by Alta Hensley
“Not at all but don’t blame me if there’s not a single morsel left by the time we get up to the meadow. I swear, your pregnant sisters eat more than you boys ever did.”
“Say no more,” Anson said, taking the box she was holding and lifting it into the back of the truck. “Anything else?”
“Nope, this is the last of it,” Drake said, adding another box.
“How about we stop jawin’ and get this show on the road?” Jennie suggested.
“The party can’t start without the guest of honor,” Drake said. “You drive, son.”
“Sure thing, Pops.” Turning, Anson swept Natalia up into his arms, walking around to the passenger side.
Natalia giggled as he jostled her a bit in order to open the door. “I can open it,” she said, releasing one hand that had been wrapped around his neck. “Or you can just put me down and I can get in by myself.”
“And chance you dropping my heart? Nope, I’ve got it,” he teased, opening the door wide. “This is how we do it in Texas,” he said with a straight face, placing her on the seat. He’d just reached across her to click the seat belt into place when they both heard a squeal.
Natalia and Anson watched as Drake followed his son’s example, the look on Jennie’s face priceless as she, too, was picked up.
“You silly fool,” Jennie said, rolling her eyes. “You’re too old to be picking up my fat—”
“Ah, Jennie girl, when are you ever going to learn? Rolling your eyes and questioning my abilities?” Drake make a tsking sound and deposited Jennie onto the bench seat in the back, giving her butt a pop as well. “Just remember, there’s more where that came from.”
“Promises, promises,” Jennie muttered, causing Natalia to flush and Anson to chuckle.
The men moved around the truck to get in and Anson heard Natalia giggling at something Jennie was whispering, the older woman having moved up to lean over the front seat. It was the best sound in the world—well, if he were honest, it was the second best. Hearing her moan as she came apart in his arms, that sound won hands down. He grinned when Jennie immediately sat back to buckle her own seat belt the moment Drake climbed into the truck. No one had ever said the woman was dumb.
“All of this is your ranch?” Natalia asked as they drove, passing fences behind which horses were grazing and colts were frolicking in lush green pastures.
“Yes,” Anson said, hearing the awe in her voice. “We breed horses as well. That takes a lot of land, and well, all of us knew that we’d never want to live anywhere else. It’s nice to have family so close but also nice to have a lot of open space to roam. One day we’ll take some horses and ride. That’s really the best way to see the land.”
“Do you ride, Natalia?” Drake asked from the back seat.
“I haven’t in a long time, but yes, sir. I love horses and would enjoy touring the ranch on horseback.”
“Have Anson take you up to the lake. I’ve heard it is a very romantic spot,” Jennie suggested.
“Weren’t you the one just complaining about roaming hands?” Drake asked.
“Oh, posh,” Jennie said, giving his arm a slap. “Telling our boys to keep their hands to themselves is as useless as telling the stars not to shine.”
Anson glanced over to grin at Natalia, happy to see that she was smiling. He reached across the seat and took her hand, lifting it to give it a kiss.
“That wasn’t a suggestion to start mauling our girl, Anson. Keep both hands on the wheel. I’ve got precious cargo in the back.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Anson said with an exaggerated sigh, and a wink to Natalia. He gave her fingers a squeeze and then returned his hand to the steering wheel.
The three took turns pointing out various aspects of the ranch as the truck continued to climb. Natalia gasped and Anson understood why. It appeared as if a fairyland was spread out before them. Hundreds of lights twinkled from all the trees surrounding the dance platform as if tucking the special place Drake had created for Jennie in a protective embrace. Though he’d wondered why his father had chosen a spot so far from the house, the moment he saw it, Anson knew his pops had known exactly where to build. He’d chosen a spot with the mountain as the backdrop. Countless wildflowers spread across the meadow, the profusion of color reminding him of a painting. The mature trees provided a leafy cover but allowed the sunlight to filter through. He could just imagine holding Natalia in his arms as they swayed beneath the millions of stars that would appear when the moon rose.
