Noora heard Howie arrive long before he walked through the door, but she stayed in bed all the same.

  The man himself moved quiet as a mouse, but Cowie and his wagon much less so. Then there was the girl, who moved almost as quietly as he did, but was chatting away nonstop. It was only Elodie, which eased the tension in Noora’s shoulders just a bit, but not too much. The girl was a sweet innocent and gorgeous to boot, and it was clear Howie was smitten. Not from anything he said, but the way he looked every time her name came up, with a sour sort of regret that was always followed by a soft sigh as he looked back on missed opportunities and lamented his lack of future ones.

  Despite all his great qualities, there was no denying Howie had a weakness for the ladies. All men did though, as it was the nature of the beast, which is why Noora didn’t hold it against him. No, it was her job to hold his interest, hers and Josie’s, so if this Elodie thought she could steal Howie away, then she had another thing coming. Josie didn’t see it that way, but she’d come around soon enough. The sweet, innocent girl was fast asleep in Howie’s bed beside Noora, all soft and clingy after a good, long cry. She’d been so distraught when she heard Howie got caught up in some Abby abduction, almost unravelling at the thought of him getting killed in a fight, and there wasn’t anything Noora could say or do to calm her down. It didn’t matter that Howie had been out and about since he was 8, cut his teeth killing Abby at 11, or spent half the year hunting solo for a living. The fact that Howie was in possible danger was all it took to bring Josie to tears, so Noora spent the rest of the night consoling her beloved hermana.

  And now Howie was home with another girl at his side, which filled her with equal parts relief and exasperation.

  Bad enough Chrissy would forever be his first priority. Noora understood why, even accepted it, but that didn’t mean she had to like it. Then there was Tina, who was supposedly like a sister to him, only they were a lot more touchy feely than most other siblings she knew. Weren’t many other siblings even close to their age who were always holding hands, linking arms, or touching foreheads in such intimate fashion. Saw him cast Mental Fortress on her once, and when Tina’s shoulders sagged with relief, Howie instantly looped an arm around her neck and pulled her in to kiss her forehead. Made it look like the most natural thing in the world, though he probably wouldn’t have if he knew Noora was watching, having walked up to the door to let them know breakfast was ready. The worst part was? It wasn’t the hug or the kiss that made Noora burn with jealousy; it was the long and heavy sigh after the fact as he rocked her side to side and told her everything was gonna be alright.

  The tone is what did it. So soft and full of pain and vulnerability, like her suffering was his and he’d felt personally responsible for not fixing it. Was sweet and heartrending at the same time, because she’d never seen Howie so subdued and vulnerable, a far cry from his confident and upbeat manner. Even when he told Noora about how he was broken, he radiated strength and fury, but there he was letting his guard down around Tina and showing Noora a side of him that she didn’t know existed.

  There were other women to watch for too, like Sarah Jay who dropped by every so often without her handsome, broody boyfriend Errol, or Kacey whose white fox of a Familiar sometimes snuck over for food and games with Cowie and Chrissy. Noora didn’t really understand the concept of a Familiar, only that the summoner could link senses with the beast, which made her leery of how fond the three-tailed fox was of visiting Howie. Even let him pet her belly and scratch her butt like a tamed marty or tuskwulf, and while the idea of Kacey sharing senses with Inari during those play sessions sounded utterly ridiculous, Noora knew well enough that people had all sorts of different sexual kinks.

  And while Howie seemed vanilla enough so far, she was still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

  Stifling a sigh, Noora sank into the pillow and nuzzled Josie close, taking comfort from her warm, soft presence. Such an innocent this one, so kind, caring, and adventurous because she didn’t really know what horrors lay out there in the real world. Not like it was here in New Hope, which far as Noora could tell was a little slice of the old world made fresh here on the Frontier. A bastion of archaic views and opinions where they sat safe behind their walls with Rangers to guard them from all the real troubles so they could complain about silly things like smoking, harsh language, and immoral clothing. Noora had been approached by no less than a dozen different old ladies her first week here, all telling her how the way she dressed and behaved wasn’t appropriate. Didn’t matter if it was baggy shirts and loose pants or tight tees and short shorts, nothing short of a full dress to cover her from nape to ankle would do, and even better if she wore a big hat on top too.

  As for Noora? She didn’t mind dressing comfortably, or baring skin and drawing looks. It all depended on her mood and the weather really, which was why she was doing the latter more often days given the high temperatures. She loved how it captured Howie’s attention too, and while it was clear they never approved of her clothes, Mr. and Mrs. Ramirez never said a thing about it, or anything else for that matter. They accepted her as is, brought her into their loving little family and made her feel so loved and cared for. Mr. Ramirez gave her space, but always made sure to ask if she wanted or needed anything at all, and even bought her smokes when he found her shaking from withdrawal while sitting out on the porch. Told her it was a terrible habit, and brought her to the hospital to get checked out and get literature on how to cast Minor Regeneration to counter the long-term detrimental effects on health, but bought her tobacco, rolling papers, and filters all the same. As for Mrs. Ramirez, she was all warm smiles and big hugs while teaching her anything and anything at all. Didn’t matter if it was English, Math, History, Science, or Home Ec, Mrs. Ramirez had a keen grasp of it all and explained it in a way that made perfect sense.

