"Come on, you bums!" Will hollered, clomping through the room. He nudged Cooper, and flat-out kicked Bo as he passed by each one of them. Cooper, who'd been curled up on the couch, stretched and yawned, the blanket slipping down to his waist and exposing his bare chest. Bo, who'd been sprawled across the floor, jerked awake and yelped when Will's foot made contact with his side. "Time to get a move on! You're burning daylight!"
"In what universe is six in the morning considered burning daylight?" Cooper yelled, tossing a pillow over his head and rolling over. The oath he muttered was muffled against the pillow.
"How did I end up on the floor?" Bo moaned, popping his neck as he sat up. Rubbing his eyes, he looked out the window, and noted the position of the sun--or lack of sun. "Will, it's too early in the morning to do anything productive!" He threw himself back on the floor, covering his head with his arms.
"That boy never did like getting up early," Shawna giggled, as the sizzling of bacon reached the ears in the living room. The smell was even better.
Both men in the living room sat straight up, their eyes widening in excitement. Their eyes met as the two fools grinned and cheered, "Bacon!" Tossing the blankets and pillows off their bodies, they raced into the kitchen and sat at the table, wide awake.
"Here," Shawna laughed, setting a plate of bacon and biscuits down between the men. "Eat up. You've got a long day ahead of you two."
Cooper bit into his bacon, sighing happily. "Shawna, if you ever get sick of Will, you can come marry me and cook for me all you want to."
Will jokingly slapped Cooper's head, sitting beside him. "She'll be mine forever, kiddo. Sorry to break your heart." Cooper shrugged, taking another piece of bacon as more of an apology. Bo grinned at two of his favorite men, somehow knowing the two of them would get along. Will had taken a liking to Cooper the minute they met. Bo suspected it was because somehow, the men were almost exactly alike.
"So, when exactly do you two plan to go see Safe Haven?" Shawna asked, sitting down next to Bo.
"The meeting is around noon," Bo answered, buttering a biscuit as Will dug into a plate of scrambled eggs. Bo turned away from the plate. He hated eggs. "I was thinking we get there ten to fifteen minutes early. We don't know how busy the owner will be."
"Oh, I'm sure you're in for a surprise," Will coughed, wincing as Shawna kicked him under the table. Bo and Cooper didn't even catch anything weird about that. Bo figured maybe Will was up to his usual nonsense, still trying to make Shawna blush in front of anybody.
Cooper set his fork down with a loud clatter, looking up from his plate of eggs. "Shawna, are you sure you don't want to ditch Will and marry me? Because if not, I'll have to marry this plate of eggs."
Shawna blushed, burrying her face in her hands as she laughed. Bo bit back a grin as Will clubbed Coop. That had little to no effect on Cooper; he just sat there and grinned, pleased with the chaos he caused. Frustrated, Will reached in front of Cooper, stealing his plate of eggs and bacon.
"No! My back-up wife and my lover have been kidnapped!" Cooper wailed, attempting to reach around Will to reach his food. Will kept the plate away from Cooper without spilling anything.
"Boy, just how many women do you need in your life?" Will questioned, handing the plate back to him. Protectively, Cooper grabbed the plate and wrapped and arm around his food, shielding it from Will as he continued eating. Swallowing a mouthful of bacon, he replied, "Until Shawna agrees to marry me, I need as much as I can get."
Shaking his head, Bo dropped his plate in the sink. He stepped back into the living room, tugging on the shirt he wore the day before. As he walked outside, he tugged on his jacket, bitterly shaking against the cold, frostbitten air. He made his way out to his grandparents' stables, hoping to get a look at the new foal.
"Hey, Peanut," Bo greeted, patting the new mother. Looking around the peanut-colored mare, he saw the new baby boy, struggling to stand on all fours. The staggering movements brought a smile to Bo's face as he and Peanut watched the foal. Eventually, he made it up on all fours, slightly wobbling, but standing nonetheless.
"You just going to stand there and ogle or are you going to name the boy?" Will asked, approaching the stall with Cooper following at his heels. "Shawna and I couldn't agree on a name, so we decided to let you take a crack at it."
Bo glanced at Cooper's awed face, the child-like joy dancing in his eyes. "Actually, I was thinking Cooper should name it. First time seeing a foal and all."
"Really?" Cooper questioned, giddiness dancing clearly on his face. Bo nodded, gesturing to the foal that was now prancing in circles. Cooper, with a mile-wide smile that almost split his face in two, turned to the foal, running his hand down the foal's neck. "I think you should be named...Fireball."
"Hmm," was all Will said. It was all he needed to say. If he didn't approve of the name, he'd go on a screaming rampage. If he approved of the name, that's about as good as a response as you'd get. "Not bad for a guy who's never ridden a horse and can't keep from hitting on my wife."
"How can any man stop themselves from hitting on a woman who can cook that well?" Cooper countered, causing Will to shrug in more of an agreement than anything.
