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thecandywrites · 2 years ago

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Monster March 2023 Day 26- Werewolf Part 2

Puppy Love? Or the Real Thing?

Because we all know that besides the super hot werewolf sex- it's the whole 'you're my mate' thing that draws us in to werewolves in the first place. At least, for me it does. And this is also where the story leaves reality and enters fantasy. And where, I wish things could have gone, had I the courage to actually ask any of those way too fucking hot farm boys- to bend me over between the northern highbush varieties of blueberries (we are talking a single blueberry bush the size of a small car) and plow me better than the fields ever got to be. And I could have gotten just as knocked up as my mom always seemed to be when we would go. The fact that she did it twice and we did it regularly enough that the actual Leducs recognized my mom, watched the belly bump grow during summer and would come back with a little baby the next year? And they would hold my little sisters and tease them that they were almost Leduc babies the same way we have the Gerber Baby. That was fun.

Also, as you can see, I just had to face cast Tim Allen- aka- any 90's kid would recognize Tim- the Tool Man- Taylor as Sasha's dad. And then because my husband loves Justified, I couldn't help but have Nick Searcy, who played Art Mullin on Justified as Tristan's dad. Because in Justified, he played a character who I would have loved to have as a dad or even a father in law.

So even though the Leduc's sold the blueberry part of their berry farm over to the Berry Brothers a few years ago (for nealy 20 million, which, good for them.) But it let them focus on the Leduc Strawberry Farm. And the Berry Brothers turned that barn that was once just purely there for U-pick stuff and sales of the blueberries the migrant workers picked. And they upgraded that barn. And when I say upgraded, like, UPGRADED. It's all enclosed, air conditioned, it has a bakery, a restaurant/cafe. All blueberry goods and products for sale, including blueberry wine and hard cider. And you can still buy the actual Leduc Blueberries. Granted, they are A LOT more expensive than what they used to be, but, in my humble opinion, still the best and worth every penny. Like my sisters who still live in Michigan, when they come down to visit, they actually drive all the way out there just to get me a 10lb box. I think it costs them like $30 bucks now. But to me? Priceless.

But, the Leduc blueberry is a northern highbush. At least to my knowledge. Which means that bush gets huge but it also has very high chilll hour requirements. And where I live, the weather does not give me those chill hours requirements. And blueberry bushes are finickey enough, that if it's NOT cold enough, they die. Everything else- if it gets a frost, it dies. But not blueberries, they're practically polar bears, they're out there going "Bring it on! You call that cold? It's still above 0, I need that negative numbers baby!" Or at least, that's what it's like for the true northern highbushes.

Which is why I planted Kabluey blueberry bushes, which are southern lowbush crosses which need low chill hours. So I'm not without entirely. It's never going to be the same or as good as Leducs. But damn it, southern Ohio just doesn't have the chill hours to support the northern highbush varieties of blueberries. So southern lowbush with low or no chill hour requirement I must go. Not the same. But better than nothing.

Part 2

The next day, Tristan woke up extra early and braved the cold shower in order to get clean and actually dressed in his nicer work clothes and even worked out a little so he would be good and strong and ready and primed when Frank and hopefully Sasha too would come and was downright antsy all morning.

Right at 10, a huge box truck, with Wright Plumbing written on the side came into the driveway and Tristan nearly shifted so he could wag his werewolf tail to see Sasha again. She was wearing a Cabella’s baseball cap. And…overalls and even a baggy long sleeved shirt and not a flick of makeup. But she didn’t need it, if anything she was just as pretty now as she had been when he saw her last. But she had a little tupperware container in her hands as she went up to the door, where Tristan and his dad were ready.

“Hello Mr. Leduc, I’m Frank, this is my daughter Sasha who brought you some Kabluey blueberries?” Frank said as he gestured to her before she offered the small tupperware container, opening it up for them as she did so.

“Why thank you, so kindly Miss Sasha.” Chuck smiled happily as he opened it up and took a few and threw them into his mouth as Tristan thrust his hand into the small tupperware container and got some.

“Oh, oh these are good. Really good! Damn near perfect for a blueberry.” Chuck praised as Tristan nodded in agreement.

“Tristan said that you know a thing or two about blueberries?” Chuck asked Sasha.

