SNOWSWEPT

by CuddleFae

Dr. Lauren Lewis has been assigned to oversee the opening of a new hospital. Overwhelmed by all there is to know and learn in an unfamiliar land, she crosses paths with a mysterious woman with a dark past - a past that has caused her to live by one rule. Trust no one. Thrown into a desperate struggle, can they overcome the barriers between them in their fight to survive?

49. Chapter 49: New Wife, New Life

A/N: Reminder – this is a double chapter update, so head back to Chapter 48 if you haven't read it yet! Enjoy!

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CHAPTER 49: New Wife, New Life

The two headed up the street towards the clinic, grateful that the sidewalks were finally shoveled to the concrete. Once they were past the Sheriff's Office, she could feel Lauren physically relax. By the time they reached the kennel, Lauren was smiling.

Bo took a quick run into the veterinary clinic to be sure all of the dogs were secure. The three vets and two vet techs on the night shift assured her that all was well and that the extra security staff allowed for three people to always be on patrol. They also told her that Sheriff Dyson had been by twice tonight and promised to stop by more frequently the rest of the week.

To say Bo was relieved was an understatement. She was now grateful that they had a full staff round the clock. It was an investment Bo wasn't sure would pay off, but now, she would spend all of her winnings if it meant her dogs and their pups would be safe.

When Bo came back out, she found Lauren staring up at the stars,

"It's a beautiful night, Mrs. Dennis."

Bo slide her hand into the bend of Lauren's arm, "It truly is Doctor Dennis."

By the time they reached the clinic, Lauren had a bit of kick in her step. She opened her clutch and pulled out her keys, hurrying into the cold room, then straight into the clinic. She smiled, seeing her desk,

"They still haven't taken over my desk. Amelia says it's a sign of respect."

Bo laughed, "Or maybe they're hoping you'll come back here."

Lauren smiled, "I will be back, Bo. Just upstairs… and a little to the left."

Bo nodded, "It's strange to see this place dark. It was open twenty-four hours since you brought in new staff."

"No need anymore. There's a hospital just under a mile away," Lauren smiled, opening the door and heading up the stairway to the apartment.

Bo followed, closing the door behind them. She looked up… stairs. Fucking stairs. She sighed, raising her left leg onto the step and hauling her right up to meet it. She took another step, then another. Lauren looked down,

"Take your time. There's no rush. Hold onto the railing."

Bo nodded, taking one step at a time. She was mid-way up the stairs when Lauren stopped and turned inside the doorway, the light flipping on behind her,

"Stay there. I'll be right back."

"Stay… here? In the middle of the stairway?"

Lauren peeked around the corner and smiled down at Bo, "Yes, please," she said before disappearing again.

The door to the apartment closed, leaving Bo in the dark stairwell. She waited for her eyes to adjust until she could see the dim outline of the stairs.

"Happy honeymoon to me," she mumbled, frowning before deciding to sit down on the step. She waited… and waited… and waited… until slowly, a sliver of light appeared on the wall. It spread to the edge of the stairs, then over Bo's eyes. She squinted, holding her hands up to shield her eyes from the light.

When she could finally see again, she slowly opened her eyes. Finding her legs, Bo stood, a hand on either wall for balance and put her left foot up on the next step, seeing more clearly now.

"Lauren…" she said, now realizing her new wife was standing at the top of the stairway, a sheer white spaghetti strapped top with lace panties that left absolutely nothing to the imagination, "Happy honeymoon to me, indeed," Bo whispered.

She stood, mouth agape before she pushed up, forcing her right leg to join her left, then took another step. The closer she got, the more she noticed that the light behind the blonde pushed through the sheer fabric she wore, barely hiding raised nipples that clearly wished to be freed. She studied the silhouette of defined arms, shoulders that tapered down to a well-defined rib cage and her lover's narrow waist.

Taking two more steps Bo's eyes continued south to where a thin piece of ribbon hugged Lauren's hips, the ends tied in a neat bow at the center. Just below was a dark patch of neatly trimmed hair and strong legs that Bo reached out to caress, her eyes moving up to Lauren's as she spoke,

"You knew," Bo suggested.

"Knew what?"

"That we were going to get married. Who told you?" Bo asked, lifting the blonde's leg onto her shoulder, and tracing the inside with her fingertips and her lips.

"Did I look like I knew?"

"No," Bo said, not really interested in the conversation anymore. She had other things on her mind, "Then where did you get this… honeymoon outfit?"

Grinning, Lauren explained, "After our wedding, Patrick suggested we might want to use the clinic's honeymoon suite. At first, I really just wanted to sleep and forget my parents and well, you know."

The thoughts threatened her mood, so she cast them out of her mind and focused on the touch of her lover… her wife,

"But then when you suggested going elsewhere, I decided that I didn't want us to look back on our wedding night and have regrets… I mean, I didn't want… them… to take this from me – from us. So, our dear friend planted this for me. Apparently, there was another outfit back in your hotel apartment, one in the train car and one at home since he didn't know where we'd end up."

"I'll have to thank Patrick for the wedding gift."

"Honeymoon gift. Our wedding gift… well, you'll see."

"This is all I want to see right now," Bo smiled.

"Well then, now it's up to you just how much of this gift stays on my body and for how long."

Bo pushed up another step, her fingers gripping the end of the ribbon. She gave it a tug and allowed it to drop free before twirling her fingers into the paper-thin material that hung from Lauren's torso,

"So, is this a garment you want to keep as a memory of this night or is it something that I can rip into shreds and toss in the trash in the morning?"

Lauren lowered herself onto the top step, parting her right leg, drawing the brunette's attention,

"Who says I can't keep shreds of material as a memory?"

Bo smiled, "Good answer."

She pulled, shredding the fabric before gathering what remained and tossing it over her shoulder to fully expose the blonde's naked form. She laid a hand flat on Lauren's chest, running It gently down her body until her fingers found their way between the blonde's legs.

She watched as Lauren laid back, her hips rising up to meet her touch, as she mumbled into her skin, "My beautiful, beautiful wife."

Lauren watched the brunette, her body quivering under every touch and kiss. Her skin was on fire and her passion grew quickly.

"Sorry for the lack of foreplay… it's been too long," Bo said.

"Not arguing," Lauren gasped, her hands sliding into Bo's hair, "Bo… I've missed you…"

A sensuous moan escaped Bo's mouth as she dove deeper, every touch tender, gentle and slow. She had been starved for the blonde for weeks and they had been so busy before and after the race that they hadn't had time to reconnect until now… and connect she did,

"I'm going to feast on you all night, Doctor Dennis."

Lauren shook her head, "Drop the doctor. Call me Mrs. Dennis tonight… please. I want to be reminded that I'm your wife, not that I have to go back to work tomorrow."

All the brunette wanted was to pleasure her wife over and over, but when Lauren cried out one final climax, she slammed her legs shut to still her wife's insistent fingers,

"Okay! Okay, Bo, that's enough! I need a break."

"A break? Are you sure?" she asked with a devilish grin, but the blonde shook her head,

"Yes! No more… sensitive… be careful!"

Bo chuckled, sliding her hands up the blonde's inner thighs once again,

"Mmmm… that will only last a minute."

Lauren laughed, pushing Bo's head back and tugging at her wrist to withdraw her fingers. She closed her legs and laughed when Bo sat on the step and frowned. Lauren shook her head,

"Oh, don't pout. It's still early. Besides, it's my turn, Mrs. Dennis."

Bo grinned as Lauren stood and turned around, placing a foot on either side of the doorway before bending over. She reached back, running her fingers over one cheek, allowing her fingers to trail up onto her low back.

"Damn you're sexy as hell, Lauren Dennis…" Bo said, "And wet… very wet," she whispered, disappointed when Lauren stood and turned towards her,

She raised a finger, bending it towards her several times, "I'm wet because you just had me three times."

Bo grinned, "We can make it four."

Lauren chuckled, "Oh, four will never be enough for a wedding night, but as I said, it's my turn. Come on up here. You should really lay down on the bed and elevate that leg…" she took two steps, then turned back, a finger on her bottom lip, "…up high… where it will be out of my way."

She smirked, and stepped through the door, "Come, Mrs. Dennis. Let's get you undressed."

Lauren walked backwards into the living room, past the kitchen and into the bedroom. Bo looked around the room, her senses alive with the light and smell of vanilla until she saw Lauren snapping a red bow tie around her neck. She reached up, feeling around her collar,

"When did you steal my bow tie?"

Lauren smirked, "I didn't want to be totally naked when you're still dressed. That wouldn't be fair," she grinned, "And I took it while you were busy ripping open your wedding gift."

Bo chuckled, unbuttoning her shirt, "So I get to unwrap my second gift?"

Lauren shook her head, "No, I just removed my Bo's bow, so it's my turn. Get over here, Mrs. Dennis."

"Hmmm… I think I love when my wife gets all demanding," Bo said, walking to Lauren who pushed her jacket back off of her shoulders and trailed her lips down the brunette's neck.

She pulled up the shirt tail, tugging if from beneath the cummerbund and pants before she circled the brunette. Reaching around to the front, she gazed at Bo in the mirror, unbuttoning each button before unfastening the cummerbund and allowing it to drop to the floor.

She pulled the shirt from Bo's shoulders, and carefully folded it, placing it on the table before reaching down to the waistband of her pants,

"I can't believe you're taking the time to fold my clothing," Bo said, her voice impatient.

"Seriously? Do you know your best friend? The one who worked night and day to put this outfit together?" Lauren said as she unfastened the top hook before slowly pulling down the zipper.

Bo sighed, "Okay, so I guess you're right about that."

The blonde's eyes darkened when she found nothing but skin and a small dark patch of hair beneath the zipper,

"Commando for our entire wedding and the gala? Bold, Mrs. Dennis. Bold and beautiful and I'm sure…" she lowered the pants to the floor, "… delicious."

Screw Kenzi, she thought as she freed Bo of both shoes and pants, discarding both over her shoulder. Her eyes were glued to the sight before her and she could not resist sliding her hands up Bo's strong, muscular thighs and abdomen,

"Um… you didn't fold my pants?"

"Your bestie can sue me for the wrinkles," Lauren said, standing to cup the full breasts above her, thoroughly teasing each before looking up,

"Just waking them up."

"You definitely standing at attention," Bo said, watching Lauren trail kisses from her chest to her shoulders and neck before she pulled back and stared at the multiple scars from the brunette's past... some more recent than others. Bo laid her hands over Lauren's and spoke softly,

"Stay with me… here… now… in the present, Mrs. Dennis. Now is all that matters."

Lauren's frowned slowly returned to a smile before she circled the brunette's body, her fingers leading the way,

"I'm here and despite these scars, so are you. Such a strong, fabulous back."

She kissed each scar, tracing her lips up to Bo's neck as she made her way back around to the front of her wife's body, capturing her lips in a gentle kiss that Bo couldn't resist deepening.

The brunette moaned as Lauren reached between strong thighs, finding her wife's need. She could see the flush build in her cheeks as Bo's hips began to rock, but the blonde pulled back, taking three steps back from the brunette until her full body came into focus.

"You are stunning," Lauren said her eyes locked on Bo's flesh.

The brunette moved to step towards the blonde, but Lauren held up a hand,

"No. Just… stand there. I just want to look at you… just for a moment longer. I just want to remember… our first night together. Do you remember? Here… in this room?"

Bo smiled, "You almost died… your skin was so cold. You were shivering. I couldn't leave you alone. I was so worried, but I didn't want you to know… I didn't want to let it show."

Lauren pulled her phone from the shelf, texting 'now' to Hop before putting the device back.

"Uh… Lauren? You're texting? Now?"

"No, I'm looking at you. Do you remember this beat up old thing?"

Lauren turned and flicked on the power to the old boombox. She waited for the song to end knowing Hop's voice would immediately fill the room.

"Do you remember?" Lauren asked.

Bo smiled, "I almost forgot. We danced that night. You were so sick, and your sugar was low. I needed to keep you awake, but you were stubborn and tired from hypothermia. I just needed you to move long enough for the Powerbar to kick in."

"I hate those things."

Bo smiled, "I kept my promise. I've never asked you to eat one again."

"You are good at keeping promises most of the time," Lauren said, stalling for time.

"I do try."

Lauren took a step forward when the song ended, a smile stretching across her face as the DJ began,

"Good Evening, Talkeetna! Once again, this is Hop, your favorite late-night DJ…"

Bo laughed, "He's our only late-night DJ."

"… coming to you live from the tower. Tonight, I send a special shout out to all of my fellow FOBAL Club members!"

"Hey! Those are our people!" Bo smiled as Lauren nodded knowingly.

"This one goes out to our favorite couple. Congratulations, you two! Your FOBAL Club wants to say a big thank you for sharing a fantastic, fancy night and your VERY special occasion with all of us. Such a heartfelt, unique evening should be one we all get to experience at least once in life. Personally, I was honored to bear witness. So, with great appreciation for your special donation to the town Food Bank, the FOBAL Club sends out this song, taking you for a stroll down memory lane. Enjoy!"

Lauren advanced towards her wife, her hand extended, as the song's introduction played,

"Want to dance naked on our wedding night to our song?"

Bo moved to her wife, wrapping an arm around her waist before taking her other hand and pulling it over her heart,

"Oh! I remember! Steven Tyler, right?" Bo smiled while Lauren nodded her reply, "This song was playing our first night together in this room. You put it on the playlist for your anxiety."

Lauren nodded, laying her head on Bo's chest as the lyrics began…

I could stay awake just to hear you breathing.

Watch you smile while you are sleeping

While you're far away and dreaming

I could spend my life in this sweet surrender

I could stay lost in this moment forever

Every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure…

"We talked and talked to this song. Do you remember?" Bo asked, rubbing her cheek up against Lauren's temple.

Lauren nodded, "Until Nick burst into the room looking for a doctor."

Bo laughed, "Oh, Spirits, I forgot about that. Hop had a heart attack while this song was playing. I hope history doesn't repeat itself."

"Bursting in on us naked dancing tonight would definitely not be my favorite thing," Lauren smiled, shaking her head, "What a chaotic night that was."

"You had hypothermia," Bo interjected as Lauren nodded,

"Those three boys were a mess. They sure do love their dad."

Bo nodded, "They had just lost their mom and Hop was so depressed. He's much better these days."

Lauren nodded, "It's nice to see him smile again."

"That was the night we built the machine to save him," Bo realized, "I finally understood why you were so famous in the Lower Forty-Eight. It was something special to watch."

"Well, you and Kurt did most of the thinking for me. I was in bad shape," Lauren said, shaking her head.

"Adrenaline kept you going," Bo smiled.

Lauren lifted a finger, tracing it down the side of Bo's face to her chin before leaning in and kissing her gently, her hand gliding down her low back to her hip,

"Then we finally made our way back upstairs… up here. I was still so cold."

Bo smiled, "I put the dogs in front of the heater to get them as warm as possible and then surrounded you with them in a last-ditch effort to get you warm."

Lauren smiled, her hand moving back and forth over Bo's bare skin, her fingers traveling up her neck, behind her ear, down her chin to the corner of her mouth where she caressed Bo's lips.

"I didn't want the dogs… I wanted you," Lauren said. She grew quiet as her eyes and fingertips once again found the many scars Bo had gained since she'd met her,

"Bullet… knife… knife… bear claw… whole paw of claws…", she looked up, smiling at Bo,

"…but your body is still perfect to me because it's yours and you are still beautiful to me because you're here, you're my lover, my best friend, my companion, my confidant, my partner and now…"

she leaned in, her mouth inches from Bo's, dark brown orbs drawing her gaze as she spoke, "…my wife."

Her hands traveled from scars to mounds of flesh, cupping them, fondling them, as she sampled all of the skin at her disposal.

Lauren wondered, "I don't know why I'm so attracted to your breasts, but they're a bit of an obsession. They're incredibly feminine, yet somehow a symbol of strength and power… such power."

She pulled her hands back, resting them on Bo's forearms so she could just gaze upon her wife's flesh, placing soft touches here and there as she spoke,

"I want to memorize every inch of you, Bo. I want to lay down in bed on a cold night when you're away training and be able to picture in my mind exactly what you would look like, how your skin would feel meshed with mine and how your form would fit against me if you were home. I want to know your body as well as I know my own."

She could see Bo's face flush under her gaze, feel the heat radiate off of her skin as she grew warmer, hear her breath hitch as her mouth opened slightly, see her tongue slip from her mouth to lick her lips,

"It's happening. I can see it. You're responding and I'm not even touching you. Why is that I wonder? Why do you get excited just watching me look upon you?"

Bo smiled, "Because I know you enjoy it. Because I like that you enjoy it. I can't deny that my workouts aren't just for being sled ready anymore. My workouts are also to make sure that my body is worthy of your gaze."

