Lily brought the meeting to order. “Wolfpack!” she said, and whistled.

Everyone grew silent. The clutch of babies was upstairs with Bella; it was all Wolfpack on deck, including the ones that had gone on before. Honi, Micco, and Tocho were back. Nova stood tall; grinning, leaning against a wall, Jaci on a stool at her feet. Wyanet acted bored, but her brown eyes shone with flecks of gold. Fox and Ouray held hands, sitting cross-legged on the floor. Helaku took up the entire corner of the sectional, with muscles bulging from his carpentry and hydroponics work. Ruby sat next to him with Alo on the other end. Gwen and Mimi sat on either arm of the side chair, April in the seat as if it were a throne. Leafort sat at the young womens’ feet. The rest of the Wolfpack were everywhere, from the floor to the hearth.

Lily sat in a chair angled so the kitchen was behind her. “Okay, I call this meeting to order. Gwen, will you sing for us?”

Gwen sang, and her voice was high and light. They listened intently to her song, relaxing into it. She closed her eyes, finished, and then re-opened them.

“Thank you, Gwen,” said Lily. “Montana Project first. Construction report?”

Ruby grinned. “We went down after the inspection. We cleaned everything until it squeaked. Literally. Got a mouser; cat’s getting fat. Got a second one and it’s getting fat too! A black one and a calico. We got a local contractor to supervise. We got the floors and stairs in, then we showed them how to frame, do the electronics, and the mud walls. Installed the windows. Paint is damn cheap there, did you know that? Then, we showed them how to build their own pods, and we paired ourselves with them. Got the stuff done, complete with building their own ladders, too. They loved every damn minute, after the bellyaching went away.”

“Food report?” asked Lily.

Helaku took that one. “We only got the money for two hydroponics trays and all the spigots and tubing. We pooled our funds and bought a third. I installed it myself, checked everything, then sent a video to Nantan to triple-check. We planted maize, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, potatoes, wheat, and yams. Showed them everything.” He grinned. “I’m moving there. I came here to get a line on a four wheel drive vehicle that we can use for deliveries.

“Educational report?” Lily asked, working down her list.

Wyanet grinned wider. She pushed off the wall, and used her hands to talk. “Got the satellite working, but rain and snow will mess it up. Got them all memory cards installed to keep their schoolwork and download the lessons in case their internet access goes down. Got them started, and we got a brand-new secondary teacher named Tana Alvarez down there to moonlight, and to Skype when the snow gets too deep. She’s delighted. She’s Crow; happy to help. The tribe keeps sneaking people over to see how we run things.”

“Alpaca and rabbit report?” asked Lily.

“Transport went great,” said Winnie. “The alpacas love it there. Lots of green grass, and an altitude they like. Rabbit hutch went up just fine, and the rabbits bred already, and got one brushing out. Bagged the wool, and showed them how to clean, card, and spindle. Great work, all winter long, when they can’t get out so much.”

Damia took over to give her horse report next. “They have good ponies. Good horses, too.” She grinned at Inola, who nodded. “I showed them everything, from cleaning blankets and tack, to riding.” She giggled, and everyone smiled with her. “I told them right, like Inola and Henry told me. With stories.”

Lily kept the shock out of her voice. Her moms Ivy and Callie had been all for her going on the trip with Inola; Damia had been the one to ask. Lily had been terrified the long trip would cause her to regress into an autistic silence, but she seemed to be handling it fine.

“Excellent report, Damia. Anyone have anything to add?” No one spoke. “Alright, next steps. Can anyone think of anything they need over there, or what we can do to support the Montana Wolfpack?”

Leafort shrugged. “They’re Crow. They’re used to animals and building, and they’re good at hard work.”

“Winter work,” said Wyanet. “The winters there last forever, and it’s hard to get around. I’ve been working with David on Crow beadwork. Triesta or David can go up, get them started.”

“Crow are excellent beaders,” said Leafort. “Just get some of their elders down there. But, I agree on Triesta. Her work sells. They can work with her to find out what they can sell on the internet.”

“Talk to Triesta and their elders,” said Lily. “Will you do that, Leafort?” He nodded, and put a note on his cell phone.

“Bison,” said Wyanet.

“They’re huge. And they move around,” argued Leafort. “And eat a lot of food.”

“Shelve bison for later,” said Lily. “Anything else?”

Wyanet spoke up. “Buddies. The people doing their jobs here can talk to them there. Kind of updates, like helping out with problems, or even schoolwork. We all had some catching up to do. The learning curve is steep.”

“Excellent idea,” said Lily. “Who wants to be a buddy?” Nearly every hand went up. “Okay, Wyanet, make a spreadsheet. One for animal husbandry, wool, hydroponics, construction, and study buddies.”

“On it,” said Wyanet. “And we’ll rotate, unless someone builds a good relationship, then we’ll hold it there.” Everyone nodded.

“Anything else?” asked Lily. Everyone was silent. “Now, on to the current work. A bitcoin investment?”

Yanaba gave her report. “We made a profit of twenty-eight hundred dollars on the last sale. We bought more when the price went back down, and paid for the hydroponics for the Montana Pack.”

“Do you want to be reimbursed for the hydroponics?” asked Lily. Dead silence. “So, financial support as well?”

“You don’t get it,” said Wyanet, “the poverty on some of the parts of the res, on most of them; is severe. Even with casinos, many don’t even have running water. The lack of jobs on the res is horrible. The… absolute lack of hope. Not to mention the loss of our language, our culture.”

Lily held up her hand. “I do get it. I went to visit, remember? And, I was making it clear in your minds as to what you want to do by asking the question. Remember that you will have new people coming in. Our list never ends. What will we do? Add to the barns? You guys are already stuffed to the rafters who live here. Invest in more houses or apartment buildings where you all live when you get your GEDs and get certificates, or your college classes? Henry decided that, since the list never ends, and gets longer, so we expand the program, to go where it’s needed most. Do we need to balance bringing people here and keeping them close to their homes?”

“Well, damn,” said Wyanet. “Sorry. I just… we need to do both. More here. Maybe three or four more?”

Leafort pointed at the ceiling. “We can hang them from hammocks in the rafters.” Everyone laughed.

Yanaba nodded. “I vote for four more here. We can add on to the barn, probably in the back. And, I get it that we need permits and the rest of it. But, it’s a great way for us to use our skills.”

Gwen said, “And the animals have babies, so we can expand our herd, and send more to the new places.”

Hu spoke up. “We need balance. Balance between here, and elsewhere. We are making enough with new investments that we can do both. But, we need to decide which projects for now, and which later, then we need an accounting spread, a schedule, and keeping track of who does what and when.”

“The word for that is project management,” said Alo. “And yeah, of course we can do that. Our games and eBooks are doing well. We can control what we do and how we do it. The thing is; we need to take control and do it right.”

“So, half here and half expansion?” asked Yanaba.

“More like forty-sixty,” said Hu. “We can expand indefinitely, and it will cost a lot of money.”

Lily narrowed her eyes. “Hu, you just earned an apprenticeship with me.” Hu’s jaw dropped, and she explained in Mandarin to Jie what just happened. They exchanged a high-five.

“I vote with Hu,” said Gwen. “We can’t expand indefinitely here, but we can out there. Theoretically, we have all the First Nations to choose from.”

“They have to ask first,” said April, clearly. “We won’t go where we’re not wanted.”

“Wait,” said Gwen. “What we have on the table is expanding here and expanding Wolfpacks.” Nods went around in agreement around the room.

“All in favor?” asked Lily. All the hands went up, even Jie’s. “Opposed?” No one raised their hands.

“Now, we get to work,” said Gwen.

“One proviso,” said Lily. “This has nothing to do with the twenty-percent that goes into college, university, certificates, and internships for everyone.” Everyone nodded. “Okay,” said Lily, “I’m with Gwen. Get to work.” They split into home and outward expansion teams, then they set up committees. Once they had a good shared spreadsheet in Google with committees and lists of chores, Leafort sang them out.

Afterward, they ate tacos and drank lemonade and sodas in the farmhouse kitchen. Then, they got into their trucks and cars and on their bikes, and went out into the world, and those that lived there hiked back to their houses across the paddock, talking and laughing.

Inola stood with Lily on the porch, watching them go out in a cloud of dust. “They grow up so fast,” Inola said.

Lily nodded. “No fucking kidding.” She grinned. “I’ve got to go home to my own. She looked at Inola’s sweet face. “Did you have any idea that this would happen when we started this?”

“Not a damn clue,” said Inola. “Expansion? Bitcoin? An educational gaming and eBook business? Successfully funding their own college and certificates, and apprenticeships? Not a clue in the world.”

“Keeps me busy,” said Lily. “And it funded my own babies.”

“I’ve got my two, too,” said Inola.

