6. Evie

I steppedout of the vehicle as the two gorgeous women approached us. "Hello," one of them said, smiling warmly.

"Hello," I responded.

"My name is Allison Bellmont. I'm a doctor. I will help you as much as possible," she said, taking my Mom's hand.

"Thank you, Doctor," my mom replied.

"Please, call me Allison. This is my dear friend Benni. She's married to Spartan, who is Rebel and Reaper's brother. But we won't hold that against her because I married their cousin Ghost. How are you feeling?"

"I'm extremely tired. I think a small nap will work wonders right now."

"Let's get you settled in your room. I have everything ready for you," Allison said. She paused and scanned the group as Tater, the dog, passed gas again.

"That would be Kylie's dog, Tater; we haven't figured out what causes the gas," I explained, feeling my cheeks warm with embarrassment.

"We'll look into that as soon as we can," Allison assured me. Then her gaze shifted to the large Coon cat. "That cat is huge. I hope she can get along with our dogs." Meanwhile, Reaper opened the pig's pen and set him on the ground, prompting the pig to take off running as fast as his short legs would carry him.

"Oh,no! He's going to run away," I exclaimed, chasing after him. His plump body moved in a tight circle. I heard the two ladies chuckle. "What are we going to do?" I asked, just as Rebel dashed to catch the pig and slipped in something I suspected one of their dogs left behind. The look on his face was hilarious.

I bent over laughing, as did the others. Rebel stopped and looked at us. "You'll have to catch him. I'm going to shower," he declared, walking away.

"Did we hurt his feelings," I asked the ladies.

"No, he just needed to shower. That's where he's headed," Benni explained, still smiling.

I glanced down at Alpo, who was now lying at my feet. We walked inside, and I was immediately struck by the beauty of the place. It felt like home the moment I stepped through the door. We were shown to our rooms, which were just as welcoming, with stunning mountain views.

"It's beautiful here," I remarked as Reaper stood with my bag.

"We think so too. I've lived in other places around the world, but this is home. This is where I belong. I was born in this house," he shared, smiling. "Follow me, and I'll show you to your room," he said, walking down the wide hallway. I loved this house. You could tell a family lived here.

We entered a beautifully furnished room. "It's lovely," I commented, walking over to the window to admire the mountains. I set Snookum's bed next to where I would be sleeping. His carrier had his bed inside.

I walked into the hallway at the same time Reble reappeared, shirtless and displaying a muscular physique. He smiled. "Did the animals get situated?"

"Yes, thank you. I was looking for my parents. Thank you for bringing us here; it's absolutely beautiful."

My great-grandfather started building this home, and my Grandpa finished it. He raised me, my brothers, and Ghost and Carrie, our cousins. Our parents and our grandma went to a concert together and were killed in a car pile-up on their way home."

"I'm sorry to hear that. That must have been incredibly tough for all of you. I'm glad you had your grandpa."

"Me too! Let me grab a shirt, and I'll help with the animals." I followed him and stopped at his bedroom door. Peering inside, I saw a sitting room with books piled on the floor.

He turned, surprised to find me waiting for him. "Ready?" he asked.

"Yes, should we first check on my parents?" I suggested.

"Of course, they're just down this hallway." As we approached the doorway, we could hear them talking. Allison was in there with them; my mom was tucked into bed, looking ready to drift off.

"Hello, you two. Mom's going to sleep while we check on the animals. Where is Snookum's?" he asked.

"He's in my room. Do you know where Tater is? I asked.

"He's with Reaper; they were still trying to corner Alpo. I have never seen Alpo run as much as she has since she hit the ground here," I said, kissing my mom. She smiled and closed her eyes.

When we reached the back door, Tater was barking and chasing Alpo. I noticed another man trying to catch him. Damn, was everyone on this mountain hotter than hell? Cinder rubbed himself against my legs, and I picked him up.

"What are you doing outside? You could get lost around here; there are bears around here that might see you as a meal. And I don't want ticks to get on you. We are in the mountains, for Pete's sake," Cinder ignored every word I said.

It was hard to tell if Alpo was enjoying the chase or not. He looked like he was. He ran straight towards Reaper. I closed my eyes, not wanting to witness a potential crash, but when I opened them, laughter from Rebel and my Dad filled the air. Reaper was on the ground, with Tater licking his face.

Three huge German Shepherds and a black Labrador stood back, watching calmly. They didn't do anything. At least there were some animals with manners here. They must be the ones that go with the men when they need help.

Maybe this is the best place for all of us right now. I haven't heard my Dad laugh since Kylie was taken. I freaked out when a flash went past me on the porch, and I saw Snookum jump on another guy's leg. He was trying to help Alpo. I jumped off the porch and ran to where the man looked at Snookum as he climbed onto his shoulder.

"Please don't hurt him. He's my ferret," I said, reaching out to remove Snookum.

"I wouldn't hurt him. We were already warned that you had a pet rat, but it's clear he's a ferret. My name is Steel Peterson. You must be Evie McDonald."

"Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you, Steel; I'm glad someone can see that Snookum is a ferret. Snookum, I told you to stay inside. You are as bad as Cinder, running around like you own the place."

This is their backyard; it is theirs the entire time you are here. They can come and go as they want to," Rebel said, looking at Snookum and Cinder. "Let me take Cinder. He must weigh forty pounds."

Just then, Tater ran over, barked at Rebel, and farted. Steel stifled a laugh, and I couldn't help but join in. followed by Rebel. "Maybe Allison can fix his gassy problem," Rebel said.

"Don't count on it. He's an animal. I'm not a vet," Allison said, smiling. "But I'll give it a try. Maybe he'd drink some warm soda water?"

"If we mix it in coffee with cream and sugar, he'll drink it. He always sneaks sips of my coffee when I'm not looking."

"Well then, that's what we'll do," Allison decided. "We'll keep experimenting until we find a solution."

"Thank you," I said, turning toward her.