"I'll always want to look at you, Bo. Even when we're old and gray, when you're retired, fat and happy. When your skin wrinkles with age and these scars sag."

Bo chuckled, "What about when my tits sag?"

Lauren laughed, "Well, I'll hold them up, of course."

"What will the townspeople say?"

"That I'm a true Bo Dennis supporter in every sense of the word," Lauren laughed, "Do you remember what happened next?"

Bo smiled, "You asked me to get into bed. You wanted my body heat… without my clothes, but…"

"I learned that you were a commando fan."

"Top and bottom," Bo smiled.

"You took off your clothes and I got my first glimpse of this fabulous body."

Lauren slowly bent down, removing Bo's brace and helping her back onto the bed,

"Time to get you off of this leg," she said, pushing the covers back so that she could lay beside her. She saw Bo shiver, "Sheets are cold, but we'll warm them up soon enough."

Bo pulled a hand back behind her head, getting a better view of Lauren's hand sliding up inside of her knee,

"Well, the swelling isn't too pretty, but this lovely trail of moisture - did I do that?"

Bo chuckled, "Maybe it was the dance, but it may have been watching you respond to me on the stairs. I mean, that made me pretty… happy – especially since it was your first time as Mrs. Dennis."

Lauren smiled, "Such an occasion. Should I go bake a cake?"

"You stay right where you are," Bo warned.

"I couldn't pull myself away if I tried," Lauren smiled, "Not that I would… try."

As Lauren savored every inch of her skin, Bo watched and remembered as they relived their first night together.

While Lauren was bold and outgoing, Bo had been awkward, nervous and reserved. Of course, that was after a very difficult sleep,

"Your body temperature was so low. I was so worried. You had a restless sleep, but when you woke up, it only took a moment for me to realize you had decided that you were going to use me to get warm once and for all."

Lauren smiled, "But then I thought I'd misjudged, and you weren't into women. I was so embarrassed."

Bo chuckled, "Until I made it clear that was not the case. I was just worried about getting your heart rate up while your heart was still struggling to recover."

"I made a medical decision… not really, but it makes me feel better as a professional to pretend I didn't actually risk my life because this incredibly sexy woman had revved up my libido to eleven."

Lauren propped her head up on her elbow outside of Bo's thigh, her fingers working back and forth over the small swells of her wife's eight-pack. She grinned,

"I was cold and horny – it was an odd combination. Eventually, I threw all caution to the wind. I just didn't care if I died as long as I died finally having what I'd been craving for months."

Bo smiled, "Once you got going, there was no stopping you and I had to wonder why you were the one the town thought was so professional and innocent while I was the animal."

Lauren shrugged, placing light kisses along Bo's hips and thighs, "I do enjoy our bedroom time."

Bo grinned, running her fingers through her wife's hair, "That you do."

"I just remember you asking me if I was okay after every climax," Lauren smiled, "It was strange to see that side of you because until then, you had just yelled at me for my lack of knowledge about all things Alaska."

"Yea, I was a bit judgmental, I suppose."

Lauren nodded, "A bit, but I was an outsider. Still, by the end of that night, I came to know this fierce yet tender lover who was incredibly sweet, kind and caring."

"And I came to know that science and sex are actually like peanut butter and chocolate. Who knew they went so well together?" Bo laughed.

Lauren shrugged, "In my defense, I didn't know my doctor-speak was an aphrodisiac at the time. I also didn't know I could be that open about my wants and desires. For some reason, I just felt like I could tell you… that even if you weren't particularly keen on something that you wouldn't… well, laughed at me or judged me for my somewhat kinky side."

Bo nodded, "And it turned out that I found your kinky side to be quite the turn on."

"You confessed that you hadn't been with anyone for so long that you were worried you forgot how to take care of a woman's needs," Lauren smiled, "It was adorable."

Bo's voice grew serious, "You admitted you were afraid of me… my anger… my temper."

Lauren grew quiet, "Honestly, I'd hoped you wouldn't remember that, but you're right. I was afraid of you, but then that night, we talked so much… you were so incredibly different than the woman I'd seen. You were so different than the woman everyone in town had described."

Lauren shook her head, "I'm ashamed now that I'd ever listened to anything they said. I know better than to judge anyone by hearsay. It was unprofessional for me as a doctor and unacceptable for me as a person."

Bo wiped a tear from Lauren's cheek, but the blonde shook her head and took her hand,

"My tears are for you, Bo – not for you to give me sympathy. You were so incredibly open and honest with me that night."

"We both were – and not just emotionally, but physically too," Bo said.

"I knew I'd misjudged you that night because my heart – even though I didn't want to admit it – just burst open that night. I'd never allowed myself to be that exposed with anyone – verbally, emotionally or sexually."

Bo nodded, "Me either. I mean, once you dropped your inhibitions, it was so easy for me to do the same. I just immediately felt…"

"Comfortable," they said in unison before Bo took Lauren's hands in her own and smiled,

"I love you, Lauren. So much."

The blonde smiled and nodded, "And I love you, my Ysabeau, my wife."

She moved up above Bo, placing her hands on either side of her shoulders to she could gaze down at her,

"I think that's when I knew that this would be different. I didn't know if it would just be the best sex I'd ever had or if there was something more…"

"I hoped for more," Bo smiled.

"Me too," Lauren nodded, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on her lips.

"And now, we have more. So much more," Bo said, kissing up the blonde's arm, her hands reaching up to caress soft mounds as Lauren lowered her body slipping her thigh between Bo's.

The brunette used her mouth to replace her hands while her wife used her hips to press into her heat,

"You feel so good, Bo."

The brunette smiled, looking up at her wife, "I'll never get enough of you in one lifetime, Lauren."

While Bo's mouth took it's pleasure, her eyes drifted to Lauren's muscular chest and well-defined arms, hands moving down to grip her well-rounded, firm buttocks.

The blonde stiffened at the sensation when Bo squeezed, then gave her a quick spank, "You may love my chest, Doctor, but I'm obsessed with this ass…"

Bo smirked, "…and I love how your skin gets covered in bumps when I give you a little whack. A little trick I learned that first night."

Lauren confessed, "I still don't know why I felt so comfortable sharing so many of my sexual fantasy kinks that night, but I'm glad I did. I never dreamed I could be with someone who kept me sated as you do."

Bo smiled, "It saddened me to know that you had all of those desires, but no one willing to at least try to share them with you."

Lauren shrugged, "After the first person laughed and the second person gave me a hard pass, I guess I just closed off."

"The second being Nadia?"

The blonde nodded, "I'm sure everyone goes through life and never fulfills all of their fantastical sexual ideas."

"I never want that to be us, Lauren. I mean it," the brunette said, her brows set and tone firm, "I made a promise – I'll try anything once and so far, I've enjoyed everything we've done and there has been nothing that has made me feel unsafe."

The blonde smiled, "Well, we certainly can't say we've got a shortage of toys."

Bo shrugged, "All I have to do is see you look at one with curiosity online or in a store and I'm right there buying it. Curiosity is fantasy, Lauren and I will never say never to your desires."

Lauren nodded, "We talked about toys that first night, didn't we?"

Bo smiled, "You told me they were on the table. Or did I say that?"

"I know I told you that I felt bold around you."

"And you were… and believe me, I was the happiest woman on earth about your boldness that night. I thought you were this proper doctor and then you unleashed this sexy woman who craved touching me as much - if not more - than I craved touching you."

Lauren watched as Bo kissed beneath her breasts, trying to lower herself to have her wife again, but the blonde wasn't having it,

"Hey – where are you going?"

Bo grinned up at the blonde, "Dessert?"

Lauren laughed, "Not until I've taken my fill, thank you."

Bo chuckled, watching as the blonde slid down her body, careful to stay away from her injured leg. Lauren draped an arm over the injured thigh and laid her head on Bo's hip, her free applying pressure to the other leg until her wife parted her legs, allowing her access.

"Lauren," Bo gasped at the first touch from her wife. Her hips flexed and her healthy leg moved further out. Fingers from both hands tangled in golden locks, pulling her to her center. The blonde obliged, taking her fill of her new wife, eyes watching… always watching as the brunette climaxed above her, then exhaled a deep breath, her body falling still.

Lifting her head to lay on her thigh once more, Lauren smiled up at Bo as her fingers continued to lightly caress the flesh she was so freely given,

"Kenzi did an amazing job on your tux. It fit you perfectly and accentuated all of the best places," Lauren smiled, "I loved the splashes of red."

Bo grinned, "Why thank you and I'll repeat that your dress was absolute perfection, and the back was perfect. Cut just low enough for my imagination and high enough for our guests."

"I was hoping you would notice. I had Kenzi lower it just for you," Lauren grinned.

"I remember you gave me a saline lesson before you fell asleep. The next thing I knew, you were out cold, and I was struggling with my libido again. I fell asleep only to wake up throbbing like hell."

The blonde nodded, her fingers pressing into her wife once more,

"Because I was doing this?"

Bo's hips arched up, "Yes…"

"And this?" the blonde asked.

"Yes," Bo said, "And then you…"

"I entered you here…" Lauren said, "And then you felt my warm, soft mouth here…"

"Great Spirits, yes," Bo said, her eyes locked on Lauren's, "No one had ever… before… Lauren…"

The blonde lifted her mouth, "Just relax and enjoy, my love."

"Pure… pleasure… ecstacy…" Bo managed, watching the blonde as she brought her to yet another climax, her world spinning in a rainbow of colors.

Lauren slid up her wife's body, maintaining contact as she moved. She settled on Bo's chest, her fingers unable to resist the mounds of flesh before her,

"I get to fondle these for all eternity… you promised," Lauren said.

"I did and I will keep that promise," Bo said, "You're really my wife. I mean… I actually did it… Bo Dennis, murdered, animal, no good bastard daughter of Big Jim Morton. I married a smart, beautiful, talented, kind, caring, daring, adventurous, sexy, compassionate… did I mention beautiful… woman."

She propped her head up with the extra pillow, "I didn't hesitate, I have not an ounce of regret and I'm absolutely, positively ecstatic and bursting with love for you… the woman who captured my heart and changed me in ways that I never could have imagined. I'm married – something I never expected in my lifetime and I'm happy as can be that I am."

Lauren reached up, wiping a tear from each of Bo's cheeks as the brunette gripped the blonde's hand and kissed her fingers,

"You're my wife and I'm yours… always," Bo smiled, "Did I mention I don't believe in divorce?"

Lauren chuckled, "You didn't and I may have divorced before, but Bo, I swear, I will never…"

Tears spilled from Lauren's eyes as she sat up suddenly, covering her mouth,

"I was so unhappy with Nadia… I couldn't breathe and she was… Gods, she was intolerable… just like my parents… just like Evony," she looked up at Bo,

"Oh, Lauren, come here," Bo said, wrapping her arms around the blonde and pulling her to her chest. The blonde sank down, her head in Bo's lap as the brunette pulled her hair back, using soothing strokes down the yellow strands as Lauren spoke,

"But you… my Ysabeau," she paused to calm herself, "You give me all that she never could. You allow me to be… just me. No expectations other than those I place on myself. My identity is my own when I stand as Lauren and my identity with you is a partnership – a true partnership where decisions and choices are shared. You are my wife and I am yours… always."

She shook her head, wiping the tears as she smiled up at Bo, "I have no regrets, no hesitation and no doubts. I couldn't be happier to share my life with you… to wear this ring, which I must say is perfect."

Bo smiled, "Rudy and Elise picked them out."

"Of course, they did," Lauren smiled, admiring the ring, "But they look just like the ones…"

"They are and from the same jewelry store," Bo smiled.

"Those sneaky little girls were eavesdropping again," Lauren laughed.

Bo nodded, "Mom and Molly took away their sleds for the week."

"So that's why they didn't run the dogs at the kennel?"

"Yup. They'll be back at it tomorrow, thank goodness. I think everyone will be happy about that. Without me running a double team, all of our mushers are a little overworked. Our two girls running teams of ten will really help."

Lauren sat up, pushing Bo down onto her back, "I have a present for you."

"A wedding present?" Bo asked.

Lauren shook her head, "A honeymoon present."

"Another one?"

The blonde stood, moving over to the closet, and pulling out a bag that Bo immediately recognized,

"That's our old toy bag."

Lauren smiled, lifting it onto the bed and giving Bo a nod, "Your choice."

Bo looked up at Lauren, "You mean…"

She laughed, "While I hadn't planned on a wedding, I had planned to keep my wife in this apartment after the Gala. I'm always angry or frustrated or overwhelmed after those damn things and I had a feeling I was going to want some good rough sex. I mean, we had been apart for so long and even though we were home, we were still just…"

"Out of sync?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded, "So I had planned to… well…"

"Sync us back up?"

She chuckled, cupping Bo's cheek, "Oh, how I love you, my Ysabeau."

"I am very loveable."

Again, Lauren laughed, "You are. So, I gathered some of your favorites – and one of mine – from the barn wall lock box, put them in this old bag for old times' sake and tossed it under the driver's seat in my truck."

Bo shook her head, "Of course you did."

"Then I asked Patrick to move the bag from my truck to my closet."

"Oh, we will never hear the end of this," Bo said, shaking her head.

"I told him he wasn't allowed to open it. Besides, I covered everything with bras, panties, T-shirts and your workout shorts. He'll have no interest in touching a bra."

Bo grinned, "Great idea. So… you still haven't opened it."

"I thought we'd open it together," Lauren said, taking hold of one of the zipper handles.

Bo gripped the other and the two pulled, revealing the garments Lauren had planted. Bo quickly pulled them out, tossing them on the floor until she came to her favorite toy,

"Go big or go home?" she asked, holding up the strap on to her wife.

Lauren reached in and pulled out the strand of beads, flicking on the power switch,

"With a little extra boost?"

Bo smirked, "Definitely, though I don't think I'll be able to handle downward dog position with this knee."

Lauren shrugged, "I'll manage with you on your back."

"What about you?"

The blonde chuckled, "I'm quite a good rider, remember the mechanical bull at Shirley's?"

"Giddyyup!" Bo smiled, tossing the bag on the floor before watching her wife pull on the leather belt.

"Ready for round two, Mrs. Dennis?"

Bo laughed, "Round two is the toy round?"

"Definitely."

"How many rounds are there?" Bo asked.

Lauren shrugged, "We'll do the walk of shame after round three to get something to eat at Kenzi's, then we'll head up to your hotel apartment for as many rounds as you want until your surgery on Monday."

"The dogs…"

"Kyle will handle it until we're there. She said we won't have any alone time for a long time after this, so we should take as much time as we want."

Bo grinned, "Why can't we just stay here and order take out from Kenzi's?"

Lauren laughed, "Because this bed is over the clinic and you have absolutely no control over your volume."

"Right," Bo said, blushing, but Lauren wasn't allowing it,

"Don't you dare blush. I love your screams of pleasure and I'm going to do my best to make you scream in stereo surround sound," Lauren said, moving onto the bed, "Now, are you done talking?"

Bo spread her legs, pulling her good knee up, "Do your worst, Mrs. Dennis."

"Mmmm… so not counting rounds."

"We're not?" Bo asked with a frown.

Lauren shook her head as she slowly entered the brunette, "We're going to go until we're good and sore… too sore to go anymore."

Gripping Lauren's hips, she gave Lauren a wicked grin, "I'm all yours, Mrs. Dennis. Have at it."

"I am so damn happy I married you. Best honeymoon ever," Lauren said as she happily accepted her wife's invitation.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Morning at the Hotel Apartment

Bo pulled the ice from her knee, then began to close her brace as Lauren came out of the shower, toweling her hair dry,

"Seriously though, we won't be able to take our honeymoon for four to six months if you want to be fully functional when we go," Lauren said, watching as Bo laid back on the bed.

She dropped her towel and grabbed her pillows, placing them under Bo's leg,

"We definitely pushed this knee hard last night," Lauren said, "We'll ice again in thirty minutes. Until then, keep it elevated and see if we can't get some of that swelling back down."

Bo shrugged, "It was worth it."

Lauren shook her head, "I shouldn't have let you take the brace off."

"I'm not going to tell you again, Lauren. It was my choice. It was a perfect mix of incredible pleasure with a tiny pinch of pain. I'd do it again ten times over to hear you scream my name."

"Next time, I'll scream your name before I let you take off your brace."

Bo reached up and pulled Lauren down to her, slowly opening her robe.

"I thought you wanted to go down to eat and then go to the kennel?"

"I do… but you smell so good and you're clean and you're all kinds of naked under this robe…"

"You are incorrigible, Bo Dennis," Lauren smirked as her robe was pushed from her shoulders.

"You love my incorrigible-ness," Bo smiled, "Don't you want to open my robe?"

Lauren straddled Bo's hips, pulling on the thick terrycloth belt until it opened. She pushed either side of the robe back, her eyes going wide as Bo smirked,

"Wanna go for another ride?"