“Oh, Jennie, Mr. Steele, it’s beautiful,” Natalia said.
“Call me Drake or better yet, Pops,” Drake said with a smile. “Jennie’s been asking me for years to build it. We’ve held dances before but in one of the barns. I gotta admit, this is much nicer.”
“You made it nicer,” Jennie said, reaching over to pat his leg.
Anson pulled the truck in next to the one Maddox and the others had come up in. Maddox appeared to help unload, and the group walked towards the platform.
“Where’s Stryder?” Drake asked, looking around.
“He took the girls to use the facilities,” Maddox said, shaking his head. “I don’t remember mom having to pee every ten minutes.”
“She did,” Drake said, “with both you and Sam.”
Natalia looked around. “So, which are the blue trees and which are the pink?”
“You know about our colored trees?” Jennie asked, coming to stand beside her.
“Um, well, there wasn’t an actual bathroom in the house in the jungle,” Natalia said. “I mean, there was, but I think it had more creepy-crawlies than outside.” Anson chuckled when she started looking at the ground and Jennie asked her if she was all right.
“She’s just checking for arachnids,” Anson explained. “And let me tell you, those spiders in Argentina make Texas tarantulas look like specks of dust.”
Drake laughed. “You don’t have to fret, Natalia. There’s an old cabin just up the mountain. Nothing fancy but it does have a working, spider-free bathroom.”
Anson turned to look at the mountain and nodded. “So that’s where you ran the electric from?”
“Yes, made it easier, especially when I discovered that no dance floor is complete without a jukebox.”
Jennie snorted. “It’s not rocket science, for goodness’ sake.” She tucked her hand into Natalia’s arm and began moving towards the dance floor. “What did he think we were gonna do? Stomp around while humming? Not me. No siree. If I’m going to dance, I need plenty of room and a nice selection of songs to strut my stuff properly.” Natalia laughed as the older woman began to sway her hips enthusiastically.
“And yet she manages to swing without a single note,” Drake observed, causing Jennie to turn her head to look back.
“Well, if any of you men want to hold your gal in your arms and dance beneath the stars, I suggest you get the lead out. No dancing until we eat.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Maddox and Anson said in unison. Anson definitely wanted to hold his woman.
By the time they had unloaded the truck, Stryder and the women had returned.
“What do you think?” Zoya asked as she gestured to the long table that had been set already.
“It’s amazing,” Natalia said. “Adira, those centerpieces are incredible.”
“Thank you, Jennie has a special knack when it comes to growing things. There are flowers everywhere and wait until you see the vegetable garden. It is unbelievable.”
“I can’t wait,” Natalia said. “We really enjoyed foraging for roots, herbs, greens and mushrooms when we were in the jungle. Anson said they were delicious.”
“Speaking of which, please tell me there isn’t any of Jennie’s special meatloaf planned for this feast, is there?” Anson said, his eyes roaming over the table where several containers had been placed, their contents concealed by lids.
“Complaining about my culinary skills, son?”
Natalia giggled when Anson gave a start, not realizing Jennie ha
d walked up behind him.
“Of course not. In fact, we were all discussing how much we love all the little veggies that you manage to coax from the ground.”
“Oh my,” Jennie said, “I hope you aren’t disappointed.”
“Disappointed?” Anson felt stricken. Never in a million years would he want to hurt her feelings.
Jennie shook her head as Drake approached holding another covered tray. “Well, maybe it’s not too late. We haven’t actually cooked them yet, or I suppose we can drop them off at the mess hall…”
“Too late for what?” Stryder asked, he and Maddox having joined them after placing the last of the items at one end of the table.
“Well, in honor of Natalia, I thought we’d change up the menu a bit, but it seems I was too hasty. Anson is obviously looking forward to a nice vegetarian meal and since the feast is in his honor as well, I suppose these will just have to go over to the ranch hands.” They all watched as Jennie gave a deep sigh before reaching for the foil that covered the tray.
