Chapter Text
The western field is on fire. A dry thunderstorm had started just as the sun was setting, and one of the strikes must have caught the grass just right. But they’re lucky. Wynonna had been unable to sleep, and she’d taken to the porch to watch the lightning across the hills.
It all started so suddenly. There was a crack that honest to God sounded like the sky was splitting apart, then a boom that shook Wynonna to her core. It felt close enough that Wynonna could feel the electricity on her skin.
Within seconds, Gus stumbles out onto the porch with bleary eyes and a rifle, loaded and ready. Ward is next, crashing through the door with his hands up like he’s about to take on a bar fight. Immediately after, Nicole and Waverly push through the door with panic settled wildly in their eyes and weapons held with tremulous hands. Rachel is last, poking her head out from behind the doorframe with a grim expression that somehow screams of resignation.
It takes them a few seconds to realize that it wasn't some explosion heralding a massive attack. Gus catches on first, as the panicked bellows from the cows finally breaks through the initial cloud of panic.
"We need to search the fields," she gasps out, hastily leaning her rifle against the railing. "One spark can set this whole damn property off like a tinderbox."
They all shed their weapons, clamoring down the steps. The cows are gathering at the western fence, giving them a pretty good indicator for where they should look.
"Someone move the cows!" Gus calls back over her shoulder, now fighting against the whipping winds. "Get 'em across to the other pasture!"
Ward and Rachel break off, running to the barn to grab buckets to fill from the river, hopefully enough to kill any embers nestling into the grass. Gus and Wynonna pull the fence gate open, ushering the fearful cows through as Nicole stands in front of them. She calls to the cows, clapping her hands gently to get their attention but not startle them further.
Waverly, being probably the fastest of them, sprints across to the gates of the other pasture. She hauls the gate open as Nicole begins to walk backwards, guiding the cows with her.
They're anxious. They toss their heads, their eyes wide and fearful. The dust that they're kicking up as they stamp on the ground unsettles them even further, as it creates an eerie sort of cloud around them as they advance forward.
But Nicole speaks to them the entire way, encouraging them with soft calls. They're tame enough to listen to her and trust her, thanks to the time they spend around humans. If they were range cattle, they probably wouldn't have a hope in hell of moving them without at least three people helping.
They make it across to the open pasture without any major trouble, and the cows seem to be relieved to make it into a comfortable, safe location. They lope away from the fence as Waverly pulls the gate back closed.
Nicole hops over the fence, giving Waverly a quick nod as they begin running back to the rest of the family.
Gus and Wynonna are in the field, running through to find where the fire is. In the dark, they see the glow from flames grow at the far end of the field. The first two buckets full of water are sitting ready at the gate, while Ward and Rachel fill another round.
Nicole shouts across the field for Gus and Wynonna to stop where they are so she and Waverly can meet them halfway with the water.
They work like that until the early pink light of morning. Ward and Rachel fill two buckets at the creek as Nicole and Waverly run the full buckets across the field. The wind blows hard, helping the fire to catch further across the field.
By the time they're certain that every last goddamn ember has been drowned, half the pasture is scorched. It's a huge portion of the cow's grazing space, and a potentially devastating loss.
They're all exhausted and sore down deep into their muscles, but they can't just ignore the farm chores that still need to get done. Nicole needs to check on the cows, make sure that none of them got hurt in all the confusion and chaos.
They all scatter to go about their separate routines after a few moments of rest. Nicole wearily trudges into the untouched pasture, then across the field to where the cows are huddled near the opposite fence.
She checks each of them individually, gently petting the ones who will allow her to. None of them seem hurt, just a bit anxious and impatient for their breakfast. She returns to the barn to grab their feed for the day.
Ward is there, tinkering idly with some mechanical part of the mill. They've almost got it fully operational, with just barely a few weeks before the harvest.
He jerks his chin towards her in greeting, spitting out a mouthful of sunflower seed shells at his feet. Nicole is mildly disgusted by him, she thinks. But she plasters on a polite smile, nodding back at him.
"Handled yourself good out there today," he says, clearing his throat roughly. “You ain’t soft. Not like some.”
Nicole cocks her head slightly, the corners of her smile turning down. “Well, sir, I appreciate that. But, uh… sure hope you’re not insinuating that any of the rest of us are soft. Not your daughters or anyone else."
