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rotates his wrist to loosen my
grip. When I release him, his hand slides softly into mine, stealing my breath
with a light squeeze and a sweep of his thumb across my knuckles. “You didn’t.
We’re good.” The flashlight is flicked on, illuminating his smile as he
stumbles out the door. Oh that smile is as devastating as his touch. “Just keep
it between us.”
    He
disappears into the darkened forest. God…what I would give to have him just
once.
     
    * * * *
     
     
     
    Abby
     
    June
and July pass in the beat of a hummingbird’s wing. Summer is always a busy
season. The amount of work required to keep nine people fed can be
overwhelming, but we manage nicely. Airen, Carson, and Eric have become skilled
hunters, so we don’t lack fresh meat, and our freezers are never empty. Carson
returns excited about a new prospect.
    “We
saw a wild pig!” he exclaims, washing his hands before plopping down at the
breakfast table.
    “Really?”
I regard him skeptically. I haven’t seen a pig since the plague.
    “I
swear! Ask Dad!”
    “I
believe you. That’s amazing.” Lane squirms, and I shift him to my other hip.
He’s getting heavy.
    “Dad
says there must be more. They probably belonged to a nearby farmer and escaped
their pen after he died. It doesn’t take long for hogs to become feral,” he
lectures. “And they’re mean. We’re going to try to track them.” My look of
concern is met by a roll of his eyes. “I’ll be careful. It’s just a pig. If
you’re going to worry, save it for the mountain lions.”
    “There
aren’t mountain lions in this part of the state,” I scoff, rumpling his sweaty
hair.
    “There
are some huge paw prints in the woods that say otherwise.” He swallows his last
bite and hops up from the table. “Thanks, Mom. I’m going to meet Jayla.” He’s
off without a care in the world, leaving me to fret over this new threat.
    Troy
and Joseph join Airen, Carson, and Eric on what Carson has dubbed “The Great
Bacon Hunt”. After three consecutive early morning hunts yield no results, they’re
frustrated. Carson is determined, however, and the hoof prints they notice on
the third day only strengthen his resolve.
    As
I remove a pan of biscuits from the oven, a cry echoes through the house. Oh hell,
what now? I’m stunned by the sight of them gathered in the yard around a huge
dead hog, satisfied smiles plastered on their faces while they talk animatedly.
They look like a pack of animals surrounding their prey, gloating over the
kill. I can almost smell the testosterone.
    “Joseph
got him!” Carson cries. “Right through the eye! He was one heavy son of a bitch
to carry back!”
    “Carson
Tyler! Language!” I scold, laughing.
    “We’ll
dig the pit tonight and have us a big old hog roast tomorrow,” Airen promises,
his southern accent prominent in his excitement. He looks all of twenty years
old when he’s happy.
    Joseph
laughs. “I’m going to get Walker from Julie’s. He’ll never forgive me if he
misses a chance to see a dead pig. I’ll be back with bricks to line the pit.”
    “Bring
a roll of chicken wire from the barn when you come.”
    I
leave them to their preparations and head back inside. It’s good to see
everyone so happy and I’m looking forward to tomorrow. We need a little fun. Through
the window, I hear them laughing and talking while Airen instructs them on how
deep to dig and how much charcoal to dump in. When they’ve finished, they’re
all covered in dirt from head to toe, and they smell like a house fire.
    They
stop in the hall to kick off their filthy shoes, and Jayla laughs at Carson as
he shakes dirt out of his hair. “Did you roll in the dirt or shovel it?”
    “I
had to climb in the hole and set the bricks…just…right,” he replies, glaring at
Airen.
    “If
you’re going to do something, you may as well do it the right way,” Airen
replies.
    “You
mean your way.”
    Smirking,
he strips off his sweat soaked T-shirt. “That’s what