“Not as much as your son does, obviously. I’m just getting into them. But this place has always had the best blueberries. And so we have a little farm and we worked on the orchard last year and this year, we’ve been working on the berries, specifically the blueberries and so I got containers for all of them and I’m trying to grow them up to see which ones I like best and then figure out where I want to plant them where they’ll get the right amount of sun and best soil conditions and when which variety will be in season so we can have blueberries throughout the summer, just like you do. So if anything, it’s you and your farm that inspired me and mine. And I’m honored that you would even entertain the idea of trying them. Thank you.” Sasha explained and Chuck was ready to take Tristan down to the jewelry store to buy him an engagement ring right then and there for Sasha. He could see what his son saw- plain as day. And Tristan had been right, just meeting her in person was like being in warm sunshine. Very sweet and very personable.

“Well I’m honored too. That’s mighty fine praise Miss Sasha. Where’d you find ‘em?” Chuck asked.

“Oh, I brought the catalog with me. I’ll be right back.” She offered as she put the container into Chuck’s hands before she left and got the catalog and turned it to the page they were featured on and handed it over to him to look over.

“Huh. Well how about that.” Chuck appraised as he looked it over as he invited them into the house while Tristan got another handful of the blueberries that were practically like candy to him. Because they were- in all honesty, a really good blueberry. But they were also might have been little sapphires- for how precious they were to him.

“So did your mom go into labor yet?” Tristan asked before Sasha barked a laugh.

“No, I wish, but the baby did drop, so now my mom can breathe a bit easier. But the other things that are precursors to labor have already happened. So she’s due any day now. But knowing her, it could either be today or a week, if not two weeks from now?.” She shook her head no with a shrug.

“But I’ll bet you’re still relieved you didn’t have to worry about getting EMT’s into your blueberry field huh? Although nothing feeds fields like blood does. They don’t sell blood meal for nothing. Plus, you guys would have a new kind of Leduc baby on your hands eh?” She offered. And it was when she said the ‘eh’ was a very…Canadian sounding ‘aye’.

“Girl, where’d you get an accent like that? You Canadian?” Chuck asked and Tristan wanted to face palm himself.

“Oh, she gets that from her mother. Her mother was raised in Alaska.” Frank explained.

“And all Alaska is- is Canada to the left. So, yeah, strong Canadian accent. And he was stationed at Eielson Airforce Base- right outside Anchorage. So once he finished his servitude, he met my mom and had me and Autumn up there. So technically I’m from there too. But we moved away and moved here once Ellis came along and Grandma and Grandpa needed the help with their declining health.” Sasha explained with a dismissive wave.

“Ellis?” Chuck asked.

“Short for Amaryllis. She’s out of her terrible twos and has gone head first into terrorizing threes.” Sasha explained with a light laugh.

“Mmmhmm.” Tristan hummed and nodded his agreement because his youngest brother just turned four and was just as much of a terrible terrorist as he was when he was two and three, but now was big enough to do real damage when he could and would. Especially when he shifted.

“So yeah, that makes me Sasha-Sabine, Autumn, Amaryllis, and now Arianna. A single S in a sea of A’s. Like you Dad, living in the middle of the estrogen ocean?” Sasha teased her dad with a crinkle of her adorable nose as her dad barked a laugh.

“So four, and still not a single boy?” Chuck asked Frank.

“Nope, my wife says if we have another girl after this, she’s done. What about you?” Frank asked.

“Oh, I’m on the other end of that spectrum. Four boys. Each one, even more rough and tumble than the last, we barely got the last one house trained. We kept trying for a girl and after four, my wife just said- no. And little Tyson is four now. And those terrible twos and terrorist threes have compounded into the fearsome fours.” Chuck laughed as Tristan’s cheeks darkened because being ware- house training was a big thing especially once kids would shift at an early age.

“They’re eating you out of house and home huh?” Frank teased which got Chuck to bark a laugh.

“You have no idea. I keep tellin them, there’s more than enough blueberries right across the street, just for the picking.” Chuck said as he gestured to where the blueberries were on the other side of the road.