Ward is quiet for a long moment, staring up at Nicole with an hard set to his lips. He stands slowly, drawing himself to his full height a few inches taller than Nicole. He leans in slightly closer, pointing one of his fingers towards her chest. She figures that it's a half-assed attempt at intimidation, but she'll be damned if she's scared of some old man.
"I ain't always been a good father," he says, his voice low and gruff. "I was a goddamn mean old bastard, and I'll be the first to admit that. But I refuse to be that man anymore. I know just how capable my girls are."
"Good. I'm glad we agree on that."
He grunts, lowering himself back down to the ground. Nicole takes that as a sign that he's dismissed the conversation, and she continues on into the barn.
Nicole pops the lid off of one of the drums that hold the feed, grabbing the scoop that's actually one of those massive soda cups from a gas station. It's inelegant, but it works. No use in complaining about what they have.
She dumps a few scoops into a pail, frowning down at how much feed is left. They won't be able to sustain the cows with what they have, not for very long. If the harvest doesn't go well, they'll almost certainly lose the rest of the cows. And a massive food supply, both in terms of meat and milk, would be gone just like that.
She presses the lid back on the drum, shaking her head slightly. No use in dwelling on it, she supposes. Worry won't make the problem go away.
Nicole steps back out into the sun, with all of its unrelenting, oppressive heat. She's worried about that, too. It's so dry that another fire can spark in seconds, and who knows what it'll take with it. The creek is still flowing, and that feels like a lifeline.
Ward clears his throat as Nicole steps outside. She pauses, watching as Ward takes his cowboy hat off to mop sweat away from his brow.
"You know," he starts. "I always did worry that Waverly would end up with a man like me. Real glad she didn’t."
They meet eyes for a lingering moment before Nicole nods. “Yeah. Me too.”
He lowers his head then, fixing his hat back into place and casting his eyes into a deep shadow.
Nicole leaves him there. She takes the conversation with her.
She fills the cow’s trough near the fence line, calling out to call them closer. A few moments later, they’re crowded around and greedily eating.
Nicole smiles as she watches the ladies at work. With so few animals, it's easy to tell them apart. Because of that, it's pretty easy to keep up with their social structure. A few of the ladies seem to be held in very high esteem. They all generally seem to get along, but they have their cliques.
Luckily, Gus knows all about who’s who in cow world. The second that she caught Nicole studying the cows with more intensity than strictly necessary, she’d jumped in to give Nicole the rundown.
Nicole smiles to herself. Between the deeply complicated matriarchy of the cows and the political structure that Waverly has been observing in the chickens, they have a whole soap opera on the farm.
Nicole, satisfied that the girls are no longer offput by what had happened that morning, turns to leave them. She still has to go out into the vegetable patch and check on things there. Most of the plants there will be ready to harvest soon, and they'll all have to spend long hours either harvesting or processing the crops.
She's halfway back to the barn when one of the traps is triggered, sending the bone-chilling sound of glass and metal grinding against each other through the air as the bottles and cans fall from their waiting position. Nicole responds immediately, drawing the axe that still hangs at her hip.
It sounded far away enough that Nicole is sure it was the trap they'd set at the front gate, down the long driveway. Ward is on his feet just as quickly as Nicole had responded. He starts towards her, but Nicole points him toward the porch.
"Get one of the rifles and cover me," she says, and she's almost surprised to get a nod from him. He sets off towards the house while Nicole goes the opposite way, down the long dirt road. There's no way to be sneaky about her approach, she just has to go straight down the road. If it’s just one zombie, or even a group of them that are deteriorating from starvation, she’ll have no issue.
But if it’s a person, especially if they’re trigger happy, she’s putting herself at risk.
Nicole glances over her shoulder, catching Ward as he’s coming down off the porch. He’s moving faster than she’s ever seen him before, even after the events of this morning. He's a fairly massive man, being probably six foot two or three and built like a barrel.
But he's surprisingly quick. Nicole imagines that a combination of months of hard labor and being fully sober for the first time in maybe decades will give anyone a bit more stamina.
In any case, he's about a dozen steps behind her as they haul ass down the driveway. A minute later, Nicole is rounding the big curve in the driveway. She must be moving goddamn fast, because she catches a glimpse of whatever is at the gate struggling to stand up.
She can see the glare of the sun reflecting off of shards of glass shattered on the hard packed dirt. She can see the duller shine of cans among the sparkle of the glass, crumpled in a heap that they'll have to fix later.
