It was the next weekend that Mike and Nancy came out to eat at the house when Matt met Dani for the first time. At nine years old, Jake knew Matt was in love with his sister. Dani was out in the driveway playing in the dirt. To Mary’s horror, Dani was playing in the dirt with Barbie dolls. Matt didn’t know girls played in the dirt because he was discouraged from doing that.

  Jake was very happy Momma Nancy had loosened up and there was only one person who could take the credit, his mom.

  When Nancy saw her kids covered in mud and dirt, she promptly grabbed a washcloth. What Jake found weird even now, Momma Nancy had extra clothes for Matt, Mary, and David like they were still babies. It took time, but by the time Mike and Nancy moved out to the house, Momma Nancy had stopped that.

  But from that first day, Matt had been infatuated with Dani. A girl who played in the dirt and could climb a tree better than he could.

  It wasn’t until they had been living at the house and Mary was twelve when Jake realized he really liked Mary. Unlike anyone in the house, Mary was a tender soul. She could endear anyone without trying. Hanging around Dani, Mary developed her Tomboy side but even now, Mary was a princess first. Granted, a princess who could kick your ass, but still had the tender soul. The only person who could really piss Mary off was Jake, and he hated to admit that, but at times Mary was a bit overbearing. His dad had told him all women were like that over their man.

  Jake had had girlfriends and they’d never liked Mary. It was true the kids had never looked at each other like brothers and sisters. They’d looked at each other like buddies. Jake never understood why then, but now he did. Those girls had seen what he hadn’t, Mary liked him just as he liked her, but Jake had never thought the Princess Tomboy was interested in him.

  Despite being a princess type, Mary latched onto Dani and Dani latched on to her, instantly best friends. Like Jake, Matt never thought Dani saw him more than a buddy because she was a Tomboy Princess. Unable to help it, Jake laughed at the memories as he watched Matt texting.

  Jake and Matt both knew they were smart but young, so they didn’t know everything. That’s why they loved Natasha, she was teaching the areas they needed and was good at it. Even Natasha had no problem saying Stephanie was the smartest person she had ever met. Jake and Matt liked learning from Stephanie but when she got rolling, Stephanie would leave them far behind as she taught.

  Stephanie was good at teaching if she didn’t get too excited, there was plenty of proof besides Buffy. Emily, Sherry, Cade, and PJ were so far past kids their age it was remarkable, and it was all because of Stephanie. She took the momma role very seriously and Jake was glad he wasn’t a kid anymore. But there was a safety measure there and it was Angela. Yes, she helped teach, but she also kept Stephanie reined in.

  For a brief instant, Jake imagined his mom still here and his heart started aching. At first, he’d thought his mom was insane and going through a crisis, but it didn’t take long to realize, Momma knew what she was doing. If Momma was still there, Jake knew it would be near perfect but Dad, he was certain, would be insane. Momma could control Dad, but with Angela and Stephanie, Dad was always outvoted and never gotten away with anything.

  “I miss you, Momma,” Jake sighed then leaned over his desk, opening the first report he had to go over. A feeling of serenity came over Jake that put him at ease, filling his face with a grin as he worked.

  ***

  Sore as hell, Bruce hobbled to his shop. “You need help, boss?” Carl asked.

  “Go kill Korey and his wife,” Bruce groaned, feeling like someone beat the fuck out of him. He knew in a few days he was going to feel great but right now, he wanted violence upon Korey and his wife.

  Watching Bruce hobble, Bonnie made a mental note to never get a deep tissue massage. Not running, she quickly moved past Bruce to scan her badge and open the door to the shop. She wanted to help but didn’t even know what to offer and fought the urge to help Bruce.

  Bent over holding his back as he hobbled into the shop, “Getting old sucks ass!” Bruce screamed.

  Walking in and closing the door, Carl was understanding why Mike and Nancy were in Fort Hood meeting with Daryl and Eric all of a sudden. Reaching his desk, Bruce started grimacing as he sat down slowly. “Oh, I better feel so great in a few days just walking around, I should have orgasms.” Knowing that wasn’t going to happen, Carl wondered if he and Ted didn’t need to take a few days off.