There was a moment of dead silence before all three Steele boys said, “Hell no!”
“Those are staying right here!” Anson clarified.
“Are you sure?” Jennie asked.
“Never surer of anything in my life,” Anson said, and then paused in reaching for the tray. “Um, this is real meat, right? I mean from an actual cow and not just some bastardized version made from what goes into a cow, right?”
Drake almost dropped the tray, he was laughing so hard, but both Stryder and Maddox had their hands on it the moment it started to shake. Jennie was laughing as well and Anson saw that Natalia looked a little confused but was smiling. She’d learn all about Jennie’s beliefs on everything from vegetables to life and he knew it would be an adventure.
“Boys, boys, there’s no reason to fight,” Jennie said, shaking her head. “You can all take turns playing chef as you’ll find ribs, sausage and chicken in that big cooler by the grill. You just make sure you don’t burn anything. The meat is to honor Natalia, as I discovered that Argentinians tend to love their parrillada, which is their version of Texas BBQ.”
The Steele men were soon gathered around a large BBQ pit that was made from a cast iron barrel. Anson’s attention was divided between the meat on the grill and his woman.
Jennie was smiling as she went to where the three younger women were standing. “And I didn’t forget my girls,” she said. “It came to me that we are now a truly international family, soon to have new babies joining us as well to combine heritages. So, while tonight’s meal is to welcome our newest member, it is also to celebrate the fact that we have all found each other and became one family.”
Anson watched as Jennie drew the women into her arms, one by one, and then felt a sense of such peace and love as the four of the women stood, arms wrapped around each other in a circle that nothing could ever break. He didn’t look away until he felt hands against each of his shoulders, turning to see his brothers, not of blood but of choice, joining him to give silent thanks for the blessings they’d been given. Drake, as patriarch of this incredible clan, stood, a spatula in his hands and his eyes glistening at the picture they made.
A feast it was. By the time the steaks had been placed on a platter, the other meats stacked on top of one another, the women had uncovered the rest of the dishes. Jennie had dishes representing all the countries. There was hummus and tabbouleh as well as falafels to honor Adira’s Arabic heritage. Solyanka, a soup Jennie could easily replicate as it consisted of many vegetables she grew herself, filled a tureen. A platter of pirozhki, or stuffed pies, and a plate of blinis had been made to allow the others to taste a bit of Zoya’s Russian culture.
“Whoa, is that caviar?” Stryder asked, reaching for a bowl of glistening black orbs.
“Of course it is. Since we have the jewel of Russia with us, how better than to toast her country?” Jennie asked with a smile, her gray curls swaying as she shook her head. “And for Pete’s sake, Stryder, you’re supposed to spread those fish eggs onto toast, not just eat huge spoonfuls!”
“Like this?” Stryder spread a thick layer onto the toast point Jennie handed him, causing his wife to giggle when he stuck his pinkie finger out as he brought the food to his lips.
When he then popped the entire thing into his mouth at once, Jennie’s curls shook again and Anson heard her mutter, “Why do I even bother?” but knew she was enjoying the teasing just as much as the rest of them.
Anson added an item to his plate and smiled. “Now, these are almost as good as a steak. I sampled the fare at several food stands while in Argentina, and didn’t find a single empanada I didn’t like.” He reached across the table to pick up a bowl and brought it close, inhaling its aroma. “You’ve got to try this. It’s chimi-chimy…”
“Chimichurri,” Natalia provided.
“All I know is that it is delicious,” Anson said as he scooped out a large dollop, spreading the salsa across the top of his steak.
Platters, dishes, and bowls were passed up and down the table as every dish was sampled. Long before Anson was finished, Natalia sat back a bit, her hand on her belly.
“God, Jennie, that was incredible. I haven’t stuffed myself like that in… well, actually, I don’t ever remember eating so much. I can’t thank you enough.”
Her sentiments were echoed by Adira and Zoya, though Anson noticed they were still nibbling on the delicious offerings.