Lauren laughed, "So you showered only to put that back on and get us dirty again?"

"Well, we were both a little sore and we did smell like sex… and not in a good way anymore seeing as we both were a sweaty mess, so…"

Lauren aligned the tip and took it in slowly, "I mean, I can still walk, so I'm not that sore."

"Definitely not," Bo said, her hips finding Lauren's rhythm as she began to ride the phallus.

In truth, Bo knew they would eventually need to join the real world, but she had missed this… the adventurous Lauren. Since the night where things went wrong at the hospital and she'd had the massive panic attack, she had been somewhat mild and reserved. Last night, at the Gala, she had released the anger she'd felt all of her life for her parents. It had opened something up in her partner and Bo intended to keep her emotions flowing out of her.

It was time for the free, unreserved Lauren to get back to living life on her terms and that included in the bedroom. Whatever Lauren wanted, she would get if Bo had anything to say about it.

Bo didn't wear the strap on for her own pleasure, although she was enjoying watching her wife take what she wanted… needed. She knew that she wasn't finished – not by a long shot. Lauren was sacrificing her sexual needs and desires for Bo's business and that was not on the honeymoon agenda.

No, Bo intended to keep Lauren in this room until the blonde begged to be released. Then and only then, would Bo know that everything that needed to come out, had come out of her wife. Then and only then, would Lauren relax and enjoy what was to come.

Lauren gripped Bo's hands, pulling them up to her breasts. The brunette took the hint, caressing, kissing and fondling as the blonde's pace quickened. She grew breathless, her face flushing, her dark eyes set on Bo's as she moved with more force. Finally, she climaxed, falling onto her wife, completely spent.

"I love watching you," Bo whispered.

Lauren turned to her wife, "I love when you watch me. I love that you love to watch me. It thrills me… makes me want you more."

Bo could feel Lauren moving again. This time slowly, her hips flexing in such a way that Bo mindlessly followed the motion.

"Feel that?" Lauren asked.

Bo smiled, "You know I do."

"Mmmm… I can't be greedy, now can I?"

Bo pushed Lauren's hair back, tossing it over to the other side, "You can be as greedy as you'd like, Mrs. Dennis. I'll never mind."

"You're like me… making love with you – well, giving is as good as getting… sometimes even better."

"I love it best when we share the giving," Bo smiled.

"Me too," Lauren smiled, working her hips in longer strokes but keeping a slow and deliberate pace, both women clinging to each other until they met their shared climax.

It took only moments for Lauren to begin unbuckling the harness,

"Your turn."

"Well, if I'm going to be incapacitated for months, we'd better enjoy this while we can."

Lauren grinned, wasting no time entering Bo who quickly hastened the pace. The blonde drove deeper with each stroke matching her wife's need,

"Well, I suppose if you're willing to just lay back and let me have my way with you for the first month after surgery, I hardly think you'll be incapacitated. Even injured, your hips seem to be working at one hundred percent efficiency."

The blonde smirked, seeing her wife unable to speak. Her mouth opened, cheeks flushed before the scream was set free and her body rose up, hips bucking to take their fill until she relaxed, breathless.

Stilling Lauren's hips, Bo thread her fingers between the blonde's and spoke,

"Look what you do to me. You will never have to worry about another woman, Lauren. No one could ever move my body and heart the way you do. I am yours… fully, completely."

Lauren smiled, "I know, Bo. And I'm yours. Whatever you want, whenever you want, wherever you want. I will always try to be what you need."

Bo grinned, "Right now, I need you to take that off and come up here a little higher."

Lauren pulled off the strap on and dropped it to the floor, laying down on Bo's body. She moved in for a gentle kiss, but Bo released her mouth, "Higher."

The blonde smiled, sliding up and offering a breast to the brunette. Bo welcomed the left, then the right, lingering between the two while Lauren watched until Bo paused,

"Do you remember what I told you our first night about not being ashamed?"

Lauren nodded, her fingers caressing Bo's lips as she spoke,

"You told me you don't ever want me to feel ashamed to ask you for something that I want. You wanted me to have the best sex of my life because you were doing exactly what I wanted you to do… exactly what I needed you to do. You told me to ask you for anything because you would try anything I wanted."

She moved her fingers away, capturing Bo's lips with her own before she continued,

"You reminded me that you didn't grow up in society, so you knew no social boundaries, no judgements and no preconceived notions of right and wrong. You told me to open the door, not to hold back, trust and tell you. Positions, foods, toys… anything."

She grinned, burying her head in Bo's shoulder, "That's when I told you that I thought I might like anal sex and you didn't even know it was a thing."

"But look at us now, Lauren. We're better for those conversations and we've learned what we like and don't like. I'd be willing to bet you could line up those toys in order of my most liked to not interested in thirty seconds or less."

Lauren smiled, "The not interested aren't in the bag at all."

"Oh? Where are they? I thought we left those in there."

Lauren shrugged, "I threw them away. Why keep something we don't enjoy?"

"True," Bo smiled, "So, what are you interested in next, Mrs. Dennis?"

Lauren pushed herself up and stood, moving to stand over Bo,

"I think I'll do what you asked… move higher."

Bo ran her hands up Lauren's legs as the blonde lowered herself,

"My wife certainly knows how to please," Bo said, "Thanks to the Great Spirits."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

THE NEXT MORNING

Lauren rolled over, immediately feeling the soreness quite literally through every inch and crevice of her body. However, this wasn't the day to complain for the reason she was sore was because her wife had sated, her every need over the past two nights. It had been such a long time since they had done a marathon sex night, let alone two that she simply couldn't wipe the smile from her face.

She stretched her arms over her head and heaved a sigh before she opened her eyes and looked left, then right,

"Bo?"

It was still dark out and this room didn't have a roof with a window. She noted the fire in the fireplace, so knew that Bo was up and moving… probably hobbling.

She sat up, not bothering with the sheet. She honestly felt like she could walk around naked in her home for the rest of her days. It was strange. As she looked down at her naked form, she smiled. For the first time in her life, she was proud of her body. Somehow, she no longer felt too thin or too muscular. Her boobs weren't too small and her hair was perfect even with bedhead.

Her wife loved her, and she was also in love with the look and feel of her body. The ring on her finger had declared the truth – that this one woman, whose opinion was all that mattered, now loved her exactly how she looked, felt, thought, wished, dreamed and loved.

Lauren walked out of the bedroom and scanned the next room, "No Bo. Hmmm. But she made another fire in here. It's not too hot yet, so I guess she just left a little while ago."

She smelled the coffee before she saw it, so walked to the kitchenette to find a full coffee pot. She smiled, thinking of Bo brewing it for her before she left, "Wherever she went."

Her mind drifted to her wife, her finger moving back and forth over her bottom lip as memories of their honeymoon nights played repeatedly in her mind,

"She thinks I'm sexy. No one has every called me sexy and definitely not with that sexy, raspy Bo voice."

She pulled a mug from the shelf and poured herself a cup, wrapped herself in a blanket and laid down, putting the mug on the small table to let it cool a bit. She noticed the leftover chocolate tray from the dinner and smiled. She unwrapped the first piece,

"Mmmm… caramel and dark chocolate. A perfect breakfast," she looked to her left, suddenly missing Harper, "Wow. It's amazing the things you get used to after a year. I wonder if Bo left to go get the magical doggy boinking started. What time is it anyway?" she chuckled, "Is it bad that I'm talking to myself?"

She looked over at the clock on the wall and noticed the second hand wasn't moving, "Dead battery. I'll have to get my phone… when I get up… I don't feel like getting up. I just want to cuddle up with my wife and stay in bed all day. Gawd, marriage is dangerous. I guess this is the honeymoon phase."

She thought of her first wedding to Nadia. She felt terrible for what had happened to her, but the 'dream wedding' Nadia had planned for them had been more of a theatre production than a commitment of the heart.

Lauren would never have been able to speak the words she spoke to Bo at their wedding and throughout the honeymoon, even though it was at a romantic lake setting for two weeks. She would never have provided the connection she felt to Bo.

The door opened, drawing Lauren's attention. Bo, however kept her head down. She locked the door behind her, kicked off her boots, hung her hat and coat, tossed her gloves on the cast iron pad over the fireplace and started walking to the bedroom when she saw the blonde.

She stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes taking in the blonde's naked form. She licked her lips and silently picked up the bag she had dropped on the floor and walked to the blonde. Lauren nudged over, allowing Bo a bit of space to sit next to her,

"What's in the bag?"

Bo didn't speak, but instead reached into the bag and pulled out a white powdered donut. She took a bite, revealing the white cream inside. She stuck her finger in, holding it out to Lauren, but as the blonde opened her mouth to take it, Bo pulled it away, instead rubbing the sugary treat on the nipple of her breast. She repeated, covering the opposite breast as well before she leaned down and sucked them clean.

Lauren giggled, "Didn't have enough last two nights?"

Bo grinned, "I'll never have enough of you, Mrs. Dennis."

"Well, before we get all revved up, can you tell me what time it is?"

Bo sighed, "It's eight-thirty, but I called Lynnie and asked her if she could move things around a bit because you didn't sleep well last night."

Lauren slapped her wife, "They will know exactly what that means."

Bo smiled proudly, "Well, I love knowing that the reason you'll have that smile plastered to your sweet face all day is because of me and everyone will know it."

She shrugged, "But I told her that the sleeplessness was over your parents. You were sleep talking."

Lauren pressed up on her elbows, "I was?"

Bo nodded, "You were asking your parents if they knew where Michael was."

The blonde laid back, moving the bowl of chocolates to the table and pulling the blanket over her shoulder. She rolled onto her side, curling up to rest her head on Bo's lap,

"My brother."

Bo nodded, "I remember," she said, stroking Lauren's hair.

Lauren sighed, "I was wondering if maybe they know where he is. He's all I have left of my family, Bo."

"I know, so I'm going to be honest with you and if you're angry, I'm sorry but I was thinking of you."

Lauren pulled her head up, "Tell me you didn't go visit my parents."

She shook her head, "I didn't go visit your parents, but last night, I asked Tamsin if she might be able to ask them what they knew about his whereabouts."

Lauren laid her head back down, "They won't tell even if they know. They'll think she's looking for him to prosecute him, so they'll protect him."

"They'll protect him but they didn't protect you?" Bo asked, anger in her voice, "Sorry. It's not my place."

"Of course it's your place. You're my wife and you have a right to speak your mind. As for protection? I was the overdramatic one and he was the one who stood by his principals, so good for him… of so they thought. They always bailed him out to keep his name out of the press."

"Wouldn't want to hurt that Lewis name."

Lauren shrugged, "Honestly, it probably would have hurt me if they hadn't. The media can be brutal where the wealthy are concerned… even their children despite us often being nothing like them," she heaved a big sigh, "So yes, they'll protect him to the bitter end. Besides, if they give him up, he'd spill the beans on all of their less-than-above-board activities."

Bo nodded, "Tamsin knows about all of that, so I'm pretty sure she'll be able to see through them if they lie. Besides, if she says she'll help them with a deal in exchange for information about him, they just might cooperate."

"Give up him to save their own asses?" Lauren asked, then shrugged, "Given their current predicament, they just might do that."

"Wow."

"I know," Lauren said.

"So, do I tell Tamsin to go for it? I didn't see her truck outside when I went down to the restaurant."

Lauren shrugged, "Sure. I don't suppose you got pancakes or waffles?"

Bo reached into the bag and pulled out a small jar of maple syrup,

"Kenzi sends her love."

Lauren sat up, "Yes! Gimme, gimme! I'm starving."

Bo laughed, "You burned a lot of calories over the last forty-eight hours, Mrs. Dennis. All mostly just laid there."

Lauren held out her hands to Bo, but the brunette shook her head,

"Table."

Bo unwrapped the foil holding the waffles, then opened the one holding pancakes. She opened a dish with four over easy eggs and another with home fries. She walked to the cabinet and pulled out two plates, then grabbed utensils from the drawer and headed back to the table,

"Here we go, Mrs. Dennis."

"Thank you, Mrs. Dennis," Lauren smiled, rubbing her hands together as she gazed over the food on the table, "Wow. She really does love my stuck-up face."

Bo laughed, pulling a napkin from the center of the table, and taking a couple of pancakes.

"No bacon?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, lifting the bag up and pulling out two more foil packages and a small bag, "She gave us four crème-filled donuts, here's your bacon and these are orange slices from last night's bar."

"Definitely orange slices," Lauren smiled, dropping her pancakes, and opening the fruit. Bo looked up, shaking her head. She stood and went into the bedroom, opening the bag she'd gotten earlier. She pulled out a sweater and walked back out,

"Arms up."

"What?"

"Arms up," Bo smiled, "I got you a sweater."

"You went home?"

Bo shook her head, "I went to the general store and bought us some clothes, so we didn't have to go home. Molly let me in early. I thought it would look good on you. It's oversized, not picky and hangs off the shoulder."

Lauren smiled, "A little sexy shoulder action?"

Bo grinned, "Okay, so that part was for me."

"Mmmm… this is so good," Lauren smiled, chewing on a pancake, "How's Kenzi this morning?"

"Exhausted, as you might expect but she and Penelope are up and counting tips and donations. Penelope wants to make sure the workers get their fair share, so she's including the donations in the tip count. She said they should end up with about three hundred bucks a piece."

"That's not much considering the hours they've been working up to the event," Lauren said, pouring more syrup over her pancakes.

Bo shook her head, "Kenzi's been paying them twenty dollars an hour plus daily tips since the first cruise ship came in this weekend as well. She's swamped, so she'll at least break even. Last night, some of them pocketed individual table tips and tips from drink delivery as well. Penelope knows hiring wages, so she'll make sure they're well taken care of – at least, that's what she told me."

Lauren nodded, "She's not wrong about her qualifications. Is there anything else we need to know from last night?"

Bo shrugged, "Everything was cleaned up, word seems to be traveling about the Food Kitchen, town is quiet. Stores don't open until ten or eleven on weekends, so if we're going to have anything to deal with, it won't be for a few more hours."

Lauren nodded, "This bacon is so good. She knows just how I like it."

"Crispy, close to burnt, but not burnt," Bo smiled, watching Lauren eat another orange wedge. Bo picked one up too, "Mmmm, these are sweet. So good!"

Lauren nodded, "So what time did you tell Lynnie I'd be in?"

"Between nine and ten, probably closer to ten."

"Well, I have to shower. Do you want to join me?" Lauren smirked.

Bo smiled, "After we finish the bacon… and the orange slices… and the donut I started."

"There's three more. That's lots of vanilla cream for your sexy parts."

Bo stood, "Screw the bacon. It'll still be here after we eat this donut. On second thought…" she grabbed the whole bag, "…to hell with calories. It's our honeymoon."

Lauren stood, pulling off her new sweater, "Still a low calorie donut since I don't plan to eat the donut part…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

THE KENNELS

Bo had to admit, she was very, very sore. Her knee ached and every muscle in her body was tight. She grinned, thinking of what Lauren said,

"Good sex will do that to you."

Today, she had to admit, she was grateful her wife was also a doctor. For as much as she was terrible at following post-injury care and drove Lauren crazy most of the time because of it, her knee ached today – not in a good way. Apparently even though she wasn't bending and straightening it, contracting her quad was enough to cause the pain.

So, she was back on anti-inflammatories, but was maintaining her mom's salve as well. The brace, of course, helped to stabilize the joint, but she could see the concern in Lauren's eyes. More than once, she had seemed to blame herself for the pain, but Bo insisted she was a willing participant who knew all of the risks and was grateful for all of the pleasures.

Once the surgery happened, she was sure she wouldn't be in the mood for any extracurricular bed antics for at least a few days. She'd had knee injuries in the past and they were never fun. Of course, she had also never seen a doctor until Lauren, so who's to say the injury wasn't there in some form before the Iditarod.

She had just released Hercules into Aphrodite's kennel. He was a sibling to Harper, but most of his genetic code was related to the father, so Cassie felt certain it was a safe pairing. It was also the one that Bo was the most nervous about due to the close lineage. Most breeders wouldn't have thought twice about it since they were of different Father's, but Bo had begun to bond with Aphrodite on the trail and she was feeling protective of her.

"Big day, Bo!" Cassie said as she approached Bo.

The brunette smiled, "I've got a new wife and we're making new life. So yea, I'd say it's quite the day!"

Cassie looked out across the fields, "Anything activity yet?"

Bo shook her head, "Hercules just ate, so he's in his typical food coma. He eats too fast and then crashes."

"Well, don't look now, but he's up."

Bo turned back, watching as he moved closer to Aphrodite. She smiled,

"Wow. This might just happen."

Cassie nodded, "It's looking like there's interest."