  Now they were both gone, killed by the Madness inflicted upon them by the Proggie’s Mindspire, and Noora might never know the love of a family ever again. When she first arrived in town and was swept up by the Ramirez household, she thought everyone in town was kind and welcoming, but now she knew just how exceptional they really were. Not many people were willing to take in a stranger who was almost 16, but the Ramirez’s showed up the second they heard about a young girl in need of a home. Noora tried to lie and say she was already 16 so could avoid the hassle of a legal guardian, but Howie somehow convinced her to tell him her real birthday. August 5th, 1991, meaning her birthday was exactly two months from today, assuming it was after midnight and already Saturday. A date Mrs. Ramirez had marked down on the calendar so she would remember to bake a cake, a calendar that had been stained with blood and secreted away by Noora before Josie noticed the same.

  Noora couldn’t remember the last time she’d celebrated her birthday. Even when her parents were alive, they had little time for celebrations, as they were always struggling just to get by. Not like how it was here in New Hope, where everyone had food and clothes as well as a bed to sleep in and a roof over their heads. Even after so many weeks, Noora still didn’t believe it was real, that people could have so much that they’d give away things they didn’t need just so they could get more. While times were tough at the moment, what with the Mindspire and Aberration attacks, life was still better than anything Noora could’ve imagined back home in Pleasant Dunes. When Howie said the Rangers would bring her away, she thought she’d end up doing the same old thing in a different place, that is unless he’d look after her, only he never said he would. She thought it was because he didn’t want a girl like her, or because he’d lost his hand and had more pressing matters to worry about, but really, it was because he knew she’d be taken care of no matter what.

  Losing Mr. and Mrs. Ramirez so quickly was difficult to bear, but things were still good here in New Hope, so why was Noora keeping quiet and lying still in bed to see if Howie was gonna bring Elodie in? What good would it do, confirming what she already knew? Men were just like that, it was how they were built, which is why Howie kept her at arm’s length until she talked Josie into sharing him. Had to make him an offer he couldn’t refuse, and the fact that Josie was a real prize helped. That’s the sort of girl Howie wanted, a sweet and innocent darling to protect and support, while Noora was the damsel he'd rescued and brought home, but not into his own. He said all those nice things about not wanting to rush things, but she knew deep down it wasn’t the only reason, that men like him didn’t want a girl like her. Not to date and romance at least, even though she never pushed him for anything more, but that’s just how he was. Always with his eyes on the future ahead, which didn’t leave him much time to enjoy the present.

  She was working hard to fix that, but there were some things you couldn’t fix. Howie wasn’t one to sit still, not even when he was reading, as she’d seen him churning butter, felting wool, pressing bullets, and more while studying so he wasn’t wasting any time sitting idle. Industrious one he was, and it applied to every facet of Howie’s life, including his romantic endeavours. Truth be told, without Josie here to help split the work, Noora wasn’t sure she could handle Howie all by her lonesome, not without a little something extra sprinkled into her tobacco to keep her bright and energetic.

  Not that she minded his enthusiastic affections, as he was a quick learner too, and always looking to improve his game even though he was already better than most. Wouldn’t be the Firstborn without that drive, a quality she appreciated so long as she got a day off every now and then. That’s why she didn’t push too hard to keep him around when he said he was heading up to Mueller’s Quay for the week, because that meant five whole days of rest so she could better appreciate his efforts upon his return. Now though? Now he had another girl with him, Elodie, who Tina described as a gorgeous, copper-skinned, green-eyed forest nymph with a wild and untamed look about her. Fit and athletic too, with a toned tummy and shapely body that struck the perfect balance between muscle and fat.

  How Tina knew all those details was another question of course, one she wouldn’t answer no matter how many times Noora asked. Now Elodie was chatting away with Howie outside of his house in the middle of the night, though about what, it was hard to hear. Still, the girl didn’t live in town, so there was only one reason she was here, because Howie had invited her to stay over for the night. Probably wanted some variety, or figured Noora and Josie would be asleep at the Ramirez’s house and he’d be free and clear to have some fun. That’s how men were, and Noora hated herself for hiding here, pretending like she didn’t notice so she could see the look of surprise on Howie’s face when he walked in with Elodie beside him and found the two of them here in his bed.

  Would he apologize and promise never to do this again? Or act like he’d done no wrong and get angry at them for being here? Maybe he wouldn’t care and expect them not to either when he invited a fourth party into the mix? Whatever his reaction, Noora just wanted to see it, because then she’d know where she stood. Already she could feel herself getting edged out by Josie, ever since she and Howie started ‘going steady’ as others called it. She was his ‘official’ girlfriend, not just a girl he was friends with, but something more, while Noora was just the girl that was always hanging around. That’s how everyone else saw it, including Tina who tried to invite her out without Josie so she could stop ‘feeling like a third wheel’. It was sweet really, but Noora wanted some of that limelight too, especially since Howie was willing to sneak a kiss in every now and then when they were out in public, but only with Josie because he didn’t want to risk getting caught ‘two-timing’ with Noora.