"We should get to work if you two are going to make it to your appointment on time," Will stated, moving to allow the horses to graze. "I can only imagine the two of you would like to shower so you don't walk in there smelling like something died."
"Or took a dump on us," Cooper chuckled, helping Bo clean out a stall. They paused as Fireball moved to nurse from Peanut. He wouldn't move anywhere until someone fed him. He definitely inherited something from his mother.
The three men worked for hours, pausing only to take a few drink breaks here and there. Once it was eleven, Cooper and Bo headed back inside the house to take showers and change before trekking up to Safe Haven.
"You think any of the workers will be hot? You know, any that might not have been in the pictures?" Cooper questioned, climbing into the passenger seat of Bo's electric blue Corvett. Some eighties song blasted through the speakers causing Cooper to utter some interesting words before turning down the volume. Bo shrugged indifferently, gearing himself into working mode. He couldn't be distracted by the idea of women possibly wrestling with cats twice their size. "How do they even get some of the cats here?"
"That's a question to be asking the owner, isn't it Cooper?" Bo countered, swearing when the 'Vette wouldn't change gears to drive on the dirt road. "Have these people never heard of pavement? Looks like we may have to get out and walk."
"Uh-uh," Cooper shouted, furiously shaking his head. "I ain't walking nowhere in this snow! If I step out in this snow, I'll disappear and you ain't never going to see me again!"
Bo shot him an amused look. "You are such a New Yorker. The snow isn't really that deep. It may bury your ankles though. Unless you'd rather sit in the car and get eaten alive by cougars and bobcats."
The thought looked as though it frightened the living daylights out of Cooper. "I'll come."
* * *
"Sage, have you been sleeping out here all night again?" Liz questioned, banging on the fence to wake her up. Yawning, she stretched, patting Dusk on the head as she wiggled out from under her. "You're going to catch a cold one of these days."
"You said that already," Sage reminded her, hooking her feet in the gaps as she climbed the fence. Nimbly, she landed on her feet, next to Liz. "And it doesn't feel right, leaving Dusk alone every night while she's sick like this. I mean, what if she goes into labor?"
"It's still too early," Liz assured, rubbing Sage's back. "Besides, you're not a licensed vet. What would you do if she did go into labor?"
"I've helped my parents, Will and Shawna birth many foals. There isn't much to it. You just catch the baby when it comes out and if it tries to come out wrong, turn it," Sage explained, pulling leaves and grass out of her hair.
"Whatever," Liz said, tugging at a stubborn piece of grass. "You need a shower. The writer and photographer are coming soon, and you smell like wet doggie. And you look even worse. Change into some clean clothes while you're at it."
"I don't have any extra clothes here anymore," Sage realized. She gave herself a mental slap on the head. "Get my mother on the phone. Tell her to break into my house, and get me some clothes. Preferably the blue-jean skirt that goes to my knees with my red sweater, black lace undershirt, and those boots I got from Belk two weeks ago."
"Okay. If you need bodywash or shampoo, dig in my purse," Liz informed as they stepped inside. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and scrolled through her address book, searching for Kate's number.
"Who packs bodywash and shampoo in their purse?" Sage teased, yanking her hair down. It fell to her waist, curling slightly at the ends.
"People who have friends who spend the night in a sanctuary next to a giant, pregnant cat," Liz returned as Kate answered the phone. As Liz launched into a conversation about the stupidity of her best friend and Kate's daughter, Sage snooped through Liz's purse, searching for different kinds of bodywash and shampoo. She settled on a bottle of sweat pea bodywash and some shampoo bottle that advertised volume.
Sage stepped through her office and into the connecting bathroom she'd gotten installed specifically for moments like this. She kicked off her shoes, the sky blue tile under her feet cool on her toes. Sage had to practically peel her damp clothes off her, heedlessly tossing them to the side as she turned on the shower. A moan ripped through her throat as the hot water eased the tension in her back. She braced her hands against the wall, ready to collapse from exhaustion. She stood like that for a few moments, waiting to see if she could stand without the help of the wall. When she finally decided she could, she began scrubbing herself down, wiping away the dirt and grime of yesterday's trials, knowing she'd face even more today.
After a few moments, there was a knock at the door. "Rosabelle Sage, I've got your clothes," Nick's voice said through the door. "Your mother was going to bring them, but you know how she and Liz get when they start talking about clothes. It never seems to end."
"Door's unlocked," Sage replied, lathering up shampoo in her hair. "Just leave the clothes on the counter. And while you're at it, make sure I set a towel out, because I don't think I did."
Sage listened as the door opened. She heard the soft sound of clothes being tossed on the counter, and the sound of another door opening. She heard the sound of a towel being set on the counter. Her dad flicked the light switch off, casting the room in darkness. Sage yelped, surprised, knowing he did that half the time she took a shower. She just never knew when he'd do it. Nick chuckled, flicking the light back on, pleased at himself. Sage heard the door click shut behind him after he left the room.