LJ called to Bo from the barn, "Hey Bo! Should I bring out…"

Bo turned, waving her hands across her throat, cutting the air and pumping her fists.

He looked at her, "What?"

She shook her head, waving him over while he continued to talk. When he was close enough, she spoke quietly,

"What part of 'it must be quiet around here today' did you not understand?"

"You were serious?"

Bo rolled her eyes, shaking her head and turned back to the breeding kennel, seeing Aphrodite looking up at her,

"LJ, if my knee wasn't so screwed up, I would kick your ass right now."

He looked out at the kennel, "Oh. Shit. Did I interrupt?"

"When you get married, I'll remember to wait until the bed is rocking before I start blasting hard rock music and banging on your door on your wedding night."

LJ removed his hat, scratching his head, "I'm sorry, Bo."

"Right. Don't screw up again today or I will send you home without pay. Understood?"

"Yes, Mrs. Dennis."

"Smartass," she mumbled, a small smile forming on her face.

"Hey – congratulations by the way. I didn't get a chance to see you last night," Cassie said.

"I know. It was packed, huh?" Bo smiled, "Fun time, though."

Cassie nodded, "Is Lauren, okay? I mean… with her parents. I knew she was raised in a… well-off family but I didn't expect… that."

Bo smiled, "It's like they say, Cass – money can't buy happiness. Lauren has taught me that wealthy people aren't much different from us 'backwoods people'."

"You should have heard Shirley when her dad threw that one out there."

"Oh, I can imagine. No one believed that Lauren agreed with them, right?"

Cassie shook her head, "I think Lauren made her position quite clear. What everyone was quite shocked about was that she was bleeding her own accounts to fund the hospital."

Bo shook her head, "We both agreed that money does us no good sitting in an account. I mean, how much money does a person really need, Cass?"

The Vet shrugged, "I've been pocketing my paychecks all my life. I eat mainly fish, eggs, fruit, vegetables and my homemade breads and pastas. My house is paid off thanks to your budget building plan and my truck…well, Kurt knows I'll never get rid of it."

"He hates your truck," Bo smiled.

"He hates my truck," Cassie agreed, "But it's a classic and come on, it's adorable."

Bo laughed, "The wagging tail on the tailgate is definitely a key feature."

"How else will people know I'm a Vet?"

"Maybe the Talkeetna Veterinary Clinic logo on the side doors?" Bo smiled, "He's getting up again."

The pair turned to watch as Aphrodite moved towards the larger male.

Cassie nodded, "They're going to make some strong pups if this works, Bo."

"Cute too. They have great coloring," Bo smiled.

"I just hope the blue eyes don't take," Cassie nodded.

"Why?" LJ asked.

Bo sighed, "A question you shouldn't have to answer by now, LJ. You didn't read the book I gave you."

"I read most of it."

Bo shook her head, "Take this seriously, LJ or I'm telling your grandfather and uncle to send you off to college… that kennel life isn't for you."

LJ hung his head, "You're right. I'll get on it tonight."

"Considering breeding is today, it's a little late, but get it read."

He nodded, "Will do. So why no blue eyes?"

"Reflective sun off of snow. I'm sure you heard Kenzi complain about it all the time."

"Reflective sun?"

Cassie nodded, "Anyone with light colored eyes knows it. Increased light sensitivity. Be grateful for those blackish-brown eyes of yours."

"Kenzi needs to remember her sunglasses," Bo snarked, "Well, she remembers them, she just has to remember to take them off her head and put them on her nose."

Cassie nudged Bo, "Back kennel. Check it out."

Bo shook her head, "Is Jenna in heat?"

Cassie shook her head, "She wasn't, but maybe we'd better get her out of there just in case. LJ, you'd better run… fast. Don't let them lock up. If they do, run and get Kyle. Jenna might need help. First time can hurt them. Kyle knows what to do."

LJ took off, hopping three fences to get to Jenna, but by the time he got to her, it was too late. Bo shook her head, releasing a heavy sigh as she watched LJ wave to Kyle. The woman came out, running right to Jenna to calm her as she began to yelp.

"That's my fault. I should have kept horny Balto in the barn. Please tell me their lines are compatible."

Cassie started her stopwatch, then paged through her clipboard, analyzing the reports, "They're compatible… really compatible, but I really didn't want to breed her for another year. She's just coming off the race and her iron levels are still low."

Bo shook her head, "Is there anything you can do?"

"Supplements for the next few weeks. That will be twelve different special diets for twelve different dogs."

Bo nodded, watching as LJ walked back along the barn. He shook his head, "Sorry, Bo. I guess I'd better start doing sprints."

"That was my fault, LJ. I should have had him in the barn."

He sighed, "She's got some blood on her leg and I don't think it's from him. There's a little on the ground too. Are they a bad pairing?"

Cassie shook her head, "No. Jenna's only three, so we wanted to wait another year."

Bo nodded, "You're going to have another special diet on your hands. She'll need an iron supplement."

"I'll add it to the clipboard, LJ."

He nodded, "Got it."

"So, did you do the run from your land to here yesterday?"

"Yea. It took me thirty-two minutes by boat, but I was thinking maybe I could park my truck at your house for the summer and boat to there, then drive to town. It should knock ten minutes off my commute."

Bo shrugged, "It'll be my mom's house by then, but I don't see her having a problem with that. You can build a dock for her in exchange for a dock fee. Would you mind driving Rudy into town for school?"

"I'll get there early, I'll drive her, but I've never built a dock before."

"I'll help you, but I'll be post-surgery, so I'll just be teaching."

Bo pointed towards the dogs, "My mom had planned on getting her into town early to help with the puppies once they're born. Rudy will get three of the pups. That will give her a five-dog team in a few years. They will be solely her responsibility. You'll just let my mom know if you had to pick up her slack."

LJ nodded, "Elise said she's getting three as well?"

Bo nodded, "Molly and Mark haven't given the okay on that yet. Between school and her work at the clinic, they feel like she needs to choose. For now, they thought her helping Rudy to raise hers would be best, then she'll continue to use the kennel dogs you assign her each week."

"Makes sense. She really likes to ride with Rudy on her sled anyway."

Bo sighed, "Still not driving on her own, huh?"

LJ shook his head, "Even at the Iditarod. She only ran side by side with me and Rudy and she wanted to be between us. Never on her own."

Cassie nodded, "She doesn't want to kill an animal. She just keeps seeing that damn bear. Did you hear she hid Molly's guns a couple weeks ago?"

"What?" Bo asked.

"Crawled under the house and buried them in the dirt."

LJ shook his head, "That's why she was asking me when the last time was, I saw her with them."

"She asked you that?" Bo asked.

LJ nodded, "I told her I'd never seen her without them except in the house. Then I realized I hadn't seen them on her for days."

Cassie nodded, "They sat her down and asked her. She caved in about ten minutes and explained that the guns scared her – that she didn't want any bears to get hurt anymore."

Bo pointed to the yard, "LJ, you and Kyle need to get into Harper's pen. The guys are getting a little rough with each other and she's laying down. Remember – get them out as soon as you can see that one has the upper hand on another. No dogs get hurt. I'll be over as soon as they get started. Just keep an eye on the unexpected pair. They may be finished soon. Let Kyle know if the male turns away from the female."

LJ nodded, hustling back into the barn. Bo watched, seeing that LJ and Kyle were out in the kennel quickly, both holding catch poles.

"Did they practice?"

Bo nodded, "As much as I could let them. The dogs don't like those poles."

Cassie nodded, "I know, but they're necessary to get the dogs free of each other, Bo."

Bo smiled, "I did this alone for five years before Kyle started helping me, Cassie. There are ways to part them without poles and I taught Kyle my way the first year she helped. Watch and learn, Cass."

She nodded to the field, "I also need you to remember that I don't handle my dogs more than they have to be handled and don't expect anyone else to either. They get handled for bonding, congratulations, positive reinforcement, feeding, motivation or play. Even then, I'd never intervene during canine socialization and believe me – mating is canine socialization. They can work out their own problems. That's a field of strong women out there."

Cassie nodded, knowing that Bo was her boss and had raised over fifty healthy, championship dogs,

"Of course, Bo. You've got more experience in breeding sled dogs than I do, so I will certainly defer to you."

Bo nodded, "I appreciate that, Cass. Just watch Kyle. She knows that as long as she gets the aggressor locked down first, a well-tossed hand line will work just as well as the pole. Of course, it will be nice if the third dog just turns tail and runs before the fight for dominance starts."

"We can dream," Cassie smiled, "Bo, there's something I need to tell you."

"That doesn't sound good," Bo said, pointing to Aphrodite, "We have contact."

"Looks like she's okay."

Bo nodded, "It's not her first time, so hopefully she'll handle this."

Once she knew Aphrodite was okay, she turned to Cassie, "So, you had something you wanted to tell me?"

Cassie sighed, "Elise has been talking to me… confiding in me – a good deal."

Bo nodded, "I didn't want to say anything with LJ standing here, but I wondered when you said she was still scared of running a sled."

"And a bear getting killed," Cassie added.

Bo nodded, "It took us a week to get all of that out of her and that was with Faith's help."

"She doesn't want to talk to Lauren because she's afraid Lauren will tell Molly."

Bo turned back to Cassie, "Tell Molly what?"

"That she wants to live with you and Lauren."

"She said that?" Bo asked.

Cassie nodded, "She said it's what her parents wanted for her."

Bo was silent for a long while before she nodded, "I'll talk to Lauren."

"Bo, I have a relationship with Elise that I don't want to destroy. If there's any way Lauren can talk to Elise and get her to say it herself so that she doesn't know I told you, she'll continue to share and talk to me."

Bo could see Cassie tear up a bit, "I love that kid, Bo and I don't want her to turn away from her love of animals because she lost trust in the one human, she feels like she can trust right now."

Bo nodded, "Do you know if she told Rudy?"

"They tell each other everything, Bo. I can't imagine she didn't, but I don't know for sure. Rudy did tell me that she was going tell Elise something 'big' but Elise told her something even bigger, so she wasn't going to bother her now."

Cassie smiled at Bo, "I offered to hear her something big so she didn't have to hold it in, but she told me that she already told you and Lauren."

Bo nodded and grinned, "She did. Thanks for letting me know."

"It's nice of Rudy to put her own stuff on the back burner for her friend. She's such a great kid, Bo… your sister. She's got such integrity and compassion for a girl her age."

"Thanks, Cassie. I appreciate you telling me. They're both up in the clinic right now, right?"

"Yes. They're doing massages on the dogs that have been laid up for a while. It helps with their recovery."

"Any dogs that I know?"

"Well, other than your dogs that are still recovering from their burns, there's a few from people in town, but most are dogs from the race. I don't think you know any of them."

Bo nodded, "It's weird. When we first opened the clinic, I knew every dog that came in. People are kind of coming from all over now, huh?"

Cassie shrugged, "It's called marketing Bo."

"Yea, it's working. I just worry that we're going to outgrow this property."

"Bo, beyond the kennel and clinic land, you've still got another twenty-five acres behind them that you just use for running the dogs. You don't have to own the land your dog's train on."

Bo nodded, knowing that the acreage was actually more like six hundred acres. Years ago, the Judge had told her the town was in trouble – that Big Jim was going to start buying the properties of anyone who was having financial problems so that he could rent the properties out to them at a profit.

It Happened One Christmas was one of her favorite movies. She used to watch it with her Mom when she was little. They would rent it on VHS tape and make popcorn over the fire. She loved the idea that every time a bell rang an angel got its wings and she hated old man Potter.

So, when the Judge told her, that movie was all that she could think about. Big Jim wanted to be the next Potter and she wasn't going to allow it. So, the Judge fronted the purchase with Bo's money and all Big Jim knew was that the land had been purchased by the town.

The people that lived on those properties now, lived there for fair rent that paid the mortgage on the land. They wouldn't be displaced and their rents would only go up if taxes went up. Of course, they were also not given the boot if they went through a rough patch and couldn't pay. Bo made sure of that as well.

When she had gone in to sign the papers for her mom's will, the Judge had reminded her that he wasn't getting younger and that at some point, she would have to put the land in her own name or sell it off. Bo had asked him why she couldn't just have the same deal with the next Judge. He only shook his head and reminded her that not all judges would be like him. Bo intended to make sure she found one that was.

Judge Payne was good for the town. He was fair and always thought of what was best for the person before the law. He never used here say or rumor as evidence against someone and he had an iron fist to go with his gavel when need be. She knew he would always look out for Elise and do what was best for her, but she still had her concerns about what was going on with the child.

"Bo?" Cassie asked.

The brunette looked up, seeing concern on Cassie's face, "Sorry. I got lost in thought. Anyway, I know. I just feel better knowing that the dogs are on my land because there's no other sleds out there that I don't know about… fence, trees, and all. Beyond the training lands, it's all people and properties that I know well. I'm not necessarily their favorite person since some still believe the rumors, but they're good people who wouldn't hurt or steal a dog."

"At least you don't think so," Cassie said.

Bo nodded, "I suppose you never know what's in someone's heart until they share it with you, huh?"

Cassie nodded, "Well, even if you had to add on, it would take a lot of growing to overrun the training trail. You're fine, Bo. Really. I've seen kennels that are the size of a small ranch – half the size of this. I mean, Dan's got over two hundred dogs and a full staff to care for them on ten acres."

Bo shook her head, "I don't want to have that many dogs. His dogs are cramped. I want mine to be able to run free like they do in the outdoor kennels. That's why I built the bigger barn too."

Cassie shrugged, "Well, when you consider how many people in your family need teams just to get around in daily life, illness, injury, death… it's not such a big number."

Bo nodded, "Yea, I guess. Everyone wants the pups which is why I can only give Rudy three. I'd love for her to have a full team from this breeding cycle, but I've got my kennel to consider as well. Half of my dogs will retire in the next two to three years and I'm not seeing enough dogs in that current age group to take their places."

"Lauren said that when you move into your new house, you'll probably keep your two teams and your backups with you, Mary and Rudy will have their teams with them, so that will empty out these kennels pretty quick."

"I guess when you put it that way, it doesn't seem like so much. I'll have about forty dogs on my property, my Mom will have about thirty and that will leave about sixty here at the kennel. Of course, we'll have the puppies here until we can separate them from their parents."

Cassie nodded, "But you'll have the puppies that belong to your dogs and your mom will have the pups that belong with her dogs, so there will still be less here."

"Of course, with my knee surgery, I will have about eighty dogs and pups at The Homestead. I've got most of the new kennels built, but Tosh was supposed to come and help me finish him. Now, he's in the hospital and…"

Cassie placed a hand on Bo's, "It will be okay, Bo. I promise you."

Bo shook her head, "This knee is bad timing. Maybe I should keep the moms and pups here at the kennel so I have help."

Smiling, the Vet shrugged, "We'll figure it out, Bo. Now, give me a second."

Bo kept her eyes trained on Aphrodite, moving as quickly as possible when she noticed Hercules begin to still. He lifted his leg and turned, the two still stuck together. Cassie came running, taking hold of the male to hold him in place as Aphrodite started to panic a bit,

Bo moved to her head, cupping her jaw, "Easy girl. Easy. It's almost over. You're okay. Just relax."

"And… it's over," Cassie said, rubbing Hercules' head, "Good boy, yea that's a good boy."

LJ came over, "Cassie, can you come over to Jenna? Kyle thinks it's taking too long for them to disconnect and he's not moving."

"Bo…"

"I know. He could be having a seizure. Go. I've got them… actually, LJ, can you stay here, and I'll go over to Harper now?"

"What do I do?"

"Just keep an eye on them," Bo said, taking the pole from LJ, "They'll both probably sleep soon or at least lay down. It's normal for him to sniff at her. Just give them a little space for another minute, then take him back to the barn. Grab his leash – it's on the fence."

LJ nodded, "Do you want me to bring anyone out?"

"Not yet. With this unexpected pairing, we have a little too much going on right now for the five of us to handle. When my mom gets here, we'll go again."

Bo hurried over to Harper's pen taking Kyle's pole from her, "Are you okay on your own, Bo?"

She smiled, "Are you kidding? This is the first time we've had this much help for this. I'm great! We have to thank everyone who comes for being here!"

Kyle smiled, "Well remember, this is only my second time. It's been a while and I'm still not completely confident…"

"You're doing fine, Kyle. I'm watching. I trust you. Trust yourself."

Kyle nodded as Bo moved over to Harper, the older dog laying with her back to the three males,

"Such a fuss, huh Harp? It would be helpful if you could give me an idea of who you prefer. I mean if you don't want any of them, by all means, let me know."

"Wow. You really do flirt with all the girls."

Bo turned to see Lauren, just a few feet away, "How's it going?"

"Great. We had a little unexpected… incident. Apparently, Jenna decided to go into heat sometime between when Cassie checked the females yesterday and when she came out in the group pen today."