  So what if he was caught kissing two different girls? None of the parties involved cared, but Josie and Howie both convinced her that keeping the ‘illicit’ nature of their relationship a secret was in everyone’s best interests. Which was fine, but if Howie was going to have other women too, then Noora wanted to at least know about it, so she kept quiet and waited for him to come in. Took him awhile, and she might’ve fallen asleep in the process, because the next sound she heard was the front door opening up and Howie’s boots coming off. Which was about the most sound those boots would ever make since they might as well be muffled when he wore them. He had this rolling gait that looked completely natural, a heel-toe footfall that seemed utterly natural until you looked closer and saw how careful and meticulous he was with every step. Every one was the same, with the heel going down softly then his foot rolling forward until his toes touched the ground, and often times only half his foot would ever make contact. She tried it herself and couldn’t keep it up for more than a few minutes before her foot and calf started cramping, and when she asked for his advice, he looked like he had no earthly idea what she was going on about.

  That’s just how he walked apparently, the habit ingrained into him through years of training. Amazing that, and she was determined to learn it, because being unseen and unheard was her sort of thing, only she had to tiptoe around and looked super sneaky while doing it.

  Most people would’ve come home after a long, hard day and gone straight to bed. Not Howie though, because he never left something for tomorrow when it could be done today. Man actually said that when he was helping them with homework and they told him a paper wasn’t due until the end of the week. Meant it too, so Noora and Josie had to work together to distract him to get away from writing three pages in a single night. Wasn’t nothing distracting him in the here and now though, as Elodie was every bit as quiet as Howie. In Noora’s mind, they were already kissing, with things getting hot and heavy out in the kitchen/dining area, or at least that’s what she thought until she heard the Freeze-box open, only to close a few seconds later. Then a cupboard hinge creaked and she realized he was putting stuff away, unpacking instead of resting because he couldn’t sleep knowing there was still stuff left to be done. He puttered around for a good minute or two before finally coming into his room, except he didn’t look like he was ready to sleep just yet. No, he had his ammo pouches with him, which meant he’d come in to restock on bullets to make up for what he’d used up today, ever the responsible gunslinger making preparations in case he should get into a shootout first thing tomorrow morning.

  “Morning handsome,” she whispered, taking in his surprised, wide-eyed reaction as he stood stopped at the doorway. Stretching ever so slightly for effect, she let the covers slip just a bit to show she wasn’t wearing anything underneath and asked, “So how’s tricks?”

  All the while, she was looking and listening for Elodie, but there weren’t any green-eyed, green-haired girls to be found. As for Howie, he recovered from his surprise quickly enough, and it looked genuine too. Wasn’t their shoes that gave it away and gave him warning enough to send Elodie packing, because Noora had hidden them in the bottom shelf of the shoe rack which he never used. Neither of them brought a jacket either, since it was a warm summer night, so Noora was almost positive they hadn’t ruined his plans to sleep with Elodie. “Well ain’t this a treat,” he whispered, taking in the sights with a hungry gaze. “Don’t know what I done to deserve this welcome, but I’m grateful for it all the same.”

  Still holding onto his ammo pouches, Howie stepped over the corner of his bed to get around his desk and into the room proper, where he greeted her with a quick kiss and gave Josie a chaste peck on the forehead. Rather than strip down and join them though, he knelt down to open up his safe with the dials and such, making no effort to hide the numbers. 55 left, 12 right, and 36 left, then the tumblers all clicked and the lock popped open with a click. “Be a hot minute before I’m ready for bed,” he whispered, giving her a look that said he wished it were otherwise as he put his guns away and started tucking bullets into the first pouch’s sleeves so they were sitting right side up. Had to do that so his Mage Hands knew which end was which, though she’d seen him check by feel too. No idea how he got so much feedback from the Cantrip, because she could never feel a thing. Had to be looking at her Mage Hand to get it to do anything right, but she was getting better at twirling pencils with it.

  A few weeks with Howie and already she was turning into a Magic enthusiast, always wondering about this or that when it came to Spells. “There’s not much room in here anyways,” she replied, flashing a devilish little smile in challenge. “Better if you leave me and Josie here to share your bed while you find somewhere else to sleep.”

  That was the way to his heart, a lesson Noora learned a good while back. Howie loved the chase, so you had to get him interested then push him away. Try to lead him around by the nose and he’d buck and run just to be contrary, but give him the right signals before pushing him away made him come on even stronger than before. It worked too, but not well enough to overcome his sense of responsibility, as he kept tucking those bullets away. “I need a bigger bed,” was his reply, hardly the most romantic thing in the world, but the way his eyes burned as he said it had Noora biting her lip. “Puttin’ it on the list.” An endless one of things to do that he kept working at, and while he hammered out the tasks one by one, there was no real order to it. Sometimes he acted right away, like when he built the shed and those pouches for the wallies to sleep in, and sometimes he left a task to languish like his promise to cushion the seats on his wagon and install an awning to protect them from the sun.