The figure looks human, fully human. And they don't look exactly threatening, or even armed. They stumble to their feet, scrambling back a few hurried steps as Nicole sprints at them with an axe raised.
Their hands shoot up as Nicole reaches the patch of glass and cans. "Stop! Stop, stop, please!"
Nicole does. She pretty much grinds to a halt, with her axe still raised back over her shoulder. She's face-to-face with a man, wiry and exhausted looking. Nicole imagines that he's about her height, but he stands with a slouch that makes him look significantly shorter. His clothes hang off of him in a way that reveals uncomfortable skinniness. He has a wiry mop of tangled, grey-peppered brown hair that's grown out into a sort of mullet. In a way, he looks almost rabbity.
"Stop," he whispers again, his lips pulling back in a grimace that reveals one missing lateral incisor.
Nicole slowly, slowly, slips her axe back into its holster. He's just filthy and malnourished. Especially with all the strength she's been gaining back, Nicole could so easily overpower him.
"What are you-" she starts, holding her hands pointedly away from her belt and its weapons. She's interrupted all of a sudden by a rush of heavy footsteps a few dozen feet behind her. In an instant, she realizes that Ward must've finally caught up to her.
She has only the few seconds that it takes Ward to raise and aim the rifle to dart her hand out and close her fingers around the man's wrist. She yanks on his arm as she throws herself to the side. They hit the ground just as the crack of gunfire splits the air.
Nicole's shoulder slams into the ground, pain exploding there. The man cries out, trying to scuttle away from Nicole and cover himself from bullets at the same time.
Nicole groans through gritted teeth, rolling over onto her back before struggling back up to a stand. "Ward!" she shouts, waving her hand wildly. "Put the damn gun down! No threat here."
He lowers the rifle a few centimeters, his stance softening a bit. "No threat?"
"Yeah," the man on the ground cuts in, his chest heaving in a heavy pant. "No threat. Fuckin' swear."
With a weary sigh, Nicole holds her hand out to the man. After a moment of hesitation, he takes it, and Nicole hauls him to his feet.
"Sorry, man. We're all a bit, you know, jumpy around strangers. I'm Nicole."
"Levi," he says, brushing some of the freshest dirt away from his raggedy shirt. "I get it. I’ve ran into some nasty folks out there.”
“You have no idea,” Nicole mumbles, shooting a glance back at Ward. He's still standing there with the rifle at his shoulder, obviously not fully convinced that this stranger isn't a threat. "What are you doing here?"
"I saw- I saw a buncha smoke this morning, out from the road," he says, jabbing his thumb in the approximate direction that they had arrived from. "I've been holed up in Libby all this time. But there was too many biters and not enough food, so I've been on the road. Figured that smoke meant people, and either I could help or... take whatever was left."
Nicole nods. It's pretty solid reasoning. She probably would've thought the same.
"Fire's contained. Just," she sighs again, waving her hand vaguely. "Lightning. Dry grass."
Levi doesn't get a chance to answer, though. Nicole glances over her shoulder again, this time seeing the rather intimidating sight of Gus McCready marching down the drive with her shotgun raised to her shoulder. Judging solely by the look on her face, Nicole wouldn't be surprised if she was on a mission to end a war.
"Hey!" she shouts, making Ward snap his head back towards Gus. He finally fully lowers his rifle then, waving one hand over his head.
"Gus! Ain't no need for all that!"
Gus either doesn't hear or doesn't care, Nicole isn't sure which. She continues her march, blowing past Ward like he's not even there. He makes a half-hearted attempt to grab at her, but apparently (wisely) decides that that's the wrong choice.
"Ah, fuck," Nicole mumbles, shifting so her body is firmly planted in front of the stranger's.
"Why oh fuck? Man, I don't wanna get shot! I'll leave now, I- I'll leave!"
"Gus," Nicole calls, holding her hands up as the older woman draws closer. "No threat. He's moving on now. All just a misunderstanding."
Gus isn't paused by this declaration. She comes to a stop next to Nicole, her shotgun still raised and pointed squarely at Levi's chest.
"Give me one reason why I shouldn't shoot you right now."
"Gus, come on, he's not-"
"Wasn't talking to you, kid."
Nicole rolls her eyes. She swears that pigheadedness runs through this family like a curse.
"I don't want to hurt any of you!" Levi shakes his head quickly, shrinking away a step. Gus follows, marching his panicked step with a measured, careful one. "I don't got any weapons, even. I lost- I lost my knife to some fucker when I passed through Lakeside."