  Wondering if he should fix Bruce a drink, Carl turned as the door opened and Stephanie came in. He didn’t know what had made her and Angela faint the day they’d gotten back but since then, Stephanie had been very depressed. It was very uncharacteristic of her and had many feeling apprehension. She and Angela set the mood Bruce and many in the family displayed, and nobody wanted to see Bruce or others in the family depressed.

  “Hey, Little Red,” Bruce called out and Stephanie didn’t respond as she headed for him. Even her posture drooped as Stephanie dragged her feet. Before Bruce turned to tell Ted, Carl, and Bonnie to leave, they were already heading for the door. They were out the door before Stephanie stopped beside Bruce’s chair. “What is wrong?”

  “Angela told me I had to come talk to you,” Stephanie droned.

  “Okay, but what has you so down?” Bruce asked and instantly Stephanie’s eyes got watery and her bottom lip started trembling. Ignoring the soreness of his body, Bruce reached out to pull Stephanie to his lap and cradled her into his chest. “Tell me so I can do whatever I have to and fix it.”

  “Debbie talked to us and I fainted like a bitch!” Stephanie wailed out, burying her face into Bruce’s chest.

  For some reason that didn’t shock Bruce, not that Stephanie fainted but Debbie had talked to them. “Stephanie, it’s okay,” Bruce told her.

  “She was my wife and best friend! Somehow, she talked to me and I fainted like a bitch!”

  Reaching over and lifting Stephanie’s chin up to look at her, “She’s talked to me. The first time in the underground storage. I nearly fainted, but I did collapse to the ground.”

  “Bruce,” Stephanie said, sitting up and pointing at her ears. “I heard her with my auditory nerves. Debbie’s voice wasn’t in my mind.”

  “Yeah, same here,” Bruce scoffed, but Stephanie didn’t act shocked. “Debbie spoke to me the first day we got back also. She told me we did good designing the assault vehicle. It wasn’t in my mind.”

  “You didn’t faint,” Stephanie sniffled.

  “Stephanie, you’re trying to rationalize it. Take it on faith. Just look at what we are facing now,” Bruce told her, and that really confused her. “Man was trying to design a virus that would alter some to live forever. A group thought they understood enough after reading what others had done, and look where that got us.” Bruce explained. “I hate to tell you, but mankind doesn’t know shit about the world and the universe. I think it would take humans millions of years to discover and understand even the basic fundamentals of the universe. I knew there was something more when I was in the Army. But after I became a nurse, I knew whatever was next, it was so far beyond our understanding I could only take it on faith.”

  “Debbie has to think I’m horrible,” she mumbled.

  “Hey,” Bruce said and slowly she looked at him. “I know for a fact, that’s bullshit.”

  Dragging her arm across her nose, “She chose me with Angela to join her family and I fainted,” Stephanie whimpered.

  Gently grabbing Stephanie’s chin and holding it so she was looking in his eyes, “Stephanie, I killed her and went insane. Debbie doesn’t hold that against me. To be honest, I think Debbie feels bad because you fainted, so you need to stop. You know she can now, so just be prepared if she does again.”

  “What if she doesn’t?”

  Letting her chin go and using his thumb to wipe tears off her face, “Then be thankful that by some miracle she was able to speak to you.”

  Feeling better at least, “Sometimes I can feel her close and I swear, I hear her in my mind, but this was so different.”

  “I understand completely,” Bruce agreed, pulling her to his chest and hugging her tight. “She’s doing what she can to watch over us and that gives me comfort.”

  Snuggling into Bruce’s chest, “I just don’t want to disappoint her,” she admitted.

  “That would be damn near impossible,” Bruce laughed, which shocked Stephanie. “We make mistakes, it’s called being human. Don’t do something you know is wrong because that isn’t a mistake. If anyone disappoints her, it would be me,” he said and Stephanie scoffed. “I mean, I don’t do the cards like you do. When I read to the kids, I don’t change voices for each character like Angela does.”

  Finally understanding what Bruce was trying to get through to her, Stephanie gave a relieved sigh as the weight she had placed on herself vanished. “I think Debbie finds that funny. But, you could never disappoint her. Irritate her, yeah, but not disappoint.

  “I’m sorry I fainted,” she said, casting her eyes down.