  “We’ll make do for now,” Noora said, forgetting her earlier resolve to keep him at a distance as she scooted over and made space, but she was tired of being Josie’s big spoon and wanted Howie cuddled up behind her. Elodie wasn’t here either, not unless she was fast asleep in the other bedroom. Either way, he hadn’t invited her in, which was something of a relief. There would be other women eventually, of this Noora was sure, but the longer she could hold his attention, the better for her. And Josie too, who might not be so open to sharing him with a third, but she’d come around to it eventually when she understood Howie was a man just like any other, instead of a hero out of a story book that was squeaky clean in all regards.

  Was still better than most though, and had a charming smile when he didn’t go overboard. “And I’m glad for it,” he said, reaching over to squeeze her hand while his Mage Hands continued filling his ammo pouches. Was on the second now, with a third and fourth still waiting to go. Had himself a hip bag of loose ammo too, but it looked mostly full still so the fight couldn’t have been all that bad. The ammo pouches were small, only holding 24 rounds a piece in 4 neat rows, and he hadn’t emptied them completely in the fight, so it couldn’t have been that bad. Doubly so since he seemed so bright and cheery, not all sullen and gloomy after his shootout at the Sherrif’s office.

  Still, Noora had to ask. “Everything go okay?” Because last she heard, Elodie and her mother came walking in to say that a group of women and children had been taken by Abby, and things like that rarely ended well.

  “Could hardly have gone better,” Howie replied, grinning from ear to ear to say it. “Got all the captured civvies out safe and sound and killed most of the Abby horde. Only downside is the rangy ranakin got away, the same one I spotted at Carter’s before it sent me home bleeding out my eyes and ears.” The way Howie said it would never cease to amaze her, all calm and cavalier like he was talking about the weather instead of a serious brain injury that could’ve ended in a stroke or worse. “Sergeant Begaye didn’t seem too pleased about it, but knowing him, he was probably just grumpy because he missed out on the chance to train his boots in real combat conditions.”

  Which was how he got back in despite the hour being so late. The gates were closed at 10 pm, and didn’t open until 7 am, but the Rangers could come and go as they pleased. Otherwise, Howie would’ve been stuck camping outside the gates, or more likely would’ve stayed the night somewhere else before heading home in the morning. That’s what Aunty Ray told them at least, and while Noora was happy to wait for him back home where they had two twin beds pushed together to sleep in, Josie insisted on coming here instead. A good thing too though, as otherwise, Noora would’ve missed out on knowing Howie wasn’t ready to stray just yet, even if it was going to happen eventually.

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  Howie didn’t have much else to say about it, other than how it was nice to see the other boots again. Which was a lie, since he had to work hard not to see them all the time considering Tina was one. He didn’t want to see them though, because he wanted to be one of them so bad, to be in Basic alongside the rest of the group and on track to become a real Ranger at the end of June. That’s why he always made excuses when the boots invited him out, whether it be for a drink at the saloon, ice cream on the thoroughfare, or training at the shooting range. Howie loved all of those things, but he didn’t want to be reminded of what he was missing out on, and Noora wasn’t sure if he even realized why he was avoiding all of his friends.

  Though finished packing all his bullets, Howie stayed sat on the floor as they talked, until Noora invited him into bed again. “Soon enough,” he said, standing with a smile and leaning over for another kiss. “I been working all day in the sun, then ran a 300m foot race against Abby, so I need a shower before I climb into those sheets.”

  Pulling at his shirt as their lips touched, Noora held him there a moment longer before breaking their kiss to nuzzle his neck. He never smelled bad no matter how much he sweat, and he sweat a lot given how hard he worked, so that was a blessing. Worked against him here and now though, because she was tired and wanted him in bed with her right now. “Fine,” she growled, reluctantly letting go after it was clear he wouldn’t succumb to her wiles no matter what. “Be quick about it though, because if I fall asleep and you wake me up again, then you’re going to have to make it up to me.”

  She laid down and watched him leave without so much as a sound, then listened to the water run as he washed away the day’s grime. That was the last thing she remembered before waking up in his arms while Josie was wrapped in hers, which was just the absolute textbook definition of bliss. Leaning back into him and pulling her close, Noora heaved a little sigh of contentment as she basked in the moment. Things weren’t perfect, nor could the really be considered great or even good, but they were still a whole lot better than they ever had been back in Pleasant Dunes. There were ups and downs to navigate still, but she would always remember the day the Firstborn walked into the saloon and stopped her to ask if she worked there.

  Lazing in that euphoric place between asleep and awake, Noora let her thoughts drift as she slowly blinked minutes or maybe even hours away. It was just her, Howie, and Josie, all snug underneath his light woolen blanket in his cozy little bed as Noora listened to his heartbeat, breathed in the scent of her hair, and gazed out the window as the sun slowly rose out over the horizon to illuminate the world outside.

