“It’s funny really,” Allison continued, “Now I’m putting to use all of the same skills that I would have in my old life, but it’s infinitely better, because I have Jonah, Grace, and the rest of our very masculine family.” She smiled. “It is nice to have a woman to talk to finally. The men are like brothers to me, and very sweet, but being the only woman here can be hard sometimes.” She poured homemade blueberry pie filling into the crusts before laying the top crusts over and pinching the edges.
“I can’t even imagine,” Rowan replied. “Although sweet isn’t the word I would have picked to describe the guys I’ve met so far ... More like January through August of the Commando Hotties ‘R’ Us calendar.” Allison laughed.
“How long have you known Graham and Zach?” Ro asked.
“Almost as long as I’ve known Jonah. They didn’t spend as much time here at the beginning. Just on leave, between missions. Jonah was honorably discharged from the service two years before the rest. He’d been thinking of getting out, and meeting me just hurried up that decision.”
“So they’ve all only been here for about two years?”
“Full-time, anyway. They’ve been coming here for much longer, from what I’ve been told. Graham always came home at every opportunity to help his uncle, and the rest of them tagged along. When Graham’s uncle passed and it became his, he was thinking of separating from the service because he didn’t know who he could trust to manage it. It was perfect timing, really, when Jonah decided to get out.” Allison smiled. “That first year was a busy one for us. A new baby and a herd of deer. I thought Jonah might lose his mind. But after that last mission, the rest of the men felt like they had no choice but to take the honorable discharges they were offered. It was probably for the best.” Allison voice trailed off as she turned to put the pies in the big black wood-fired stove.
“What last mission?” Ro asked.
“It’s really not my place to talk about it,” she replied, reaching for a dishtowel to dry to the dishes that Rowan had set in the rack next to the sink.
“Did something go wrong?”
“I shouldn’t say. It’s not something they speak of often.”
“Please, I’d like to know.”
“I don’t know much, honestly. I just know that not all of them made it home, and the mission was under heavy scrutiny by their commanding officer. They all came to live here on the ranch, but about six months later, Nick took his own life.”
A stoneware plate slipped from Ro’s grasp. The sharp thunk it made when it connected with the bottom of the enameled iron sink punctuated Allison’s statement. “I had no idea.”
“There was no reason you would have known,” Allison replied.
“Did you know him?”
“Yes. I knew them all fairly well, except for Tim. He took Jonah’s place on the team during the last years, but from what I gather, he never meshed like the rest. He stayed in while the rest opted for discharge.”
Allison went on to describe the happy-go-lucky Isaac, who’d been killed in action, and his team leader, Nick, who’d committed suicide, presumably out of guilt and regret. Ro asked about the teams, and Allison explained that they’d made up two separate Force Recon teams, but they’d carried out almost all of their missions and training together. Graham led one team, with Beau, Jonah (and later Tim), Jamie, Ty, and Zach. Nick had led the second team of Isaac, Cam, Travis, Alex, and Ryan.
The information was buzzing through Ro’s head. She felt like she’d been given a few pieces to a puzzle she didn’t know she was trying to piece together. At least one thing now made sense: why everyone looked to Graham for orders.
They finished the dishes and chatted until the pies were pulled from the oven. Ro learned more about the ranch than she’d even known to ask. How the electricity was generated by three different means: solar, wind, and micro-hydroelectricity from the creek she’d used in her thwarted escape attempt. The garden wasn’t just a garden; it was an aquaponic garden system that was used to grow not only plants but also supported several types of fish. And it was sustainable year-round thanks to the insulated and heated greenhouse that ran along one of the compound walls. Ro was about to ask more questions when the screen door swung open on soundless hinges, and Zach walked through.
“Hey there, sweetheart. You ‘bout done here? If so, I wondered if you’d like to sit in the clinic for a while?”
“Is she awake?” Ro asked as her heart kicked into a gallop.
“Not yet, but Beau says she should be waking up soon; a few hours at most, he figures. Thought it might help to have a woman there when she comes to.”
Ro looked to Allison. “Did you need more help? I can come back after.”
Allison smiled sweetly. “It’s fine. I’ve appreciated your help and your company. We’ll be along to check in on her later.”
Zach swung Ro up into his arms, dropped a quick kiss onto her head, and headed back out the door.