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After staying with Crew outside for his patrol shift, they headed to bed, and she was supremely thankful for the blackout curtains in his room that allowed them to rest. She positively loved waking up next to him. She loved everything about her life right now, except of course, for the crazy ex-herd that was like a dark cloud over them.
Shaking the thoughts of Colton and his herd from her mind, she focused on the day ahead. She and Crew had slept through breakfast but were up in time for lunch. When she went into the walk-in pantry to find chips to go with the chicken salad sandwiches Tris had left for them, she realized they were out of them. And quite a lot of things.
“I have a thought,” she said as she sat down at the table with Crew.
“About chips?” he asked, arching a brow at her.
“Sort of. We’re out, by the way.”
“Bummer.”
“Yeah, and that was my thought. Routines have obviously gotten upset here with everything that’s going on, plus adding me into the mix has made Tris’s awesomely organized caretaking job have to use more supplies than usual.”
He hummed. “She usually would go shopping at least once a week. We kind of put the kibosh on that because of everything going on. So what’s your thought?”
“It’s clearly not safe for me to go out, or hell, probably even me and Tris together to go out and shop.” He gave her a disgruntled noise of agreement. “And it would be really selfish of me to take one of you with me because we need all hands on deck. So I’d like to do a full inventory of everything, from what we use in the house to the livestock, and have things delivered.”
He sat back in the chair and gave her a long look. “I think it’s a great idea, but you’re working your ass off, you know. Around the farm and in the house, you’ve been monitoring the security systems, and you’ve been sticking with me for the patrol shifts too.”
“I know. Everyone agreed to an all-hands-on-deck approach.”
“Yeah, baby, but all the hands don’t have to be yours.”
She smiled. “Fair enough. But let me get with Tris and we’ll order whatever supplies we need, and then I’ll do something low-key and unhelpful.”
“What would that be?”
“I don’t know. Watch TV?”
“Sure, I’ll take a break with you when you do, okay? But just don’t burn yourself out. It’s really easy to do.” He reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Our herd is small, and normally we wouldn’t have issues like this where we’re trying to keep on top of the farm life and also defending ourselves against another herd. It’s making our lack of herd members an issue.”
“I can’t wait until things get back to normal.”
“Me too, love.”
“I think,” she said, as they finished their sandwiches, “that I’m just restless and anxious. It’s making me want to keep busy.”
“I get that, I’m the same way.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “Let’s just promise to keep each other from going crazy trying to do it all.”
“Sounds good to me.”
* * *
Zara moved an empty box and placed it underneath the kitchen table as Nancy lifted a crate of canned goods and set it on top. “That’s the last of the delivery from the grocery,” Nancy said with a sharp exhale. “With so much food, we’ll be well-stocked for emergencies for a while.”
“I hope so,” Zara said. She grabbed a bag of potatoes to sort.
“If not an emergency, maybe a barbecue?” Tris asked as she walked out of the pantry with an empty box. “After restocking the spices and sauces in the pantry, I was thinking it would be a perfect time to have a barbecue.”
“It would,” Nancy said. “And since we just stocked the fridge and freezer with meat, I happened to notice several racks of ribs.”
“And that watermelon,” Tris said.
“We’re definitely overdue for some rest and relaxation, and I can’t think of anything better than a good old-fashioned cookout,” Zara said.
“Plus,” Nancy said, “it’ll give everyone something to do besides stare at fences and worry about security.”
Tris grinned. “I’ll get the ribs going. Mom, can you make your famous potato salad?”
“You bet,” Nancy said.
“I’ll make brownies,” Zara said. She smiled. “I’m excited already!”
“Dexter can grill,” Nancy said. “And the guys can set up the tables and we could get a firepit going.”
“I’ll text the group chat,” Zara said.
Cookout tonight, 6 pm. Ribs, potato salad, and brownies from the girls, and we need you guys to handle setting up the tables and a firepit if Dexter can man the grill. I’m making an alpha female rule for the night: no one worries about any herd but ours and we trust that the security system will alert us if anything is wrong. Be in the moment, people!
