#3
Hardy Clora wasn't as tough as she thought. The ride home and the effort for the whole family took a lot of her energy. It wasn't long before the word spread that the babies were home from the hospital.
First it was the Edwards clan coming to have a look-see at the three alike babies. Then it was Toby, Meg and their crew that showed up; Meg looking hugely pregnant and smiling happily. "We have only one," she announced with a relieved grin, "the tech's tell me it is a boy, and old Dad here," and she jerked her thumb in Toby's direction, "is acting like he's the first man to ever sire a son."
Toby was laughing, but he and Mark shared a look that was pure male satisfaction. Let the women tease them all they wanted, they had a son or sons to carry on the family name and it was their duty to be proud.
Warren was the next visitor, but his attention wasn't solely on the triplets. Mark's Dad had a twinkle in his eye each time he looked at Gail and he cooed at the babies and asked to hold the girl. Warren had already had his moment of superior happiness when he discovered Mark, and it was easy to see his son and grandson felt the same way.
"Ok, tell me their names again," he teased Tessee, just to hear the young girl rattle of his grandson's name of John Warren, Luke Marcus and then sweet Elizabeth Grace.
"Grandpa, you ask me that every hour," Tess admonished, and then laughed at the face Warren made at her.
The Edwards men asked to have a private talk with Mark, and they went outside, much to everyone's relief. The Edward's women stayed a few minutes longer, and then had to get back home with their assorted children.
It was a stalemate between the Edward's and Linderman kids; the loosing end of the stick falling on the Linderman's until Tess had enough and beat the snot out of the two oldest Edward's girls, the two that felt they were the toughest.
Tess came to the house after the fight, with torn clothes, two black eyes, a split lip and a huge bruise on her cheek. She was grinning wildly and didn't cry a tear. Helga looked at the supposed dainty little miss and shook her head. Karl patted her back and Mark merely said, "did you win?"
"You'd better believe it," Tess replied with difficultly around her hurting lip, "I'm going after the boys the next time."
Milo shook his head, "Dad, she was a real tiger and even threatened to whip me when I tried to come to her rescue."
Mark looked up from the electrical connection he was putting together and shrugged, "I guess then, just stay out of her way."
For the rest of the week, Benny walked a big circle around Tess, not wanting to get too close. The victor and the foes had not been together until that afternoon, and the Edward's girls were doing their best to be likable during their visit.
Outside, the Edwards men were trying to impress on Mark that they were just having a case of the 'jump-up's and go' as they had spent all winter and spring in the confines of the trailers and the call of the wild was sounding loud and clear.
"We'uns is goings to the old home place," Emory explained. "The wommens they be fetchen along in a week or so, and we'uns got a powerful itch to be in the mountains. And" he clarified earnestly, "it aint like we don't appreciate your hospitality's, but we gots to be goins wild for a while. We'uns e'll be back beforen winters."
Mark wasn't sure if he was happy or sad, and then decided happy when he got a whiff of downwind aroma. "What about your animals?" he questioned.
"We'uns be taken the mules, and were sure wondering iffen you wanted the old milch cow?" Elmer was nodding his head.
"Well, I suppose so," Mark agreed reluctantly, "what's your family going to go for milk?"
"Oh, them kids kin drink coffee fors a while," Emory shrugged like it was no big deal, "Us'ens be camping for the summer, no place to tend to the milk," he finished with a contented nod, "we be thanken you for givin us'ens the time off. You want a deer when we come back?"
"Umm, yeah, I guess so," Mark decided right then and there not to tell Clora or Helga what might be coming their way in the fall, that was news better left for the moment it happened.
Both brothers walked down the drive way toward their trailers, looking like tweedle dum and tweedle dee in their blue bib overalls and slouchy hats. Only the rifles over their shoulders bespoke of any difference.
Mark hooked his thumbs in his back pockets and stood watching them go out of sight.
"The're kinda the last of the real mountain men, aren't they?" Toby came down the ramp where he and Warren had been listening to the conversation.
"Very unique people," Mark agreed, "you know they are not really Wayne's uncles, but they all claim each other, so we let the connection be. It gives Wayne people to have as relatives, and that's good for him to have."
"I can't see Jenny being real friendly to the bunch," Toby observed quietly, "it seems like she tries real hard to be the odd man out whenever we get together, her social skills are almost non existent, and it puzzles me how she can help run a grocery where you have to interact and be nice to customers."
"One of those mysteries of the universe," Mark said wryly, "I'm sure I don't have an explanation."
"Me, neither," Warren chimed in.
"Dad? Are you still under house arrest? What's going to happen to that?" Toby was curious.
Mark was about to answer when another car started up the drive way, Wayne had come to visit with Jenny.
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