They sat on the Adirondack chairs and finished their lemonades, sipping slowly. Robert put together a bike on his porch. Triesta came out with lemonade, and kissed him. He grinned at her, and they went inside to drink it together. Damia walked a pony around the paddock, its coat glossy with health. She laughed, walked him around, and fed him bits of apple. The teens arrived at the far side of the paddock, and rather than study, they took a break with a soccer ball. Soon they were running back and forth. Nantan and Chayton came out with some baseballs and gloves, and some went around the side to play, and some stayed with the soccer ball. Vi came out, sat down, sighed gustily, and drank her own lemonade.

“I fucking love our family,” said Lily.

“We all do,” said Inola.

* * *

Lily made it back, grinning, from the Wolfpack session. Rose Ivy burbled when she came in, and held up her arms. Lily picked her up, cuddled her, and blew on her neck, making the little girl giggle. Colin was angry about something, and wouldn’t come out of his play tent. Ace came over, and kissed her soundly.

“Colin is furious because he hit Rose Ivy, and I put him in time out. Now he wants to stay in time out.”

“Okay,” said Lily. “The pool?”

Colin poked his head out of the tent, his blue eyes wide, sandy hair falling over his shoulder as he tilted his head. “Poo?” he asked.

Lily and Ace nearly doubled over with laughter. “Pool,” said Lily, trying to teach him the pronunciation through her wide smile. “Swimsuits, water wings, and sunblock,” she said. “And that’s just for us, suppose the kids need them too.”

Ace laughed. “Good idea. I’ll take Poo here and you take our little flower.”

Colin glared at his father. “Caw Win,” he said.

“Good job saying your name, buddy,” said Ace. He went to pick up Colin, and the boy turned his back on his father.

Lily grinned. “Trade?”

Ace smiled. “Have to, it looks like.” But, it was not to be. Rose Ivy refused to be separated from her mother, so Lily carried them both to get changed into their little bathing suits.

Ace went upstairs to put the lotion on Colin. He used zinc to ensure he was covered fully. Colin screamed as if he was being murdered, but Ace did get the white stuff all over his squirming son. Then, Lily took the top half, and Ace the bottom, as they spread sunblock on Rose Ivy. They put on their own swimsuits and sunblock, then they put hats, glasses, and water wings on the kids, and drove them to the community pool at the local water park.

The babies got in the kiddie pool, and Colin staked out a sprinkler that would intermittently shoot water at him, making him howl with laughter. Then, they put the kids in their rings with holes for their legs, and took them in the lazy river, floating around and around. Afterward, they took them to the middle section so they could run in the giant flowers and buckets, shooting water all over.

They ate a snack and drank water, put on lots more sunblock, and played more. Then, they dried the kids off, put their shorts and tops back on, and put them in their car seats. They were asleep immediately. They were grumpy through baths and dinner, completely exhausted, so Ace and Lily took them to bed early. Neither one of the babies made it through the first few pages of Goodnight, Moon. Ace and Lily kissed their heads, and smelled their sweet baby smells. They made sure the baby monitor and the night-light were on.

“We have time on our hands,” said Ace, smiling.

“That almost never happens,” said Lily. Ace started humming Justin Timberlake’s Sexyback. Lily giggled. “Rest first; sing later.”

They sat on the couch. Lily had a glass of Merlot, and Ace drank iced-lime cherry water. He kissed his wife, her mouth full of the cherry notes of the wine. He rubbed her feet, making her moan. He slid off her shirt, turned her to him, and rubbed her shoulders.

“Mmm,” she said. “Stop… never.” She leaned forward, and he dug into her lower back. She groaned more deeply, and then she said, “Okay, I’ll take sex now.”

He laughed. “That’s so romantic.” She threw a small couch pillow at him. “Okay, you talked me into it,” he said.

She put down her empty glass of wine, turned around, and kissed him deeply. He pulled her to him, and slid his hands up her shirt. She pulled back, pulled off his shirt, and kissed his neck; that turned into a light bite. He growled at her, pulled off her shirt, then her camisole with its shelf bra, and held onto the breasts that spilled out into his hands. He kissed the tips; then he wantonly sucked each one until she began to hold back screams of need.

He pulled off her shorts and pale blue underwear, spread her legs on either side of him, and then kissed her with heat, from her throat to her belly. She wriggled under his hands. He slipped his fingers inside her and made her groan. She was wet already. He kissed his way down to her thighs. She tasted of sun and chlorine, and sunblock and some taste that was just… Lily.

He spread the lips, and flicked his tongue over her pearly button until she twisted his hair in her hands and arched her back. He made her come twice, and then he reached into his back pocket for the condom. He stood, dropped his shorts and underwear, and slipped on the condom. He slipped inside her, and kissed her deeply, moving inside her slowly, so deep he felt a part of her. He made her come again, and then he let himself go. He laid on her, gasping, using his forearms to keep from crushing her.

“Off,” she said. She picked up all the clothes, threw them in the wash, and dragged him up the stairs.

They went into the shower, attacked themselves with the hot water, and scrubbed themselves off thoroughly. They got out, and he dried her off before he dried himself. They slid lotion over each other’s bodies, adding after-sun to keep their skin from turning into prunes. He blow-dried her hair, which took almost no time, because she liked her hair cut short. She laughed and dried his, then took his hand.

They dressed in shorts and Lily put on a camisole. She checked that the baby monitor in the bedroom was on. She took Ace to bed, and laid him down in cotton sheets. She kissed him, then snuggled in. They read books together and kissed some more, then she pulled off his sleep shorts and stroked him. He grinned, and smiled as she drew out a condom and mounted him. It was slow, very slow, her hands on his shoulders. He came, then she wiped them both down. He held her again, and grabbed the phone as it slipped out of her hand. He put it on the nightstand and plugged it in. He plugged his own phone in, wrapped her in his arms, and slept.

Ace woke up when Rose Ivy started coughing, a pretext to cry, at three-thirty in the morning. He changed her diaper, cooed to her, and gave her a little warm milk. She was asleep within twenty minutes. He stumbled back into bed. Then, interrupted again, Ace stumbled out again at six, and took a wailing Colin out of his crib. He changed the boy, wiped him down, put on shorts and a shirt, then did the same with a burbling Rose Ivy.

Ace got the babies downstairs and into their high chairs. They stuffed fruit and cereal into their mouths, in their hair, and onto their high chair trays. He made tea for his wife, coffee for himself, and cracked eggs into little round metal rings in a pan. He cooked the bacon in the microwave, and toasted the English muffins. The muffins were buttered and the breakfast sandwiches were assembled by the time his wife came down the stairs, her violet eyes were narrowed because she was still groggy. He poured her strawberry mint tea and added a touch of honey, and put her breakfast sandwich in front of her. He ate his standing up, his children burbling, his wife attempting to open her eyes.

He took the babies for a walk to the park, doused in sunscreen, while his wife “went away” to work. This deception worked as long as he went, or allowed them to go, nowhere near her work office directly underneath their bedroom in the back of the house. The gates were up to prevent this from happening.

He played with them in the specially-covered sandbox, with the tent placed perfectly, keeping the sandbox from getting a scalding from the sun. He de-sanded them, put them back in their double jogging stroller, and took a light jog around the neighborhood. He talked to both Consuela and Rimini, both work-at-home mothers who took their children to the park to wear them out so they could work too. They exchanged watching each other’s kids, and hired Wolfpack to watch them when crunch time —tax season, the end of year, (quarterly report time) ensued.

He got them home and de-sanded them again, got them their snack, played on the floor with them, put the dishes away from the dishwasher, swept and mopped, and fed them both snacks and lunch. He cleaned up the disastrous lunch, whereby both children threw their food on the plastic on the ground under their high chairs.

Ace cleaned up the children, changed everyone again, including their clothes, put on jeans and a work T-shirt (with the Nighthawks logo on the back), and drove the screaming children to Katya’s place. They fell asleep in the car, and he managed to get them both into their playpens there, without waking them up, which was a first. He hugged Katya, who was simultaneously making soup and doing her homework at the table to become an educator. After that, he dropped the car back home, switched it for his bike, and roared out to work.

He got the door open, received three deliveries in a row, filled up his station, and began with the ice. His bar back, Rose, came in, and growled at him for doing the ice. It was an actual growl. He grinned, and went back to getting the bar ready. Pedro and Wang came in, and he had some chicken fingers, fries, and a Coke. He listened while the band warmed up.

The dancers came in, Ivy came out of the office, the music started, and the night was on. He moved his hands as fast as he could physically move them. There were people, wall-to-wall —mostly Nighhawks, Valkyries, and Iron Knights, with the smattering of Gearheads and tourists wandering in, all looking for a good time. Cocktail servers twirled by, and Ace kept their trays filled with beer, shots, and liquors. He’d started keeping blue agave, orange, and strawberry liquors (that a new cocktail server carried around) in test tubes. Kelli knew the difference between the bikers and the tourists, and kept the tourists happy drinking things in neon colors. Meanwhile, everyone else drank their “usual” beer and whiskey.

