by Aden Lowe
My brothers stared across the table at me in awe. "Is she pretty?" Of course Sam would go there.
I wouldn't tolerate them ogling Ande. "No, she looks like Shep's sister." I went back to wolfing down my frozen pizza and refused to say any more on the matter. The instant Ande got a good look at Sam, we were all screwed. He was the handsome one of us, the smooth talker. And he would fall head over heels for her.
I hurried outside to catch up with the work I missed this morning. The organic beef business ran on sweat and sore muscles. I hooked up the front loader to the small tractor and set to clearing the manure from the feed pens. It would all go back into the pastures eventually. By the time I finished, it was nearly dark.
Shit, I needed to go help Ande start moving. I hurried to get a quick shower, doubting she would appreciate me coming to help her smelling like a manure pile. Kyle's directions led me to a little cabin on the outskirts of town. No wonder she needed a place. The place was barely big enough for one person, let alone a woman with kids.
I knocked and the little boy met me at the door with a scowl. "Hey, partner."
"Momma! He say a BAD word!" He popped his fingers into his mouth and ran.
"Ian! You know better than that. Come back here and say sorry." Ande came to the door wearing cut off jeans that immediately drew my attention to her legs. "I'm sorry. He's been a handful."
"Don't worry about it." I chuckled. "Things changed a lot for him. Can't blame him for being out of sorts." I couldn't imagine anyone, even an adult, dealing well with what the poor kid had gone through.
She smiled. "I guess not. Come on in." She stepped back and I wondered if the tiny living room would hold me.
Careful, I went inside. The place was scrupulously clean, even taking her meager belongings into account. "You ready to get started moving?"
She nodded. "There's not much. The place was furnished, so it's just our clothes and the few things I've picked up for the baby. And Ian has a few toys. We'll just have to make do at your place until I can find some furniture." Her nervous glance around seemed to say she worried I would judge her.
"Don't worry. The house is full of furniture. There'll be a lot you won't want, so we'll move that to the attic. Pretty sure there's still some stuff up there from when my brothers and me were little, too. You might be able to use some of it." I figured Gramma would love the idea of her old things being put to use again.
Her eyes misted over. "I can't believe everyone here has been so kind. I was terrified when I ran. Not many people want to help a single mother who has to be careful not to be found. They think it's shady. The other places I've tried…" She trailed off and a shudder passed through her small frame.
"Well, that's part of what's wrong with the world. People refuse to help those in need." I glanced around again and spotted a pair of ratty suitcases by the old sofa. "Okay to start with those?" I nodded.
"Oh, uh, yeah." She bustled around, folding a few blankets I presumed went with the baby. "Ian, put your toys in your backpack. Remember I told you we're going to a new house."
The little dude's solemn nod drew my attention. Silent as a ghost, he gathered up a few little cars and a beat up coloring book and slid them into a little plastic backpack, then went to wait silently by his Momma. Shit. Poor kid. He'd seen and lost too damn much in his short life.
It took less than half an hour to pack all their belongings in the bed of my truck and get the kids strapped in. By some miracle, Ande already had the seats they needed, and knew how to work them. I was pretty sure I'd have strapped them to the hood and let it go at that. Ande went back inside for one last look around to make sure she hadn't missed anything, then locked the door and slid her key under it. I was pretty sure that was a tear she swiped off her cheek as she turned to the truck.
She climbed in and turned to check on the kids right away, seeming almost surprised to find them still in one piece. "Again, Jake, I can't thank you enough for this opportunity. I swear, I'll do my absolute best to do everything your family needs me to."
The truck pulled smoothly away from the curb. "No thanks needed. You're doing us the favor. I promise we're getting the better end of the deal as long as you can cook more than cold cereal and frozen dinners."
She laughed. "Well, I hope I can do better than that. Speaking of which, what kind of supplies do you have on hand? I figured I might come into town after breakfast tomorrow, but I'll need to come up with something for you all first."