  “Stephanie,” Bruce scoffed. “I yanked my fucking gun out the first time Debbie talked to me. I know the voice, but it was inside that underground storage section and that should’ve been impossible. Fainting ain’t shit.”

  Hearing that, Stephanie really didn’t feel bad anymore. Debbie was Bruce’s everything and if he had reacted like that, then she could forgive herself. Wiping her face off, “What did the doctor say?”

  “I think I’m going to kill Korey and his wife,” Bruce replied flatly.

  Rolling her eyes to look at the ceiling, “I knew one of us should’ve gone with you,” Stephanie moaned.

  “I like them, but Korey adjusted me and then his wife gave me a deep tissue massage. I feel like someone beat me with a bat.”

  Jumping out of Bruce’s lap, “I’m sorry,” Stephanie gasped only to have Bruce yank her back down to his lap.

  “The day my wives or kids can’t sit in my lap, someone better throw dirt in my face,” Bruce told her, pulling her tight.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The next morning after leaving the gym, Bruce hobbled toward his shop. “Oh, I hate Korey and his demented wife,” Bruce winced. As he knew it would, the next day his body felt worse. Giving up on working out, Bruce just sat in the hot tub for an hour. In truth, he probably would still be there but Ted, Carl, and Bonnie had to keep waking him up.

  Before reaching his shop, Bruce glanced over at the cedar fence around the garden and saw Javier, the gardener Paul had recommended to tend the garden Bruce was building. If it had been anyone else, Bruce would’ve politely but firmly said no. But not Paul. Paul had earned a level of respect few would ever reach in Bruce’s mind. If Paul recommended Javier, Bruce would accept him, and did right after Christmas. Paul had told Bruce before the Fall, in his career Javier had been a supervisor over two of the largest botanical gardens in the states before starting his own business. Bruce had never even heard of the degrees Javier had, but looked them up just to confirm there really was doctorate study in those fields.

  When Javier had introduced himself, Bruce thought someone was pranking his ass. He had pulled information on Javier and there was a photo when Javier joined them from the government complex in Colorado. Like the other detainees Javier looked like shit, so Bruce was in for a bit of a shock when they met. There was no doubt Javier wasn’t Hispanic but looking at Javier, Bruce saw a banker or stockbroker. Javier was physically fit, had striking facial features, piercing gray eyes, and a head full of thick perfect black hair. Javier worked out twice every day. Had been through all three training courses and had been assigned as a greenhouse supervisor.

  Well, Paul laid claim to Javier a month after Javier took over a greenhouse. Knowing what was coming for the City of Hope, Paul had Javier set up a grass farm along the banks of the Red River. Some of the best farmland in Louisiana, some ten thousand acres, were now growing lawn grass to put on the inside berm of the City of Hope’s wall.

  Not able to picture Javier even remotely in his mind’s eye doing anything with dirt, Bruce had reached out grabbing Javier’s wrist just to check his ID bracelet. It wasn’t long into their discussion when Bruce realized Javier was exactly who Paul had said he was. Escorting Javier through his garden, Bruce was going to explain what he was doing and his goal. Bruce just listened as Javier, without being told, explained the design and gave very high praises. Granted, Bruce was going a bit overboard to achieve the results. Javier started describing Japanese gardens he had helped start and some he’d visited in Japan.

  In awe, Bruce had just listened. Javier saw the different moss and lichen Bruce had scraped up trying to transplant and Javier said it was just easier to grow. Well, Bruce didn’t know how to make moss or lichen grow and learning about it anytime soon didn’t look good. Javier had disappeared and returned with blenders… kitchen blenders and buttermilk. Tossing some moss in the blender, after telling Bruce the name of the moss, which Bruce wasn’t ever going to pronounce, Javier had added some buttermilk and turned the blender on. The stench was strong but after smelling blues for so long, it wasn’t that bad.

  Getting a paint brush, Javier moved into the garden painting rocks with the concoction. Lo and behold, in a week the moss was growing. After that, Javier was a genius wizard as far as Bruce was concerned.

  Forgetting about heading to his shop, Bruce changed course heading for Javier. A long garden shed had been built on the outside of the garden fence that Javier was setting up with supplies to tend the garden. “Boss,” Ted asked, walking up beside him, “Want me to tell Carl to bring breakfast to the garden?”