Ivy went up and onto the stage when the band called a halt, along with the Valkyries with musical talent, and Callie, who had left the babies with Nico and Bao (and the girls) for the night. Ivy sang the opening lines of Smells Like Teen Spirit while stalking her wife, resplendent in her leather biker bustier and black jeans shot through with silver, her hair in its twists. She hit the final “Hello” to her wife, jumped four times, and the band and Valkyries played their many guitars.

The entire bar sang and screamed, jumped and stomped, growled and howled. The dance floor looked like a mosh pit. Ace simply covered both sides of the bar in shot glasses, and took turns pouring whiskey, scotch, and tequila into them. At five dollars a shot, he got a fine collection of fives, tens and twenties, and the occasional fifty-dollar bill as people threw over money, picked their poison, and took a shot. Many of them jumped and howled like wolves. Heads banged. People pounded out the beat on tables, making the beers dance.

Ivy slid into Meat Loaf’s Anything for Love, with the growling guitars, and then Aerosmith’s Walk This Way. They went into Def Leppard’s Pour Some Sugar on Me, prompting a lot of people to buy shots and pour them into each other’s mouths. They slid right into AC/DC’s Highway to Hell, the theme song of motorcycle clubs all over the world. You Shook Me All Night Long came next, along with Thunderstruck. The very loud set ended when Skuld and Ivy sang, What’s Going On, a Valkyrie theme song, and the Valkyries sang high, loud, and proud, all of them coming on stage in a line of braided, strong women.

The last note died, and Ace raised his glass. “To all of us,” he said. “May the road rise to meet you; may the wind always be at your back, may the sun always shine upon you. Slainte.” He downed his apple juice, as did Ivy and the bar backs. Everyone else had alcohol, except for the few sober alcoholics and designated drivers in the room that had soda or juice. They all drank, regardless. The dancers slid off their plinths for a break, and the band put on some of the greats.

Ace took off his apron, took his drop to the back room, and a heaving Ivy counted it and put it into the safe. “I live for nights like this,” said Ace.

“I do too,” said Ivy. She slid in the money. “Go on, you.”

“You too,” said Ace. “This doesn’t work until we both go home so we can spend time with our kids.”

Cougar bustled in, wearing her trademark leopard print bustier and tight leather pants. Her hair was up in a pouf on her head. “You two still here? Get the fuck out of here and let a woman do her business!” They both laughed.

They took their bikes to Sonic, and loaded up on cheese fries and cherry limeades. They sat and ate under the stars. “You ever want to get out of the bar business?” asked Ace.

“Nope,” said Ivy. “I get to sing, dance, and rock and roll. Damia even lets me sing to her a little now. She went on a road trip!” Her eyes glistened as she snagged a cheese fry. “She’s come so far. And, she’ll stay on days, but Hu and Jie are Wolfpack now. Grace has figured out she needs to be on their shift but not join the pack until she’s sure she wouldn’t go all control-freak, so she’s staying with the Nighthawks school on days, not swing. She gets along with everyone now. She’s doing double study times, in exchange for English lessons for Mandarin, with a kid in San Francisco. Grace feels Hu and Jie are talking over her head, and way too fast.”

Ace stretched out his legs, and sipped his drink. “I am so damn happy to see Damia so happy. She laughs; she shows expressiveness on her face. I’m stunned.” He grinned. “I’m so tired; I think I’m going to pass out on this table.”

Ivy nodded. “I’m stoked, but underneath is leadenness. It’s not that I’m too old for this, but I have little babies at home. They want love all the damn time, and we just lay it on them. Damia taught me that,” she said. “Keep loving them, even when you don’t understand what they do or why they do it, or when you want to walk away with frustration or anger. Love them anyway, and something breaks through. It may take years to see it, but it happens.”

“We need a ride, and a party, or a party ride,” said Ace.

Ivy grinned. “That could be anything from Lake Mead to Baja.”

“Surfing!” said Ace. They touched cups, finished up, threw their trash away, and headed out into a hot night, filled with bright, blinking stars.

Baja Ride

The babies were consolidated at Katya’s house, and April, Mimi, and two other Wolfpack worked in shifts to help Katya. They took everyone else —the Nighthawks, the Wolfpack, the Soldier Pack, the Valkyries, and the Iron Knights. They raised money, half for the Soldier Pack to learn to do motorcycles, and half for the Wolfpack’s expansion program.

They rode north, and began the Baja ride in Reno. They worked their way down through Pahrump, and picked up Xenia, while Bob stayed home. They roared down to Lake Mead, and stopped in Boulder City for a nice breakfast at a pancake house. They had to spill over into the waffle house across the highway. They then roared off toward Los Angles. They stopped off in Huntington Beach for fish tacos, sodas, and surfing. They set up in a line of camping chairs and towels, coolers, and bags of snacks. They swam, grilled, and some of them went out onto a promontory and fished.

Xenia, Bao, Bella, Lily, Callie, Inola, and Ivy kept an eye on Grace, Damia, Jie, and Hu. Hu and Grace introduced Damia and Jie to the ocean. They all waded in. Ace paddled out on his board, put his hands down, one foot far behind the other, and stood. The girls jumped down and cheered to watch him go. The boys; Tam, Nico, Josh, and Nick kicked a ball in the water, then they waded out to play water polo. Some of the Nighthawks and Iron Knights went out to join them. Valkyries stood on one end, going through a mock battle, complete with collapsible staves.

Ivy eyed Xenia. “No fighting today?”

Xenia narrowed her eyes at her. “I can barely keep my head upright. My daughter Diana is like a baby bird. Feed me! I had to stop breast-feeding her early because she bit me. Hard. Drew blood. Sharp vampire teeth.” She sighed. “And then we got hammered. Summer brings out the drunks, the stupid accidents, and the hard heads. We got a roadhouse called ‘The Store,’ just on the edge of the city limits, and we’re there every damn night breaking something up.”

Ivy narrowed her eyes. “No one messes with anyone in my bar. Ever. Well, once or twice. We generally get everyone separated. Helps to have Nighthawks, Iron Knights and Valkyries everywhere, though. Makes causing trouble kind of stupid. The tourists are usually smart enough to realize there are real bikers there.” She grimaced. “Didn’t like having to set up the neon drinks, but they sell, and the tourists are happy to be in a ‘real biker bar.’” She wiggled her fingers for emphasis. “And, I’m too tired to keep my head up as well.”

Callie grinned. “I’ve got my babies looked after. And, they are exhausting, plus four very active girls. The problem with two babies is…”

“They wake each other up,” said Lily. “All the damn time.”

“Absolutely,” said Inola.

“And all the diapers!” said Bella.

“They hit and tease each other,” said Callie.

“They defend each other against me,” said Lily. “All the damn time.”

Callie laughed. “That; they do.”

Bao nodded. “If Hu gets in trouble, Jie will take the punishment with her, like no television. Grace is beginning to do the same thing.”

Ivy looked over at Bao. “Really? That’s new. And amazing.” She grinned. “Only, it can’t go the other way. Grace is losing a lot less points, but she’s doing better with her video game life.”

“Her what?” asked Xenia.

“She has this game where if she completes a task, like folding the laundry, she gets weapons for her avatar. When she does enough, she can be in a crew, then, eventually fight in battles,” said Ivy. “Bao and the Wolfpack created it. I’ve read glowing reviews from autism and ADHD websites. The parents love it.”

“Makin’ the money,” Lily sang. “Their colleges and trade schools and stuff are all funded. And they’re gonna fund new kids coming in, and even expand the farm.”

Inola groaned. “Just what we need, another addition to the barn. Already got it planned out, permits filed and everything. Tito starts next week. More hammering, saws, sawdust…”

“And four new Wolfpack,” said Ivy.

“No; eight. Four new bedrooms, two top, two bottom.” Inola crossed her eyes, and the other women laughed.

“More babysitters, housecleaners, project-doers around the house,” said Bella. “Haven’t had a drippy faucet or loose floorboard in years.”

“More businesses,” said Lily. “Do you know that they decided the Montana pack should make dog stuff? Sweaters and sweatshirts, leashes, and other cool stuff like that. Apparently, they sell well in Billings, Missoula, Butte, Bozeman, and Great Falls. Lots of movie stars (and the like) have moved there. Alo is helping them design healthy dog treats, too. The dogs in the area are mostly working dogs, but they are more parts of the family in the cities.”

“Oh, cool,” said Lily. “I’ll order their stuff myself once they get it worked on.” She grinned. “My puppies deserve the best.”

“Mine too,” said Ivy. “Daisy puts up with five kids. I’m surprised she hasn’t had a nervous breakdown.”

“I’m surprised I haven’t had a nervous breakdown,” said Callie. They all laughed.

Ace came up and passed around lemon waters and sodas. “Ladies, you need anything, just holler.” He grinned, kissed his wife, and left her gasping, and walked away, dripping water. The boys circled his board, and he jogged over to give lessons. The girls joined, and they all lined up in the sand to learn how to lay down, then hop up, with legs apart, onto the board.

