Seth didn’t even complain when she sang all the songs from both Cats and The Aristocrats all the way home.
Chapter 12
We Built This Home
It rained for the next few days, so the group at the farm teamed up to finish the third floor for Amber, Gray, Boomer, and the baby who would arrive in the winter.
Seth cooked enough to feed the army of worker bees. His leg wasn’t suited to squatting or climbing the stairs dozens of times, but he helped when and where he could.
It ached far less than it had before arriving in Vermont. Maybe it was the extra healing time and the fact that he religiously completed his daily physical therapy exercises. Or perhaps because he was happy.
Happy.
A job he enjoyed, people he respected, and a woman who made him smile every day. Multiple times a day.
Who would have thought it was possible?
Currently, Mara and her brother were finishing all the plumbing required to make the third floor fully functional. Chaos Machine ran power tools with as much skill as she ran her mixer and oven.
Sexy as hell.
Today was the last day with just the team on the farm. The first guests would arrive the following afternoon, and he wanted to make this final family meal a celebration of all the work they’d accomplished.
Pot roast simmered in the oven with potatoes and roasted veggies. Maybe he could even talk baby Ella into liking carrots with the honey glaze he’d used.
The toddler enjoyed most everything, but kept tossing carrots on the floor. She might be the cutest critic he’d encountered, but he still wanted to change her mind.
A traditional family feast had seemed appropriate for the last meal before the inn opened. It surprised the hell out of him, but this group living on the farm had become another family for Seth.
The world needed more family. He’d seen so many of them destroyed over the years. By disease, by assholes who thought they had the right to use other people, by IEDs.
Charlie popped into the kitchen with his usual burst of energy. “Is it time to make the gravy? Can I learn how to do it?”
Seth nodded. “It’s a rite of manhood. The secrets of the kitchen will make you a man of worth.”
Charlie cackled as Seth handed him a whisk. “And it will help me survive on something other than burgers.”
Seth grinned. “Fast food will kill you. You can make better at home in less time than it takes to drive to the store and back.”
“It’s so weird not having fast food nearby. Not even in Phail.”
“One of the best parts of living in a rural area. Everyone makes their own kinds of food, and it’s usually delicious.”
Charlie nodded. “I’ve been learning about spices from Manuel at the diner. He’s helping me find a Mexican spice mix for our cider. So far, nothing works.”
Seth imagined the talented cook was letting Charlie lead the experimentation there. Learning firsthand was the best way for most people to figure things out. “I remember adding garlic to the pancake batter when I was a bit younger than you. I loved garlic, and figured it would make everything better.”
Charlie’s laugh filled the kitchen. “Garlic pancakes? That sounds awful.”
“It was. That’s when I got interested in combining flavors. My parents put up with a ton of strange food for a while, but I figured it out eventually. Still fun to experiment though.”
Charlie nodded. “It is. Like science experiments you can eat.”
“Sometimes. Other times, it’s best to chuck it and start over. I’ve got a friend, Wyatt, who likes to blend plants. He’s always trying to make plants better or stronger, making new species in the process.”
“How does that work?”
“Not entirely sure. He does a lot with grains, trying to make food easier to grow around the world, but he does a lot with vegetables and flowers, too.”
