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Chapter Ten

LACIE

Joining the crowd that has gathered in front of the pavilion, DaR is standing on one of the crates near the front, and it takes me a moment to make my way closer so that I can hear him.

Consider the location and future you envision while enjoying your last meal of the rising.

Some dwellings can be easily expanded, while others cannot.

If you are planning on having a large family, we need to know this in advance.

MeK is directly overseeing your dwellings, so expect those questions from him to arrive on your holo pads in the next few risings.

That is enough for now. Please head on in, and do not forget to thank the two lovely females who prepared this feast for your consumption. ”

The line seems to go on forever, and the closer I get to the main table, the more I understand why.

Everyone seems to be stopping either to talk to Carla or Kira , and both are all smiles.

Ricky is in front of me, and this is the first time I’ve seen him since we landed here. “ Hi , where’ve you been hiding?”

“ Patrolling and learning the layout of the land mostly. This moon is as fascinating as it is deadly. I’ve seen more than a few things I don’t understand, that’s for sure.

The Commander has assigned me, Owen , and Eric in securing the perimeter fence line.

We’ve divided the area so that it’s all monitored throughout the day, but when we leave, the sensors go off like crazy.

Unfortunately , we don’t have video feedback yet to see what is causing the disturbances, which only occurs at night. What do they have you doing?”

“ I was in the kitchen at first, but I wasn’t much help, so they transferred me out with James , and so far, I’m enjoying that way more than I thought I would.”

I nod for him to proceed as the line moves on.

Kira hands him a plate, and I notice it has just a little bit extra on it.

“ Thank you, Ms . Kira ,” he says, pausing when she smiles at him.

“ I feel like I’m experiencing a sense of déjà vu or something every time you smile.

I swear I’ve seen you before, even though I know I haven’t. ”

Her smile falters for a moment, and I watch as she turns, blinking away the sudden tears in her eyes. “ Maybe I just have one of those faces.” I can tell she’s forcing those words out.

Ricky shakes his head, a rare smile gracing his face as he laughs.

“ That’s definitely not the case, as the only other woman I’ve ever known with all that beautiful hair was my great-grandmother, several times removed.

As a kid, probably around four or five, I loved watching old home movies, and the first time I saw her on screen, I told my dad I was going to grow up one day and marry her.

I was instantly in love. He told me if I ever found a woman like that, good luck because they were rare.

I recalled his words of wisdom when I was lucky enough to find and marry my Ginger .

Anyway , I didn’t mean to dump that unneeded information on you, and I’m sorry, Lacie , for holding up the line, but thanks for the extra taters, Ms . Kira .”

When she watches him walk away, I feel as if I’ve intruded on something deeper than I can comprehend, especially as she gazes longingly at him as he strolls off. “ Hey Kira , you okay?”

My voice draws her attention back to me, and instantly she plasters a fake smile on her face as I see her forcefully battling her emotions.

“ Hi , Lacie dear. How was your first day in the fields?” I let her change the subject because the pain in her eyes is evident.

There’s a story I’d love to know more about.

“ It was good. Shockingly , I enjoyed it tremendously, even though my knees are a bit sore from crawling around on the ground.”

“ That’s wonderful, Lace . I was worried when DaR first told me about poor Dawn .

Neither of us knew what to do, so if you hadn’t taken the position, DaR was going to keep asking around.

I felt so sorry for her today and I swear that child is allergic to herself.

She sneezed so much that I sent her back up to ANDI .

All this nature seems to be tearing her apart from the inside out.

Ohhh , before I forget to tell you, I talked DaR into having a small celebration of sorts once everyone decides on a name for this new world, and we’re going to have it on the beach.

So , when you get back, you need to see about getting a bathing suit ordered for you and Briar .

Alana has been updating the clothing replicator on ANDI , so you should have a few options. ”

“ That sounds awesome, Kira ! But I hate that you had to take one for the team. I’m sure the Commander was hard to convince.” I wink at her suggestively.

“ Stop it, you ornery thing. Get going before your food gets cold, and I saw Briar sit down toward the back if you’re looking for her.”

