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The next time Timber looked around, they had all headed out.

This was the difference when dealing with people who knew what they were doing versus people who had to be guided. This team of Jaxon’s had figured out where they could put their skills to the best use, and they were already up and at it.

Even Toby looked over at him and said, “That would be massive.”

“I know,” Timber said, with a headshake. “The changes to the house we can do on our own,” Timber noted, as he looked around. “But a big barn like that?… It would be amazing.”

“It’s not even that you need many changes done in the main cabin,” Toby pointed out.

“A new roof, of course, but if these guys can help you update the plumbing, that’s a big part of it.

We need more electricity run through the place, but I don’t even think that’s as much of an issue as you’re thinking it is.

Not with all the skilled tradesmen you’ve got here. ”

Timber nodded. “Yeah, having all you guys to get me totally set up in weeks, instead of years, is freaking amazing. It’s all about getting the animals set up right now, before even worrying about my house,” he shared.

“I’m afraid we’ll end up with some livestock a whole lot sooner then I’d planned. ”

“You’ve got some coming?”

Timber shrugged. “Part of the deal with Andy was that I would take over some of his horses that he’s had for a long time. He’s afraid that if he leaves it up to his family, they’ll just end up at the meat market or the proverbial glue factory.”

“That’s shitty,” Toby snapped.

“Andy has some idea of what we’re doing here right now, so I don’t know when he’ll pull up with a trailer and say, Here’s your part of the deal, Timber .”

“Right. We may need to be ready just in case, but surely he’s a little more reasonable than that,” Toby said, looking over at him.

“I’m not sure about that. I had some pretty hard words for Andy the last time we spoke, and who knows what kind of a shit show he’s got on his hands over there.”

Toby nodded. “Right, with that son and grandson of his.”

“Yeah, but that son of his,” Dwight noted calmly, “is a wanted man, and nothing about him is nice and decent.”

Timber added, “I can’t really blame Andy if he’s upset over the way things are working out. It’s got to be hard, awfully hard on him to see things turning out so differently than he’d always planned.”

“Still, giving his horses to you is a good solution for him,” Toby pointed out, “and one that he’s probably okay with, if he cares for his animals.”

“I think so,” Timber agreed. “He was happy about that aspect.”

Toby asked, “So, how many head of horses are we talking about?”

“I think six in the first run. That’s one of the reasons for getting fences and cross-fences up and pastures laid out. Thankfully we already had a plan all mapped out.”

“That’s one good thing. You had a huge amount of the planning for this already done.” Toby laughed. “At least in your mind.”

“Ever since I started talking to Andy about buying this property,” Timber shared, “I started working out how to make it all fit together,” he murmured.

“And what will you do if you get the extra 120 acres from him?”

“I’ll just keep expanding,” he said. “There’ll never be a problem with having too much land, and, where water is still one of the prime directives as to whether the land is usable or not, we’ll see how much land has water on it and keep an eye on it.

So, if we find an extra watering hole, which I happen to know there is one on that 120-acre piece, that’s something that I definitely need and want. ”

“Right,” he agreed. “So, let’s just keep hoping that we get some pastures done, because otherwise where would you put that many horses right now?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know, Toby. Badger offered to go talk to Andy and see what kind of mood he is in these days.

He and Kat are worried about his health.

And you know Brian and Max are taking a toll on Andy’s well-being.

Anyway hopefully Andy will hold off for a little bit before bringing over the horses. ”

“Would he just come here with the horses unannounced?”

He winced. “I don’t know. He’s a good man, but he’s also strapped in many ways right now.

I would hope he would give me a little bit of time to get the corrals and stuff up but”—he shrugged—“it is what it is, and I’ll make it work no matter what.

That was part of the conditions of sale for the land I already bought.

It remains to be seen what will happen with the other deal, selling me more land and his grandson not going to jail, though I still feel like shit over that deal too. ”

“You would feel even shittier if this Brian kid goes off and hurts somebody.”

“I would,” he agreed, “but so would Andy.”

“Yeah, nothing like knowing your grandson is an animal abuser. We all know that grows into deeper psychoses of serial killers and psychopaths and such.”

“He says his son Max is a large part of that, but I don’t know if I actually believe it or not.”

“Meaning?”

“It’s easy to turn around and to say everything is your dad’s fault, but, in this case, it sure as hell could be.

I don’t know,” Timber muttered. “We don’t have any way to know if it’s just Brian choosing to act that way, which isn’t cool either.

Still, he’s old enough now to bear some accountability for his own choices, no matter how he got to be that way. ”

“That’s true enough,” Toby agreed.

Just then, another truck came down the road. “I don’t know what this delivery is,” Timber admitted, with a laugh, “but let’s hope it’s supplies.” And sure enough, it was groceries, sent out by Badger and Kat.

Kat called him just a few minutes later and stated, “I just got a notice saying that something was delivered.”