“That man is a cool drink of water,” said Bao.

Lily glared at her. “That’s my husband you’re talking about.” She grinned and looked over to where Nico was kicking a soccer ball around with a bunch of guys. “And your husband Nico is no slouch.”

“He worships the ground I walk on,” said Bao, proudly.

“Ivy doesn’t worship the ground I walk on,” said Callie, sadly.

Ivy glared at her. “Do too. But, we’ve got five fucking kids, and I have a bar to run. I love you more than breathing, but I gotta sleep sometime!” She sighed. “Six, now. Love Jie, by the way. A really good kid.”

“Tell me about it,” said Bao. “I thought she’d have more problems adjusting, but Hu and I speak Mandarin to her, and Nico and Grace are catching up fast.”

“Grace is mad that her brain won’t let her learn more words per day,” said Callie. “I told her to let them percolate, that they would pop up when she least expected them. Does for me. My Mandarin is getting better too.”

“Not I,” said Ivy. “Ni hao for hello, and xie xie for thank you. That’s it.” She grinned. “I have enough trouble remembering song lyrics.”

“Don’t say that to Grace,” warned Callie. “She’ll try teaching you with Chinese songs about flowers.”

“And you don’t need to talk about flowers,” said Bao. “Except to my mother.”

“How is it going with her?” asked Callie, popping the top on a Coke.

“Better,” said Bao. “She’s in love with Hu and Jie, and treats Grace much better now.”

“If she says one word to my face,” said Ivy, with gritted teeth.

“Or to me,” said Callie.

“Or to any of us,” said Inola. “Grace is trying really hard. She’s a lot better with Damia. She cleans tack with her in the barn in order to participate in her life.”

“Really?” asked Ivy. “That’s why she goes to the barn in the mornings.” Her eyes teared up. “Thank the Universe. I was getting worried about those two.”

“There’s no crying on vacation!” said Nico. He came up, sweating, kissed his wife, stole a cherry water from the nearby cooler, and ran back toward the game-players, who were now setting up for beach volleyball.

“Volleyball,” said Ivy. “Love it, but I can’t move.”

“Tomorrow,” said Callie, stroking her hand. “Or tonight.”

“I can’t go anywhere for dinner,” said Bella. “I can’t move. Must… sleep.”

“Close your eyes, dumbass,” said Inola. “You guys talk, I’ll snuggle with my hunny bunny.” She moved her chair a little closer, finished off her drink, dunked the can in the recycling bag, and slid down.

Ivy looked at Callie, kissed her, and slid down too. “Must… sleep,” she said. Callie slid down as well, and they held hands.

“They’re dropping like flies,” said Bao. Xenia and Lily giggled. “Let’s do the same.” They all slid down, and slept in the basking sunlight.

* * *

They were awakened by shouting. Ace was in the water, and paddling hard. The women counted noses, and Ivy said, “Where’s Josh?” Henry ran past the confused onlookers with a line tied around his waist, and he jumped in the water and began swimming with powerful strokes.

Ace was fast, but a guy in a wetsuit was almost there. The guy grabbed something, and Ace was there in a flash. He pulled “the something” up on the board. Josh laid there, half in and out of the water, just gasping. The surfer in the wetsuit helped Ace get the board around, and he paddled fast. Henry threw him the rope, and swam back with the surfer helping to pull, as well. Nantan and Chayton were in the water, where they could stand. David stood on the shore, a pile of towels at his feet, his phone in his hands.

Henry swam up, stood, and they all pulled in the surfboard. An EMT ran up with oxygen in hand. Henry hauled the boy off the board, and held him around the waist, letting him cough out water into the surf. They got him out. Chayton thanked the surfer multiple times, and hugged him. The guy, a classic surfer with bleached-blonde hair, waved him off, then helped to unwrap Henry.

Nantan grabbed Nick and helped him stand, and Chayton took the other side. Ace hauled out the board, David put a towel on it, and they laid the boy down on his side. The EMT checked him over. “He’s fine,” he said. Everyone gasped in relief.

Nick knelt beside his brother, crying, Tam and Little Nico crying on the other side. Henry and David knelt in the sand, and rubbed the boys’ backs. Nantan stroked his son’s head as he coughed up water, and Chayton had both hands on his feet. Nantan sang, and Chayton did too, their voices blending.

Ivy, Callie, and Bao ran up and held the girls, who were shivering and crying. “What happened?” asked Jie in Chinese.

“Undertow,” said Bao, in Mandarin. She then said the word in English so Grace would understand. “Josh got caught in water that pulled him out.”

“Henry taught us what to do,” said Grace. “Don’t panic. Remember that you float. Flow with the water. Call for help.”

“He must have done those things,” said Ivy, grimly. “Or he wouldn’t be alive.”

“New rule,” said Callie. “No going in the water above where you can stand up.”

Bao nodded, and repeated the directive in Mandarin. All the girls nodded. “I’ll tell the boys,” said Grace. She ran over, and David picked her up and held her. She told him the new rule, and he nodded. He put her down, and Henry and David sang. Damia came over and sang, too. Inola came over, and sang as well. Josh stood, and fell into Nantan and Chayton’s arms, holding them. They finished the song, and everyone clapped with relief. Ace gave back his rented board.

They got the kids together in the middle, and then they surrounded them. The guitar and pipes came out, and they sang on the beach, a celebration because Josh was still alive. Tears ran down many of their faces, but they wiped their tears away. They sang songs and told stories; funny ones too, and sang silly songs. The kids went into The Song That Never Ends, making the adults groan.

Bags of tacos, buckets of fried chicken, and pizzas showed up, as if by magic, along with liters of sodas and water. They passed around the food, as Josh slipped into sleep in Nantan’s arms. Then, his brothers piled on him like football players taking down a player, their feet on Chayton.

The sun went down, and everyone lined up to watch the sky go from blue to indigo, to a picture-perfect cream and gold, then to orange and a brilliant red. Inola sang down the sun, and the Valkyries did a Norse prayer to Odin.

They made bonfires for the Nighthawks, Iron Knights, and Valkyries. They sang, danced, and pitched tents. The Valkyries sang the best songs, their wild voices going out into the night. They set out bags on the beach, the kids in the tents, and they fell asleep, one by one, counting stars.

* * *

They listened to The Doors’ Roll, Baby, Roll, the Eagles’ Take It Easy, Tom Petty’s Running Down a Dream, and Highway to Hell by AC/DC on the way down to San Diego. They took the kids to see the Wild Animal Park, and they camped north of San Diego on a state beach. They rented boards for the kids, but stayed where they could stand up, with two of the adults on boards watching them like hawks.

They walked up and down the beach. The Valkyries fought the Nighthawks and the Iron Knights, in skirmishes using fists, hands, feet, elbows, and knees. Grace, Jie, and Hu watched carefully, and copied some of the moves in-between catching tiny waves. Laughter rippled across the waves as the skirmishes sent people flying across the sand. Cheers and shouts followed genius moves, and groans followed people flying into the sand.

The police showed up, having been told of a group of bikers engaging in fighting on a public beach. They watched, and talked to Gregory. They were beach bike cops, in black, with yellow reflective vests. They were adorned with the triangle shape of swimmers, huge shoulders, long arms, flat abs, and strong legs. One was named Montoya, with bottle-brushed hair and a clean-shaven, olive face. Ripa had blonde hair and blue eyes; startling in his sun-darkened skin. They made arrangements to come back after their shift, and headed out.

After a time, they all headed back out, bikes roaring, for dinner, taking up the huge outdoor patio of a Mexican restaurant. They started with nachos and chili rellenos, then they went on to enchiladas, burritos, taquitos for the kids, and bowls of gazpacho (a cold soup). They ended up taking over an ice cream shop, and its gelato cousin down the street, and they finished their ice creams, walking around Encinitas. They shopped for silver jewelry, friendship bracelets for the kids, and little carvings.

They headed to the San Elijo Lagoon State Marine Park, and took Annie’s Canyon Trail. The boys were complaining that they were “…starving to death,” so they had a huge barbecue dinner at a restaurant, once again taking over all the patio seating. They talked, laughed, and were joined by the off-duty cops, who had brought some of their friends.

They headed back to the campgrounds. The families of the cops showed up and a rather wild game of tag/soccer/beach volleyball (that seemed to rotate without any rhyme or reason) ensued.

Inola sang the sun down, and Henry joined her, their voices carrying all the way down the beach from the wind coming off the water. They set up the bonfires, and wandered back and forth among one another, sharing stories, and hugging and teasing people. The guitars and pipes came out, and so did the songs. The newcomers had Mexican songs as well, and many of the Iron Knights and Nighthawks knew them. They sang well into the night, the exhausted kids long asleep. They slept on the sand or in their tents, and the cops and their families headed home.