"He saw the smoke from the road, Gus," Nicole says, turning to her. "Wanted to come check it out, no ulterior motive."
There's a pause for a few seconds, and Nicole swears that she can see Gus waver for just a breath.
"When's the last time you had something to eat?" Gus says, a hard set to her face and a finger still a hair's breadth from her trigger.
Levi shrinks back immediately as she speaks, and it takes a few seconds for the meaning of the words to break through his fog of panic. "Huh?"
"Last meal you had. Real one, not some dusty pack of crackers."
"I don't," he starts, his eyebrows furrowing together. "I don't quite remember."
"Alright then," Gus says, her shotgun suddenly down at her side like nothing had even happened. "You'll come up to the house then. Get you a meal and maybe something to protect yourself with."
Everyone stares at Gus, not quite sure what's going on. Nicole wonders for a second if somehow she's at heightened risk for auditory hallucinations. But then Gus pats Levi on the arm, taking him by the elbow after. She starts walking back up the drive to the house, looking for all the world like she's just on a leisurely stroll.
Nicole stays stunned in her spot for a moment as she watches them walk together. Levi throws a look back and Nicole shrugs, imagining that she looks just as bewildered as he does.
She catches up with Ward a few seconds later, quickening her pace slightly to fall in step with him.
"The hell was all that about?"
Ward shakes his head. "Can't ever tell that woman nothing. She won't listen."
--
The first few moments at the table are deafeningly silent. Everyone is seated, motionless, unsure of where they should direct their gaze.
Everyone else had been given the same quick rundown about their guest, putting out the second fire of the day, proverbially. After they heard the gunshot, basically all hell broke loose. While Gus went to go chase after the sound, the Earp sisters and Rachel took their defensive positions around the house. Somehow, Rachel made her way up to the roof to serve as archer cover.
But in barely any time at all, Gus had the table set and lunch ready to serve to a bunch of confused, adrenaline-drunk people. And now here they all are, staring and waiting.
Ward is the first to move, standing up and reaching for the ladle that's resting in the stew pot. He pours one scoop of the thick, hearty stew into his bowl, then another. It has the last of the deer that Rachel had caught and a jar of potatoes from Gus's last harvest, plus a slew of other vegetables that they've been able to harvest so far. Ward finishes it off by grabbing the bread knife and sawing off a hunk of the fresh loaf.
He sits back down, beginning his meal without another moment of hesitation. Slowly, one by one, everyone else around the table dishes up. Waverly fills her bowl and then Levi's, earning a small, gap-toothed smile from him.
It's more silence as they all begin to eat. But Rachel, with her unending curiosity, turns her attention to the newcomer after only a few seconds.
"So," she says, drawing everyone's eyes to her proud smile. "How'd you like my trap?"
"You make that?" He's met with a nod and another, wider, grin. "Well, shit. Good job on that, I'd say. Scared the livin' shit out of me. Couldn't see that trip rope if I tried."
From there, it's a flood of questions, and an increasingly relaxed Levi answers them all happily. Throughout the course of lunch, including a second helping of stew and the last bit of the loaf of bread, they learn that he's 37 years old, and he was born and raised in Wyoming before moving up to Montana to do his carpentry certificate and apprenticeship. When Rachel gets around to questioning him about the school he'd gone to, he pauses for a second.
"University of Montana," he says, sighing softly. After another bite of bread, which he chews long and slow, he starts up again. "One year certificate. That's part of the reason I'm headed down this way. Old buddy from the program, still living down there, got me on a phone call before all that stopped working. Told me that he and some others were gonna try to protect the city as best as possible. Said they were gonna keep base on campus."
"So that's where you're trying to go?"
"Yup."
"How far away is it?"
"Not too far," Waverly says, shaking her head a fraction as she cuts in. "It's about eighty miles from here, I think. I used to go down there every once in a while to give lectures or work with other researchers. I had a lot of friends down that way."
"Sounds about right to me," Levi says, nodding over at Waverly. "And I heard some rumors on the road. Talks of a community down that way. Farming, trading, all that. So that's where I'm trying to go."
Rachel leans back in her chair, her gaze still intense and focused squarely on the man across from her. "Huh," she says, crossing her arms over her chest. "That's interesting."