“Well this one is trying to turn our little farm into one of those self sufficient homestead farms Renee had when she was growing up in Alaska, it’s been their pet project since we built the place in the first place.” Frank listed off as she gestured to his daughter Sasha.

“Oh, nice.” Chuck smiled approvingly as Sasha started looking more and more like the perfect daughter in law material, especially for Tristan right about now.

“Well with her gift for it, you better be keeping a good eye on her, or she’ll get scooped up and swept up off her feet by any other farmer, especially the blueberry farming families. I know just about every blueberry farmer from Maryland to here in Michigan all the way out to Minnisota would give just about anything to have a girl like her in their family. Most kids can hardly name their fruits and vegetables, let alone know there is a difference between the different kinds.” Chuck goodnaturedly teased as he gestured to Sasha with the magazine rolled up in his hands as Tristan wanted to die as his cheeks and Sasha��s cheeks went strawberry red.

“Well that’s why parents should introduce kids to where their food comes from. Like blueberry farms like yours so they can find out for themselves and find out just how much work goes into it in the first place.” Sasha managed to tactfully reply with a polite smile.

“Aw shucks Miss Sasha, you’re buttering me up like I’m a dinner roll.” Chuck waived off with a fond grin.

“Speaking of rolls, that’s quite the southern drawl you have, Sir.” Sasha noted.

“That’s because I’m from the hills of Tennessee. Grew up only a stones throw away from where Dolly Parton built Dollywood.” He explained.

“Then how’d you get up here?” Sasha asked curiously.

“Oh this is my wife’s family business. They’re the Lauschs.” He explained.

“Oh that’s wonderful. And especially from the biodiversity that you guys have on your farms, between the different varieties of blueberries. Not only do you get a longer season, but should one kind fall prey to either a disease or other pest, at least you would have the others to fall back on. So not all your eggs are in one basket, even if all the baskets themselves are blue.” Sasha praised.

“Girl, you keep talking about that, and Tristan’s kin will hear you and come running from a 200 mile radius, each with an engagement ring, bigger than the last.” Chuck teased Sasha.

“Ha! Well they need to get in line. She already made a lot of friends in the apple orchard community last year with making her orchard so we can have apples from August to November. But I have a firm- bachelor’s with a degree before bachelors with a T.” Frank insisted before Chuck outright busted up laughing a deep belly laugh.

“If she was my daughter I’d feel the same way too!” Chuck laughed.

“But enough about me, let’s get a look at that water heater.” Sasha urged her dad and his.

“Right this way.” Chuck had the pair follow him into the basement where it was as Sasha pulled out a small pad of paper and a pen and started writing things down as Frank started to list them all off and once he was done, Sasha repeated it all back to him to make sure she had heard her dad correctly before double checking which tools he would need first before Frank confirmed that she had heard him right and once he gave her the nod, she left and got to work as he continued to inspect the basement and told them that he was going to shut the water off for a while before Chuck urged Tristan to relay that message to everyone else in the family.

But when Tristan left the house, he saw Sasha talking to an orc who was also in a Wright Plumbing truck for a moment before she smiled nodded and patted his arm before he drove off again with a waive.

“Your boyfriend?” Tristan asked.

“Huh?” She asked as she opened up her dad’s work truck to get the supplies she needed.

“The …other guy in the Wright Plumbing Truck?” Tristan asked as he gestured to where the orc had driven off to.

“Oh. No that’s Kihro. That’s my cousin Brianna’s boyfriend. He was just asking if my family was going to be with Brie’s and go to the beach with him and his family this weekend or not. And I told him, I had no idea, it depended on whether or not my mom went into labor or not. So no, he’s not my boyfriend. I don’t have one of those myself, obviously, the whole bachelors with a degree before bachelors with a T is a real thing with myself, my sisters and my dad.” Sasha admitted as she got what she needed from the various compartments in the truck and put them into the five gallon bucket that served as her basket for all intensive purposes.

“Oh. Well, I’m sorry if my dad embarrassed you with all that, farmers from here to Minnisota with engagement rings…thing. That was a bit excessive.” Tristan offered even though he would have given anything for one right to magically appear in his pocket.