“Yeah, groceries,” he confirmed, “and I don’t know that I have very much space to store any of this.”

“I know,” she murmured. “This is only part of the load. And your part comes with a walk-in freezer too. I checked that you can handle it in that laundry room of yours. I had the rest of the food delivered to Tiffany’s clinic.

She’s got a big walk-in cooler, so she’s storing supplies for you as well.

She’s coming up later tonight with a truckload. ”

“Oh, good God,” Timber muttered, turning to look at Dwight, who just smiled and nodded. “I really hate to put her out like this.”

“I hardly think she believes she’s being put out ,” Kat stated, with a laugh. “And she does consider you a friend, so you might want to keep that in mind. You’ll end up insulting her if you argue too much.”

He sighed. “She is a friend,” he agreed warmly. “She’s also a hell of a vet.”

“And having a vet on your side right about now is not a bad thing.”

“No, it sure isn’t. Fine.… I’m working on this whole accepting help thing, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

“Oh, don’t worry. You’ll be getting a bill for some of these groceries,” she warned him, with a laugh.

“We had no idea what we were looking at for food,” Timber noted. “So I appreciate your help, Kat. Of course I also never dreamed we would have a crew this size either.”

“My fault. I should have considered that when we first started ordering stuff in.”

“No problem. It’s working somehow,” he noted.

“We still need the food, and we still need to feed everybody, so I appreciate Dwight’s and Toby’s help in the kitchen.

Between the two of them on cook duty, with me helping as needed, we’re handling it all so far.

Still, we’re keeping it easy and pitching in to give Dwight a hand, but all the cooking is basically falling on him. ”

“Right,” Kat muttered, “that’s something else that maybe I can find some help for.”

At that, Dwight yelled into the phone, “I’m fine.”

“Yeah, you say that,” Kat replied in exasperation, “and then you get really, really tired.”

“That’s what life is all about,” he declared, “getting really, really tired.”

She laughed. “We’ll see. Anyway, expect Tiffany later tonight, as you work your way through some of that meal planning. She’ll be calling to see what you need from her storage.”

“Will do,” Dwight confirmed. “We can also send somebody in to get a load.”

“Maybe, but every man you send her way is a man who could otherwise be working.”

When she disconnected, Dwight looked over at Timber and admitted, “She’s right. Every time we take somebody off a job to pick up groceries or something else, it’s men away from work that could have been done.”

“I know,” Timber muttered in frustration, “but I’ve seen Tiffany’s cooler, and it’s not all that big.”

“Have you seen the inside of your fridges? They’re not all that big either.”

He winced, then nodded. “But remember that Kat is sending us a walk-in freezer too.”

Dwight nodded. “Good point.”

Timber added, “I still don’t know what all is coming here with our part of the delivery.” as they all stood up and walked outside to help unload the truck.

Timber had to laugh at the delivery. He saw big cases of strudels and cases of fresh veggies and fruits, cases of milk, cases of coffee. “It’s almost like Kat’s done this a time or two.”

“I would say so. She’s handled how many guys in Badger’s corner?”

“Who knows?” Timber replied. “Yet I think she’s finding this logistical support for us to be a little bit new.”

“It is, and that’s okay,” Dwight said, as he turned to him. “Nobody here will get upset because the menu isn’t as diverse as they’d hoped it would be.”

Timber shrugged. “Agreed, but I don’t want anybody to feel as if their assistance isn’t needed, wanted, and appreciated, so the least I can do is to feed them well.”

“I don’t think anybody will have an issue with that,” Dwight stated, pointing at the kitchen. “Breakfast was a complete clean-out.”

Timber nodded. “Just four pancakes are left. Make that two,” he corrected, as he snagged them in his hand, on his way out to work. “Dwight, did you even get any breakfast?” Timber asked him, as he stared down at the two in his fingers.

Dwight laughed. “I didn’t, but I am totally fine with one or two more,” he said, snagging the last ones.

“Oh, good, because otherwise I’ll feel like crap.”

“You’re good,” Dwight replied, with a smile, “you go work. I’ll clean up.”

“Oh shit,” Timber muttered, staring at him. “There’s still the clean-up.”

“And I’ve got it,” Dwight claimed comfortably. “Besides, my shoulders are pretty sore today, so if I ease up on some of the physical labor while I’m doing kitchen duty, I won’t argue.”

Timber walked over to him. “Are you okay though? I need to know that you’re not setting yourself back through all this.”

“I’m fine,” Dwight said.

“Yeah, I know you say you’re fine, but that doesn’t always mean the same thing as you’re okay.”

“I’m fine. I’m okay. We are good.”

Timber gazed at the older man directly, then smiled. “Okay, just so you know…”

“I’m fine,” he repeated, his tone hard. “Go get some construction work done, and then I don’t have to do it.”

Timber laughed. “I hear you there,” he muttered and walked out.