  Until her view of Aunty Ray’s house was obstructed by a pair of dazzling green eyes, ones so wide and inquisitive Noora thought she was still dreaming. So she stared into those emerald orbs, transfixed by the shimmering light emanating from within them, and slowly panned back to see those eyes belonged to a gorgeous young woman with a subtle, dark green cast to her dark and wild hair. Not black like Howie’s, nor light brown like Josie’s, but a mix of something in between with hints of green lustre that gleamed in the early light. Seeing Noora’s studious gaze, the gorgeous girl shrank back and ducked down behind the window sill, only to pull herself back up a second later to look again, at which point she stayed half hidden before giving a shy wave hello.

  “Bonjour,” the girl whispered. “I am Elodie. Is Howie awake yet?”

  No wonder he was charmed by her. She’d only said a few sentences, and Noora wanted nothing more than to hug and hold the sweet girl, one who was too precious to turn away. Elbowing Howie gently in the sternum, Noora knew he’d come awake by the way his breathing changed, no longer slow and deep but shallow and restrained. “You’ve got a visitor handsome,” she whispered, and Howie gave a little groan like he wasn’t ready to wake just yet. “Check the window.”

  He grew stiff behind her, and not in the fun way. “Oh sh- shoot,” he said, catching himself just as he was about to curse. Knew he had it in him, but he worked so hard to be squeaky clean that she had yet to see it. “Uh, morning Elodie. No one ever tell you it’s rude to peek through people’s windows?”

  “Non,” Elodie replied, still with only half her face and all her fingers showing over the windowsill. “Why is it rude?”

  Oh she was so darling, Noora could hardly restrain herself.

  “Because some folks like their privacy,” Howie grumbled, gesturing for Elodie to turn away. The girl didn’t though, not because she was being stubborn, but because she didn’t understand what he was asking her to do, all bright eyed and curious like a baby animal that didn’t know any better. “Avert your eyes now,” he said, soon as he figured it out too. “I need to get dressed.”

  “Okay.” The girl disappeared for a half second, then popped back up. “For how long must I avert my eyes?”

  “Long as it takes for me to get dressed.”

  “Mhm.” Elodie sank again, but not all the way. “Howie, are you upset because of the peeking? I did not know you like your privacy so much, so I am very sorry.”

  Howie had to take a deep breath before he could answer, while Noora was doing her best not to laugh. “It’s fine, Elodie,” Howie replied, even managing to sound sincere. “You weren’t to know, but I would appreciate if you didn’t say nothing about what you seen here.”

  Elodie blinked, and Noora could almost hear the gears turning in her head. “Okay Howie,” she replied, sounding more than a little confused, “But what am I to say then?”

  Clearly it was too early for Howie’s brain, as he took a second before answering, “What?”

  “You say I am not to say nothing.” Looking much aggrieved as she turned around to catch Howie half dressed, Elodie rested her chin on the windowsill and paid his nudity no mind as she continued, “You do not say what I am to say. Yes?”

  “No. Well, yes, but no.” By now, Noora was unable to hold back her laughter, but neither one of them paid her any attention as Howie did his best to explain what he meant. Elodie wasn’t making it any easier, as she was too confused by the first statement to move past, so Howie had to give her explicit instructions on how to go about not mentioning what she saw here. Which Elodie took issue with, because that would be lying, only for Howie to explain it as an omission of the truth, since there wasn’t any reason to mention Noora and Josie in the first place. Then all seemed well until Howie made the mistake of saying, “What they don’t know can’t hurt them”, which led to a long and lengthy list of examples from Elodie of how that is in fact not true at all.

  By the end of it, Noora was gasping into her pillow to keep from waking Josie, who miraculously slept through the whole exchange. Finally getting rid of the green-haired girl for a minute by telling her to go greet the animals, Howie threw on some fresh clothes in a hurry because he was worried she’d set them all free. “Hate to say this, but you two ought to cut and run,” he said, leaning over for another kiss. No morning breath either, though that’s because he used Prestidigitation to clean his mouth before hand, and Noora had done the same. “Can’t have the neighbours seeing you and Josie walk out early morning, now can we?”

  Noora didn’t care, but she didn’t say as much, just gave a murmur that he took as agreement. Giving Josie another chaste kiss on the forehead, he shook his head and whispered, “Deep sleeper, this one.” They shared a sad little glance, because they both understood the dangers of sleeping in, and vowed to make sure Josie would never have to learn that same lesson.

  “I can see why you like Elodie so much,” Noora whispered, smiling to see him blush. “She’s a sweet girl, and very charming. I love how animated she is, with her puffed cheeks, twitchy nose, and expressive brows.”

  “You don’t know the half of it,” Howie muttered, again getting that sour look all over again, like he wished things were otherwise. Only lasted for a moment, and she might’ve missed it if she didn’t know what to look for, but the signs were there alright. He didn’t even deny liking the girl, though no one would believe anyone who said they didn’t like Elodie. Noora only just met her and was already willing to fight anyone who said one bad thing about her, so she couldn’t really hold anything against Howie. He had a soft spot for broken people, like herself and Chrissy among other people, so she could hardly complain about it now.

