Harden
“Okay boys, time to do some demolition.”
The assembled shifters grinned and began yanking on the ripcords, chainsaws firing up in a stutter of loud roars that assaulted his hearing until he slipped the coverings over his ears, drowning the worst of it out.
With a grin over his shoulder at Erika, he hoisted his own saw, bringing it to life with a swift sure pull. Then he spread out, and began to hunt down anything he could take down alone. The Koche brothers had joined him, eager to help with clearing a spot for the house he intended to build.
Harden had told them that he would be okay, but they had insisted. Said it wasn’t work, but fun. Besides, it’s not like they had jobs, they’d told him. Still, he’d felt guilty. Not only were they bankrolling him, providing funds for whatever project he wanted to build—and Erika had some wild ideas—but they had also secured permission for him to start two days after closing the deal. Time was of the essence with Erika chugging along through her pregnancy, and he intended to work around the clock until he had a place worthy of her.
The tree he was working on, a fifteen-foot sapling, toppled over as he sliced through it with near contemptuous ease. Glancing over his shoulder once more, he saw Erika and some of the other women, including her friend Kelly, who had come out to visit at last. He grinned. They hadn’t told Kelly that in a few more days Gray would be coming by.
Both he and Erika had seen the way Gray looked at her, and for over a month and a half now had been trying to get the two of them into the same room. But somehow Kelly managed to sneak out at the last second. Not this time though. This time they had her.
Glancing around to ensure he was clear, he toppled a larger tree, perhaps twenty-five feet or so in height. The six of them had fanned out in an arc, slowly working their way apart from each other. The area he wanted cleared was marked with a bright yellow rope. It wasn’t overly large; he wanted to keep as much of the forest intact as possible.
The house itself was to be set back from the road, keeping a thick line of forest between the house and it, to better ensure their privacy. The land itself was around twenty acres—a seemingly insane amount for just him and Erika, but he knew that his wolf would enjoy running wild through it. The property was mostly flat with soft undulating hills covered by trees and other brush. A river, or a large stream more accurately, ran through the back third of the property, just behind where the house would go.
He couldn’t wait to wake up in the morning and enjoy the sound of burbling water drifting through the large bank of windows he planned to install all along that side of the house. It was going to be heaven.
A waving hand caught his attention and he killed the saw, looking around as the others did the same. There were only two large trees left now. He’d planned the location as best as he could, but there was no way he could avoid cutting them all down. Limiting it to two large ones was a price he could pay. The lumber from them would go to building one of the future houses, once it was cut and dry. Just like much of the wood he would use to build his house came from trees felled when the Koche brothers built their houses. It was a good tradition to continue.
“What’s up?” he called over to Erika, wondering why she’d been waving at him.
“Lunch time!”
He frowned. They’d only been at it for perhaps half an hour. True, much of it was done. Six chainsaws go through forest rather quickly. But he’d hoped to get it all done before lunch.
Saying no to Erika wasn’t an option he was willing to take at the moment, however, so instead of arguing he just shrugged, walked over to the circle of the others, and plopped his saw down next to theirs.
“We didn’t bring any lunch,” he said suddenly, realizing that a midday meal hadn’t been on his planning.
“I know,” Erika said dryly.
She put two fingers to her lips and whistled. The bush rustled and suddenly other women emerged, all carrying picnic baskets with red and white checkered cloths covering them. One of them had two and passed it off to Erika, who crooked a finger at him.
“Why don’t you just put on a red cloak and then we can all tell the fable,” he told her as she walked over to a partially cleared zone.
“Hush,” she ordered, her tone gentle and yet unwilling to brook any feedback.
“Yes ma’am.”
“Better.” She spread the cloth out, unfolding it several times. It was much larger than he’d initially thought. “Now, sit.”
He immediately plopped himself down on the uneven terrain. Erika busied herself with unpacking the contents of the basket. Three large sandwiches stuffed with various meats and cheeses and wrapped in plastic came his way.
“One of those is for me. You only get two.”
He allowed his head to duck, but brightened as she next withdrew several cans of beer.
“Oh. Oh yes. You are the one for me,” he crowed happily. “You know the way to my heart.”
“So shocking that it goes through your stomach. How did I not see that one coming,” she remarked, monotone.
“Meanie.”
Erika giggled, tossed him an apple, and then sat next to him and took the proffered sandwich. The basket went down in front of them, and he tried to peer in to see what else was there, earning only a swat for his troubles.
“No peeking,” she ordered. “Eat your food.”
He nodded and unwrapped a sandwich. All around the cleared area the others were doing the same, sitting with their mates on their own checker-patterned cloths. He smiled, taking a deep breath in.
“Hey,” she said, snagging his attention a second later.
He glanced over at her, seeing a huge smile upon her face.
“What?”
“I just wanted to tell you that I love you,” she said, her big brown eyes never wandering.
“I love you, Erika Rey,” he said softly. “With all my heart.”
She paused, sandwich halfway to her mouth and leaned into him, nuzzling against his shoulder until he put his arm around her.
“If you think you love me now,” she said. “Wait until you see what’s for dessert.”
He sat up straighter.
“Why? What is it?”
“Me.”
********
This concludes Big Bad Wolf Dad. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Although this story is over, there are more adventures to be had. To get access to my newest stories at the introductory price of just 99c, and for other exclusives, sign up for my newsletter!
Up Next:
Want more of Harden & Erika?