“We’ll look into that, first chance.”

“As for adding on, could be I’ll talk to Quint about drawing something up for that. I had a conversation with Mary Blunt about this retail business, and she tells me Lil’s place does a good turn on things like postcards and such.”

“You’ve been busy.”

“I saw the doctor yesterday. He says I’m fit and I’m sound. The leg’s healed up.” To prove it, Sam gave his thigh a smack. “At my age I’m going to have to pamper it some, but I can walk and stand and I can sit a horse and ride a plow. So I’ll be taking on some of the guideds again. You’re not here to work yourself to the bone-that’s not what your grandmother and me want.”

“I’m a long way from the bone.”

As Coop had, Sam leaned on the pitchfork. “I’ve been dug in about hiring on. Don’t like change. But things change whether you like it or not, and the fact is we’ve got a good business going with the rentals. Better than we ever expected. We need to hire on more help there. We need more help around the farm so you can do what you came out here to do, and if that’s adding some things, changing them some, that’s the way it is.”

“More help’s not going to hurt my feelings, but I’m doing what I came out here to do, whether we add on or change a thing.”

“You came out to help your crippled grandfather.” Sam did a bounce and kick that had Coop laughing. “Do I look crippled?”

“No, but you don’t look like Fred Astaire either.”

Sam wagged the pitchfork. “You came back to start digging in the roots you planted when you were just a boy. To run the horse business and help with the farm.”

“Like I said, I’m doing what I came out to do.”

“Not all.” This time Sam pointed a finger. “Are you married to that girl? Did you just forget to invite me to the wedding?”

“I didn’t come out here to marry Lil. I thought she was going to marry someone else.”

“Had that been the case, you’d’ve been working out ways to win her away from that French guy ten minutes after setting eyes on her again.”

“Maybe.”

Pleased, Sam nodded. “You would’ve done it, too. Anyway, we’re hiring on, and we’re adding on. Your grandma and me decided on it.”

“Okay. I’ll make it work for you, Grandpa.”

“You make it work for you, I expect it’ll work for me. And you’ll have time to do everything you came out here to do. I’ll finish up here. You go in and sweet-talk your grandmother out of some breakfast before you go on. She’s got the start of her spring cleaning in mind today, so God help me. I got the names and phone numbers of those I told you about in the kitchen.”

“I’ll haul this load out first.”

“Do you think I haven’t got the muscle for that?”

“Grandpa, I figure you can haul your share of shit and everyone else’s, but it’s on my way.”

Coop wheeled out the barrow while Sam guffawed. He headed to the manure pile with a grin.

IN THE CHANCE kitchen, breakfast was on. Farley plowed into flapjacks, dazzled by his luck. Along with them were sausage and hash browns. A kingly breakfast, in his mind, for the middle of the week.

“Our stomachs are getting full because Jenna emptied my wallet yesterday.”

Jenna bumped Joe’s shoulder with her elbow, then topped off his coffee. It did ease the guilt of the sting she put on their credit card. “That’s our wallet, mister.”

“It’s still empty.”

She laughed and sat to look over her grocery list, the list for the feed store, and other errands. “It’s market day, so I’m going to be putting another dent in that tin can with the spare cash you’ve got buried outside.”

“I used to think you really had one of those,” Farley said between bites.

“What makes you think I don’t? Take my advice, Farley, get yourself a tin can and bury it deep. A married man needs some backup.”

Jenna’s eyes twinkled with humor even as she narrowed them. “I know where everything’s buried around here. And just where to bury you where no one will ever find the body if you’re not careful.”

“A woman who can threaten your life before you’ve finished breakfast is the only kind of woman worth having,” Joe told Farley.

“I’ve got one of those. I’m a lucky man.”

“The two of you lucky men better finish up and get out of here if you expect to get your work done, then help Sam.”

“We’ll be the best part of the day. We’ll have the radio if you need anything.”

“I’ve got my own full day. Lucy’s packing you two lunch so you won’t starve, or have need to come back in before you’re done. I’ll be heading into town later on, then swinging by Lucy’s. She’s started her spring cleaning, so I’m picking up what she needs at the market.”

“Can you go by the hardware? I need a couple things.”

“Put it on the list.”

Joe wrote down what he needed while he finished his coffee. “We can call the dogs in if you want them around today.”

“I’ll be leaving in a couple hours anyway. Let them have a good run with you. Are you home for supper, Farley?”

“Well, Tansy’s mom’s going back today, so I was thinking…”

“I know what you’re thinking. I’ll see you in the morning, then.” She added to her list while Farley cleared the table.

“I’ll load up the tools,” he said. “Thanks for breakfast, Jenna.”

When they were alone, Joe winked at his wife. “We’ll have the house to ourselves tonight, so I was thinking…”

She laughed. “I know what you’re thinking, too.” She leaned over for the kiss. “Get going so you can get back. And don’t work so hard you’ve got nothing left for what you’re thinking.”

“I’ve always got something left for that.”

She smiled as she finished her lists in the quiet kitchen, because that was the pure truth.

LIL HELPED CLEAN and hose down the enclosures before going into the offices. It was dental hygiene day at the refuge, so Matt and several of the interns would be busy drugging animals and cleaning teeth. And a shipment of chicken was due to arrive that morning. More interns busy unloading and storing. The winch on the door of the lion’s habitat had made unfortunate noises that morning as she’d lowered it to keep Sheba out of the enclosure while they’d cleaned and disinfected it. Maintenance on the list, she thought, and some prayers that it didn’t need replacement.