  Dressed and ready for the day, Howie stepped out and Noora went back to sleep, ignoring everything he said about them getting out without being seen. Since Elodie was here, there was no reason why they couldn’t be either, and they both brought a change of clothes anyways, in case someone saw what they were wearing last night and paid attention enough to notice. Howie wasn’t gone for long though, as he came back in to stand at the doorway, arms posted on either side as if to stop himself from stepping foot inside as she waved him over to join them again. “Much as I’d love to,” he said, shaking his head with a smile, “Elodie wants to go on a run with the horses, which she ain’t allowed to do in town. Thought that’d be the end of it, but no. She on her way back to the church to get her parents so she can bring the horses outside.” Grimacing, he shook his head and said, “Really hope she don’t say nothin’ to no one.”

  Noora laughed, because that sort of talk was what got Elodie all confused in the first place, and he caught on a half-second later. Finally bothered by the noise, Josie shifted in Noora’s embrace and blinked her sleepy eyes. “Hmm?” she asked, still not entirely awake. “What’s so funny?”

  “Just a little talk we had with Elodie,” Howie replied, too dumb to cover it up. “Mornin’ sleepy beauty. Sorry if I caused you any distress. How you feelin’?”

  “Howie!” Bolting upright and running over to greet him, Josie jumped into his waiting arms and latched her legs around his waist. “You’re back! Were you hurt? Did you just get home?”

  It took a few minutes to catch her up, but Josie wanted more details than Noora dared to ask, and Howie was nervous about getting caught. “Like I said, Elodie’s on her way back with her parents, though I’m guessing they’ll stop her for breakfast first, which leaves just enough time for the two of you to make yourselves scarce.”

  “Why is she peering through your window in the first place?” Josie asked, her cute features all scrunched in a frown.

  Which was adorable, but Noora couldn’t help but wince as she watched and waited for Howie’s reaction. “She’s got boundary issues,” he replied, giving Josie a kiss in apology. “You’ll understand soon as you meet her. You’ll see.”

  “Then why are you in so much of a rush to see us off?” Josie asked, her ire raised now that her man was back safe and sound. If Noora talked back like that in Pleasant Dunes, she’d have gotten beat worse than usual, but Josie had no fear in her and Howie was still sweet and loving. Which a lot of men were to start with, until they weren’t.

  “Because her parents got boundary issues too. Where you think she got it from?” Still grinning, Howie added, “Plus if Chrissy hears about it, she’ll want to go too, and there’s no keeping her quiet if she catches the two of you here.”

  Took a bit more coaxing to get Josie dressed, and a promise from Howie to come visit as soon as he was done. That’s what got her moving really, the chance to cook him breakfast since he always ate with Aunty Ray, so she hurried on home to make him a meal which Noora was press-ganged into helping out. She didn’t love cooking the way Josie did, but she loved spending time with Josie and seeing her smile. Food was her love language, and she cooked for Noora same as Howie, even if she got more excited about the latter. Who was good on his word and showed up a half-hour later, having sent Tina out to watch over Chrissy during their morning ride alongside the lake. Which was odd considering how protective he usual was when it came to Chrissy, so the fact that he was willing to trust her safety to Elodie’s parents was telling.

  There was more to their relationship than just a few weeks working together, of that much Noora was sure. Howie was hiding something, but what, she couldn’t even begin to guess. Nor did she ask too much about it, leaving the questions to Josie, who wanted to know every last detail of the fight. Had to pull them out of Howie though, because as far as he was concerned, it was just another clash with Abby that wasn’t different from any other fight. Wasn’t the same for Josie though, because this was the first time Howie had gotten into a real scrap since they’d started dating, and while she all but worshiped the Firstborn and the stories about him, she had yet to come to terms with what it meant to date that same man.

  Stories didn’t tell you about the girl kneeling in church for hours on end praying for the Firstborn’s safe return, or all the tears shed while imagining what might happen while he was out and about. Noora hadn’t been all that worried, because this was the sort of thing Howie excelled at. He was the Firstborn after all, a man who walked into Sherrif Gil’s office and gunned down all five Stagecoach Killers by himself, saved Pleasant Dunes from an all-out Abby attack, and took on Vanguard National before leaving it a smouldering heap of ruins. And that’s barely half of his accomplishments this year, so a minor Abby attack was hardly worth mentioning, or at least that’s how she and Howie both felt.

  He was patient though, explaining the whole process from start to finish. Made it sound like all he did was prep the battlefield with small holes and tripwires before running a few hundred metres. Safe and sound as can be, but even then, Josie still worried for her man. “Why did you have to be the one to bait them out?” she asked, giving him the full effect of her doe eyes, and it was a wonder why Howie didn’t instantly come apart at the seams. “Why didn’t they send someone else?”

  “Because it was my plan,” Howie explained. “I’m not gonna suggest something like that and then send someone else to take the risk. Of which there wasn’t much,” he added, but it was too little too late as Josie’s eyes widened to the size of saucers after the admission. “Was just a quick dash to safety, with Clayton there to back me up and Cowie and Old Tux there ready to whisk me away if things got too hot.”