“It’s ok. Every father who sees plumbing as a respectable profession and sees me as a shoe in with my dad’s business, usually tries to see what it takes for their sons to date me, even when the sons have no personal interest in the first place, so if anything I’m sorry your dad did that and put you on the spot like that, you poor thing. Is he so desperate to get you married off that he tries to pawn you off on every girl who comes to the farm who shows any interest in farming herself?” Sasha asked as she sorted through the coupling attachment bags to get the right ones for the brand new water heater next to her in the back of the truck.

“Actually no, thank goodness.” Tristan shook his head no.

“Well, you’re lucky then. Because I get all the time, not from my dad, but every other one I meet who sees me and sees daughter in law material. If it’s not the other contractors, it’s the other businesses owners period because my dad is part of not just the Plumber’s Union, but with the Business Owner’s Association. Trying to make all the business connections they can. And it’s the home shows that they tend to come out in droves.” She muttered rather irritably as she continued to go through the various bins to get what she needed as Tristan felt a sense of panic and a sense of possessiveness try to come over him as he had to reach out and clutch the edge of the door to ground himself to keep himself from shifting to keep himself from scenting her so she at least wouldn’t have an issue with other wares at least.

“Or the issue that came up with Kihro when he expressed an interest in Brie was that his dad was a partner with our dad’s. And he wanted to make sure it was known that he was doing so because he was genuinely interested in Brianna herself, not because she’s the boss’ daughter or that she has a stake in the company, same as me and same as all of our sisters do too. And the hoops he’s had to jump through to prove that have been quite numerous. Because that’s always going to be an ulterior motive for any other plumber, especially other plumbing outfits who want to either take us over or infiltrate or whatever. It’s something that Brie and I have simply grown up with and gotten used to. Because we are both the ones who get it the most because we spent just about every summer with our dads since we were old enough to read a tape measure. Especially when we’re both our father’s right hand girls and firstborns, and firstborn daughters to boot. Even when we both want nothing to do with plumbing as a career for ourselves.” Sasha explained.

“Well, I’m sorry you have to deal with that. Must be exhausting having your guard up all the time and always wondering or assuming everyone has an ulterior business motive.” Tristan offered, damning himself with every word as he couldn’t even bring himself to look up at her as Sasha paused and looked at him thoughtfully and couldn’t help but smile crookedly as she subtly shook her head while biting her lip, damning herself for going off like that. Her and her tongue were going to dig her own grave one of these days before she sat down on the end of the truck in the middle to more or less be eye level with him.

“I’m sorry your dad just practically offered you up to me on a silver platter even when you weren’t even interested just to get immediately shot down and slapped away. That was rather cruel, and I’m sorry.” She offered.

“Oh, psh, don’t worry about it.” He tried to waive off.

“Are you saying that to save what’s left of your pride and to ease the discomfort? Or do you really mean what you say when you say that?” Sasha practically whispered.

“That obvious? Am I actually bleeding?” Tristan sniffed and rubbed at his nose before he tried to joke and look down at his shirt.

“Ok, let’s clear the air and back it up a minute. And pretend like the last… half an hour didn’t just happen.” Sasha insisted as she did a reverse rolling gesture with her hands.

“Last week we were friendly acquaintances. Do you want us to stay that way, or would you like for us to actually be friends? Or are you actually, genuinely interested in pursuing a romantic relationship with me?” She asked.

“Well I was hoping for at least friends.” Tristan offered because at least from there, he could build from there.

“And seeing where it could and would go from there?” Sasha questioned.

“Yeah.” Tristan nodded.

“I’m ok with that. Friends for now, and we’ll see how and where it could go from here.” Sasha smiled as she pat him on the shoulder and then used her touch to help herself to stand up again and finish her task at hand. She was happy he had at least braced himself to lean into it and help her up. Which she appreciated the silent ask and wordless assist, which she took as a very good sign.

“So beach this weekend? Which one?” Tristan asked hopefully.

“South Haven. We were getting there in the late afternoon to swim and then grill dinner right on the beach. You and your family could always come there and just happen to run into us there. Because coincidences do occur and you live right off 43 that takes you straight there. That is however, unless my mom goes into labor before then, but if that happens, I could always give you a call.” Sasha offered with a wink that brought a small, but hopeful smile to Tristan’s face at the chance she was giving him as she handed him her phone with a new contact page already brought up on it.