She watched her phone to see what the response would be, smiling when everyone had responded within minutes that they were excited for the cookout and promised to be in the moment and not worry about anything but having a good time.
Zara smiled as she put her phone away and grabbed the ingredients to make the brownies. Despite the crap that had been happening with the other herd, everyone was willing to come together for something so ordinary like a cookout and she found a lot of comfort in that.
* * *
As the smell of sizzling meat and sweet barbecue sauce wafted through the air as Dexter manned the grill, Zara set a platter of cut watermelon on one of the two picnic tables that were pushed together and looked for her sexy mate.
She saw him filling the firepit with wood while Khyle moved chairs around it. Avi had connected his phone to a Bluetooth speaker and music drifted over the yard while everyone milled around.
Nancy walked out of the house with her big bowl of potato salad and set it on the table. “It smells great and looks wonderful; I love the string lights.”
The guys had strung up lights around the backyard, and Zara knew when the sun set that the lights would make the yard look magical.
“I think so too,” she said.
As the last of the food came off the grill onto big trays, Dexter said, “I’m not saying this is the best cookout the herd’s ever had, but I’m pretty sure it’s damn close to the top.”
“I think you say that every time you cook outside,” Nancy said.
Dexter grinned and carried one of the trays to the table with Nancy getting the other one. Everyone gathered around the table and piled their plates high with food. Zara sat between Tris and Crew and couldn’t help but notice how everyone seemed so happy and relaxed.
“These ribs smell so good I might just cry, Dad,” Tris said to Dexter.
“You and me both,” Khyle said.
Nancy raised her glass of lemonade. “I know I’ve never given a toast before, but it seems like a good time to do one.”
Everyone lifted their glasses.
“To many more nights just like this.”
“Hear, hear,” Crew said, raising his own glass.
The others joined in, and for a moment, Zara felt like all the troubles they’d had were gone even if it was just for a little while, replaced with laughter, good food, and family. Because they might not all be related, but they were all family for sure.
* * *
With everything cleaned up and everyone heading to their respective beds, Zara and Crew lingered outside, seated next to each other in front of the firepit.
“Tonight was great,” she said, leaning on Crew’s shoulder.
“It was,” he said. “We needed it, all of us. Thanks for helping to put everything together.”
“Thanks for being on board with it.”
He looked thoughtful. “Nights like tonight remind me why we fight so hard to protect what we have. It’s worth fighting for because it’s so special.”
“I agree, I just wish we didn’t have to fight for it.”
“If tonight showed us anything, it’s that we can let the security system do its job without us mother-henning it to death and we can find times of peace and relaxation. We’ll figure it out, no matter what comes next.”
For now, at least, things felt peaceful. She really wanted to hold onto that feeling for as long as she possibly could.
“I forgot how nice it is to just sit and relax.”
“Me too. I’ve been a little obsessed with everything lately. I needed a chance to see the other side of things.”
“I did as well,” she said. “It was nice to be in the moment and enjoy the herd. I never had this before. I don’t think anyone had fun in my old herd, you know? It was always focused on work. I get so much joy here working with everyone. I get up in the morning and can’t wait to get my hands in the dirt and tend to the garden or help with the animals. And I honestly enjoy the security stuff even if it’s a little terrifying worrying that someone might try to harm one of us. But all of it—the herd, the farm, you—I love it. I love everything about this place, but I love you most of all.”
He pulled her close and kissed her. “I love you most of all too, Zara, sweet soulmate and treasure of my life. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”
They settled back in their chairs, arms around each other, and watched the fire, talking late into the night about what the future would hold for them. Someday they wouldn’t have to worry about anyone trying to take over the herd, and for now, she was going to focus on not worrying about it for the rest of the night. Worries could come tomorrow, but tonight belonged to her and Crew.