and stepped back. “Let us know if you need any more help.”
“Thanks, Clint. I appreciate it.”
Two husbands? As he headed back to the claim, he thought about the two workers coming to claim the skinny woman.
They hadn’t seemed concerned about traditional expectations. But he also remembered Daisy’s shock. And even if she would consider the idea, what about Jonah? Surely, he would never consider it. He resolved to put the matter out of his mind—and spent the rest of the journey thinking about it.
But then he walked in on Jonah and Daisy kissing, saw her flushed, glowing face, and saw Jonah instinctively place himself in front of her, and he knew it would never happen.
Chapter Nine
Daisy watched in dismay as Jonah left her with Bill and the chicks and vanished. Had he been disgusted by her enthusiasm? Richard had never appreciated her shy efforts to encourage him in the early days of their relationship. Women should wait until the man approached them, he had informed her. But Jonah had seemed to enjoy her responsiveness—right up until Bill interrupted them and then he had looked horrified.
“I’m sorry,” Bill said again, drawing her attention away from the door. “I didn’t mean to intrude.”
The worried frown looked out of place on his usually cheerful face, and she managed to give him a reassuring smile.
“Don’t be silly. This is your home as well.”
“Is it?” he muttered beneath his breath but she caught the words.
“Yes, it is,” she said firmly.
The idea of another man sharing a home with her and her new husband had seemed odd but even in the short time she had known Jonah and Bill, she could see the deep bond between them. And her distrust of Bill had completely disappeared. She was suddenly conscious that she was right up against his side as she examined the chicks—his warm, firm side. His fresh spicy scent teased her, so different from Jonah’s. Would he kiss differently too? The thought increased the ache between her legs that had started with Jonah’s kiss, and she blushed.
Lord, what was she thinking? To turn so easily from one man to another.
Under the pretense of straightening her dress, she stepped away from him just as he moved back, looking uncomfortable. Great. Now she had two men thinking she was a slut. Determined to ignore the tension, she pasted a bright smile on her face.
“How do I take care of the chicks?”
“I’m not really sure but Jo included instructions.”
“Jo?”
“She’s Clint’s wife. He’s one of us. She sent some other things for you as well.”
“That was sweet of her.”
“Jo’s great.” He grinned, looking more relaxed, and she ignored a pang of what felt far too much like jealousy. “She’d like to meet you. When you feel up to it, of course.”
Part of her was curious about meeting another woman married to a cyborg, but she was still getting used to being with Jonah and Bill. And… she still preferred to keep her presence hidden.
“Maybe. But not right now. Why don’t you get those instructions and we’ll see what we need to do?”
He nodded and disappeared briefly before returning with a box of presents from Jo. Her eyes unexpectedly filled with tears and alarm swept over his face.
“Don’t worry,” she sniffed. “Just hormones. This was very thoughtful of her.”
“
I’m glad it makes you happy,” he said seriously, the usual teasing note absent from his voice. But when she shot him a curious glance, his attention was on the contents of the box. “I’ll be going to town tomorrow to get some additional things. Jo made a list for me, but if there’s anything you want…?”
She shrugged helplessly. “I don’t need anything for myself, but I wish I was more prepared for the baby. I’m not sure what’s available up here.”
The familiar fear flickered through her mind, despite her attempts to suppress it. None of the reading she had done on the ship had covered giving birth on Mars. She was going to be the first woman to give birth here and the idea terrified her. As she has done so many times before, she pushed it aside and concentrated on the things she could control.
“Maybe you could find some fabric so I could do some more sewing? I used the fabric I bought on the ship—thank you for that, by the way—to make a few things but I’m sure I’ll need more. If you could find some, that would be great. And maybe not in white?” she added ruefully. That was the only color the ship had in stock.
“I’ll see what I can do,” he promised, then turned his attention to the instructions.
Once they had the chicks’ new home assembled, he made her a sandwich and then left to work in the mines with Jonah. She fixed a cup of the tea that Jo had sent and wandered over to the chair, settling down with a sigh as she sipped. Even though neither man let her do much, the day had been more strenuous than she expected. Pale Martian sunlight streamed through the window and her eyes gradually closed.
She dreamed of Jonah. Dreamed of him kissing her as he had done earlier but not stopping this time, of him carrying her to the bed and stripping her naked. He looked down at her and he was naked too, big and hard and tempting. But then Bill was there as well, equally naked and tempting, and in her dream, she reached for both of them. She woke up with her nipples aching, her clit throbbing, and a confused maelstrom of emotions swirling through her mind.
Firmly pushing them aside, she rose to her feet and went to prepare dinner for her men.
The meal was a success. Both of them were shocked and pleased that she had cooked for them, even though Jonah scolded her for working too hard. Bill just grinned and thanked her. He kept the conversation going during dinner, telling stories about the early days on Mars. She suspected that he greatly understated the hardships they had endured, but she was caught up in their adventures nonetheless. Jonah said little but even he grinned a few times as Bill’s tales became more outrageous. Several times she caught him watching her, his eyes hungry, but he always looked away.
A Few Cyborgs More (Cyborgs On Mars Book 3) Page 6