"Well, I know there're eggs. I brought them in this afternoon. We end up giving most of them away. The hens lay more than we can figure out how to cook. Gramma pretty well used them all, though. There's meat in the freezer, but I'm not sure what, since none of us were brave enough to try to cook it." I paused, thinking. "Canisters. They're still full, I think. Toast and eggs will be plenty for tomorrow morning, though."
She nodded. "Okay. I'll see what else is there and what I can come up with. You have your own chickens?"
"Bastards are a pain in my ass, is what they are. They were Gramma's, too. Somehow I got stuck with taking care of them. The rooster hates me." I held out my arm to show her the white scar on my forearm. "Last month, he got me with a spur. He never acted like that with Gramma though."
"Maybe that's something I can do for you?" She sounded hesitant. "I've never been around chickens, so you'll have to show me."
I grinned. "I'll be glad to hand that job over." The rest of the ride passed in similar small talk until the baby shrieked so loud I nearly hit the ditch trying to figure out what was wrong.
Ande leaned around and quickly did something for her.
"She okay?" I fought the urge to look over my shoulder and reassure myself.
"She's fine. She just dropped her pacifier. I’m sorry she startled you." She seemed nervous, apologizing for something so small like I would fire her before she even started.
I breathed a big sigh of relief. "I thought a horse fly got her or something." I laughed at myself. "It'll take some getting used to, having little ones around."
"I hope it's not a problem." Her voice tightened with worry. "They're good kids most of the time. I promise, they won't get in the way."
I shook my head. "Don't worry about anything other than letting them be kids. We'll get used to them." I gave myself a mental reminder to have a serious conversation with my Dad and brothers about those kids. I wouldn't have them scaring Ande off by being assholes about her kids.
Chapter Four
Ande
I looked around at the little house, utterly amazed. I hadn't seen it earlier and just took Jake's and Kyle's word that it would be sufficient. The furnishings weren't new, but they were all good quality and clean, thanks to the drop cloths someone had been thoughtful enough to spread over everything. The hardwood floors would make a perfect surface Janna to crawl on. The largest bedroom held a comfortable full bed and an antique dresser. The other two bedrooms held twin sized beds made up with cute quilts. They were ideal kids' rooms. I just needed to set up the baby's play-pen for her to use as a bed until she grew into a regular bed.
Jake and his brothers had helped carry our belongings inside, all seemingly anxious to help us get settled. Ian immediately attached himself to Sam, the youngest, and followed every step the poor man took. Sam took it in good stride though, and gave Ian little things to carry so he felt helpful too. Their father, Mr. Quick, was the only one I had yet to meet, and worry swirled in my tummy every time I thought about it. If I didn't meet his standards, it wouldn't matter what his sons thought. I'd be out on my ass, along with my kids. I guessed I'd better make sure that didn't happen.
The play-pen only took a couple of minutes to get situated and I put the baby to bed. It was late for her and she was fussy and wanting sleep, so it only took her a few minutes to pass out cold. Ian was another story. His eyes sparkled with excitement as he explored his new home and tried to poke into every nook and cranny.
"Honey, you can't dig into every corner yet. I ha
ve to make sure it's safe for you." I tried to occupy him in the living room with his cars, but he couldn't sit still. A slight sound from the kitchen door drew both our attention, and we held hands as we warily approached the door, then opened it.
A ball of silver fur strutted through the door and peered up at us with a haughty green gaze.
"Kitty!" My son's delight made me smile.
"Careful. She might not like to be petted." The cat, however, had other ideas. She wrapped herself around Ian's short legs and purred loudly. I bent down to give her a pet. "You're a beautiful thing, aren't you?" She meowed at me, as if to say 'Of course!'
Thanks to our visitor, I managed to get Ian's bed ready for him and when I caught him yawning as he played with his new friend, I pointed him toward the bathroom and his toothbrush. "I'm sure you'll see the kitty again tomorrow. She has to go to bed now, though, and so do little boys." He only protested mildly when I put the cat outside and tucked him in. His eyes closed and his lips parted with little snores before I finished reading his favorite bedtime story.