Cleansed, Sage shut off the water, stepping out of the shower. She wrapped the towel around herself, shaking the water out of her hair. She blow-dryed her hair and tossed her clothes on, adjusting it so it fit her perfectly, outlining the few curves she had. She left her hair hanging down her back, using a headband to keep it out of her face. As she moved into her office, she turned her computer on, tugging her shoes on as she scanned through her email. One in particular stood out. She couldn't tell who it was from, but the few words spoke legions. You owe me. I'm coming for my payment. In full.
Hissing, Sage deleted the message, figuring it was some teenager pulling a prank. God only knows how many she pulled during that stage. Absently, she clicked through the rest of the messages, and stood to go out and check the mail. A couple of bills were the only things that greeted her when she opened the mailbox. Well, that and a Victoria's Secret catalog.
Sage tossed the bills and the catalog on her desk, momentarily considering organizing it. She didn't see much reason why she should organize it. She'd just scatter everything later anyway. It would save her time, and effort, to just leave it as it was. She walked outside, intending to make her rounds, when her parents and Liz stepped into line beside her.
"So, do you mind if we hang around to meet the writer and the photographer?" Kate questioned as Sage paused to watch as Max tossed a couple pounds of meat to a lion named Fang, and his mate Seraphina. Their cub, Scuttle, came bouncing along, scrambling onto his father's back and nipping at his ear as he pushed to get food of his own. Sage shot a glance at Kate, wondering why she'd asked something like that.
"I've never minded before," Sage commented, moving on to the next animal. "Why would I mind now?" She stared through the fence, searching for the snow leopard. He tended to hide from everybody and keep to himself. So Sage had to watch until she saw a flash of dark circles splashed on white fur.
"Just making sure," Kate answered, her voice hinting at something. Sage shot her another look, catching that hint, but not understanding what it meant. "You never know. This could be the one time you want privacy."
"Mom, you're being weird," Sage warned. "I'm not talking about your normal weird. This is weirder than your normal weird."
"I am?" Kate returned, almost whimsically. "I hadn't noticed. I'll be sure to keep that in check."
"Did you smoke something on the way in here?" Sage muttered, mostly to herself as she stopped at Dusk's cage. Dusk blinked up at her visitors, yawned, and shut her eyes again. She hadn't touched her food or moved from that spot. Sage was about ready to just shove a tube down the cat's throat and force her to eat. If Dusk was human, she would've done so about a week ago. She flagged down one of her workers and told them to stay near Dusk's cage and alert someone if anything changed. Sage moved on to where a couple of orphaned bobcats were wrestling with each other, biting ears and legs, and yelping when the other's teeth sank into their skin.
A sand cat leaped at the fence, causing it to rattle. Sage glanced in his direction, watching as he hissed with spit flying out of his mouth. Racing away from the fence, he dashed right back, crashing into the fence so it would rattle and get her attention. At that moment, Max walked over, tossing food over the fence as he went. The sand cat raced to its food, forgetting about Sage.
"Max, you're supposed to open the gate and drop their food in, not toss it over the fence and in," Sage reminded him. "What are you going to do if I decide to close that hole?"
"Then I would feed that monster the way you told me to," Max replied, watching the sand cat wrestle with food. "But I don't see why you would waste the time and money closing that hole, when that little booger can't climb far enough to crawl through the hole. He'd have to cling on the rung with two legs, and since he doesn't have human thumbs, that would pose quite a problem."
He had a legit point.
"Whatever," Sage sighed. "But when he does decide to climb out of that hole, you're going to be the one catching him and putting him back."
Sage walked back inside, her little troop close at her heels. They seemed more excited about the writer than she did. Then again, maybe that stupid prank email had gotten to her more than she thought. What if it was real. So many things happened while she was traveling, and she knew she owed some favors. But in her experience, paid in full always meant death for the person who owed something.
"Let me know when they get here," Sage demanded, closing herself off in her office. She got back on her computer, intending to check on getting another sand cat. One that would keep her current sand cat from crashing into the fence everytime someone walked by. She'd gotten some random email again. It wasn't from the same address as last time, but the message still had the same meaning. I'm expecting my payment. In full. I'm almost there.
"This is getting really annoying," Sage moaned, deleting the message only for another one to appear. She considered ignoring it, but curiousity got the better of her, and she ended up reading it. This one seemed more like a silly poem than a threat message. The words still twisted her gut. I'm playing games with you, yes I am. I'm your worst nightmare...kill me if you can.
"Hey, Sage. The writer and the photographer are here," Liz yelled, opening the door to her office. She could hear a few voices out in the greeting area, no doubt her parents and the expected visitors. "And they are both hot! I call the photographer though. You can have the writer."
"Send them in," Sage answered, doing her best to wipe off the fear the emails undoubtedly placed on her face. As Liz stepped back out, Sage deleted the message, and began typing a message about receiving another sand cat. Her back was turned so she couldn't see the men, but she heard them come in. Along with her parents and Liz. She sent the message off, and closed out of her email, and stood to her feet. And received a heavy slap to the face.
"Bo?"