  “No, tell him to take it to the shop. I’m just seeing what Javier is doing,” Bruce answered. Ted just looked at Bruce moving stiffly as he walked and vowed he was never getting a deep tissue massage.

  Even though he had been put under Paul’s construction crew, Javier still worked in the greenhouses and over the grass farm. “Javier, you don’t have to work here every day,” Bruce said walking up.

  Turning around, the perfect smile fell off Javier’s face seeing Bruce stiff and in obvious pain. “What the hell happened to you?”

  “Deep tissue massage,” Bruce winced as he came to a stop.

  Nodding in understanding, “Yes, they are great, but it’s a shame it takes a few days to get the benefits,” Javier told him.

  “I’m never doing that shit again,” Bruce vowed, but that’s what he’d said last time.

  “Speaking from experience, you need to have them done every other month and then they don’t take so much out of you.”

  “Fuck that,” Bruce gasped. “You don’t have to put so much time in here.”

  Tilting his head toward the cedar fence, “Working on a garden is very relaxing and I’m just dropping off some stuff a scavenging crew picked up for me,” Javier explained. “Can I get you a chair to sit down in?”

  “I sit down, I’m not getting up for an hour,” Bruce stated flatly, and Javier didn’t know if that was a yes or no, so he just stayed put. “I don’t want you to spend all your free time here, is what I’m getting at.”

  “I don’t,” Javier grinned. “Besides, I know how important this spot is for you. You knew what you wanted and were going to accomplish it no matter what. I’m just going to help you get it there a bit faster.”

  Feeling a kink in his back, Bruce winced. “Ted,” he grunted. “Remind me, when I see Korey’s wife, to punch her in the face.”

  Knowing Bruce was just kidding Ted was glad Javier grinned, knowing Bruce wasn’t serious. “Bruce, if she can hurt you like this with a deep tissue massage, do you really want to get on her bad side?” Ted asked with a smirk.

  Straightening up his back to work out the kink, “Put that bitch on Omega,” he winced. “If she hurts me like this, everything before us will bow in surrender.”

  Trying not to laugh, “Bruce, I meant to ask, why aren’t you placing any bonsai trees in your garden? With the atmosphere you’re going for, I think they would fit in well and you would like them,” Javier asked.

  Clearly liking that line of thinking, “Can’t grow any. I’ve killed hundreds over the years trying to grow some. I’ve read books, taken two classes and the longest I’ve ever had a tree to live was a year and a half.”

  Laughing now, “I can teach you,” Javier stated rather confidently.

  With the kink letting up, Bruce turned away. “Javier, I’ve tried on thirty different species and even bought a six-year-old Yew Bonsai. If Bonsai trees dying under your care was a crime, I’d be on death row.”

  “If you can’t, then I’ll grow some but I promise you, I can teach you.”

  Really liking it but not about to get his hopes up, “Tell me what you need then,” Bruce said.

  Tilting his head to the garden shed, “I’ve already started collecting what we need,” Javier admitted.

  “Just don’t spend all your time working here,” Bruce said, seeing Carl and Bonnie heading for the shop carrying plates.

  Knowing what Bruce was getting at, “I have plenty of free time, Bruce,” Javier assured him. “Helping you with your garden also helps me and everyone else here in the clan.”

  Really wanting to go sit in his garden, but it was cold and he wanted to sit his sore ass down, Bruce told Javier ‘bye’ and hobbled to the shop. “Hey boss, you learn to do those little trees, can I learn them with you?” Ted asked timidly.

  “I don’t care,” Bruce grinned at Ted’s excitement. Reaching the shop, they found Bonnie holding the door open. Bruce didn’t like to be seen when he was sore and didn’t want kids crawling over him, which made him feel even worse. Heading to his desk and yanking open the drawer, Bruce grabbed a bottle of ibuprofen. Most people would take six or even eight hundred milligrams. Bruce tossed a single two hundred milligram tablet into his mouth, swallowing it dry, and knew even that one tablet was going to give him a head rush.

  Ted and Carl didn’t say a word because they knew Bruce hated taking shit, and now they knew why. Plus, they knew that was the only medicine inside the desk. They weren’t getting the wives angry at them for shit.

 

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