They had a huge breakfast at two pancake houses on opposite corners. They ate pancakes, waffles, eggs, bacon, and syrup. Then, they crossed into Tijuana. Everyone now had passports, including the kids. They were passed through with no problems, and headed to Ensenada for some shopping and a meal at a huge restaurant located inside a former warehouse. They dined on oysters, clams, grilled trout, fresh bread, cheeses, and olives.

They kept down Highway 1, and went over the stunning Sierra San Pedro Martir Mountains. They headed to Guerrero Negro for some gray whale-watching. Inola and David sang, and they found a whale willing to blow and breach nearby. Then, they headed to the Isla De Patos to see the birds, a deserted island loud with bird calls. On the way back, a pod of dolphins surrounded the boats, making the Valkyries sing a song of joy.

They landed, wet and happy, and headed for the Great Sand Dunes. The kids collected seashells and put them in plastic jars. They then went for lunch, eating fabulous seafood, caught that very morning. The kids would not stop talking about the whales, birds, dolphins, and shells.

They rode toward the Protected Area of the Valley of Los Cirios, and stopped off for some hiking in the Sierra San Francisco Mountains. There, they could see the 7000-year-old rock paintings. Inola, David, and Henry were deeply moved. They stopped off in Las Paz, and headed to the promenade to see the sunset. Inola sang the sun down. They took rooms in three separate inns. In the morning, they headed toward Cabo San Lucas, and attended a barbecue on the beach with singing, dancing, and margaritas.

They reversed their ride, heading back up the peninsula. They stopped for windsurfing in La Ventana. They ate lunch on the beach from four separate restaurants, and headed north in the afternoon. They spend the night on the beach in tents, then they headed back across the border.

On Laguna Beach, Bella and Inola held hands, watching the waves crash in, the surfers ride the waves, with Ace out there with them. “If I mention having another baby, kill me,” said Bella. “I’m still exhausted.”

“Tarak has made both us and Nantan and Chayton happy,” said Inola. “He’s a lovely baby.”

“Loud,” said Bella, “really, really loud.” They watched Nantan kick a ball halfway across the beach to Josh, who passed it to Little Nico, who passed it to Chayton, who passed it to Nick.

Inola followed her eyes. “If we had lost Josh…”

“In a split second,” said Bella. “We’ve had that happen so damn often in the last couple of years. Life… we cling to life. It’s like an oyster hanging on a rock. We’re all attached to each other so no one falls off.”

Wraith worked with the girls on the Yang Short Form, and then they sped it up. Damia joined in. Ivy, holding Callie’s hand just a bit away, gasped. “She’s… participating,” she said.

“Clearly,” said Callie. “Go over there and do it with them.” Ivy kissed Callie, stroked her hair, and jogged over the sand, narrowly missing Nick flying past her, chasing the ball, his mouth pursed with concentration. She stood in front of Bao, who showed her the form, and then they joined Wraith and the girls.

Inola reached out and grabbed Callie’s hand. “Move over here, girlfriend,” said Inola. Callie stood and moved over her chair.

They all sucked on frozen lime drinks from Sonic, and they put their feet on a red cooler borrowed from a local Iron Knight, an ex-soldier out surfing with Ace. They moved their feet from time to time as the runners, fighters, volleyball players, surfers, and soccer enthusiasts went hunting for water, cola, or sports drinks, or for an Iron Knight named Tank and his tiny Valkyrie wife (Hildr), who kept coming by and filling it back up with drinks and ice.

Bao came over, ruthlessly stole Ivy’s chair, and they all moved their feet over for her. She laid with her head back, her braided hair swinging down to nearly brush the sand. “I can’t do anything anymore,” she said. “Speak Mandarin, speak English, record stories, keep my illustrator in China working, fill thousands of orders for books for mainland China and Taiwan.” She moved everyone’s feet, and fished out a cherry water. They all put their feet up again.

“Sounds like you need a vacation,” said Callie. “Luckily, we’re actually on a vacation.”

“I want to go to someplace that isn’t China or Taiwan,” said Bao, and sipped deeply from her drink.

“Italy, dumbbutt,” said Bella. “Nico would love it. His mother would love it. Send the kids out on a horseback riding, night-swimming camp, stick your mother-in-law in one villa, and take another.”

Bao shuddered. “I took Honored Mother on another trip to China on my last business trip.” She shuddered again. “She tries to keep from saying denigrating things. I can tell because she tightens her lips, sometimes her whole face.”

“You can read the inscrutable,” said Bella.

“She is trying,” said Inola.

“She is,” said Bao. “And Stella Picado is nothing like my mother. At all. She would melt, seeing the great sculptors’ work, like David, by Michelangelo. We can send her on a sculpture vacation, pay for her to sculpt with masters there. She’d love it, and she sure as hell deserves it. Nico has been overthinking it with his busy brain to give her something. He’s already been paying for her warehouse space, despite her having the money to cover it herself. The woman does more than alright for herself.”

“You can take the plane over, have dinner together, and then split up. You can spend a day in Rome together, see the Colosseum and stuff like that, then split up, her to the sculptor’s vacay, and you to romantic Venice and Tuscany,” said Bella. She turned to look at Inola.

Inola held up her hands. “No urge. Send me off to hike the Painted Desert, or ride a horse to the bottom of the Grand Canyon to hang out with our Hopi and Dine cousins.”

“Dine? Oh, Navajo,” said Bao, realizing it herself.

“We need to check out their weavers anyway,” said Inola.

Bella shook her head. “I want a place with water, coconuts, and a guy named Juan that brings me strawberry drinks.” All the women laughed.

“Split up,” said Callie. “Or, take turns.” She grunted. “My wife’s version of a good time is to go somewhere she can dance for days. New Orleans, Rio, LA, New York.” She grinned. “We’ve never been to the Big Apple.”

“Done,” said Bao. “I’ll pay for you to go.”

“I would say you don’t have to,” said Callie, “But, we need a vacay, and that will make my wife dance with joy.” She laughed. “Her happy dance is something to see.”

They watched as Ivy finished, laughing, and then slid into the ocean. “My wife is the hottest woman on Earth,” said Callie. “And probably the next inhabited planet, too.”

“Hey,” said Bella. “Inola is gorgeous.” They kissed until they lost their breath.

“My man is yummy,” said Bao. “He moves like a panther and is the most attentive, loving man on Earth.”

“He is fine,” said Lily. She came up, moved over a chair, moved their feet to get a lime water, and sat. They all put their feet back up. “But, Bao, Ace is the finest man ever. He can run and jump. He goes up to see his little brother Kieran and Ivan, and plays basketball with them.”

“How are the dogs?” asked Bella. “Keiran is Ace’s little brother. Kieran and his best friend Ivan make a living raising dogs to help with seizures and PTSD, and other things like that,” Bella explained to Bao.

“Whole new set,” said Lily. “Breaks their hearts to send them on, but then they can go get more shelter dogs to save.” She grinned. “I just got an idea. Toys for dogs, then donate a second toy to shelter dogs. For the Montana Wolfpack.”

“They can adopt some dogs and try the toys out on them,” said Callie.

“Dog slobber,” said Inola. “The worst thing about dog toys is dog slobber.” Everyone laughed.

Nico and Ace came jogging over, their faces slick with water and sweat. “You ladies need anything?” said Nico.

“We’re going to New York!” Callie blissfully told Ace. “Bao is sending us later.”

“I’ll cover the bar,” Ace said, handing Nico a sports drink and taking one for himself.

“My wife is the kindest, sweetest, most generous one in the world,” said Nico. He kissed her gently, lovingly, while Ace went over and planted one on Lily. Bella grinned, and kissed Inola.

“I feel so left out,” said Callie. Ace kissed one cheek, and Nico the other, making her scream with laughter.

Ivy jogged over. “Hey! Get your lips off my wife!” She pushed the men aside, and deeply kissed Callie.

Once she got her breath back, Callie said, “We’re going to New York. Bao is paying for it, and Ace will cover the bar.”

Ivy did a happy dance, grinning and twirling, her hands out, the twists in her hair flying. The dance made Callie groan and tense her belly muscles, and made the men stare because she was so good.

Callie stood, grabbed Ivy’s hand, and said, “Tent. Now.” They ran across the sand, giggling, and zipped themselves up in the tent.

Ace stood and said, “I’ll distract the girls from bothering them.” He finished his drink, and tossed it into the recycling bag. “Cover me. I’m going in.”

“I’ve got your back, bro,” said Nico. He threw his bottle into the recycling bag. They jogged over to the kids. Bao and Lily watched their asses as they ran. Inola and Bella kissed again.

Callie dragged her wife into the tent, and Ivy zipped it up. Callie had Ivy’s pink bikini top off in a single moment, and held her breasts in her hands. Ivy reached around Callie, and popped off her teal top. They kissed, pressing their breasts together, and then stood back. Ivy caught the back of Callie’s neck and pulled on her heel with her foot, making her topple to the sleeping bag on the sand. Ivy followed her down, and nuzzled her breasts as Callie whooped with laughter.

