“Exactly. I’m going to go down the list and call them all to let them know what was done to the Gamieyon Pride. We’ll take the conversations from there. It could just as easily have been any of them,” Jack said.
Chapter 28
“Yeah, clay pad is still solid. Let’s drive the pilings into place and get this one moving. Single family capable of transitioning to a multiple person temporary home. Three beds, two baths. An option to pull a collapsible accordion wall down the middle of the master to make two smaller bedrooms out of it, and we’re revising the living room area to be able to open up pocket doors to separate it from the rest of the first floor to create a bedroom in there that’ll sleep at least four. Everybody on the same page?” Titus asked.
Yeps, yes sirs, and you know its answered his question. He’d pulled both his crews to work on this house and get it done as quickly as they could and all were present and accounted for this morning.
“You do know you can take a break. You need a break. You’ve been working almost around the clock,” Dane said.
“Not necessary. Had a lot of people to house, we got it done. Now we need to provide for visitors, which is this house. After we get this one done, I’m splitting the crews and we’ll be looking at renovating Rance’s home, a serious renovation and/or rebuild on Niko’s family home, and whichever is finished first, most likely the crew on Rance’s house, will be putting up a small cottage near Three and Findley for Brinnley. Our own people still need the option of new housing as well, as they claim mates and want a place of their own, so we’ll get back to the original request Jack made before we absorbed the Gamieyon people into our Pride. We’ll put up half a dozen or so single family homes, some two bedroom cottages, some three bedroom full size houses.
“For now everybody’s got a place to live. You need to give yourself some grace. Jack’s house is right over there, we can see it from here if we need something. Go get some sleep for God’s sake! What’s it been since you slept? A week?” Dane asked.
Titus turned his head and looked at Dane, blinking his eyes slowly as he considered whether or not he deserved an answer. “Why are you still standing here?” he finally asked. “Work or go away.”
The sound of tires crunching in the distance as a vehicle approached had all of the males working construction grabbing their phones to look for messages letting them know that someone had been given permission to drive up the mountain. When there was none, they all walked over to where Titus stood, watching expectantly down the dirt and gravel road where the vehicle would first make its appearance. “Y’all spread out a little,” Titus said, his eyes glued to the place he knew they’d see the car first. The males moved down, putting several feet between small groups of two or three of them, as they prepared for whatever was coming toward them.
They heard a door open and close and a quick glance told them that Jack had walked out on his porch some two hundred feet away and was standing there sipping coffee as he looked out over the morning.
“Jack, you should go back in. Unannounced vehicle just about here,” Titus warned, tossing his hammer and catching it again with one hand as though it weighed nothing.
“I know. I approved it.”
Titus turned to look at Jack and noticed the smug grin he wore as he too waited for the vehicle to make the curve and come into sight.
About that time a brand new black 4-door Jeep Wrangler came into view and slowly made its way toward them. The windows were dark, but Titus had the distinct feeling that itsoccupants were looking directly at him. “I can stop it,” Titus shouted.
“Nope,” Jack yelled back.
The Jeep passed him and his crew slowly on its way to Jack’s house, where it came a stop and after a few minutes, turned off its engine. A few moments later the driver’s side door opened and Feral got out. He grinned at Jack and started toward the porch where he stood.
“Welcome back!” Jack called out.
Feral’s smile was huge as he reached the porch and Jack came down to meet him, shaking his hand and pulling him into an embrace and patting him on the back.
“You doing good?” Jack asked.
“You just don’t have any idea how good,” Feral said.
“I can imagine. We’re glad to have you join the Laighin Pride,” Jack said. “How’s she doing?”
“Nervous. Afraid he’ll reject her.”
On seeing Feral get out of the Jeep and be welcomed by Jack, Titus having just been reminded by Feral’s arrival that Hail could be there if she chose to be, and didn’t, turned his back on them both without another word and went right back to work, his males following suit.
They didn’t see the passenger side door of the Jeep open, and first one, then another feminine foot clad in women’s tennis shoes step out and rest on the ground. They didn’t count the heartbeat in time before their owner finally worked up the courage to get out of the Jeep. Hail stood there for a few seconds in the open doorway of the Jeep, looking Titus’ way before closing the door.
At the sound of another car door closing, Titus glanced back over his shoulder expecting to see that Feral had gotten back in the car, but instead found himself locking eyes with the very reason he’d been unable to sleep for the last week. He turnedcompletely around to face Hail’s direction as his heart thudded to deafening levels in his chest.
Hail held his gaze for only a moment longer before she broke eye contact and turned away from him, making her way the few steps over to where Jack stood waiting on the front porch of his house.
“Alpha Jack,” Hail said as she approached.
“Just Jack. No title is necessary. Welcome Hail. It’s good to see you again.”
“Thank you for welcoming me. I know you weren’t expecting me, but Feral said he was coming back and I couldn’t miss the opportunity, so I begged a ride.”
“You’re always welcome here, but what opportunity in particular are you referring to?” Jack asked, still wearing a smirk.
