Chapter 900 Chapter 900
Ena watched Foster haul a bundle of shingles up the ladder. If she’d tried to sling one over her shoulder and climb it, she would have tipped back and hit the ground.
“She’s making goo-goo eyes at him again, Heidi.”
Ena turned and looked at Betty and then her aunt. “Goo-goo eyes?”
“Mhmm.” Betty smiled. “You’re smitten with young Foster.”
“They’re mates, so being smitten is a good thing, Betty.” Her aunt continued to untangle the cord the men had just dropped on the ground.
“Mates? Oh, that’s wonderful.” Betty nodded and then looked at her aunt again. “We’ll have babies to cuddle.”
Ena huffed out a breath and turned to pick up the sheet of wood. She didn’t understand older women. They seemed thrilled with babies and kitchen appliances.
“We’re going to have to get her house fixed, Heidi. You don’t have room for a newly mated couple.”
Her aunt chuckled.
Ena paused and watched Foster smile and nod to something that Zach said. He fit in here, she thought. She didn’t think anyone ever could, not that she’d thought of finding a mate.
“Does that mean he’s staying?”
“Who is staying?” Nyssa came over carrying a tray of sandwiches. They were wrapped in so much plastic wrap she wondered if she’d planned a longer trip.
Melony came up behind her carrying a case of water.
“Foster.’ Betty said with a smile. “He’s our alpha’s mate.”
Nyssa’s eyes rounded, and she looked at Ena. “That’s amazing. Did you just find out? How do you know when someone is?”
Betty laughed. “You’ll know if it happens.”
Ena waited for Zach to look their way and waved him down. She turned to look at Betty. “He’s part of a team. If they need him, he’ll have to go help.”
“You’re going with him?” Betty wiggled her eyebrows. “I sure would be to see some of the country.”
Ena took off her gloves that Foster made her put on so she didn’t get slivers in her hand. “I can’t right now, but eventually, yes, I want to go help too.”
“Why can’t you go right now?” Nyssa set the tray down and then dropped onto some boxes to sit. She looked at her leg. Ena made a mental note to look at it later to make sure she wasn’t rushing things and maybe should still be using the cane.
She motioned around them to the buildings with tarps for rooves and the building materials. “There’s so much to do here.”
Nyssa looked around. “More help is supposed to be coming. You should go.” She grinned. “I would go.”
Her coyote alerted her, and she knew Foster was close. “We’ll see.” She didn’t want to discuss it with the men present. When she turned to look, he looked at her, asking if everything was good. She smiled and sat down.
“Well, Heidi, in another hour, you will have a new roof.” Zach wiped his hands on his jeans and grabbed a few of the sandwiches.
“It’s been so long since I had no leaks, and I’m not sure how to live without them.” She smiled. “But I will try.”
Savan came over and looked at Heidi’s house. “We’re going to start the roof on Harland’s this afternoon.” He looked at the sky. “Those clouds are bringing a lot of rain, but we can cover it if we don’t get it done.”
Harland came over and took off his gloves. “Orson wants to add a room to his place.” He took a sandwich and bottle of water and went over and sat on the lumber. “Is anyone keeping track of the list of things so we know when we might see the end of it.”
Ena caught the brow raise from Foster as he looked at him. “After years of nothing being fixed, this is our every day for a few months at least, Harland.”
Harland paused before a took a bite, nodded and then looked at the ground as he started to eat.
“Jesse will have a very detailed list of things to be done.” Foster glanced around and then looked at Ena. “You should assign one person to take care of things people want or specific things needed, and then she can talk to you, Orson, and whichever Alliance rep is here.”
“Is that what other clans do?” Betty asked.
Foster nodded. “Each alpha has not just a second but help with all sorts of other things.” He thought of Margie hating looking at the accounts every few months. “A lot of it, you’ll get help with at first.” He looked at Ena. “You’re probably looking at a year before all of you are on your own.”
“That’s something.” Betty looked at Heidi. “Wished we knew this a long time ago.”
Ena looked at Nyssa. “Nyssa, do you want to do that? Keep a list of things people want and need?”
“Me?” She sat straighter. “I mean, yes. I want to do that.” She nodded and got up. “I’m going to go find a notebook and pen right now.”
Ena watched as she walked away. Her leg wasn’t as great as she kept telling them. She looked at Heidi. “Can you check her leg? I don’t think it’s as healed as she’s been saying.”
Heidi nodded. “I was just thinking the same thing.”
“I can ask Jesse to see if any of the medical personnel are nearby. They could come look at it.”
“There are medical people, too?” Betty chuckled. “They have everything.”
Foster smiled. “They’re always looking for more help.”
Ena watched him track Jesse while he talked on his phone. He’d look at the screen and then put it to his ear again and talk some more. He wasn’t smiling, so she knew whatever it was had to be serious. Twice, he glanced in Foster’s direction, and her heart sped up. Was Foster going to be leaving soon? She knew he was going but had hoped for some more time with him. She may not understand all of the aspects of having a mate, but she knew enough that it wasn’t going to be easy when he left. “Cookies.” She stood up. “I’m going to get some of those cookies and share them around.”
Heidi nodded. “Yes. I made about five trays too many.” She laughed.