  “One Spell.” Josie uttered the words in a whisper, so quiet Noora had to strain to hear her despite sitting beside her. “One stumble. One wrong turn. One missed shot. And you’d be dead and gone.”

  Rather than rush in and reassure her, Howie sat back, took a deep breath, and said, “Yeah. That’s how it be.” Leaning in, he reached over the table to take Josie’s hand, and gave Noora a look to include her. She reached for his other arm, which he was always shy to show off, because the missing hand was still jarring to look at. She didn’t care though. She just wanted to hold him, because it wasn’t like he didn’t know he just risked his life last night. That’s what Josie didn’t wholly understand, that sometimes, life won’t let you play it safe. Sure, Howie faced the fire more often than most, but that’s just the sort of person he was. One who ran headlong towards danger because that’s what he trained for, and now he was feeling lost because he didn’t know what else he was supposed to do.

  “You don’t need to worry,” Howie said, after a long pause to get his thoughts in order. “That’s the sort of thing I do. I see Abby, I hunt Abby, plain and simple. Been doin’ it for years now, haven’t I?”

  “Not with only one hand you haven’t.” A savage blow for Josie to make, but one that probably needed to be said all the same. He winced to hear it, and it hurt Noora to see it, and it was a good second before he recovered from it. “I’m sorry,” Josie continued, moving around the table to take a seat on his lap. “It’s just… I was so scared when I heard you were tracking Abby, so worried you’d get killed in a fight. I can’t lose you Howie. I can’t. Not now, not ever, especially now that – ”

  Josie cut herself off and tried to move on, but Howie wasn’t the sort to leave it be. “Now that what?” he asked, despite Noora giving him the stare to tell him to keep quiet. “What secret you two hidin’?”

  “Nothing,” Noora lied, and Josie echoed it soon after. “Just something she said while she was worried last night.” Something he didn’t need to know about until they were sure, and there was still plenty of time before then.

  Howie gave her a look, then turned his attention onto Josie still sitting in his lap. Girl a terrible liar and performed terribly under pressure, which is why it only took a few seconds for her to crack. “Promise you won’t be angry?”

  “Why would I be?” Howie asked. “Josie darlin’. Talk to me. I ain’t gonna bite.” Punctuating the statement with a wink and a little chomp on her shoulder, he grinned and added, “Much.”

  There it was, that Howie charm, which Josie had no defense against. “Well… I’m late.”

  “To what?” Howie glanced at the new calendar to confirm the day, and said, “It’s Saturday. We don’t got nowhere to be.”

  “No Howie. I’m late late.” Josie’s explanation didn’t clear anything up for him, and once that was clear, Josie rolled her eyes and grimaced. “You’ve lived in a household with three women all your life. How do you not understand? It’s supposed to happen every month, and I’m late. Ay, Dios mío!”

  “Oh, you mean Aunt Flow.” Even though he finally arrived at the right answer, it took Howie a few more seconds before he put 2 and 2 together. “Oh hang on. How late?”

  “Barely two weeks,” Noora quickly supplied, before he got all worked up about nothing. No sense making a big fuss only to have it all be a scare. “Totally normal, and you don’t have to worry until it’s six weeks past due.” Then you’ve got another 8 or 9 months before you’ll have to worry about your monthlies, though there will be other concerns to consider.

  “Okay,” Howie said, looking all out of sorts as he processed the news, and Josie and Noora both got real quiet. Especially Noora, who knew better than most how some men might react to the news, and usually not in a good way. “Not to cast any aspersions on your honour or nothing,” Howie continued, and Noora winced to hear it, but he went in a different direction. “But uh… were we not all using Contraception? Because I sure was.”

  Noora nodded, but Josie’s cheeks flushed as she whispered, “I don’t know the Cantrip.”

  Howie had the same reaction Noora did, that of jaw-dropping disbelief. Shaking his head, he grumbled, “You spend eight hours a day in school, and done it for the last ten plus years, and they didn’t teach you nothin’ about Contraception? Did the subject just never come up?”

  “It did,” Josie replied, still quiet and subdued while waiting for Howie to blow up, because Noora warned her it might happen. “Mrs. Bennet said we’re supposed to remain abstinent until marriage.”

  “Oh?” Ducking down to meet Josie’s averted eyes, Howie’s lips curled in a smile as he asked, “So what happened then? I thought you were a grade A student, Josie. Your teachers will be so disappointed to hear it.”

  “Tch. Shut up, guapo.” Unable to hold back from smiling, Josie asked, “So you’re not upset?”

  “Why would I be?” Howie asked, and to Noora’s surprise, he sounded completely genuine as he beamed at Josie all sweet and loving-like. “Ain’t the way I would’ve planned it, but nothin’ wrong a happy accident now, is there?”

  “It’s just, you know.” Even Josie couldn’t meet Howie’s eyes, not when they were so full of love of affection. “We were just having fun, and I wasn’t sure…” she hesitated, but Howie was a little slow when it came to things like this and still didn’t understand. “If you’d want to keep the baby.”

  Howie blinked, and it was clear the thought never occurred to him, because then he got real concerned. “Course I do. What about you though? Because if you got any concerns, I’m behind you a hundred percent of the way. I just never…” he shook his head. “But um. Yeah. I uh. Well. This is all something of a surprise really, but I gotta say something.” Shifting back in his seat, he wrapped both his arms around Josie’s waist and guided her to sit up straight so he could look her in the eyes. “I know Noora said this at the start, but this ain’t ever just been fun and games for me. I ain’t the type. Right after we parted ways that first day, I stopped on my way back home to check out the jewellery store, wondering about how any of this was gonna work out between the three of us and where it was gonna go.” Which was just like him, always planning for the future, and Noora and Josie both shared a little smile. “What I’m trying to say is I been in this for the long haul since day one,” Howie continued, oblivious to their little jokes about how he was a 70-year-old man in a 17-year old’s body. “I don’t know how it’s all gonna play out, but I’m here for the whole kitten kaboodle.”

  Which made no sense whatsoever, but he had a lot of those so Noora overlooked it. Even if she cared to parse it out, she was too busy wondering if her stomach fluttering was due to nervousness or fear. She’d just been here to have fun, to see what the Firstborn was really like without any consideration of the future, and never really thought about any happily ever afters. Josie though, she’d always had hearts in her eyes for Howie, and she was loving every second of this. “You mean it?” she asked, so full of hope and happiness. “Because I spent a whole year giving you signals, but you never did anything until Noora showed up, so I thought… I thought I was just the consolation prize.”

  “I didn’t do nothing because I thought you were sweet on Danny,” Howie replied, and Josie’s disbelief was a sight to behold. “Seriously. You kept ambushing me there whenever I went to visit, and I thought you were just too shy to talk to him by your lonesome. Fact is, I told him you were sweet on him before I set out for Pleasant Dunes, and he’s the one who set me straight.” Leaning in to touch his nose to hers, he added, “You ain’t no consolation prize, Josie Ramirez. You a thief who done stole my heart, and while you might’ve had an accomplice, you never would’ve succeeded if I didn’t feel some ways about you to start.”

  Noora wasn’t one to get jealous, or at least that’s what she told herself, but it was difficult to sit here and listen to Howie talk about how sweet and kind Josie was, and how he was always grateful she’d said yes when he asked if her and her friends could teach him how to braid hair. They were lost in their own little world together, just the two of them despite all three sitting here, which made it too awkward to get up and walk away. She didn’t want none of that, because she really was just here for a bit of fun, and starting a family was the last thing she wanted right now. Didn’t mean she wanted to be edged out of the relationship like this, but Noora kept quiet and watched as the two lovebirds reaffirmed their feelings for one another.

  When he was done reassuring Josie though, Howie turned to Noora and said, “And you can relax. I feel the same way about you, and will bend over backwards to make this work, but just because I’m in for the long haul don’t mean you gotta be too. If you want to be here, we’ll figure it out together, but if you want out, I won’t do nothin’ besides cry to watch you leave.” Leaning in for a light kiss, he smiled as he met her eyes which were so full of relief. “You will always and forever have nothing to fear from me,” he promised, and the craziest thing was that Noora actually believed him.

  “I can’t lie and say I’ll make honest women of the both of you,” Howie continued, his lips pursed in a wry pout that was oh so fetching on him. “Mostly because I think that’s illegal, but if y’all both are for it, I’ll do my damnedest to come close as possible.” Looking at Josie, he said, “If it turns out you are pregnant, then we’ll get married plain and simple. If not, then we’ll take things slower, but either way, you gonna have to learn the Contraception Cantrip right quick.” Turning to Noora, he added, “Which don’t mean I’ll give you up neither, though I suppose it do mean you got a decision to make, because if this do be happening, then you gotta consider whether you want to be the ‘other woman’ in all this. You know, from an outside perspective.”

  Josie’s hand clamped around Noora’s, holding her oh so tight as her eyes widened in fright. Sweet girl that she was, Josie was more concerned about Noora running off than another woman stealing her man. “Relax hermana,” Noora said, leaning in to kiss her soft lips. “I said it the first day, didn’t I? I will never let anything come between us.” Glancing at Howie with a teasing smile, she added, “Especially not him.” That earned her a growl, but also put an end to the questions of her own commitment, as Josie and Howie got to talking about starting a family and building a house and whatnot. It was all fairy tale, pie in the sky sort of stuff, things Noora never considered a possibility for herself, but now? Now she was thinking about it. Any more, she could not say, because she honestly didn’t know how to feel about any of this.

  It wasn’t this ‘other woman’ nonsense that had her bothered, but the fact that she never thought about getting married at all. Or being someone’s wife, if she couldn’t actually marry Howie because he married Josie first. Wouldn’t be all that bad really, being the second wife. Josie could be the mother to his children, and Noora could… do what exactly? Besides sex, what else was there in a relationship? What else was she looking for?

  A question she’d have to answer soon enough, but for now, she was content to enjoy the moment and see how things play out.