"What on earth are they doing?" Lauren asked, seeing Balto on top of Jenna.

Bo smiled, "They're stuck together."

"Oh dear. That can happen?"

Bo nodded, "It always happens. There are three stages of male ejaculate. The first one is sort of the precursor, the second one is the big dose of sperm and the third one is another dose, but minimal. That's what's happening now, but until it happens, they're stuck like that."

Bo stood, pushing stray hairs off of her forehead with the back of her hand before leaning on the pole,

"If he doesn't hold still, he can hurt his little wang or tear up Jenna's who-ha."

"Who-ha?" Lauren asked, "Really, Bo?"

The brunette shrugged, "Sorry, that's the crude explanation with a lot of detail left out. I'm trying to keep an eye on these three posturing egomaniacs."

Suddenly, a growling match began. Lauren was immediately worried,

"Bo? Shouldn't you separate them?"

"Not if I want to avoid getting bitten. I was starting to think none of them were interested, but apparently this is going to happen unless Harper takes off running."

"So, the dark one is Hades, right?"

Bo nodded, "And the grayer one is Tin Man. The one who is playing it chill back here right now is Ozzie."

"Ozzie?" Lauren asked.

Bo smiled, "The Great and Powerful Oz. I call him Ozzie for short."

"Great and powerful, huh?"

"He's sired some great pups, so yes, he is. Plus, he's sort of the cool dude. I think Harper is impressed that he's not lowering himself to fighting for her affection."

"Oh. So that's what he's doing?"

"Yup."

"Are you sure he's not just being lazy or scared of a fight?"

Bo smiled, "See how he's looking at her and every once in a while, he drags himself towards her? There… see that?"

"He really is. So, it's a sneak attack?"

Bo shook her head, "Harper is the Alpha. It doesn't matter what kennel you put her in, she's the one that no one messes with. These three males are from Yara's line, not Yuji's, so they're from my mom's grandfather's side… well, at least that's the prominent genetic structure they carry, so best guess is that they're from Yara's line. It's not actually best guess, it's almost certain."

Lauren nodded "Well, our genes don't lie, and I don't believe dogs would be any different."

"Very true," Cassie said, walking up to stand by Lauren, "Want me to take a pole?"

Bo handed one over, "Yes, please. Everything okay back there?"

"They're separated. Jenna looks fine. We'll have to keep an eye on Balto. He hasn't retracted completely, so I told LJ to give it about three more minutes, then take him up to Doctor Harrow so I can stay here with Harper."

They turned to see Hades down on his side, Bo immediately put the loop over Tin Man's head, giving him a tug away from the black-haired dog. Cassie stuck her pole out, making sure Hades didn't lunge for Tin Man while he was restrained. Once she got the loop around his neck, she tightened it, walking him out of the pen just as Kyle arrived,

"I'll take him back," Kyle said, "Sorry, boy. You don't have what it takes to bed Harper. We'll find you a mate, don't worry."

Cassie gave a nod to Bo who released the gray dog. The three women leaned on the fence, watching as Tin Man walked over to Ozzie,

"Um, I think we should get Tin Man out of there. I'm pretty sure Ozzie will not be happy if he goes for Harper."

"You think?" Cassie asked.

Bo nodded, "Yup. I think he's about to make his move and Harper doesn't seem resistant."

Cassie shrugged, "I'm going to follow your lead. You know your dogs."

She removed the gray dog, releasing him into the empty kennel to her right before turning back to Harper and Ozzie."

"Double check the pairings, Cass?"

The Vet did as asked, giving Bo a nod. They watched as Harper stood when Ozzie came near. They walked in a circle, torso's connected, and Bo's eyes filled with tears,

"Oh my gosh. This is gonna happen. I didn't think it would happen."

Lauren wrapped her arm into Bo's, watching as the mating process began. Ever the scientist, Lauren wanted to know what was happening every step of the way, so Cassie whispered to her, explaining each phase and what Bo and Kyle were doing and why. Harper whined when Ozzie got a little rough, but Bo was there to comfort her,

"Relax, my girl. It will be over soon."

It took about five minutes, but they finally entered the final phase. Bo took hold of Harper and Kyle took hold of Ozzie, both women keeping the two dogs calm and still while Cassie continued to explain to Lauren what was happening. Finally, the two separated, Ozzie sniffing at Harper before she laid down to rest.

"They're okay now?" Lauren asked.

Cassie nodded, "Bo and Kyle will separate them and then I'll have a look, but everything seems find at the moment. For Harper, she was holding up the weight of another dog, so with her leg as it is, she's probably got some pain in her shoulder. I'll rub some of her warming gel into the muscle and give her a little massage. She'll be okay."

Bo gave Cassie a thumbs up, letting her know it was safe to move to Ozzie before she moved to check Harper,

"Everything is where it should be. I think we have success. We'll know soon enough."

"Okay, so three successful mating's! Who's next?"

Bo smiled, "That's twenty-four potential puppies. Is everyone sure they're on board with this?"

Kyle nodded, "We've got to do this Bo. If not this year, then next. There's also the option of breeding three to four each year so we stagger their ages, but you'll have less dogs to choose from in three years when your kennel will be at the smallest with your mom and Rudy using some of them."

Bo looked at Lauren who nodded, "We have three locations…"

"Four," Kyle said.

"Four?" Bo asked.

Kyle nodded, "Tamsin has decided to move to the farm. She's taking a promotion here in the Alaska Field Office which is moving just down the road in six months."

"In Talkeetna?"

"They don't announce the locations of their offices and they move frequently for security reasons. She's going to be the assistant director so it's a big deal."

"Who's her boss?"

Kyle smiled, "Acacia."

"Get out, really?"

Kyle nodded, "They were very impressed with their work here over the past year. Adam will be staying here as a lead field agent as well, so only the occasional trip to D.C. now."

Bo smiled, "You must be happy about that."

"Definitely and Tamsin is happy to get a raise, but she said she's even more happy that the puzzle pieces of a case will be brought to her to assemble rather than her having to track down the puzzle pieces."

"Well, please tell her we're very happy for her," Lauren said, "We'll have to do dinner to celebrate."

Cassie stood, walking out of the kennel that now held Harper, Jenna and Aphrodite,

"Well, with any luck, you're looking at three future mommas. In twenty-five days, I'll do the ultrasound so we have a fairly accurate puppy count. After fifty-five days, we'll be able to literally count heads."

She leaned her pole against the fence,

"Of course, there's always the possibility of a hidden pup or two, but at least you'll have an idea of how many whelping pens you'll need and where you're going to put them. As we get closer, we'll have a doctor on call for each location."

"Perfect. Thank you, Cassie."

The Vet nodded, "Here comes your mom. Are we going again?"

Bo smiled, "Now that we have more hands, let's do another round."

LJ joined the group, reporting that the male dog was okay, but they were going to keep him for a few hours to be sure.

Bo nodded at Cassie, "Okay, who's up?"

"We have four pairs left. Do them two at a time?" Cassie asked.

Bo shrugged, "Sounds good to me."

"Who do you want? We have the Ninja Turtles with your veterans remaining. Gaea and Donatello, Artemis and Raphael, Nemesis and Leonardo, Iris and Michelangelo."

Lauren interjected, "You're not breeding Nike and Diana?"

Bo shook her head, "They're still a little young. These old gals are approaching their prime, so we breed them while we still can. Since things can go wrong with pregnancies, we'll wait on our lead dogs."

Bo turned to Cassie, "Okay, so who's up?"

"Your choice. I'd say the first two are going to be the most active since the females may not be too pleased with their chosen mates. We have Tin Man and Hades as well as Scarecrow, Bamm-Bamm, The Great Gazoo and Mufasa."

"The Great Gazoo?" Lauren asked.

Bo shook her head, "How do you not know all of my dogs by now?"

Lauren shrugged, "LJ usually has the males out early in the morning. Now where did you get those names?"

Bo shrugged, "The Lion King, Wizard of Oz and the Flintstones."

"The Flintstones?" Lauren asked.

"Yes! I watched that show all the time as a kid."

Mary smiled, "She did – when we had a connection or a VHS tape."

"What's a VHS tape?" Cassie asked before breaking into laughter, "I'm just kidding. I know what they are."

"I was gonna say – you're not that much younger than we are," Kyle smiled.

"Okay, who's going for the dogs?" Bo asked, "Let's get this baby-making over. I'm hungry!"

Kyle turned to Bo, "Don't forget about Merv coming today."

Bo nodded, "He's going to bring his female. I'm thinking we use Ares to stud with his female. Sound good?"

Kyle nodded, "Sounds good."

Bo watched as the group walked off to pick up the dogs for the next round, then turned her attention back to the three females. She made the rounds, checking each to be sure they were okay, giving Harper a rub last,

"Good girl, Harp. Are you happy? Huh? I think you're going to have one more generation of kids. We have to start talking baby names with Rudy and Elise," Bo said, "Speaking of Elise… that's a shocker, huh? It seems the hits just keep on coming, Harp, but we'll handle whatever comes our way."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

THE HOMESTEAD

Bo pulled into the driveway with Lauren right behind her. The two parked and hopped out of their respective trucks and stood, staring at the bed of Bo's truck.

"Well, you should just go inside. I'll do this," Lauren said.

"Absolutely not. I can help, Lauren."

The doctor shook her head, "Bo, you cannot unload all of these gifts with that knee. Some of them look very heavy."

"You can't carry them alone," Bo said.

They both looked up to see another truck coming down the driveway. It pulled to the other side of the house and parked.

"Who's that?" Bo asked.

Lauren smiled, "You'll see."

Bo grinned when she saw Shannon and Carolyn climbing out, "What do you think?"

Lauren and Bo walked over to the couple, Bo running her hands over the line of the vehicle, "Very nice."

Lynnie smiled, "I'm so excited!"

Bo's eyes went wide, "Please tell me you did not sell your truck!"

Lynnie looked at Shannon who shook her head, "It's not practical for us anymore, Bo. The cold weather made it impossible to start, so we're going to sell it."

"I'll buy it," Bo blurted out.

"Um… sweetie…" Lauren said, eyeing Bo cautiously. Bo held up a finger to the two women and walked to Lauren,

"Please Lauren? Kurt and I can rebuild an engine that will work for it, and I have that old back barn behind the cottage that I can store it in for now. It's a classic!"

Lauren shook her head, "A brand new truck you want to sell. An old truck that the owners admit won't start is the one you want to keep?"

Bo turned back to the couple, "How much do you hope to get for the truck?"

"Five thousand dollars?" Lynnie asked, looking at Shannon who shrugged.

The brunette turned back to Lauren - her eyes hopeful. The blonde sighed, "It will be my wedding gift to you."

Bo threw her arms around her wife and squeezed her tight, "Thank you, Lauren! Thank you so much!"

Pulling back, Bo smiled, "What do you want for a wedding present?"

Shannon cleared her throat, looking up at the sky reminding Bo that she had already gotten Lauren a very extravagant gift, but the brunette visibly relaxed when Lauren smiled and said,

"I want my pick of the dogs for my team after you pull the next champions," Lauren smiled.

"Done," Bo grinned, "I love you!"

She turned to the girls, "We can do the deal next week after I'm recovered from surgery."

"Sounds perfect," Lynnie smiled, "The truck is down in the garage, so you'll have to call Kurt to come down and get it started for you."

Bo nodded, "I'll let him know. Thanks again."

Lynnie shrugged, "We're the ones that should thank you. We know you hate them, but we're going to use the money to buy a snowmobile. With only one sled and one team of dogs, they didn't get much rest this winter. After having to pull Lauren out of a ditch at the Iditarod, we learned our lesson."

Shannon tapped the side of the truck, "This baby is a beast, Bo. It's all-wheel drive, has a tow hitch and a wench. Of course, spring brings a whole different set of problems…"

Carolyn jumped in, "…but Shannie was hoping you could help her with those."

"Problems?" Bo asked.

Shannon shrugged, "Well, you know my garden didn't exactly produce last year. I'm hoping you can help to make my thumb a little greener?"

Bo smiled, "Of course. Maybe I'll talk to my mom about holding classes."

Lynnie gave a nod behind Bo who turned to see Mary and Rudy coming out of the house, Rudy shouting,

"Sister! Sister! Did the puppies come yet?"

"Slow down there, Champ! It took nine months until mom gave birth to us! It will be between fifty and sixty-five days until we have pups. That gives you about two months to make sure your grades are solid, and you're caught up in all of your work."

"Why?"

Bo smiled, "Because those puppies are going to need all of your free time, Roo. They'll be helpless and not ready to leave their mommas until about eight weeks."

"But then they'll be okay, right?" Rudy asked.

"Hopefully they'll all be fine, Roo."

"Hopefully?"

Bo smiled, pushing her hair from her face, "Some things are just not in our control, Roo. We'll just have to wait and see."

"So, did I hear something about me teaching classes?" Mary asked.

Shannon smiled, "We need a gardening tutor. Last spring in our tiny backyard at our town house, we tried to grow lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and… what else?"

"Zucchini and peppers," Carolyn added, "We didn't have much success."

Mary smiled, "I'll be happy to give you the basics and then help you as we go through the season. If you come and help us plant, you'll learn as we work."

"Perfect! We'll help you and you help us?" Shannon asked.

Mary nodded, "Exactly."

"Is that your new truck?" Rudy asked.

Shannon smiled, "It sure is, Squirt! Wanna check it out?"

"You said you would try to get pink!"

Lynnie chuckled as Shannon explained, "We did ask if it came in pink, but unfortunately, they only had black, red, blue or silver. We liked the black."

"It's shiny," Rudy observed, "Can I sit in the driver's seat?"

"Only when an adult is in there with you," Carolyn cautioned, looking at Mary for clarification.

"Will you sit with me?"

Shannon nodded, "You bet. Come on!"

Bo, Lauren, Mary and Carolyn turned back to Bo's truck, Lynnie noting,

"That's quite a haul. I guess Kenzi got sick of having them in her storage room?"

Bo smiled, "She said she would start opening five a day if I didn't move them."

Mary laughed, "Well, let us help you, girls."

"Some of the packages are really heavy, mom," Lauren said.

"Well, we're here to help, so let's get to it," Lynnie said.

They all pulled together with Rudy chipping in as well on the lightweight ones. In just about twenty minutes, their trucks were empty, and they were sitting down for dinner with two guests. Bo turned to Shannon,

"Did you build your fishing shed yet?"

"I have the supplies and I just got the last of my tools, so I think I'm good to go. I have the plans you gave me, and they seem simple enough to follow, so we'll start next week after this next snow comes in."

Bo nodded, "Hopefully this will be the last snow for the season."

Mary wagged a fork at the pair, "Just be aware if you go out on the trails this time of year. Avalanches are a real concern, so if you can avoid being on or near the base of a mountain, stay clear."

"Thanks for the reminder," Carolyn said, "This fish is amazing, Mary."

"I can give you this recipe too," the elder woman replied.

They ate and chatted for some time before turning on some music for a dancing cleaned up. Carolyn smiled at Lauren, as they dried the dishes,

"I know we weren't in the bridal party, but since your shower and wedding happened at the same time, do you want us to stay and keep the list of who gave you what so you can write the thank you cards?"

"That would be fantastic," Lauren smiled, "I mean… if you have the time. You've already spent most of the last three weeks doing things for us. I think you've done enough."

Lynnie shrugged, "We're in this friendship for life, Lauren. You'll make it up to us one day… like when we get married."

"Married?" Lauren asked, "Ohmagosh! I forgot! At the race – you… you're getting married! Bo, they're getting married! I forgot to tell you!"

Lynnie grinned, holding up her hand. She whispered, "She cooked me breakfast on a fire this morning."

She leaned towards Lauren and spoke even more quietly, "She burned it, but the effort was adorable. She was upset at her proposal and said that she just blurted it out and she had this whole plan. She made up for it. Boy did she make up for it."

Lauren could see the blush on Lynnie's cheeks, so she grabbed her by the elbow and led her to the living room,

"Okay. You guys know way to much about my personal life, so dish! What happened next?"

"We sat on the Adirondack chairs we bought from Bo and Shannie started talking about our past and how things were back in Boston. She talked about how she worried that things were going backwards for the LGBTQ+ community in the current political climate, so she thought maybe it was time for us to take a stand."

"Take a stand?" Lauren asked.

Lynnie nodded, "Go to more rallies, donate to charities. Apparently, your speech at the wedding had an effect on her. She said we have so much, we should share."

"That's very… noble of her."

"That's sort of what I said."

"Then what?" Lauren asked.

Lynnie smiled, "Then she said we have so much, but there's one thing that was still missing in her life… one thing that she knew would make it complete… that would help her to feel whole."

Lauren grinned, "And that is…?"