Nicole has to hide a smile behind her hand as she watches the two of them interact. Nicole's not sure if it's a Rachel thing or just a general teenager thing, but she always looks sort of smug. Like she knows something that no one else does. Nicole is pretty endlessly entertained by it, if she's being honest.
"Well, here's hopin', at least," he says, apparently unsure of how exactly to answer Rachel. She nods, cryptically appearing satisfied with that answer.
When they're all done eating, Levi looks around at everyone, his eyes watery like he's about to cry. "You folks have been so accommodating. Is there anything I can do to pay you back before I head out? Field work or anything?"
They all direct their gazes to Gus as the de facto authority of the house. She doesn't answer for a moment, just studies him closely, her lips pursed tightly.
"Tell you what. You stay here for a few days and help with some chores, and we feed you and give you a place to rest your head. Hayloft is empty. It's yours if you want a few days before you have to move on."
"Oh," he says quietly, looking down at the table. He twists his fingers together nervously. "Well. That's an incredibly kind offer. I'd love to take you up on that."
"Alright, then. That wind took down a few fence posts. Figure you'd be good at replacing 'em. Let's get going."
"Yes, uh... yes ma'am."
--
Waverly steps out onto the porch, the well-worn boards creaking under her boots. She takes a seat behind Nicole, running her hand along Nicole's shoulders.
"Hey. Anything else to do in there?"
"No, Daddy and Gus just broke out the playing cards. Our evening is officially free."
Nicole smiles serenely, leaning back into Waverly's chest. "Mm. What do you want to do with our officially free evening?"
"Right now, all I want to do is sit here with you." Waverly presses a kiss to the top of Nicole's head, earning a hum of appreciation.
"Lucky for us. That's easy to do."
It's been incredibly nice to have an extra pair of hands around the farm for these past few days. They make it work with what they have, of course, but it's a relief to not be spread so thinly. And they'd lucked out. Levi is cheery, eager to help, and pretty damn good at all the tasks he'd been given. Nicole is also pretty sure that Ward has enjoyed having someone around to talk mechanics with, not that he'd admit it.
They'd gotten the mill fixed and functional in only a matter of hours. They'd even done a test run with a handful of dried corn, and by God, it worked.
But he still has to move on. Tomorrow morning, after another good night of rest and a full meal, he'll be back on the road. They've given him enough food to last well beyond the eighty miles to Missoula, and a knife to keep himself safe.
“Hey, where did Wynonna and Rachel get off to?”
“They’re up on the trails, checking trap lines. Do you need them?”
Nicole pauses for a moment, but she shakes her head. "No, I just like knowin' where people are."
There’s another, longer pause before Waverly speaks up again. "Do you ever think it'll feel normal again?"
"What part?"
Waverly hums, tilting her head back to look at the sky. “All of it, I guess. Living out on this farm, only seeing the same people all the time, never... I don't know. It just feels all wrong."
Nicole shifts to face Waverly, a deep frown tugging at her lips. "Oh, sweetheart. I- I didn't know that you were struggling with this. I'm so sorry. I guess I figured that because I felt like I was adjusting so well here, you must be too." She holds Waverly's right hand in both of hers, a gesture that she hopes is comforting.
But Waverly pulls her hand away, hugging herself self-consciously. Nicole retreats to more neutral ground, moving one hand to Waverly's knee and the other to her own side. "It's not- I'm not struggling, really. It's not like I'm about to snap or anything, I just can't stop feeling... stuck."
"Of course I don't think that, Waves. Maybe someday it'll be safe enough for us to move on. And if that's what you want, I will gladly follow. I'd follow you to the very end of this goddamn Earth if you asked me to."
Tears well up in Waverly's eyes, and the combination of that and the late, golden sun shining on her face makes her normal hazel look a deep bottle green that Nicole can't help but to love.
"What did I do to deserve you?" she whispers, unfolding herself from that protective posture to reach out. She cups the back of Nicole's neck, tangling her fingers in the wispy hair there.
"Nothing, Waverly. You don't have to earn love. Not from me. Never from me."
Waverly leans down to touch their foreheads together, taking solace in their closeness. Nicole's words ring true to her. She knows that she doesn't need to fight for Nicole's affection, or prove her worth. She knows. But still, the reminder is nice.
They don't get more than a moment to sit like that, though, before they hear Rachel and Wynonna's voices approaching from behind the house. A few moments later, they're rounding the corner to the front of the house, both of them empty-handed but smiling.