Callie drew aside her wife’s hair, and kissed her neck, and pulled on Ivy’s earlobe with her teeth. She giggled, then gasped as Ivy used the tips of her white teeth on Callie’s right breast. Ivy made Callie come, once per breast, with teeth and lips and delicate fingers. Callie pulled down her own bikini bottom, and then got Ivy’s bikini bottom off. She grasped Ivy’s buttocks, and slid her fingers up and down, making Ivy gasp.

Ivy slid down, right over Callie’s stomach. She kissed and sucked her way down to her wife’s thighs. She made Callie come again and again, and Callie put a fist into her own mouth to keep from screaming. She bucked and moaned. Finally, she was satisfied, and Ivy flipped around. Callie used her fingers on her wife, sliding into her slick wetness, and made her come again and again, enjoying watching her body move as she did it. Finally, after more kissing, they found the bikini parts, put them back on, and fell asleep.

Homeward Bound

Wraith took Sigrun with her, up north to Pahrump. They rode early, wind in their hair, twirling their braids. Wraith had wanted to go up during the fall, but Saber had taken off for another deep dive into the heart of darkness, and Thandie was nearly as good as her at running High Desert (when she wasn’t out on protection duty). Besides, she needed time with Sigrun, so she stole her away from printing entire boxes worth of 3D printed hands and arms. They were figuring out if they could print blade legs next, the type that could take the whole weight of the human body.

They hit up their favorite coffee shop in town. Kema took their order, and Tallee, her mother, cooked up their bacon, home fries, and eggs. Kema heated up their biscuits and served them with butter and honey.

Dee (Kema’s little girl), peered over into their booth. “You two Valkyries?” she asked.

“Yes, we are,” said Wraith. “I’m Wraith, and this is Sigrun.”

“Herja and Sheriff Xenia and Freya are all Valkyries,” she said. “Like Wonder Woman.”

“Minus the lasso,” Sigrun agreed. “What are you doing?”

Kema grinned. “Waiting for Chance and Rhodes. They’re gonna walk me over, then help me with my homework after school.”

Chance strode in, black hair frosted, violet on the tips, her hair in the Valkyrie side braid. “You ready, Dee?” she asked. She strode over to Sigrun. “I know you. Sigrun. And you must be Wraith. You’re the only Valkyrie with white-blonde hair that I’ve heard of.”

“We are,” said Sigrun. “Where is your sister?”

Rhodes entered, weighed down by a backpack that was obviously full of huge books. “Got the latest edition of Jane’s,” she said. “And Marcus Aurelius in Latin.” She saw Sigrun and Wraith. “Cool,” she said, and walked up. “I’m fucking Rhodes, and this is Chance.”

“With your shield,” said Wraith, to Rhodes, and grasped her behind the neck, bending her knees to be on eye level with the girl.

“Or on it,” said Rhodes. Then, they bumped fists.

Wraith did the same thing with Chance. They bumped fists, then Rhodes went to the front door, and held the door open for Chance and Dee.

“When do I get to be a Valkyrie?” asked Dee. “I wanna do that.”

“Are you eleven yet?” asked Chance, as the door swung shut behind them.

“They are a handful,” said Kema, coming over with a carafe of orange juice. “But smart as tacks. They’re teaching Dee Latin, if you can believe it. Girl’s done better in English this year, and she’s learning Spanish, too.”

“School in the summer?” asked Wraith. “A year-round school?”

“Home school co-op,” said Kema. “I teach math on Thursdays. Mama teaches science on Tuesdays. We’re both in community college at the same time, too. Mama’s getting her accounting degree, and I’m taking finance. Already trading cryptocurrency, like Bitcoin, on my phone. Paid for all the summer clothes for Dee, and some for me, too,” she said.

“That rocks,” said Sigrun. “My fine arts degree is turning into a 3D printing direction.”

“She makes hands,” said Wraith. “For those without them.”

“That’s great,” said Kema. “Well, gotta fill up some coffees. Call me if you all need anything.” She whirled off, ready to serve the farmers, truck drivers, cops, and store owners coming in for breakfast.

Xenia came in, eyes half-lidded from lack of sleep. She slid into the booth next to Sigrun. “I will bless Odin every day when Diana makes it through the night,” said Xenia. Kema rushed over with coffee and a muffin piled with egg, cheese, and bacon.

Wraith grinned. “We’ll be dealing with that sometime,” she said. “Hoped I was pregnant, but didn’t work out. It’s up to Sigrun, who is so busy some days she forgets to eat. Or adoption, since men suck at getting pregnant.”

Xenia let out a belly laugh. “That they do.” She thought a minute. “I’ve got two I’m thinking of. Wharton is six, and a handful. He drives his foster mother nuts. He’s half Mongolian. His dad had a job, then went home, and mama didn’t know she was pregnant until sometime later. Mama died, no relatives, been trying to find the dad for years. Put Daisy Chain on it, and found out he died in a car accident. No living relatives. No one will adopt him here because he’s half Asian.”

“That’s just stupid,” opined Wraith. “And the other one?”

“That one’s the saddest of all. A friend’s mother was driving Dina and her own daughter to ballet practice. Got T-boned by a truck. The mama died, the other girl lived. The dad took the friend and moved to upstate New York, so she lost her friend, too. The girl’s own mother couldn’t handle her special needs, and turned to drugs. Dina had a shattered pelvis, pins all over the damn place. Kid can’t sit through a class without wriggling in pain. Had to set her teachers straight twice so far, getting on her for wriggling. Got her special pillows, but they don’t help much on those hard chairs. Foster mother’s a twit, doesn’t get that chronic pain is real. Thinks the kid is trying to get out of doing chores, or why the kid sometimes can’t get out of bed.”

Sigrun’s eyes narrowed. “That… I have no words.”

“Tried setting that woman straight,” said Xenia. “Bob and I have both talked to her, but she’s just a twit. Dumb as a box of rocks, and thinks she’s right about everything.”

“How old is Dina?” asked Wraith.

“She was seven at the time of the accident, eleven when her mother died just six months ago, drugs.”

“Fuck,” said Sigrun. “Sorry, forgot we were in a family place. But; just, no.”

“Your classes done?” asked Xenia. She finished her breakfast sandwich, and guzzled coffee as if it was going out of style.

“Yes,” said Wraith. “That’s not the problem. We’ve been looking at bigger townhomes, but four bedrooms are hard to find, and they’re super-expensive. So, we need to move and do a home study.” She sent a text. “We’ll have three to look at in no time,” she said. “Our realtor is street-smart. Plus, we’ve got friends in construction.” She sent out another text to Tito.

“Okay,” said Xenia. “Let’s get Wraith in to work, straightening out our offices. Consultant pay is shit, but it does look good on your home study documents. I get you first, and then my husband will steal you. A week?”

“Good,” said Wraith. “More if needed. We can always zip back to buy a house. Bannon is paying me disgusting amounts of money. We can float a loan with no problem.”

“The hiccup,” said Sigrun, making a grimace, “is that I’m a student living with them, cleaning for room and board.”

“They’re good with gay,” said Wraith. “Not so good with poly.”

“My lips are sealed. I’ll try to get you in to see the kids, but Wraith will probably have to be there, and I’m going to run her ragged.”

Wraith grinned. “Bring it on.” She took her last sip of orange juice.

“What will you be doing, Sigrun?” asked Xenia, as she slid out of the booth.

“Herja is here,” said Sigrun. “We’ll fix bikes and fight.”

“Sounds good,” said Xenia. They all washed up; then went to start their day.

Wraith rode with Xenia in her company car, and Sigrun went off to fight. Tito called at five minutes to lunch. They were already on their way back to the cafe, wisps of hair sticking to their necks and faces with the heat.

“Got a ranch style. I know, we all hate them, but that may be best for the girl. Congratulations on that, too. A southwestern design and a courtyard in the middle. With a kiva to grill outdoors, and windows so you can see the kids playing in the courtyard. Four bedrooms, one office wired for everything, three and a half baths. On a quiet street. The best thing is; it’s only about ten blocks away from Desert Security.”

“Price?” asked Wraith.

“Before your work for Desert, would have thought it out of your price range. Way out. But Bannon is willing to front the down payment, as you may have used up some savings with your being hospitalized. A lot. And all.”

“We’ll match what Bannon is willing to pay,” said Wraith. “He can take it out of my bonuses.”

“You sell your kidney?” asked Tito.

“Nope,” said Wraith. “When you’re undercover, you don’t spend much, and we’ve greatly cut down our expenses by living together.”

“Okey dokey,” said Tito. “We’re almost done with the remodel. The guy wants to sell fast, because he owes us a fortune. I’ll try to get him to knock off the price. A huge down means a faster sale.”

“We want a fast close,” said Wraith. “Talk to Lily, and have her call Gregory. Wait, I will. Busy morning.”