“Sounds like a plan.” Tristan smiled happily as he happily put his name and number and all other contact information into her phone before he used it to call himself so he would have her number on his phone and add her to his contacts that way.

“So how are things going on The Wright Birthing Plan homefront?” Tristan asked, trying to bring the focus back to her and back to something he knew she would be more comfortable discussing and the bright, happy smile she gave him was better than any rainbow after a pop up thunderstorm, which he could tell was in the cards for today.

“Good. I put that 10 dollars into a fund for monogrammed scrubs.” She smiled happily as she took her phone back and slid it into her pocket.

“My mom works at a maternity center, has been ever since we moved from Alaska to Michigan. Because in Alaska, she was practically on her own besides her own mom and other sisters. And it was my mom who was my aunt’s midwife back in Alaska. And because my dad and his brother George were Irish Twins- when George went to leave home and join the armed forces, my dad went ‘don’t leave without me’. And when my uncle met my aunt, and they got together and got pregnant with Brie, my aunt hired my mom as her midwife and because my dad and my uncle were the only family they had and that’s how my parents met. And by the time my mom delivered Brie, she was already seven months pregnant with me. And when my uncle’s father in law practically adopted my uncle, he adopted my dad too. To the point he’s practically my grandpa too. And when my dad’s biological parent’s health went downhill, my dad and my uncle both moved their families down here and took Granny and Papa with them. But my Mom has been taken it easy and specifically didn’t take on any other new clients since she found out she was expecting, because she didn’t want to be in the middle of labor herself while helping another woman in labor too. Plus Autumn called dibs on staying with my mom today anyway. But it worked out. Because when your dad called last night, I was just testing the Kablueys and they were just right about perfect today. Plus your dad was just teasing anyway. I can take a joke.” Sasha smiled fondly before she took down various pipes down and put them to the side to cut up and use later.

“He wasn’t joking. That may have been his delivery. But he wasn’t saying that just to tease, he was trying to warn you in all seriousness.” Tristan revealed.

“Yeah, I got the sense of that too. I can’t blame him honestly. With Corporate Farming taking more and more family farms and turning and burning the land growing only winter wheat, or feed corn or soy just for pork or beef industry. Small family farmers are having to get creative with ways to stay afloat and keep the farm, let alone their livelihood. And the old ways of tending to the land and instead of spraying weedkiller and pesticides to make the soil practically toxic and unable to grow anything other than what you very carefully plant right there all while chopping down habitat, draining lakes to make more fields or outright diverting whole river systems because they’re “inconvenient” to their big corporate plans that look great on paper but are shit in practice. And with the consumer so far removed from where their food comes from. Most of my friends can’t comprehend that that cheap hamburger meat you buy at the supermarket wasn’t born that way and have no idea that red delicious apples are actually supposed to be delicious when you pick them right off the tree when they’re ripe. And not weeks and months before and have to spray wax on them and hope they ripen up and rot before they can ripen in storage while they’re being transported to cities. And that a lot had to happen to get it to that point. And then you have retards on the other end of the spectrum who are all about ‘I only eat organic non GMO’s’ when organic farming can be worse for the environment than traditional or “old fashioned” farming. GMO’s are not the end of the world, GMO’s are the reason we have food supplies year round. Hell every domesticated dog is a GMO. And to get people to realize that with everything- there’s a damn spectrum. And neither side is necessarily “wrong”. But that don’t make ignorance about any of it “right” either. But that’s just my humble opinion. Don’t have to like it or even agree with it. I’m sure you could probably talk my ears off about it yourself.” Sasha appraised.

“Actually, you and I see eye to eye on…everything you just said about it. I absolutely agree, there’s a spectrum to farming. And while monoculture is dangerous. Because if every house in the neighborhood has the same lock to their doors, and the burglar has the key to the lock, the whole neighborhood is compromised. But the big corporate farms don’t care. It’s all about what’s on paper and what the stock market does, without a care at all about the land and the surrounding area itself. GMO’s have their place, as long as it’s within reason and there’s a balance between them and the heirloom varieties of things. Hell I don’t think anyone would even recognize what corn, or watermelon or anything else used to look like before civilization got ahold of it. Because I can tell you, I know of several farmers tried to go full organic and they get people who drive hours just to come and get their non-GMO - organic whatever. But those people are flakey at best and while they preach Non-GMO and only organic. It’s not always what they practice, and will usually fall back on the comfort of the familiar and convenience. And honestly, in my own humble opinion, it’s usually not worth that fancy sticker they like to put on it.” Tristan offered.