"Me," Lynnie smiled, holding up her hand, "She got down on her knee in front of me and, my gawd, Lauren, her eyes were filled with tears. She apologized again for her lousy proposal at the race and then said that she said she didn't care how or when we did it as long as it was soon. She didn't want to go another year without marrying me."

Lauren pulled her friend in for a hug, "I'm so happy for you."

Lynnie smiled, "She stole my ring off while I was showering this morning so that she could put it on me again."

She looked down at her hand, smiling, "She knows I'm not big on jewelry and that I think it's a waste of money. It's perfect, Lauren, isn't it? Just a small… maybe not too small diamond with both of our birthstones on the band. I think it's beautiful. I haven't stopped admiring it since the race."

"I think everything about this is beautiful," Lauren said, holding her hand and admiring the ring, "Congratulations again, Lynnie."

"Thank you, Lauren," she said, looking up at the blonde,

"You know that I've spent a good part of my life since leaving college glued to your side. Would you be there when we get married? I mean, we don't know if we're going to do a wedding or not, but we'll need witnesses and you're really my best friend other than Kelly and she wants to be our wedding planner."

Lauren smiled, "Of course. I'd be honored. Kelly is going to plan your wedding?"

"She said she's dreamed of it," Lynnie laughed, "She said even if it's small, she wants it to be perfect."

"I'm surprised she wasn't bucking for Maid of Honor," Lauren laughed.

Lynnie chuckled, "She said she knew she would have to wear a dress that matched our colors and since our favorite colors were lame, she would rather be a wedding planner because she can wear a professional suit."

"That sounds like Kelly," Lauren nodded, "Well, just let us know what we can do."

"We will. Shannie has some ideas that she was going to run by Bo… maybe doing it at your cottage after it's finished… or maybe even before? I mean, the front yard by the river is gorgeous and you wanted a gazebo by the tree line along the water, so…"

"You could get married in the gazebo! That would be perfect. The water and the mountain as a backdrop. It would be gorgeous!" Lauren smiled before Bo called to them, "We'll talk soon."

They walked into the kitchen where Shannon turned to Lynnie, grinning, "I told Bo and Mary…"

"And me!" Rudy said, "It's very exciting!"

Lynnie smiled, wrapping an arm around Rudy when she ran over to hug her, "So you're okay with it?"

"Bo said she'll get the gazebo built as soon as possible. Imagine the river and the mountain down at the cottage as a backdrop to our wedding! She wasn't sure what color Lauren wanted it to be, but she could paint it white for us and then strip it and paint it for Lauren later."

"And our mom is gonna do the ceremony since Shannie thought theirs was so cool and…" she frowned, seeing the two women laughing, "… what's so funny?"

Lynnie knelt down in front of Rudy, "I love that you're so excited about our wedding, Squirt."

Rudy laughed, "It's not just me. It's Shannie too! She was talking all fast and all gooey about you. I think she's in love like sister is with Lauren."

Lynnie walked over to Shannie and wrapped her arms around her,

"Well, that works for me," she looked at Rudy, "Because I love her all gooey too. And guess what?"

"What?" Rudy asked.

"Lauren and I were just discussing the exact same plan – short of some of the details, but it's perfect, right?"

"Uh-huh! And we'll have flowers, right?"

Lynnie nodded, "Absolutely! You and Elise can wear them in your hair."

"Cool! Like in Hawai'i! I can show you how and when we're…"

Shannie reached down and twirled Rudy in the air, making her scream with delight before she hugged her and whispered in her ear,

"Keep the secret."

Rudy put both hands over her mouth, "I almost told."

Shannie nodded, "Shhh… it's okay. You didn't."

Putting her down, Shannie smiled, "Bo thinks she can have the gazebo done in two weeks and then, I was thinking we could do our honeymoon back east if Lauren will give us the time off?"

Bo winked at Lynnie while Shannie had Lauren's attention, "I'd be happy to give you time off. You two are in control of the schedule, so do what you have to do."

Lynnie grinned at Bo knowing they already had the time off for another reason, but she turned to Lauren and nodded,

"Thank you, Boss."

"Of course," the doctor smiled, "I'm so happy for both of you."

"We all are," Mary smiled, shaking her head, "Well, I believe Rudy would call this a successful do-over proposal and another wedding plan in the works!"

Bo nodded, "And then Anna and Kate's too."

Rudy was sitting at the table doing her math homework as she casually said, "And then Mom will get married too."

Bo's neck snapped towards Mary, "What?"

"Child, I simply asked you how you would feel if I went on a date with a man."

"What man?" Bo demanded.

Mary cocked her head towards her daughter, "I believe I've got more than twenty-five years on you, Daughter. Your permission is not needed."

Bo scowled, "I know everyone in this town. I would think you would at least want to know what kind of person you were getting involved with before you went on some random date."

Mary placed both hands on her hips, "We're not involved and it's not random. We had a very nice talk at the party before the wedding and we had a few dances after your wedding."

Bo searched her memory, trying to remember who she had seen her mother with when it hit her,

"Troop Windam, my construction guy."

Mary shook her head, "Your employee and we have a lot in common. He's a lovely man and Path and Slate agreed."

"You asked them about him instead of me?" Bo asked.

"Ysabeau, you're being ridiculous. It was your wedding night and you had guests to see to."

"I'm not being ridiculous. I just want to be sure you're safe."

Mary laughed, "You really do have to remember that I see your best friend every day and she is a very skilled talker – not a skilled keeper of secrets."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bo asked.

"She told me you asked her about Troop as a potential date for me."

Bo sighed, "Okay, so I may have suggested that… that's not the point."

"Oh? Then what is?"

"Fine. I don't have one," Bo relented.

Mary smiled, looking at Rudy who laughed, "I told you she'd be all weird about it."

"I'm not being weird about it," Bo defended.

Rudy shook her head, "Sister, you're being way weird about it. Mom dated in Hawaii. She shouldn't spend her whole entire life alone just because our dads were dorks."

"Name calling," Mary scolded but Bo shrugged,

"She's right. We didn't exactly hit the dad lottery and you obviously didn't hit the partner lottery either."

Mary smiled, "But this man, Troop, is different. He's older, he's been married, he enjoys working, he's native, he loves to fish as much if not more than I do, he knows the land. If nothing more, I'll have a very good friend my own age who I can talk to."

"You have Molly."

"Are you suggesting that you wish to limit my social life? I recall men trying to isolate me before…"

"No. No, I'm not," Bo said, suddenly realizing that was exactly what she was doing, "I'm sorry. I'm way out of line here. You're absolutely right. He's a good man and I'm sure the two of you will have a great time together."

Mary grinned at Rudy, the youngster shaking her head, "Okay. You were right and I have to clean the dog poop tomorrow."

Bo looked between the two, "Right about what?"

Rudy sighed, "We bet that you would freak when Mom said she was going on a date, but I thought you would be stubborn and tell her she couldn't go until you talked to him first. You caved and I lost the bet."

"Okay. I'm not sure how I feel about my family betting on me, but… whatever."

Rudy pushed her homework towards Mary, "All done. Can you check it?"

Lauren shook her head, "It's my night."

"Can we open wedding presents now?" Rudy asked.

Bo smiled, "As soon as Lauren's finished. Grab a pad of paper and pen for Lynnie and Shannie."

Rudy stood and opened her supply drawer, doing as asked. Mary grabbed a trash bag and then the group moved into the living room as soon as Lauren gave the okay.

Bo and Lauren stared at the gifts, piled high, taking up most of the game table and play area.

"The sooner we do it, the sooner I get my play space back," Rudy said.

Bo grinned, "I'm afraid we'll need to keep a lot of this here until our house is finished, Roo. Sorry about that."

Mary smiled, "You have space in your house, and we can rearrange things a bit to give you space. Besides, it's getting warm outside and it will soon be time to start training the puppies."

"All of them?" Rudy smiled.

Bo nodded, "Yes. Kyle has already started working with the one that she has."

"Did Brother start to train his?"

Bo shook her head, "No and he hasn't named her yet either."

Rudy shook her head, "And neither did you and Lauren. Elise and I are the only responsible adults."

Everyone chuckled, all trying to conceal their smiles as Bo replied, "Kyle named hers."

Rudy smiled, "I know. Hers is Jazz, but I like to call her Jazzy because of how she walks. She looks like she's dancing."

Bo smiled, "She does kind of wiggle her butt."

Rudy giggled, "She does."

"So, do you want to name them?" Bo asked.

Rudy looked up at Lauren, "Do you have any ideas?"

Lauren shrugged, "I've just gotten used to calling them gray or black and white. I honestly haven't thought about it since we don't really call them. They just follow Harper around."

Rudy sighed, "Okay, so we have Snow, Cinder and Jazz. Brother calls his Red."

Bo smiled, "Because she has a red coat."

"Oh," Rudy said, "That's not a name then. I'll decide when I play with them next."

Bo nodded, "Good idea."

"Will the dogs that are having babies have six puppies each?"

Bo shrugged, "Like I said, Roo, it's too early to know."

"Dang. I want to get names ready for all of them."

"Well, we can do that while we open gifts. Maybe Shannie will write down dog names while Lynnie writes down our gifts and who they're from."

"How did you name your dogs, Sister?"

Bo shrugged, "I picked a theme for each litter so that I would know which ones were siblings and when they were born. It's much easier than remembering over a hundred different names."

Rudy nodded, "Good idea."

"You may also want to let Elise name some too, right?" Bo suggested.

Rudy nodded, "Of course!"

"Okay then," Lauren said, clapping her hands together, "Let's get started."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Next Day: Talkeetna General Hospital

Doctor Anthony Piazzi entered the room with the rest of Tosh Morton's treatment team. They gathered around his bed, all smiling,

"So, you're setting me free?" Tosh asked.

"Here are your discharge papers, Mr. Morton," Doctor Piazzi said, handing a stack to Tosh.

He continued, "Now, a few reminders about those discharge instructions. First, no lifting anything that weighs more than five pounds for another week. I cannot emphasize how important it is that you ask for help."

Tosh nodded, "Got it, Doc."

"I mean it, Tosh," Anthony said, "You can't very well take your favorite doctor, and I mean me, not your sister-in-law, out on that fishing trip if you're paralyzed or worse. You'll have a lot of years left if you do it right this time."

Tosh sighed, "I understand."

Doctor Hawthorne shook her head, "As your Oncology Specialist, I hope you do. This is not something to be taken lightly, Sir," she handed him two additional pages,

"Now, this is your treatment schedule for the next six weeks. We've discussed this family event that you cannot miss, but you understand that doing home chemo will not be any more pleasant than having treatments here in the hospital, yes?"

Tosh nodded, "I understand, but I really can't miss this. I mean, if for some reason I don't make it, this is how I would want to spend my final days – with my family."

"I think they would understand if they knew the circumstances. If you would just allow me tell…"

"No. Absolutely not," he said, shaking his head, "You don't understand. I know you don't, but trust me, this is just something I have to do."

Shannon pushed a wheelchair into the room, "I hear you're ready to go, Mister."

Tosh smirked, "Thank gawd! I thought Carolyn was coming?"

Shannon smiled, "She's out doing the rest of the paperwork to spring you."

"There's more paperwork?" Tosh asked, flapping the stack already in his hand.

"You're leaving against doctor recommendations, so of course there's more paperwork."

He shook his head, "I can't believe you two are doing this on your day off. You work all day, every day, taking care of people and now you're going to have me invade your home so that you can take care of me when you're off work in your own home! Are you sure about this?"

Shannie laughed, "Actually Kelly, Kurt, Anna, Kate or Lauren will be there during the day when we're not there. Carolyn just made sure to sign us up to work evenings for the next week so you're asleep when we're home."

Tosh grinned, "Smart move. No, seriously though. This is above and beyond. I can't thank you enough."

"Well, you know that Mary, Bo, Lauren and The Squirt all wanted you at their house, but with all of the wedding gifts, the furniture our local handywoman is building for the new house and…"

"Yea, yea. I get the picture. Not a spare square foot in the house."

Shannie smiled, "You would literally have to sleep standing up. But we have a spare bedroom on the first floor and two bathrooms."

"A bathroom of my own, huh? Fancy," he smiled, "How can I turn it down?"

Shannon smiled, "You can't."

He grinned, "Well, don't keep me waiting. I can't wait to get out of here…" he looked up at his doctors, "Not that you two haven't been incredible… and all of you residents and interns… I'm so grateful that you and Doctors Piazzi, Jane and Hawthorne saved my ass. It's just that home with friends and family is where I need to be."

Shannon nodded, "He'll be in good hands. Do you have his treatment schedule for us?"

Tosh handed it to her, "Here it is."

Shannon looked over the document, looking up at Doctor Hawthorne,

"I don't see bloodwork scheduled for next week. Don't you want to see his cell counts before we leave?"

"Page three, Nurse," Doctor Hawthorne said.

Shannon looked at Doctor Piazzi who shook his head. She turned back to the doctor,

"This date doesn't work. We leave the next day. By the time you get the results, we'll already be on a plane. I'm not taking him thirty thousand feet up unless I know that his cell counts are good. There's no help up there."

The doctor shook her head, "Then maybe he shouldn't be traveling… as I said before."

"Seriously?" Shannon asked.

The doctor nodded, "I'm always serious, Nurse."

"Can you not..." Shannon took a breath, "May I speak with you out in the hallway, please?"

She checked her watch, "I've got three minutes."

As she exited the room. Shannon looked at Doctor Piazzi, "Seriously, Anthony? You have nothing to say?"

"I'm sorry, Shannon, but technically, Tosh is her patient."

"Grow a pair, Ant. You know Lauren will not be happy."

"Yes, well, unfortunately, we can't bring Lauren into this discussion can we," he said, though he wasn't asking. They all knew the answer.

Tosh shook his head, "Don't get yourself in trouble, Shannie. I'll be fine."

"Let me just talk to her. I'll be back in a minute to get you out of here."

Tosh laughed, "You have less than three… her time, not mine."

Shannon left the room shaking her head, leaving Anthony and Tosh to talk all things fishing. When she stepped into the hallway, the doctor was texting, so she waited. After several moments of silence, the doctor spoke, her eyes remaining on the screen of her phone,

"You asked me out here, Nurse. Don't waste my time."

Shannon paused, clearing her throat to draw the attention of the group at the Nurses' station. There was a reason she had asked to meet in the hallway. She knew that out here, was Doctor Robert Hartman, the Chief of Anesthesiology who Lauren had brought onto the board of the hospital, Doctor Hannah Jane who was the neurologist who had done the surgery and found Tosh's cancer, Doctor Anna Ricci, Chief of Psychiatry, board member and family friend… and Carolyn – her everything. So, she spoke her mind,

"Doc…"

"It's Doctor."

"Whatever…"

"Excuse me?" The doctor asked, lifting her eyes from her screen to peer down at Shannon over her reading glasses.

"Listen – for your information, that man never knew he had a family. As it turns out, more than ten years later, he found out that he has two sisters. He just met them in the last six months, and they've grown very close. They matter to him, Doctor. Tell me you get that!"

"I am here to treat a patient, not a family."

She shook her head, "Are you serious?"

"As I said – I'm always serious."

Shannon could feel Carolyn's gaze on her. She knew she wouldn't be happy with her, but this woman was way out of line,

"Patients first. That's our philosophy – as in the hospital philosophy that you agreed to honor in your contract. This guy has a kid sister who is only ten years old. She means everything to him."

"His life means everything to him."

"Cancer patients in treatment need mental and emotional support as much as physical support. News flash, Doc – a happy patient is a healthy patient. A patient with a disease that could kill him deserves to spend as much time with the people he loves as possible."

She took a deep breath, struggling to remain calm, "This is a special trip – one the entire family is taking and it's a surprise for his new sister-in-law, Lauren Lewis… you know Lauren Lewis – owner of this hospital? The woman who you came to for a job because you said you thought you could make a difference here? Well, she hired you and so far, you've made zero friends and a whole lot of enemies… Doctor!"

She spoke the title with disdain dripping from her tongue before she continued,

"There is a philosophy at this hospital that differs from all others – again, something you and all of us agreed to in our contracts. I'll remind you…"

The Doctor shook her head,

"I now the philosophy. First, no donors get favors and second, we don't get in bed with big pharma. Now, there's another philosophy at this hospital that doesn't differ from others – it's called insubordination and you are walking a fine line, Nurse."

"My name is Shannon and actually, I'm speaking to you as a private citizen who is a donor to this hospital and a close personal friend of your patient. I am here, after all, to bring him to my home to care for him on my personal time while his insurance picks up the bill for his chemotherapy and supplies, not nursing care. So, no – I'm not being insubordinate – I'm a home caretaker who is pissed off at the way you are speaking to my friend!"