Jennie was beaming as she said, “It was my pleasure. I wanted to honor all my family and let every one of you know how very much you mean to me. You girls have brought love and light into my boys’ lives… and… well, I just love you so much for pushing back the dark.”
Anson saw his father drape his arm across Jennie’s shoulders, pulling her close. “I hope you know that you mean the world to all of us, as well,” he said, dropping a kiss on top of her head. “You’ve taken such great care of us and we love you, Jennie girl.”
Jennie reached up and patted his cheek. “I’m so glad to hear you say that, Drake.” She smiled as she looked around the table, pausing a bit longer as each of the Steele men’s eyes met hers. “I admit, I’ve felt that a few of my offerings weren’t appreciated, but I’m so very pleased to know you value my mission to make sure all of you are at your very best.”
When she slid off the bench, returning with yet another item concealed by a large silver dome, all the brothers looked at each other, obviously a bit concerned, but none voicing what Anson was sure all three were thinking. Jennie hesitated, one hand on the handle of the cloche as she again looked around the table.
“What are those looks for?” she asked, her brow furrowed.
No one answered as once again the brothers were shooting furtive glances at each other. When the silence was broken, it was because Anson and Stryder began to speak at the same time.
“Go ahead,” Anson said.
“No, no, you go ahead. After all, this feast is in your honor, remember?” Stryder said with a grin.
“Jennie said this magnificent spread she provided is to honor all of us,” Anson corrected. “Besides, both Maddox and I know that sometimes you feel a little left out, being the youngest and all.”
Stryder rolled his eyes. “Don’t make me regret not collecting the bounty on your ass, Franz.”
“Who’s Franz?” Zoya asked.
“Tell you what,” Anson addressed Zoya, but didn’t take his eyes off his brother’s, “if your husband can explain and get it right then, well, he wins.”
“Wins what? Am I the only one who is confused?” Natalia asked.
Just like Anson, Stryder didn’t directly answer Natalia, his lips twitching in glee as he leaned forward. “Really, bro? This is even better than flipping a coin. Well, we all know how much of a crazed Ian Fleming fan Anson is, which, in this case, actually came in handy. The moment I heard that Montez was offering a huge bounty for a gringo named Franz Sanchez, I knew that Anson and Natalia were still alive.”
&
nbsp; “Fleming as in James Bond?” Natalia asked.
“Well, it’s more like Bond, James Bond, but yes.” Stryder’s smile grew even wider as he flicked his eyes towards Jennie and then back to his brother. “So, pay up, I win.”
“Please, you’ve only guessed the easy part,” Anson said, not ready to concede victory.
Stryder wasted no time. “Franz Sanchez was one of Bond’s nemeses in a film where the villains were cutting cocaine with petrol and then selling the re-integration process to the drug lords who could afford their outrageous price point.” Stryder picked up his glass of tea and tilted both it and his head in Anson’s direction. “I do admit that you made the perfect choice of aliases, bro. Not only did you get the drug connection, but with the explosion at that bastard’s lab, the petrol as well. But the absolute best part is the title. That, big brother, was the cherry on top.” For the first time since the conversation began, Stryder looked around the table, his eyes settling on Natalia. “There has never been a more apropos choice than Anson choosing License to Kill.”
Anson felt Natalia move a little closer and was about to draw her to his side, to reassure her that Montez was truly gone, when he saw her hand lifting. Moving his own to take hers, he saw hers dart forward and then pull back, something held in it.
“Hey!” he said, as the entire family started laughing. “What is that?”
Jennie’s voice brought his attention to hers. “Dulce de leche, of course.”
“Isn’t that something having to do with sweet milk and caramel?” Anson asked, his eyes going around the table to see a dish sitting at each plate—two at Natalia’s.
“Good grief, Anson, and you are supposed to be the brains of the family? What else did you expect me to serve for dessert?”
“Dessert? Um… I-I well, we… um…”
Anson’s stammering had the laughter continuing, his brothers’ guffaws the loudest of all. He shot them a dirty look before looking at Natalia.