Nicole turns to face forward, and she and Waverly settle back into each other. Waverly wraps her arm across Nicole's chest, a gesture that's comforting and grounding for both of them.
"A big hello to everyone's favorite twosome," Wynonna says, her grin turning sly as she leans forward to press a kiss to the top of Waverly's head. She follows that up by leaning in close to Nicole, their noses just a few inches apart.
The eye contact is unflinching. Neither of them waver for a second, hell, neither of them even think about wavering. Icy blue and hardened brown meet like the immovable object and unstop-
"How long is this going to go on?"
Wynonna steps back, turning that deadly gaze slowly, slowly, until it meets Rachel. That look of vaguely smug self-satisfaction is back on Rachel's face. Waverly would be willing to bet her life on the fact that that expression must drive her sister absolutely wild.
"Is there anything that you like more than ruining my moment?"
"Not really."
"I know where you sleep, kid. Remember that."
In truth, they share the same room. Ever prepared for a deluge of guests, Gus had two twin beds up in the attic. Rachel and Wynonna had happily agreed to share the space, and Ward had silently given up the guest bedroom to Nicole and Waverly. He'd taken up residence on the couch, which he claims is a better defensive position anyway.
"Aw, sweetie," Waverly says, putting on an exaggerated pout as she looks over to Rachel. "If she puts something nasty in your bed you can come stay with us."
It would be far from the first time that Rachel had left the attic for favor of clambering in between Nicole and Waverly like a small child running from a nightmare. When they’d first reached the farm, it was almost every night. Now, it’s far less frequent, but the couple is always more than happy to provide whatever protection and peace that Rachel needs.
"I would never do that!"
"Wynonna, don't even try that! Ugh, you two wouldn’t believe the things I found in my bed.”
“Not true!”
“Do you remember the rat incident?"
Wynonna stares, her eyes owlish and unblinking. She does remember the rat incident. Mostly, she remembers the consequences of the rat incident. Young Waverly and her seam ripper were truly forces to be reckoned with.
"I take it back," Wynonna says, her voice a hollow whisper. "I don't know where you sleep, Rachel. You're safe."
"Uh, yeah. Okay. That was kinda weird, guys."
“It always is with them,” Nicole says, grinning at the sneer that Wynonna shoots her way.
The evening calms down after that little argument. It's cool enough that none of them feel the need to flee to shade. Wynonna ends up sitting next to her sister and Nicole on the porch, and Rachel settles in the grass in front of them.
Most of the evening passes in relative silence. Rachel is back to work on another carving project, and although it's still just an indescribable hunk of wood, Nicole is glad she's found another thing to throw herself into. Boredom is a killer as bad as any, and the more ways they all have to occupy their time, the better.
The four of them are about to retire and return inside when Levi comes strolling out of the barn. His head is ducked, but he heads straight for the porch and the women there. In his hand, he holds a black package that almost looks like a tool roll to Nicole.
"Hey, y'all," he says, coming to a stop in front of them. "Wanted to catch up before we all hit the hay tonight."
After a round of smiling greetings from everyone, Waverly tilts her head towards Levi. “What did you need to talk about?”
“Well, I mostly wanted to talk to Rachel,” he says, turning his eyes down sheepishly under the sudden probing intensity of her gaze. “I seen ya working on your projects,” he says, employing an incredibly decorous turn of phrase for what could be described in much more impolite terms. “And I remembered that I had something that could help you out.”
He hands the roll to Rachel, who opens it without a moment of pause. She reveals a set of carving tools, a relatively cheap and basic set. But, judging by the reverent look on Rachel’s face, it might as well be pure gold.
She immediately begins taking each and every tool out, inspecting them closely. Nicole clears her throat, hoping to break through Rachel’s rapt attention. Once that’s done, she looks pointedly towards Levi.
“Oh- thank you, Levi. Really.” Rachel springs up from her spot and throws her arms around his shoulders in a quick, tight squeeze.
With Rachel back in her spot, he shakes his head demurely. “Not a problem, kiddo. You’ll make better use out of those than I ever could.”
When Rachel makes her inevitable first slip up and nicks her finger, Nicole just about has a damn heart attack. “Rachel! Those things are sharp as sin, Jesus…”
As Nicole launches off of the porch to fuss over Rachel, the Earp sisters share twin grins. If there’s one thing Nicole does best, it’s an impression of a worried mother hen.