She stepped closer to the doctor, "I'm also a citizen attached to the board of this hospital who expects that all personnel at his hospital will live up to the promise they've made to the people of our town… my town! It's not only about money or big pharma, but also about treating patients like human beings – not a case number. You're like a friggin' robot! We treat mind and body here!"

The doctor stood, shocked before she finally found her voice, "You are way out of line, Nurse."

"Will you please stop calling me nurse? I have a name – it's Shannon or Shannie to my closest friends. The staff here – we're all on a first name basis unless we're in front of a patient. There is no hierarchy – no doctor is more important than a nurse and no nurse is more important than the people who work in housekeeping, the kitchen, custodial or maintenance! That's because none of us could do our jobs if the entire team wasn't there making each cog in the machine work to achieve our collective goals!"

She shook her head, "Now, get on board with the full philosophy or move to a hospital where you can be the robot doctor who talks to patients like you don't have a beating heart in your chest."

She ripped Tosh's chart from the doctors' hands and flipped through until she found the orders for next week. She held it out to the doctor,

"I need blood work ordered for him three days before he's getting on the plane so that I know if I have to have him transfused before we leave or not. Once we're there, we know who to see in Boston – it used to be our home, so we know plenty of stellar oncologists there who don't need a lecture on how to be human!"

Shannon turned to Carolyn, "Lynnie, when she's finished, can you sign him out? I'll take Tosh."

She didn't wait for a reply, but instead walked back into Tosh's room. She closed the door behind her, standing against the wall, shaking.

"Shannon?" Anthony asked.

She shook her head, "She's going to call Lauren… or maybe Stephen. She's going to demand that I be fired."

He smiled, "She's new, Shannon. It's her first week. Give us a chance to show her the ropes."

"I won't be here when she learns. She's gonna get me fired."

Anthony laughed, "Um… remember, she has to talk to Carolyn for that to happen. Lauren and Stephen won't hear her complaint unless she has talked to her first. Then, they'll take Carolyn's recommendation on your employment situation. Do you really think your fiancé is going to have you fired? Even if she did out of some strange sense of professionalism, do you really think that any of the doctors would disagree with anything you just said out there loud enough or the entire hospital to hear?

Shannon shook her head, sinking down to the floor before she dropped her head in her hands,

"Fired or not, Lauren is going to be so pissed at me."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Cottage

"LAUREN! YOUR PHONE'S RINGING AGAIN!" Bo shouted from the front yard, her body covered in sawdust.

The blonde peeked around to the front yard, her wife smiling at the speck of paint on her cheek, "It's my day off! I'm not answering it!"

"Sweetie, you've let it go to voice mail six times now. I'm thinking this… Doctor Hawthorne… has something important she wants to discuss with you."

Lauren shook her head, "She wants to complain about Shannie. It can wait."

Bo pulled off her safety glasses and switched off the table saw, walking to Lauren, "Why in the world would any doctor want to complain about Shannie?"

Lauren shrugged, "Apparently, our favorite nurse gave the new doc an earful about not ordering tests she needed for a patient to get on a flight. Carolyn said this new doctor is insensitive to the emotional and social needs with regards to patient health and several doctors agree with her. Stephen is going to address her concerns when he's out of surgery."

Bo forced a smile after hearing it was about a patient who had to get on a flight, "Passing the tough chats off on Stephen?"

Lauren shook her head, "No. It's my day off, so he's deserving of those conversations. Besides, if I take her call today, she'll think she can call me anytime she wants to complain rather than following protocol."

"What's the protocol?"

"It's complicated, but necessary when filing complaints against hospital employees. It's required by law," Lauren replied.

"So maybe I'll pick up the phone and tell her who to call next time."

Lauren shrugged, "Okay."

"Okay?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded with a smile as she waved at Bo before turning away,

"Okay. I'm going back to my painting of the doors."

Bo grinned, shouting, "Tell me who this doctor should call!"

Lauren smirked, flicking her paintbrush over her shoulder, "Lynnie. She's technically Shannon's boss."

Bo shook her head, calling out to Lauren, "On second thought, maybe Stephen should handle this one!"

Lauren nodded, walking back to where there were two doors laying side-by-side on four sawhorses.

Bo pulled her phone from her pocket and turned to face the Gazebo build. She was finished the platform, the walls and the rails but still had to finish the roof and it's supports. She had designed it with Carolyn and Shannon's wedding in mind, so Lauren had been a bit concerned with how big it was. Bo had assured her that by the time they cleared out all of the overgrowth on their land, it would not appear to overwhelm the front of the property.

Still, as she listened to the phone ring, she wondered,

"It is a bit… enormous," she shrugged, "But for now, you will remain as the feat of prowess that you are… then I'll tear you down after the wedding and build something a little less… obvious… maybe… if you really are too big for the space."

"Hey Bo! What's up?"

"You tell me. Lauren's phone has been ringing all morning and she won't pick it up because it's her day off. She said Stephen would handle it, but apparently, he's not. A Doctor Hawthorne is calling her to complain about you?"

"We had a… philosophical debate… and I may have been what she believes would be considered insubordinate, but I was acting as a private citizen standing up for a friend – family member by our definition – while he was being discharged. I was just there to pick up the… family friend who I am caring for throughout the next few weeks so that… well, you know. Please tell me she didn't talk to Lauren and ruin the surprise?"

"No, she didn't. But a heads up would have been nice," Bo replied, "Do I need to come into town to talk to this Doctor Hawthorne?"

"Trust me when I say, she's not the type that would listen to you. Hell, she doesn't listen to anyone around here. She has her way of handling her patients and that's all there is to it. I honestly have no idea what Lauren and Stephen saw in her when they hired her."

"They said she's the absolute best for his type of cancer – none better. That's why she was hired."

"Bo, she's not Talkeetna General Hospital material. Let's just say… she doesn't play well with others. She calls me Nurse… all the time, Bo. Never Shannon. Just Nurse. Not even Nurse McCarthy. She lectures Carolyn on her nursing staff and their incompetence and Tosh said she 'dismissed' Hannah Jane from Tosh's bedside the other day while she was doing a follow up exam from the surgery."

"As in Doctor Jane who found the tumor and saved his damn life?" Bo asked.

"One and the same! She's his oncologist and she's advising him not to leave the hospital – not even for this family trip. She was refusing to do his bloodwork two days earlier so that we could see his cell counts before we got on the plane."

Shannon hadn't wanted to tell Bo more about his condition, but she needed to understand how serious it was that this idiot doctor was behaving the way she was,

"Bo, the type of chemo he's having wipes out all of his cells – including his immune system. Putting him on a passenger plane with a low white count would make him vulnerable to any communicable disease people on the plane are carrying. Hell, a common cold could cause big problems right now! We have to make sure his counts are up before we put him on a plane, but she was saying no and advising that he shouldn't be going. When I tried to explain why this trip was so important to him, she shut me down."

Bo shook her head, "And that's when you fought back."

"I stood up for my family friend, Bo. I stood up for what's morally and ethically right. If this cancer grows back, then Tosh would have given up the one chance he has for a trip like this with his family… with Rudy. Hell, Bo – she's all he talks about. He loves that little girl more than I ever knew. She's his baby sister and… well, he just met her, Bo. I'm not letting him miss this trip – even if it means I have to be Nurse McCarthy the whole damn time we're away."

Bo nodded, turning around to be sure Lauren wasn't in earshot,

"Shannon – I have to ask you this, so don't get mad. Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, I don't want him to die from some damn cold because we were idiots and put him on a plane."

"I've explained the dangers, Bo – repeatedly. So has Doctor Piazzi."

"Anthony?" Bo asked.

"Yes. They've talked about it twice that I know of and while Anthony fully supports his reasons for wanting to go, he did express the same concerns that I have. Still, in the end, life choices belong to the patients and physicians shouldn't punish or put their patients at risk because they disagree with those decisions. That's what Doctor Hawthorne is doing."

"Are you home now?" Bo asked.

"We got home about three hours ago. Tosh is all settled in the downstairs bedroom and Carolyn is heating up the stew that Molly sent over. He was craving it, so we're hoping he can finally keep some food down. I'm not gonna lie, Bo. Chemo is tough and he's struggling right now. He's had three treatments and so far, he has maybe four good days out of every seven, so we have to be prepared for that."

"So, today's a bad day?"

"Not yet, but it will get worse over the next forty-eight hours if he stays true to form. Then, he'll feel better and better through the rest of the week. Your mom is coming over to work with him on some leather tanning he wants to do. Carolyn is taking her truck to get the tools he needs from his house later on today."

Bo sighed, "I don't suppose you've made any progress in talking him into living on the river?"

"He was sitting outside earlier and he said it was peaceful out here and that it would be a nice place to retire."

Bo smiled, "Well, he's closing the other General Store, so maybe he's heading in that direction."

"He said he was going to talk to you about helping out around your workshop."

"Really?" Bo smiled, her face lighting up, "I would love that!"

"He wasn't sure if you would or not, so maybe you could extend the invitation."

Bo nodded, "I definitely will. I called one of the guys from my construction company about moving over to the new business within my company and he said he likes the idea."

"Wow. Your doors haven't even opened and you've already got two employees."

"I know, it's great, right?" Bo smiled, "Okay, so about your situation with this doctor. What did Carolyn say?"

"Doctor Hawthorne didn't talk to her. She's went straight to Lauren."

"Well hell, why didn't she go see Stephen?"

"Um… because he's here… fishing with your mom. She's giving him lessons, Bo… and it's hysterical."

"Really?" Bo laughed, "He's that bad?"

"He's an educational professor and a medical doctor, Bo. The closest he's gotten to fishing is crabbing at the beach in Provincetown at Lauren's house."

"Well, at least he's been out hauling pots on a boat."

Shannon laughed, "Um… Bo, that's not how we crab in Boston – at least, not the average individual. That's the way commercial fisherman crab. At Lauren's, we set small traps off a dock or dog-sized traps in the shallows along the coast that we pick up by speedboat."

"So how do you get enough crabs for a family?"

"Well, we usually have bakes with friends, so we'll go get oysters, clams and crabs at night and then cook them all the next day."

"And how do you do that?"

"Well, first we have to get our licenses. Then, to get oysters, we go out to back bay with our baskets and rakes to find a good spot, find the legal size that are as clean as possible and then rake them in, pull off any seaweed, scrape off any limpids, barnacles or baby oysters and then drop them in the bucket. If there's any seeds on them, those must be put back into the water. Some won't make it home. We usually have our shucking gloves with us, so we pop off the top shell, separate the tendon and then suck 'em back fresh out of the water."

"Suck 'em back?" Bo asked.

"Eat 'em?" Shannon explained, "Lynnie makes her homemade cocktail sauce, grabs some salt and pepper packets that we keep around when we do take out, dress 'em up and eat 'em. They're so fresh and if you shuck the oysters properly, you get that juicy liquor from the shell. Love me some oysters, Bo."

"Is that so?" Bo laughed, "I didn't realize," she laughed again, "You know, when you start talking in that fast Boston accent, you're really hard to understand."

Shannon laughed, "What can I say, Bo? We have a language all our own in Boston."

"Yea, well I'm just glad Lauren's accent isn't like yours."

Bo could hear the smile in her friend's voice as she mimicked her wife,

"Well, Doctor Dennis had a proper upbringing unlike us lowly townies. You've honestly never gone out for oysters? We've had them in restaurants here in town. I thought it was a big Alaskan thing."

"It is – for other people. I've just never tried them or fished them. I worked on a few fishing boats over the years to make money, so did the whole crabbing thing… just never on a small scale. So, you go for crabs on your own just like oysters?"

"Yup – I mean, not just like oysters, but we fish them too. Whenever we fish, we use the fish cuts in our crab traps and drop those in the water for a few days. We check the traps after work and before bed."

"Get a good soak on them. I get that," Bo said.

"Yup and then we check the aprons and toss any females back before we transfer the keepers to buckets where we keep them alive until our crab bake. If it's just for the two of us, we go out into the shallows near the marsh at the edge of the grass and catch them by net. We usually go around the same spot into the mud to dig up clams if we're in the mood for those. It's a lot more work, but we do love our little neck clams with a touch of butter and garlic."

"Sounds like you've been subsistence living all your life," Bo smiled.

"Not like we do now. I mean, fish is one thing. Growing vegetables is a whole new ballgame for us."

Again, Bo could hear the smile in her friend's voice as she asked, "You miss home, Shannie?"

"I miss the things that are familiar about home, Bo. I mean, talking about this stuff brings back a lot of great memories with our old friends. But life moves on and I wouldn't trade what I have here for my past. Lynnie feels the same. I do want to go back for a visit."

Bo nodded, feeling bad that Shannie missed home but couldn't go back there more often. She suddenly realized they'd gotten off track again and asked,

"So did you talk to Stephen about what happened?"

"No. I had Carolyn and Stephen discuss it without me so that he could honestly respond to Doctor Hawthorne's concern through Lauren. He didn't know that Lauren was expecting him to be at the hospital to handle it."

"Well, isn't he on call?"

"Being on call doesn't mean being in the hospital, Bo. He assisted on one surgery and other than that, wasn't called in the rest of the day. As soon as he was finished the surgery, he left the hospital. I thought he was still there and then I saw him fishing out back."

Bo nodded, "Well, with the race over, everyone is relaxing. It's been a busy month."

"It's been pretty quiet here," Shannie replied, "Anything else?"

Bo shook her head, "Nope. Just give Stephen a heads up that the next time Doctor Bitchy Bitch calls Lauren's phone, I'm picking up and directing her to him. Make sure he knows how you feel, Shannie. I know you have a chain of command and all, but as the friend and caregiver to my brother, he needs to know how you feel in that role – you as my brother's friend - not you as a Nurse who works for him."

She nodded, "Will do."

"I mean tell him now, Shannie, because if this doctor holds true to form, she'll be calling in another five minutes and once we hang up, she'll probably call Stephen fifteen seconds later."

"I'll go out now, Bo."

"Thanks, Shannie. And listen – I'm going to look into getting a private flight for you, Lynnie and Tosh. I can't say much more other than I'm looking to trade a few of my planes for something that can handle an east coast trip. Nothing is set in stone and, well, I can't exactly tell Lauren right now, so…"

"Bo?" Shannie interrupted.

"Yea?"

"Thanks for having my back."

Bo could tell the sentiment was sincere. She smiled and said, "Thanks for always having mine – even when you can't stand me."

Shannie laughed as she hung up. Bo put down her phone and pulled her safety glasses over her eyes. She walked to the table saw where she noticed Lauren's phone was buzzing again. She looked down to see the caller ID, shook her head, crossed her arms and turned to look across the river as she spoke,

"Hello!" Bo's voice portrayed all of the annoyance she'd been feeling for this woman's incessant calls.

"Who's this?"

"Who's this?" Bo replied deciding she was going to enjoy this.

"I'm trying to reach Doctor Lauren Lewis."

"Apparently. You've only called about twenty times and that's excluding the seven texts. Lauren's off today."

"She's the owner and chief of a hospital where I work. She's never off."

Bo laughed, "Wow do we know different Laurens. You see, she has this thing called a business partner and he is the one dealing with the business today. Call him."

"I need to speak with Doctor Lewis."

"And I need you to listen very carefully. Doctor Dennis is not available. Lauren Dennis is busy with her personal life right now. Are you a part of her personal life?"

"No, but…"

"Then Lauren has nothing to say to you. Call your other boss."

"Do you know who I am?"

"Well, according to Doctor Dennis' phone, you are a very insistent self-important doctor-type who believes whatever it is that she has to say is more important than anything else Doctor Dennis could have to do. According to Lauren Dennis' phone, you are an annoying doctor who doesn't understand boundaries or the social graces. Now, are we done?"

"I don't understand why you're being so petulant. I am sure that Doctor Dennis can take a few minutes to talk to a valued doctor that she hired."

Bo smirked, an idea suddenly coming to mind, "Valued doctor, huh? Well, I'm her wife and I'd say my value trumps yours. Now, why don't you take a hint and think about the fact that Lauren Dennis was just married, and she is currently on her honeymoon, aka she's fucking very busy between my legs right now and you're interrupting - continuously! Now… I'd really like to cum already, so do you mind leaving us the hell alone?"

There was silence on the other end of the phone, so Bo chuckled,

"Great. Call Stephen. Whatever your problem is, I'm sure he'll help you. I'm going to get back to enjoying my honeymoon with my vacationing wife – uninterrupted - if that's okay with you!"

Bo hung up the phone, laughing hysterically until she looked up and saw Lauren standing in front of her with her arms crossed.

"Uh… I… wow… you wouldn't believe who that was. That new doctor you hired is… I mean, she is really a piece of work. I'm sure she's a great doctor, but my gawd, could she be any more…"

"Insistent? Self-important?" Lauren asked.

