Jules woke up alone in bed. Which would not be out of the ordinary. Except she had woken a few times in the night and felt the warm, sure heat of David behind her.
Though the previous day had been trying, she'd remembered her reasons for being here with this man in the night. David had held her tightly to him as she’d slept. All through the night, in a strange bed, on land she wasn’t sure she was welcome on, she'd felt as though she were fitting into him like a puzzle piece. At the sharp pointed edges of David’s body where he ended, she’d begun to curve into him forging a new beginning.
Jules had always felt that something had been missing in her life. Now she knew that something had been a someone. That someone had been him.
So, where was he?
All around the room, she saw evidence of him. A green army-issued duffle bag sat at the floor of the open closet. Inside the closet, jeans and fatigues were organized from the darkest shades to the lightest on hangers. Shirts hung crisp, not only going from light to dark, but also organized by collared shirts, t-shirts, and flannel.
So, her husband was a neat freak. That was good. Though Jules’s closet back home was nowhere near this organized and color-coded, everything was at least on hangers and in drawers.
At home. The words echoed into her ears. Was this her new home? Was there space for her here? And what about Hamlet? He was technically her pet. Romey just tolerated his presence. No way was Jules bringing the pig anywhere near this ranch. Her stomach roiled to think back to what she’d seen last night.
Jules rose from the bed. She was still in the clothes she'd worn the other day. In her haste to leave the commune last night, she'd forgotten to pack any of her clothes with her. Her sundress was wrinkled and rumpled. She must look a fright. She was glad at that moment that David wasn't there to see her.
A knock sounded at her door. It seemed entirely wrong that her husband should knock on their bedroom door before entering. If things had gone as planned last night, her wedding night, then David would’ve probably still been in bed with her. And her clothes wouldn’t have been wrinkled from sleep. They’d have been in a heap on the floor.
Jules padded barefoot over to answer the door. On the other side wasn’t the man she was expecting. There wasn’t a man standing there at all.
"Good morning, I'm Patty." The redhead wore a bright and friendly smile.
"Hi,” said Jules. Jules had a vague memory of seeing the woman around the bonfire the other night. When her gaze had slid away from the fire, it had landed on something else red. Yes, she remembered that red hair. “I’m Jules.”
“Well, I know that, silly. I’m your official welcome wagon.” Patty held a plate in her hands. "Porco said you were vegan. That means no meat, right? Which is a challenge for me because it’s all I know how to cook. Luckily, I know how to scramble an egg.”
“Well, eggs are meat."
Patty’s smile faltered. She looked down at the plate of fluffy, yellow eggs and frowned. Her gaze took in the eggs anew as though she were seeing them for the first time.
“They are?” Patty’s voice rang with bewilderment. Then her features crumpled in embarrassment. She slapped a hand at her forehead. “Right, I guess the egg came before the chicken.”
She let out a self-deprecating laugh. Jules joined her, not wanting to turn away the first friendly face on this ranch.
“There’s also fruit and bagels,” said Patty. “Are those okay?”
“Those are fine,” Jules lied, taking the plate. Though fruits and bagels were a staple of her diet, the fruit and bagel on the plate were not only touching the eggs, they also sat in a vat of eggy butter.
"Thank you," Jules said. She thought she might content herself with the top of the bagel. But alas, there was cream cheese on the bagel. Still, it was the thought that counted.
"I also brought you some clothes since I didn't see you come in with any bags or anything."
Patty handed over a colorful sundress. Though Patty’s offering cost more than Jules’s annual clothing budget. Beggars couldn’t be choosers. Jules was again grateful.
"The boys are out at the camp this morning,” said Patty. “I’m going to get lunch started if you want to come up to the big house. I'm making catfish. You can have fish, right?"
"Nope.” Jules gave a shake of her head. “Fish is meat. So..."
“Hmmm.” But then Patty brushed it off. "We'll figure something out. Welcome to the family."