Walking around with my plate, it doesn’t take long to spot Briar sitting near the large pink guy who is much too close to her, grinning widely.

I plop down in front of her and motion to the big guy beside her when he looks away for a moment.

A blush instantly colors her cheeks, and she shrugs her shoulders.

I have to bite the inside of my lip to keep from laughing.

The fact that she’s smitten is written all over her face.

“ Did you guys have a busy day, Briar ?”

“ We did. We played the game, ‘guess what’s in the box,’ for the majority of it, but I think we’re just about on the winning team.”

I watch MeK look around before sitting down at the table across from us …

alone, and it only takes me a second to decide to pick up my plate and head his way.

Briar watches me, curious about where I’m going, especially in the middle of our conversation.

MeK glances up at me when I sit down across from him, then returns to the food on his plate.

I didn’t think this all the way through when I decided to join him when no one else did, and now I have no idea what to say.

“ How’s the house building going?”

“ Slower than I would prefer.”

Ok , I can tell getting a whole conversation out of him is going to be like pulling teeth. “ Are you enjoying the food?”

“ It is acceptable.”

Pushing my half-eaten plate away, I lean forward, suddenly weary from the day and my lack of sleep. When I look up, he’s staring at me.

“ Why are you not consuming more sustenance?”

“ Oh , it’s good and all, I just seem to have become suddenly over tired.”

Before I can blink, MeK is on my side of the table, pulling me into his massive arms and heading toward the back of the tent where the medical center is located.

“ What in the hell are you doing, MeK ? Put me down.”

“ You are unwell and need to be seen by a physician immediately.”

“ MeK , stop. You’re causing a scene. There’s nothing wrong with me, I’m just tired. I haven’t been sleeping well, that’s all.”

“ That is a reasonable reason to seek out professional help, especially now that you have taken on such a physical job.”

God , I feel like crawling under a rock as every head in the room is looking straight at us.

Within a few steps, I realize there’s no escaping his massive arms, so I relax and decide to ride this out.

When my head bumps against his shoulder, I have to stop myself from sniffing him since he smells like the woods, and his arms feel like rods of hot steel surrounding me.

When my mind finally catches up with who’s holding me, I glance up at his solemn face and wonder what is going on beneath that tough exterior he portrays for everyone else to see.

For a person … alien who portrays such structure and obedience, why do I suddenly feel all of that is an act?

Why dedicate your life to rebuilding and advancing the worlds around you if all you want to do is remain separate from them all?

He’s a puzzle I fear I’ll never gather all the pieces to.

Vedece must have heard his heavy footsteps approaching because she steps out from behind one of the sheets she has hung up, and I can see the questions written all over her face when she sees me pressed tightly against him.

Before she can say anything, MeK pushes past her, leans over one of the makeshift medical beds, and gently lays me down.

“ Mistress Lacie cannot rest and is not eating as much as she will need to maintain her perfect form with the new physical conditions that have been placed upon her.” Then he turns and simply walks away, leaving both of us staring after him.

Laying my head back, I bang it off the soft pillow several times, only to hear Vedece laugh as she looks down at me.

“ Are you sick, Lacie ?”

“ No , I’m tired and frustrated. But there’s nothing wrong besides that overbearing jerk who thinks he always knows what’s best for me.”

“ Wonder why he acts this way toward you and not any of the others?”

“ Hell if I know, but if you figure it out, I’m all ears. One minute, he acts like he can’t stand me, and the next, he pulls stunts like this. And this isn’t the first time either.”

Vedece makes quote signs with her hands, “ Maybe it’s your perfect form that has him all out of sorts.

” Both of us laugh as she takes my hand in hers, helping me up off the bed.

“ Do you want to hang out for a little bit in case he’s waiting around the corner to ask you what I did to cure all your illnesses? ”

“ No , I’m sure he’s long gone, and I think I’ll just head straight for the dropship. All I want to do right now is to get clean and take a nice long nap. Hopefully , I’ll sleep straight through until tomorrow morning when my annoying alarm clock wakes me up.”

“ You have an alarm clock?”

“ Yeah , her name is Briar .”