"Yes… those and… well, I mean… you are on your honeymoon and, although you have been working here and there… I mean, in my defense, you did say it was Stephen's job today, so…"

Lauren burst into laughter, "I love watching you squirm when you know you've pushed a boundary a little too far."

The blonde walked to her wife, removing her safety goggles and placing them on the table saw. She then wrapped her arms around her neck,

"I cannot believe you said that to her."

Bo smiled, "It was the only thing I could think of to shut her up and get her to stop calling. The woman is relentless."

"Well, you know I'm not a fan of lying."

"I know, Lauren, but just this once…"

"When I'm ready to use a lie with my colleagues, I'll do it myself, Bo. So, in order to be sure I'm not caught in a lie this time, I'd better get busy between my life's legs."

Bo's eyes went wide, "Here?"

Lauren grinned, walking Bo backwards to the gazebo, "I had somewhere a little more private in mind. I mean, you did build this huge platform and the walls will be great in the winter if we need to sleep outside for you. If you can come up with a way to attach glass panels that would shield us from the winds, this might be a great place to sleep. There's plenty of room for all three of us."

"Three?" Bo asked.

Lauren shrugged, "You don't really think Harper would let us sleep out here without her, do you? Watch your step, Sweetie."

Bo turned, stepping up with her good leg once, then twice, then a third time.

Lauren looked around them, "Nice and sturdy. You do good work, Mrs. Dennis."

She reached down, unbuttoning Bo's pants, noticing the brunette looking around them. She smiled,

"It's Sunday, Bo. The work crews are with their families, your mom and Rudy are on their way to – or already at - Shannie and Lynnie's house and we are all alone here on our land,"

She pushed her hands down into Bo's pants, gripping her buttocks firmly, "Mmmm… I love the feel of your bare skin," she kissed Bo's neck, slowly nudging her back against the wall.

Bo gripped the railing at her waist, watching as Lauren released her brace and tossed it aside. The blonde looked up, grinning as she gripped the material on the jeans at the hips and tugged, her loose pants falling to her ankles,

"We've still got to work on putting that missing weight on you. I love when these jeans are tight enough for me to see your form," Lauren said, kissing down Bo's stomach to her thighs, "Now, unless you want to be visible, you could join me down here or you could just stay there and throw your leg over my shoulder…"

Bo smirked, sliding down the wall and spreading both of her legs, "Let's just make sure I told the truth. I did say you were very busy between my legs."

Lauren smiled, correcting her wife, "I believe your exact words were that I was… fucking verybusy between your legs."

The couple giggled as Lauren lowered her mouth…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

CAROLYN & SHANNON'S HOME, LATER THAT EVENING…

"So, Stephen caught his first trout?" Bo smiled at Lauren's friend who grinned and responded,

"I caught my first, second, third, fourth and fifth trout! I was on a roll, Bo! You would have been proud. I even baited my own hook! I still have to learn to tie them on and change the lines… oh, and she's going to teach me fly-fishing too, which I hear is more of an art than fishing, but I loved it!"

Betsy smiled, "We really did have so much fun and to pull them out of the water, clean them and put them right onto the open fire grill at their house was… I've never tasted anything like it."

Lauren smiled, "It does give an entirely different meaning to the words fresh fish, doesn't it?"

"It certainly does," Betsy smiled, "I mean, I wouldn't ordinarily eat fish for lunch and dinner, but it's so good!"

Bo smiled, "Well, you caught fresh salmon, so how could I not come and cook it with you. I mean, I've been promising these two I would teach them pit cooking for months now."

Shannon approached the fire with two bottles of wine in each hand while Carolyn followed with glasses,

"In all fairness to Bo, it was a busy month, and the ground here was pretty frozen. We should have dug the pit last spring like she told us."

Bo shrugged, "Well, we got it done and now we can sit here and enjoy the rewards for our efforts."

Shannon nodded, "Okay, so Lauren recommended some wines we could use with the sweet glaze Bo is using on the salmon. We got lucky and had four of the six options she gave us! We've got a fruity Pino Noir, a Dry Riesling from our northern neighbors in Canada, a white Moscato or… tucked way back in our cabinet from a year ago - if you want to chance it - a Sherry Fino."

Stephen waved his hand, "I'll try that Fino. What the hell!"

Betsy pointed to Shannon's left hand, "That fruity Pino is calling my name."

Lauren smiled, "Bo and I will both have the Moscato.

Shannon grinned, "And we're going to have the Riesling, so I guess we made good picks!"

Once the wine was poured, the three couples sat in the finely crafted Dennis originals, sipping their beverages as they stared into the fire.

"So, I have to ask just one work question," Lauren began, "Did you get the Hawthorne issue resolved?"

Stephen nodded, "I set her straight on our hospital philosophy and reminded her that all of this was discussed when she approached us about working here…"

Betsy smiled, "She told him the rules were a little loosey-goosey for her tastes."

"She didn't," Lauren said, quite surprised.

Stephen shrugged, "She did. She really did. I told her that's because we don't have rules, we have expectations. We don't have rules, we have a philosophy that you either believe in or you don't."

He shook his head, "She went on to explain the usual reasons Tosh shouldn't be discharged while I emphasized the need for us to accommodate the choices of the people in this culture and location. I reminded her twenty times that she wasn't in Boston or Seattle and, I did suggest that one of those might be a better fit for her… that she chose us, we didn't come looking for her."

"Oh, you didn't," Lauren said, shaking her head.

"It had to be said, Lauren. She is clearly not a good fit for our health care system. Now, if she wants Anna's help in changing her tune, I'll be happy to introduce them and get her started, but I won't have her running to us every time a nurse challenges her stance or calls her out for acting in a manner not befitting our philosophy. Are you really telling me I did the wrong thing?"

Lauren shook her head, "No, no. Not at all and given what I now know about the conversation… or altercation, I stand by all three of you.

She sighed, "Look, I know we didn't choose her, but if she's willing to change, I think we need to help her. I mean, aren't we trying to change the health care industry by starting with hospitals? What better way to spread the word than to help doctors not on board with our beliefs to change and see our way is best?"

Shannon nodded, "You're right… as long as I don't have to see her again. I can't imagine her ever walking up to me and saying that I was right, and she was wrong. That woman always has to be right. I mean, she's definitely one of those docs who has become accustomed to everyone rolling out the red carpet when she walks onto the floor."

"Well, Stephen and I will work on that with her as will both of you."

"Well, I'm glad I have vacation time then. Hopefully by the time we go back, she'll be reformed."

"And for the rest of this week?" Lauren asked.

"Avoid her at all costs?" Shannon asked as the rest laughed.

Lauren smiled, "Good luck with that."

"Thanks," Shannon smiled, "At least cardiology is two floors down."

"That's true," Lauren laughed.

Bo pushed off the chair with a groan, standing first on her good leg, then gingerly lowering her other,

"Time to check the fish. You're up, Shannie."

The nurse stood, walking down towards the water with Bo. Lauren followed, knowing that her wife was in pain. It would take two people to lift the larger Dutch Oven that Bo had used since there were so many people to feed.

When Bo lifted the handle from the sand, Lauren covered her hand, taking the tool, "I'll do the lifting. You're sore."

Bo nodded, "Hammering nails on the base of the gazebo all day definitely stiffened me up."

Lauren smiled, "It's okay. We'll do a whirlpool tonight to help you loosen it up. It's not swollen, is it?"

Bo hesitated for a moment, her instinct telling her to lie, but something had changed now that there was a wedding band on her hand. She just couldn't lie – not even the little fibs about how she was feeling. She nodded,

"A little bit."

Lauren nodded, "Well, then it's ice until morning."

"I honestly can't wait to get this over with," Bo said just as Shannon's shovel hit metal, "That's it. You don't have to shovel the rest of the dirt out. Just use it to clear the handle, then you'll slide the hook beneath. You grab one side of the 'T', Lauren grabs the other."

Lauren and Bo watched as Shannon did as directed, having no difficulty clearing the handle, but a little trouble getting the hook beneath it. Once she had it, Lauren helped her to lift it out, the two women carrying it clear of the pit and putting it on the ground.

Bo nodded, "Okay, now you use the hooks to unclamp the sides. It takes a little practice, but if you strike them just right, they'll pop open."

Shannon tried several times, getting frustrated on the fourth try when they didn't pop, so Bo took the hook and demonstrated.

"Oh. So simple," Shannon said sarcastically.

"Give it another try," Bo encouraged.

Two more tries and the lid popped, giving Shannie reason to celebrate. She hooked the lid and lifted it from the pot, staring down inside,

"How do you know if it's done?"

Bo nodded to the thermometer in the sand, "Wipe it off really good before you stick that in my fish. Root vegetables around 165 degrees should be soft and the fish should be about 130 degrees. It will keep cooking while it's in there. If you want it crispy, which I do for this recipe, you can pan fry it over the open fire from here."

"So that's why you have the grate over the fire tonight," Shannie concluded.

"Yup. The pan is leaning up against the rocks of the pit to stay hot. I've already oiled it, so just put the fish in the pan, skin side down."

"Skin side down. Right," Shannon said, poking the thermometer into a potato, "Vegetables are all ready to go."

Bo nodded, "Okay, so you can crisp those by just putting the whole Dutch Oven on the fire without the lid. Just spread them out across the bottom and mix some oil in so they don't stick when the juices evaporate."

Shannon nodded, carrying everything over to the fire. She used long barbeque tongs to carefully set the salmon into the pan, then dropped the pot into the flames, stirred until the juices boiled off and then stirred in the EVOO.

She watched the food carefully, not wanting to burn dinner for six. She knew Bo wouldn't let her fail, but still, she hoped to be able to finish this off without her help. Her friend had mentioned before that you could smell when salmon was perfect, so she leaned a little closer and sure enough, there was a familiar sent to the crisp skin just as she had cooked it in the pan in the kitchen. She stuck one side of her tongs under one piece and smiled when she saw the golden brown, caramelized skin.

She dressed two plates of salmon, adding the mix of root vegetables and then the salad greens with Carolyn's honey balsamic dressing and placed them on the two by six-foot plank, handing it to Lauren who placed it on the armrests of Stephen and Betsy's chairs.

"Wow. This looks amazing," Betsy said, "And I love how you can put this on a long plank and turn the chairs into a table for us."

Bo smiled, "I got the idea from my sled. I used to use a removable base so I would always have a table to write in my journal if I was in the mood. I can lean planks of different sizes against a tree near my pit fire for different seating arrangements. I have a two by eight if it's spring and you want to sit facing the river with another person and do paperwork, or in Lauren's case, use a laptop and do paperwork."

Carolyn nodded, "She cut us pieces of scrap wood today so that we would have them for dinner. It's like we just got three new pieces of furniture to go with our chairs."

"Why not sell them together, Bo?" Betsy asked.

Stephen nodded, "It would be nice if there were some grooves in the wood for utensils and plates so that they couldn't slide off on to your lap."

Betsy held up her glass and took a sip before she offered another thought, "And a circle to hold your wine glass or beer bottle… or a whole wine bottle if it's that kind of night."

Bo's mind was immediately drawn into deep thought about the design as she ate. She reached into her hair and pulled the pencil from her bun, sketching out circles on the wood. Lauren smiled, shaking her head,

"I don't think they meant now, Sweetie."

Bo smiled, "I know, but the ideas are there right now, so I just wanted to sketch it out. I also have to consider the depth of the beverage slots so that they can't tip. A wine bottle is better off in the sand."

Stephen asked, "But what if you don't have sand? What if your yard is grass or tundra or permafrost mud?"

Bo nodded, "Then I need to build a separate stand for the bottle that can be left by the firepit or better yet, at the edge of the water so it stays chilled. The wood would have to be too thick to be light enough to move around."

Lauren nodded, "When you're finished eating, try to lift that piece of wood. It's not what I would call lightweight."

"This meal is incredible, Babe. The glaze on the fish is spectacular. You nailed it," Lynnie said, smiling at her fiancé.

Shannie grinned, "Well, I'll take that compliment. Bo's recipes are hard to match."

Bo nodded, "I have to agree. You really got the glaze and the cook is perfect. A+, Nurse McCarthy.

"Thank you, Mrs. Dennis."

Lynnie leaned over so that she could see Bo, "Okay, so are you going to tell us about the secret pit? Why did you have Shannie dig a new hole and what was in that smaller Dutch Oven you put in it?"

Lauren grinned as Bo gave her a wink and remained silent. Lynnie shook her head, "Seriously?"

"I think that means you'll find out when it's revealed," Lauren smiled, "Finish your dinner first, little girl."

Shannon and Carolyn looked at each other, then quickly cleaned their plates, dropping their forks unceremoniously and turning to the newlyweds,

"Want us to go get the oven?"

Bo shook her head, laughing, "They've been spending too much time with Rudy and Elise."

"For sure," Lauren laughed.

Bo turned to the couple, "Okay, but don't open it and keep it as still as possible while you're carrying it. I'll know if you jiggled it around too much."

The two stood and ran to the pit and began to dig while Lauren held up the hook they would need to pull it out of the ground. Bo, Stephen and Betsy just laughed, finishing up their dinner until the two realized they didn't have the hook. They turned to see Lauren waving it and just as they were about to reach for it, Bo grabbed it and tossed it into the fire,

"Oh my! Your hook has just gone into the fire. How ever will you retrieve your pot?" Bo smirked, "I figured this was what my mom likes to call a…"

Shannie shook her head, "…teachable moment. I know, I know. She taught me how to sled, remember? How do you think I survive my sled flipping all the time?"

She planted her hands on her hips, staring at the fire, then the pit, then the fire again,

"I take it the pot is too heavy for a stick, but a tick can handle the hook, even though it is made of cast iron."

Bo nodded, "Of course, iron is not immune to hot flames. You should hurry."

"Right," Shannon said, running to the tree line and retrieving a stick. She ran back to the fire and dug at the hook until finally, she dragged it from the fire. She reached down to grab it, but everyone shouted,

"NO!"

Bo shook her head, "Geezus, Shannie! It's hot!"

"Oh. Right."

She kicked the cool sand outside the fire onto the hook and waited before pulling it out once again. As she walked to the water, the others stacked their plates and utensils before sitting back in their chairs, bellies full,

"That was a fabulous meal. Lauren, remember when we would go out in Boston and drop a hundred and fifty bucks on a dinner for the three of us?" Betsy asked.

Lauren smiled and nodded, "And it never tasted that good!"

Stephen smiled, "Other than the equipment needed to fish and cook… this meal was free… except maybe spices."

Lauren shook her head, "Bo grew all of the spices. That meal was fully grown. Now, what's in the other pot required some ingredients."

Shannie and Lynnie dropped the pot, returning to their seats, but Bo looked at them, "You're not going to serve?"

"You said to keep the lid on."

Bo nodded, "It's been on long enough. That little run to the woods and back was enough time. Serve away. Oh – and open that cooler between you. That's an airtight jar with my mom's homemade whipped cream in it. It's amazing."

They lifted the lid,

"Here. Take this and brown the topping," Bo said, handing Lynnie a torch.

Shannon looked up at Bo, "Is that Boston Cream Pie?"

Bo smiled, "In honor of your hometown, I thought I'd make something a little special. It had to be cooked in three stages, so I don't know that I'll ever make it again, but just this once, I thought I owed you one… for taking care of my big brother."

"We told you, Bo. It's no problem," Lynnie smiled.

Bo nodded, "I know, but still, I wanted to do this for you."

"Well, thank you very much."

"Now, I didn't have the ingredients for the typical Boston cream so I decided on vanilla Bavarian Cream. I learned it from a little old lady in the Yukon who liked to make it to dip fruit and cookies into. She was from… somewhere else, I forget… but she called it Crème Bavarois. I figured it's close enough to a custard base to still at least resemble what you would have back home."

Shannie smiled, "It's perfect, Bo. Just the fact that you tried is really enough."

"Well, let's give it a go then, shall we?" Stephen smiled, holding up his spoon.

The two women nodded and immediately started plating desserts. It was fabulous and Bo was happy to hear the satisfied moans from the group. They ate and talked some more, then cleaned up and talked even more, finally parting ways when Stephen and Betsy decided it was time to drive home.

Bo and Lauren popped in to see Tosh for about twenty minutes before they headed out, Lauren assuring him that Shannon's job was safe. He took some time to express his dislike for Doctor Hawthorne, despite being very grateful for her treatment of his cancer. He suggested there's got to be a happy medium. They all agreed – Lauren included - and promised to speak with her when she returned to the hospital after her three-week honeymoon was over.

The conversation concluded with Tosh sidestepping Lauren's questions about what flight was so urgent for him to take and Bo dodging questions from Lauren about taking a trip to an island so they could enjoy at least five days on a warm, secluded beach.

When they left, Shannon held up her fingers to her ear, reminding Bo to call her about their plans. She gave a nod and set off for home with her wife.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX END CHAPTER 49 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX