“Albie, don’t be mean to her. Thejobsare good, she’s just awful at them, and that’s why I love her so!”
He’s right. She really is a terrible goat herder, hunting companion, security dog, etc. The only thing she’s good at is being dopey and adorable. Luckily, that means she gets to bemydog. Besides, the other dogs are good enough at their jobs to make up for her.
The back door opens again and Luna’s up in a second. She jumps onto Jamie, who quickly scoops her into his arms so she can lick his face.
“You shouldn’t let her do that,” I say. “Who knows how much deer shit she’s eaten on the walk here.”
Jamie groans but doesn’t try too hard to pull away from her before finally setting her down.
I take off the backpack and set it on the wooden table.
Andrew turns back to Jamie. “Babe, grab the bread and cheese. I’ll get some water.”
“Hold on,” I say, pulling out the jug of cider. “This is one of Nat’s new brews. She wants your opinion.”
Andrew wrinkles his nose. “Hopefully this one doesn’t taste like fermented onions like the last batch.”
Jamie shrugs as he goes back into the house and shouts back, “I liked it!”
Andrew shakes his head, giving me a sad look. “Fucking lunatic.”
Jamie returns with a wood platter of bread and soft cheese and three glasses, setting them on the table. We sit down and Jamie pours out the cider.
“Sláinte,” Andrew says, and we toast. The cider is tart and makes my cheeks clench. I flinch as Andrew lets out a “whoo!” “Tell her I like the sweeter stuff.”
Jamie shrugs again. “I like it?”
“You like everything,” Andrew says. “I’m going to find something you don’t like one day.”
“It’s your own fault for forcing hen of the woods on me,” he says.
“Did you not like mushrooms?” I ask.
“He hated them!” Andrew says.
“To be fair, what I hated was canned, rubbery mushrooms. And everything tastes better with butter.”
“Oh, right!” I lean over and dig back into the pack. I take out a wax-paper-wrapped slab of butter, a pound of flour, and a small tin. I slide the tin over to Andrew, who sighs.
“Thank you!”
“Gemma added eucalyptus oil,” I say as he opens the tin. He uses his right hand to take some of the balm out and rubs it on his left handwhere his thumb is missing and the index and middle fingers have started to lock up.
“How is everyone doing?” Jamie asks as I rip off a piece of bread.
“Good. Raven’s due in a month.”
Andrew nods. “I have it in my calendar. Plus, I have a bet with Howie that it’s another girl.”
I laugh. “He says he thinks it’s a boy.”
Andrew snorts. “He thinks that every time. Howie’s a great girl dad. I don’t know why he’s trying so hard for a boy. You’d thinkfourgirls is enough of a sign from the universe.”
Jamie puts his glass of cider to his lips. “Has anyone heard from Jamar and Taylor?”
I shake my head. “Niki is talking about going to find them.”
“And Cara is telling her to stay put, right?” Andrew asks. Jamie reaches over and squeezes his arm gently.