“I’ll make a quick video, show you what we did. If you want us to do more things, let us know, but I think you’ll love it.”

“Good,” said Wraith. “Be waiting for it.”

She called Bannon first, and kept from whistling at the number he agreed to put on for a down payment. “I want you forever and ever,” he said. “I know Xenia and Bob both want you. I’m willing to pay to make that happen.”

Wraith found words in her suddenly sticky throat. “You… thank you very much,” she said. “We hope to adopt two kids.”

“Excellent!” boomed Bannon. “When?”

“As soon as the home study clears. Maybe a week or two.”

Bannon whistled. “You work fast, woman. I like that about you. Talk to you soon.” He hung up.

Wraith called Lily and filled her in. “Can’t match that,” said Lily. “Can get close. I suggest you don’t match it completely, anyway. Keep a little aside.”

“I’m not touching Saber’s money,” said Wraith, her voice flinty. “He earned it with his blood.”

“So did you,” said Lily, gently. “Alright. And how will you pay Bannon back?”

“Bonuses,” said Wraith. “My first one should be in the five figures. Easily.”

“Good move,” said Lily. “I’ll handle the inspection and the closing. Are you coming back up to see the house?”

Wraith shrugged, then she remembered that Lily couldn’t see her because she was working for Xenia and Bob. “Why? Tito says it’s good. I believe him.”

“Trusting woman,” said Lily.

“He’s sending a video,” said Wraith.

Lily snorted. “Talk to you later,” she said, and hung up.

They entered the diner, and Kema grinned and put out two large glasses of iced tea. They sat at the counter, and Wraith ordered a BLT on wheat and wedge potatoes. Xenia ordered mesquite chicken with bacon on wheat with the wedge potatoes. They sat, and drank quietly.

Wraith’s phone pinged, and she pulled up the video. The floors were done in Spanish tiles, the colors in azure and brick red, with yellow and little hints of green here and there. The bedrooms were not large, except the master, which had a bathroom and a jacuzzi tub, and two sinks and glass tiles in gold and blue. She loved it. There were built-in shelves in the family room for a wide-screen television and all its paraphernalia. The second bedroom wasn’t too small, good enough for a queen bed. The other two bedrooms were in the middle of the back hallway. The office was opposite the den, wired for everything. The courtyard was lovely, with its very own mesquite tree on one end, and a kiva to keep the place warm in winter on the other.

“Can put padding down on the courtyard,” observed Wraith.

“Good for the sore one,” said Xenia. “Get that girl under your medical care, and I really think she’d improve fast.”

“Hope so,” said Wraith. “When can we meet them?”

“Provided your wife isn’t a bloody mess from fighting, we can see them on my drive-through this afternoon,” said Xenia. “Oh, no blood,” said Xenia.

“They wear padding, so it should be good, unless she barked her knuckles up on the bikes. She’s more likely to paint them. Do a custom job that will make the customer pay through the nose.”

“I look forward to seeing that,” said Xenia. Their food arrived and they dug in.

* * *

Wraith finished her little program to fix the file numbering system, and ran it. Xenia stuck her head out of the office. “Ride-along time,” she said. “You good?”

“Excellent,” said Wraith. “Made significant progress.”

“Let’s pick up some iced coffees in the car,” she said. “And Sonic for dinner.”

“I love you,” said Wraith, as she slipped on her glasses and headed out into the heat, which hit her like a fist to her skull and eyes. The wind was desiccating and laced through with fine grit.

Xenia snorted. “Wharton first. He’s in karate class. You should like that.”

“I’d teach him the Yang Short Form first,” said Wraith. “Teach him that slow movement won’t kill him, and will help him to maintain his balance.”

“Tai chi,” said Xenia. “Good choice.”

The kids were all lined up, from black belts down. The tiniest girl had a black belt. “Bet that makes Wharton nuts,” said Wraith, looking in the dojo window, pointing to the little girl with her chin.

“It does. He’s only a gold belt.” Wharton was near the middle. He had elfin features, a shock of black hair, and penetrating brown eyes. His skin was nut-brown from the sun, with a hint of gold underneath.

“That’s impressive,” said Wraith. “He couldn’t have been taking classes long.”

“It is. Wish his foster mother understood that.” Xenia sighed. “He’s on a fake scholarship for this class.”

“You paid for it,” intuited Wraith. Xenia just smiled mysteriously. The class was on its last ten minutes. Wraith watched Wharton kick, punch, block, evade, roll, and duck. “Impressive,” she said again. They bowed, then knelt, as the instructor had them breathe and center. She released her students, and they tumbled out the door like sheep escaping a pen.

Wharton saw them, and stopped. “Sheriff,” he said. “Here to check up on my progress?”

“We’re both impressed,” said Xenia. “War, this is Wraith. She wants to be your new mom.”

“I hate my name,” said Wharton. “Everyone at school calls me Wart. War is a little better. Can I change my name if you adopt me?” he said, looking up into her eyes.

“Of course,” said Wraith. “You’ll also be trained by Skuld. She trains FBI agents.”

“I can keep the karate?” War asked.

“Yes,” said Wraith. “But, I’ll teach you the Yang Short Form. Tai chi. Helps with balance and concentration.”

“Cool,” said War. “When?”

“At least a week,” said Wraith. “Buying a house first.”

“Can I see it?” asked War. Wraith played him the video. “That rocks! My own room?” he asked, with eyes wide as they could go.

“Absolutely,” said Wraith.

“Score!” he said. They bumped fists. “Bye, Mom. Gotta go to the foster home now. See ya!” He ran down the hallway and out to the street.

“That went well,” said Xenia. “Onto the next one. I guarantee it won’t go as well. It would be catastrophic for us both to lose our cool, though,” she said. “We’ve got to hold on. I can call over yonder to have your home study rushed,” she said, as they strode out of the building and back into the now-hot sheriff’s SUV.

“I’ve been undercover, remember?” asked Wraith. “I think I can take her.”

“That’s the problem,” said Xenia. “Wish I could get her license revoked. Want to take her out myself.”

They drove to a house with a few blades of grass, children’s toys strewn haphazardly all over the front yard, including Big Wheels and a plastic wagon. There were a few dolls strewn about, their eyes staring at the sky; at nothing. “Creepy,” said Wraith. “And that’s coming from me.”

Xenia snorted. “We haven’t gotten out of the truck yet.”

They got out of the truck, and Xenia knocked. A little boy, no more than five, opened the door. “Chad,” said Xenia. “Nice to see you.”

“You here to take me to my mommy?” he asked, hopefully.

“No, Chad,” said Xenia, gently. She knelt to look into his eyes. “She’s in a six-month rehab. She’s got two months left, buddy. But, I brought you a letter.” She took a battered envelope out and gave it to him. “If you don’t understand any of the words, just ask.” They entered as he scampered off to read the letter, and Xenia shut the door behind her.

A woman came lumbering out of the kitchen. She was as wide as she was tall, with a rose tattoo on her right breast. She wore a voluminous muumuu in blue, with yellow parrots on the bottom. She had a fat mouth and crooked teeth, and fuzzy brown hair caught at the nape of her neck. She had a baby in one hand, and a toddler attached to her leg.

“See you let yourself in again, Sheriff.”

“No,” said Xenia. “Chad did. Have you spoken to him about not answering the door himself?”

“Thinks his no-good mother is coming back,” she said. “Told him it wasn’t going to happen.”

Xenia spoke calmly, carefully. “I know his caseworker has asked you not to say things like that to him, Donna. Shall I tell her about what you said?”

“Do what you fucking like,” said Donna. “You got no call barging in here.”

“Donna, this is Annika Jensen. She’s going to adopt Dina,” she said, levelly.

“About fucking time,” said Donna. “You taking her away now?”

Xenia spoke calmly. “Yes, we are.” Wraith schooled her expression. She hoped Xenia was able to smooth this over with the caseworker. Donna looked absolutely gleeful.

A knock came from the door. Xenia turned. “That’ll be June, the caseworker,” she said. “I’ll get it.”

“You do that,” said Donna, and turned away. She didn’t give either woman a second glance.

June was tall, with a fan of crimped hair in a clip on the back of her head, coffee-colored skin, and bright brown eyes. “Thank you for letting me in, Sheriff,” she said. “And this is Agent Jensen?”

“Ex-agent,” said Wraith. “I’m working with the sheriff’s department to clean up some paperwork, files, make their work more efficient and up to Nye County code. It is already, but it can get better.”

“Excellent,” said June. “And the child,” she looked at her paperwork, “Dina Morris, will be staying with you at your house? I see that you are also a certified foster parent.”

“Yes,” said Xenia. “It keeps kids safe at three in the morning when we have some trouble with beds.”

“I see,” said June. “The paperwork seems to be in order. Do you have a home study?” June asked Wraith.

“Yes,” she said, handing over a folder. She failed to mention getting recertified in the new house. Tito would be sure all the outlets were covered, and take out the kiva for the inspection. June inspected the paperwork in the folder, then handed it back. “Well, then. Shall we tell Dina?”