My muscles ached with fatigue and I had to start early in the morning. A hot bath sounded like a perfect way to celebrate my new home, but I settled for a shower in the interest of time. I would need all the rest I could get, because I was pretty sure tomorrow would be another very long day.
I woke at the first beep of my alarm and hurried to get dressed. The sun barely peeked above the horizon, and I debated how to handle the start of my first day at my new job. I felt sure the kids would sleep another couple of hours, so in the end, I left the baby monitor on and took the receiver with me into the main house. I preferred not to wake them before their usual time, since that would lead to a cranky day for us all.
The kitchen still lay in darkness, so I switched on the lights and searched the fridge and cabinets to see what I had to work with. Eventually, I settled on thick fluffy omelets with ham and cheese, and fresh biscuits with cooked apples. The plates landed on the big table just as the stomp of boots crossed the porch. I hurried to pour coffee and held my breath, awaiting judgement.
An older version of Jake and his brothers came in first. "You must be Ande. I'm Johnathan." He dropped his cap on the hat rack and sat. "This sure looks a hell of a lot better than what the boys come up with."
The others came in and said good morning and quickly joined their father. The food disappeared at an alarming rate. I started to wonder if I'd made enough.
Finally, Johnathan shoved back from the table. "Jake, you help with washing up then get to those cows in the back pasture. Vet will be here in the morning to check for pregnancies." He stood and pulled his hat back on. "Thanks for breakfast, Ande." And just like that, he was gone.
I stood there with my mouth open, not sure if I'd met expectations or not. I glanced at Jake to find him grinning.
"He ate everything. He likes you." Sam grinned.
"I'm not so sure he wasn't just starved." I replayed it all, searching for any clues I might have missed.
Jake shook his head. "Yeah, he was starved, but if he didn't like it, he wouldn't have eaten it. He also wouldn't have told me to help with cleaning up if he didn't like you."
"Huh." I poured them all more coffee as I considered that information. "I guess he'd have told me to leave if wasn't willing to give me more of a chance."
"Exactly." Nate seemed quieter than his brothers. "Dad doesn't talk much. You have to go as much by what he doesn't say as what he does say." He elbowed Sam and picked up his dishes and cleared his space. "Come on, Sam. That hay won't cut itself." Sam gave a longsuffering sigh and followed him out.
I eyed Jake nervously. "You can go on to your work. I don't mind doing the dishes myself."
"How about I clean up while you make a list of what you need from the store? That'll save you a few minutes." He started the water in the sink.
Somehow, the sight of this big rugged man doing the dishes just to save me some time struck me as incredibly sweet. "Thank you. I appreciate the help." I grabbed a pen and paper I'd spotted earlier and started taking inventory and planning meals for the next week.
"Go to Wilson's Grocery. We have an account there. Just tell them to put it on the Quick account, and get whatever you need. Get stuff the kids like too, you know, snacks and stuff." For such a big man, he worked efficiently, making short work of the breakfast dishes. "Keys to my truck are in the ignition and the tank is more than half full." He stopped to scribble a number at the top of my list. "That's my cell. Call if you need anything or have any questions. Take your time. We'll make do with sandwiches for lunch so you don't have to rush. See you at dinner time."
"Thank you again. Have a good day." I hurried to finish my list and refused to let thoughts of Jake sidetrack me. The baby whined, starting to wake, just as I finished. Happy to have a full day ahead, I went back to the little house to get the kids ready for our trip to town.
Chapter Five
Jake
The four-wheeler broke down halfway out to the back pasture. Last damn thing I needed. Lucky for me, the horse pasture was nearby, so I whistled up one of the mares and rode back to the barn for the tools I needed. I grinned to myself, satisfied with the knowledge either of my brothers would have had to walk back. I trained the horses, and they wouldn't allow anyone else to ride without at least a bridle.
I rode back into the barn yard in time to see Ande hustling her kids toward the truck. She'd changed and done something with her hair that left it falling down her back like a waterfall. I barely noticed when the mare came to a stop and just stared.