“Well I’m happy we can agree on that much at least and we definitely see eye to eye. And a lot of people have no idea, that in order to get that produce for door buster deals, it’s either mechanized farming or someone is getting underpaid to pick it in the first place. So what I like to ask those uppity snobs is- what’s worse? Abusing people or abusing the land and the environment? Because the only way to not do either- is to do it yourself. And frankly those same people are just way too lazy to do it themselves, from the comfort of their Lazy-Boy while their foreign and underprivileged housekeeper sweeps under their lazy asses.”

“Amen!” Tristan practically crooned before they gave each other a high five which got them to both laugh.

“But I still appreciate your dad’s warning all the same. Every really good mom tends to want to adopt and look out for every child within line of sight and earshot or hell, a five to fifty mile radius and every good dad tends to do the same. And if you don’t have any sisters. I probably represent what he would want most in one if he got one himself.” Sasha shrugged.

“You do.” Tristan nodded in confirmation.

“Well, he wouldn’t be the first to give that kind of warning, I’ve heard it way too many times already and I’ve heeded it best I can. Last year when I was picking out apples to plant in my own mini orchard, I had the same thing happen with all of those families too. Every dad in the business who had kids who wanted nothing to do with the family farm had the same reaction that your dad just had. So, again, I’m used to it. It happens to me, every time I interact with anyone my parent’s age.” Sasha sighed as she waived it off while she double checked her check list off as her shoulders sagged a bit and Tristan worried that himself and his dad probably pushed things too far and suddenly in Sasha’s eye, let alone mind and heart got grouped in with all the others, and in trying to get a chance, they blew it as Tristan took a step back before Sasha turned her attention back to him.

“Hey Tristan?” She asked.

“Yeah?” He asked as he took two steps forward.

“Are you expected to stay in the blueberry business? Or was there something else you wanted for your life instead?” Sasha asked him.

“Oh, technically I don’t have to. My older brother Gabe says he’s gonna take it over for my dad.” Tristan answered.

“Well do you even like it? Or is it simply just - all you know?” Sasha asked thoughtfully, without a hint of judgment. Which helped Tristan feel comfortable confiding in her.

“Eh, it’s ok. But I feel kinda stupid because it kinda is what I know most about.” He admitted.

“Well you could always go into an adjacent field or be the bridge between this one and something else.” She offered.

“How do you mean?” Tristan asked curiously.

“Well, last year, when I was researching what apples to get for my little hobby farm. I talked to a lot of the apple orchard farmers. And how they feel like they have one kid to pass on the family farm to. But another one who has no idea what to do but they don’t really want the farm itself, just something of their own, related but not the same. So because Saint Julian has their winery close by. You could always partner up and make a blueberry wine. Or you could even join a micro brewery or even start your own and do something akin to hard cider but with blueberries. Because a lot of the apple orchards are getting into the hard cider business with a lot of their excess from the traditional U-pick style. You could always do something like that. And with my family and our business, we service a lot of other businesses so we were able to make some introductions. So there’s always that. Although this year, the apple guys are getting their feet wet so to speak and at least will be making small batches of hard cider. Which they promised me and Brie at least a cup of.” Sasha shrugged again.

“How old are you?” He asked in astonishment.

“I’ll be 18 in September, why? How old are you?” She asked.

“Just turned 18 last month. But you talk and act like you’re twice as old as you are.” Tristan praised.

“Yeah, first born daughters get that. Because first born sons are their mother’s little princes half the time. My Cousin Brie, the middle child in her family is a boy- Gavin- and you’d think he was the prince of his principality, spoiled brat, damn addicted to fortnight and roblox. But that’s better than him being addicted to porn I think.” Sasha grumbled before Tristan outright choked on his spit.

“You ok?” Sasha asked.