“Yes,” said Wraith, happily.

They went to a back bedroom, stepping over piles of toys that seemed to have been dropped or thrown all over. There were two beds in a tiny room. The door barely missed hitting the bed. There were two girls in the room. The one on the left wore a soccer jersey and was laying on the bed playing a video game. The other was propped up on pillows with a lap desk, attempting to read a book. Dina had green eyes, red hair (inexpertly braided), and thin arms and legs. She had lines around her mouth, nose, and in between her eyebrows from the pain.

“Dina,” said June.

“Am I getting moved again?” she asked, with hope in her voice.

“Yes and no,” said June. “This is Annika, your new mother.”

“Cool braids,” said Dina.

“Thank you,” said Wraith. “What can I pack for you?”

“I’ll get the suitcase out of the SUV,” said Xenia. “I’ll be right back.”

Dina pointed out her clothes —only one drawer in the dresser, her few things, her books. “We turned in all the school’s books at the end of the semester,” said Dina.

“Excellent,” said Wraith. “I’ll explain your options in the car.”

“I have options?” said Dina.

“Lots,” said Wraith. “Lots of options. Kind of a full-service house.”

“Awesome,” said Dina. “What can I do to help?”

“Hang out a minute,” said Wraith. “Let us pack.”

“Cool,” said Dina. She laid back on the pillow.

Xenia came in with a pink rolling suitcase. Wraith and Xenia made quick work of packing. Wraith signed some paperwork, and then June bustled out the door. Wraith said, “May I pick you up?”

“Mama says she’s faking,” said the other girl, over the beeps and whines from her video game.

“Your mother is wrong,” said Wraith, very softly, but clearly.

“Thought so,” said the girl, never looking up from her game.

“You can pick me up,” said Dina, in a small voice.

“Let me know if something hurts,” said Wraith. “We’ll get you into the car.” She nearly staggered, because the girl was bird-boned.

“Restricted diet,” said Dina. “I can’t play like Rayna here, because I could get fat.”

Wraith closed her eyes as she straightened her back. “I think we’ve got what we need,” she said, glancing at Xenia.

The thunderous look on Xenia’s face showed that Xenia had, in fact, understood. The woman had been starving the girl. “Pictures later,” said Xenia. “Can’t have helped muscle development. Didn’t the doctors notice?”

“I haven’t been to see a doctor since I got here,” said Dina. “Just before Mama died.”

Xenia and Wraith exchanged a flinty glance. Donna’s going to prison, thought Xenia. May she starve in prison, Xenia thought, now fierce with rage.

They got Dina into the SUV. Xenia used a blanket to pad her hips. “I’m sorry, but this is…” said Xenia.

Wraith carefully shut the door. “Pediatrician first,” she said.

It took a nightmarish ninety minutes, and a second call to June, to get the situation at the pediatrician ironed out. Wraith got a copy of Dina’s medical records from June, and June was properly horrified. “She sent logs of doctor visits,” said June. “Got reimbursed, too.”

“Fraud,” said Xenia. “The state will be pressing charges,” she said. “A lot of them. Is that girl, Rayna, her biological daughter?”

“No, and not adopted,” said June. “None of the children in her care are.” She sighed. “I”m going to have to find homes for every single one of them.”

“I’ll take Dave,” said Xenia. “I’ve visited his mother. She’s staying sober. She writes him every week. Sends him drawings.”

“That’s… excellent,” said June. “This girl was overweight when she got there. Now she’s underweight. That much weight loss can cause permanent damage in a child.”

“She’ll be on my insurance,” Wraith said, mildly. “We’ll take care of it.”

The pediatrician, Dr. Gupta, came out, a diminutive woman with blue-black hair and a ready smile. “She needs meal replacement. I suggest Ensure with her meals. Let her be a kid. Give her ice cream and cookies. She needs to gain ten pounds, quickly. Hospitalization isn’t necessary, but she shouldn’t be out in this heat, or moving around much. I hesitate at giving her pain medication, due to her lowered weight and subsequent decreased metabolism, but naproxen sodium should work and last all day, with food.”

“Lots of food. I can do that,” said Wraith.

Sigrun came into the office, and rushed over to Wraith. Sigrun had paint splotches on her T-shirt, and paint underneath her fingernails. “Is Dina alright?”

“Who is this?” asked June.

“It’s in the paperwork,” said Wraith. “She’s a student living with us.”

“I do the housekeeping. I took parenting classes just like Wraith and Saber. I’m a certified foster parent as well.” Sigrun turned worried eyes to Wraith. “What’s wrong with Dina?”

June took her leave. “Alright, I’ll get the paperwork nightmare started. When can you pick up Dave?” June asked Xenia.

“Now,” said Xenia. The two women stepped away to organize it.

“Let’s have you meet her and you can see,” said Wraith.

Dr. Gupta gestured to the room. Wraith knocked. “Come in,” said Dina. She was back in her pink T-shirt and blue jean shorts. Her battered white tennis shoes were on the ground.

“I’ll put those on for you,” said Wraith.

Sigrun sat down on the rolling stool used by the doctor. “Hi, Dina. I’m Sigrun. I’m Wraith’s wife.”

“Cool,” said Dina. “Two moms?”

“And a dad,” said Wraith, slipping on the first shoe. “Saber isn’t home with us very often. His job takes him away a lot. He’s kind of a special police officer.” She slipped on the other one, and laced up the high-top.

“Whoa,” said Dina. “Way cool.”

“We’re adopting a brother for you, too,” said Wraith. “But, we’ve got to keep the three-parent thing on the down low, for now.” She picked Dina up. “The law gets two moms, two dads, or a mom and a dad. Two moms and a dad kinda makes them stutter.”

Dina barked out a small laugh. “I bet.” Sigrun opened the door, and Wraith turned to get out.

“I got the rental car like you asked,” said Sigrun. “All gassed up and ready to go. Herja’s got someone wanting to party in Vegas, so she’s taking my Harley back tonight with another Valkyrie. They’ll double-up on the way back.” She led them out to reception, where Sigrun took Dina’s bird weight, and Wraith signed a bunch of paperwork.

“Food first,” said Wraith, and opened the door to let Sigrun and Dina out. “I suggest Sonic; burgers, fries, shakes, and sundaes for dessert.” She sighed. “Wait, small meals every two to three hours. Chicken fingers, a soda, and the sundae, then fries and the shake, two hours later.”

Dina grinned. “Really?”

“Really,” said Wraith. “We’ll let you sleep at night, as much as you can in a home with a new baby. Diana still screams every two hours.”

“So,” said Sigrun, “Xenia and Robin feed Diana, and we feed you.” Wraith opened the door to the rental, a silver Taurus. Sigrun carefully slid Dina into the car seat. “Sorry, but your lowered poundage means a car seat for now.” It was covered with a blue towel.

“Never rode in one, that I remember,” said Dina. Sigrun and Wraith’s eyes met. “What?” said Dina.

Xenia rushed over with the pink suitcase. “I have a little boy to pick up, and I’m buying him stuff,” said Xenia. “See you tomorrow, Wraith.” She caught the back of each woman’s neck, and touched foreheads.

“Thanks for our daughter,” said Wraith. Xenia nodded, and rushed away. Wraith put the rolling suitcase in the trunk and then got in. Sigrun drove. “In answer to your question,” said Wraith, turning to look at her daughter. “You’ll be getting lots of weird looks over your head for a few months. Your foster mother neglected and abused you, and failed to give you proper medical care. Your weight is too low. We will feed you like a little piggy for a while. When we get to Vegas, you will get the best medical care we can get for you. Once you fatten up a bit, we can start the specialized exercises to relieve your back and neck pain.”

“And shoulder, and hip,” said Dina. “My leg was broken in three places, too.”

“Another you,” said Sigrun, turning toward the Sonic sign in the distance.

“I got run over by a truck while on a motorcycle,” said Wraith. “So I get it. It happened to me too.

“Then you got shot,” said Sigrun. “Don’t worry; she’s not in that line of work anymore. She works for a security agency. Right now, Wraith is consulting with the city here, cleaning stuff up. They scanned everything, so now they need to do some computer filing stuff.”

“Then y0u know,” said Dina, sounding relieved. She thought a minute. “Can I see Donna get arrested?”

Wraith laughed. “I don’t see why not.”

They had their chicken fingers, shared fries, and Cokes, with chocolate sundaes to go. They pulled around the corner, and watched Bob take the handcuffed Donna out to his car. She was squawking so loud they could hear her from where they were parked. Cars and caseworkers were everywhere to take the children to new homes. Xenia had a suitcase in one hand, and Dave’s in her other hand. She put him into a car seat in the back of her vehicle, and his little suitcase in the back. She closed the door, and spied the lurkers on the corner. She nodded at them, and they followed her home.

“When you think you’ve done enough, do more. Your survival depends on it.”