"Horsey!" The shrill squeal caused the mare to jerk her head up and Ian came barreling at us full tilt with Ande chasing behind.
I hopped down and quieted the mare as he ran up. "Hey, man." I dropped to my haunches so he could see my face. "You gotta go a little slower around the horses. They're bigger, but they get scared real easy. This old girl thought you were gonna eat her at first."
He giggled. "Silly horsey! I won't eat you!" The mare huffed, not willing to take his word for it.
"You wanna pet her?" He gave an eager nod and I swung him into my arm. Then I spotted Ande's terrified expression. Too late, I realized I should have asked her permission. "Ask your Momma, make sure it's okay."
"Momma, pwease?" I nodded at her over his head, and she finally relaxed a little.
"Okay, but be very careful. She's really big."
I turned back and took his little hand in mine and showed him how to stroke along her neck. His expression turned serious as he took in the sensations. "When your Momma's okay with it, I'll take you for a ride. We gotta give Momma time to get used to the idea. I think she's scared of ol' Annabelle here." He giggled and nodded. I set him down. "You go with Momma now, and be good for her, okay?" He gave a vigorous nod and grabbed Ande's free hand.
She shook her head at me. "I think I just had a heart attack."
I laughed. "He'll be fine, and he won't run at the horses like that again. He's a smart kid." I patted my mare's neck. "Have fun in town." I headed for the shed as she loaded the kids into the truck.
The whole ride back out to the four-wheeler, my mind stayed with Ande and the way her chest rose and fell with her alarm over Ian and the horse. She was a tiny little thing, but she had curves for miles, and her clothes didn't do them justice. I scolded myself for imagining how her breasts would fit into my hands. That wasn't why she was here.
I managed to get the four-wheeler going again with only one scraped knuckle, and set about making up for lost time. I got the cattle moved and made it back to the house just as my dad and brothers were sitting down for lunch. I made myself a sandwich and joined them.
Dad gave me a look. "I think you might have done okay with hiring that girl. She can cook eggs and biscuits, at least."
"And apples. Don't forget the apples!" Sam threw in.
Dad nodded. "Her kids going to be a problem you think?"
My hackles rose a little. "No. It'll take us a bit to get used
to having them around, is all." I examined that for a moment. Why did I already feel so damn attached to Ande and her kids? I barely knew them.
"I can't believe you said she looked like Shep's sister." Sam interrupted my thoughts. "You're blind, brother."
I chuckled. "No, I'm definitely not blind. I had to say something to keep you from breaking your fool neck to get a look at her."
Dad nodded agreement. "You boys remember, that girl is not here to warm your beds. She's here to work. I won't tolerate any of you disrespecting her like that. Keep your distance."
My temper rose a little more at the thought of my brothers thinking about her the same way I did. "I won't tolerate it either. She deserves better." I glared a harsh warning at my brothers.
Sam elbowed Nate. "I think Jake just staked his claim."
I grunted, but Dad scowled. "Nobody's staking a claim. She's off limits. I'll fire her before I let any of you get distracted from your work by her." With the decree laid down, he stood and stomped back out.
Shit. That hadn't occurred to me. I had to keep my focus and not let Ande occupy my thoughts too much. Still, I could hardly ignore her either. That would be rude and just as disrespectful.
My brothers exchanged a look. "I think he expected you to find an older woman for the job." Sam's quiet voice expressed all our concern.
I nodded. "Well, I didn't. She's perfect for the job. Don't you two go getting out of hand and getting her fired." I followed Dad out and left my brothers to stew about that.
Chapter Six
Ande
The drive to town seemed to take hours, but it wasn't really all that long. The narrow road and huge truck necessitated driving more slowly than I normally would have. It also gave me too much time to think.
My heart had leaped out of my chest when Ian broke away and ran toward that horse. Jake had handled him with patience and humor, though, instead of lashing out in anger the way Chris would have. It shocked me. Men simply didn't treat kids that way as a rule. I resolved to keep Ian away from the Quicks and out from under their feet. I couldn't afford to anger any of them.