“Yeah, just…wow, you have no problems speaking your mind. And I wasn’t expecting you to go there. But you did and I respect it. And admire it, it’s refreshing. I like it that you don’t mince your words or beat about the bush. I like it that you’re pretty frank at least it’s easy to tell where anyone stands with you.” Tristan once he regained his own composure even though he was sure his ears were as red as rhubarb.

“Yeah, I get in trouble for it a lot too. Because I lack “tact” and “discretion” and I usually offend people about two seconds after I make them laugh.” Sasha admitted.

“Well I ain’t offended yet. Not even close.” Tristan reassured her which earned him another appreciative smile.

“Thanks. Anyway, what I was trying to say before was that first born daughters are the second mothers- to the younger siblings. They’re the second wives to their fathers as far as domestic labor goes, like doing dishes and laundry and cooking and all that. They are therapists, confidants and assistants to their mothers. And while boys are encouraged to go out and play and do sports. It’s girls who usually have to be inside and learn how to fold more than just their own laundry, but everyone else’s. And how to fold towels and blankets and how to get various kinds of stains out and all that too. So what you see as a mature, is in reality, our childhoods are simply taken and replaced with more responsibilities than anyone else and we are forced to grow up and be mature faster than every other child in our age group because we’re expected to, and things go to shit if we don’t.” Sasha expounded.

“And more and more, you’re seeing women having to join the workforce on top of doing all the domestic labor too, which for me, is bullshit. Because if you share your home with someone, it better be as someone who is an equal in all things. If you’re hungry? Learn how to cook. If your clothes are dirty? Learn how to wash them. If things are dirty, clean it up. Especially if it’s your own mess. Men have two hands too, learn to do that shit too. And don’t think that just because a guy has a 9-5 that gets them out of doing any of the domestic labor in the first place. And more and more women are realizing that men need to bring more to a relationship than a penis and a paycheck. Because women deserve the same pay for the same work and vibrators are totally a thing.” Sasha stressed before she looked pointedly at Tristan.

“Still not offended. Still in agreement.” Tristan nodded which got her to smile victoriously.

“So what most don’t think to realize is - is by doing that to girls, firstborn daughters especially, you make incredibly strong, independent, entirely self-sufficient individuals who expect the same of their domestic partners. And the reason you saw me talking to Brie’s amazing boyfriend, is because he is also one of those kinds of people. He may work with my dad and my uncle, but by the gods in heaven above, he is his own man in every respect. He could start his own plumbing business tomorrow if he really wanted to because he helps his dad run the downtown branch in Kazoo. How he got out here, is he went to get Brie some blueberries because she’s down again because her health isn’t the best. But he does his own laundry in addition to the family’s laundry, he does dishes, helps his siblings with their homework and cooks. And not just cooks, like finger licking- stick to your ribs- soul food kind of cooking too. And my cousin and I are both pretty good cooks, but he can cook us both practically under the table, when he’s not drinking us under the table in the process. Now granted he ain’t perfect. But he’s my gold standard for guys. But he’s like the one in a million kind of guy. And while I’m happy for Brie, I just wish the universe made, like a second one of him. Because my luck with guys is dismal at best and that’s why I am doing by best to cling to that bachelor’s with a degree instead of a T thing- no matter how tempting any guy usually appears for all of about five minutes before I say just the right or wrong thing and I get to unlock that ugly, self entitled, selfish prick asshole side they try to hide from me.” Sasha grumped as she managed to get the toolbox her dad would need out from under the bench where he had practically shoved it into place last.

“Because usually when fathers ask what kind of guy it’ll take to court myself and my sisters and cousins, when we answer that it’ll be a guy who is grown, independent, completely self sufficient and is willing and capable to cook his own meals, clean his own dishes, clean his own house instead of just his vehicle and only his vehicle. And keep it that way and keep a house the same as any female homemaker is expected to- on top of their own secular work. Because that’s the bare minimum every single mother is expected to do and be. And if he can’t be the same. He’s not worth my time, or any of my sister’s time or any of my cousin’s time.” Sasha explained and Tristan suddenly felt the strongest, most intense self possession to do and be exactly that. And now he had goals to make and reach for himself. Because that was the standard a real woman like Sasha wanted and needed for himself and he felt he needed to rise to it.

“I agree. So the brewery and the winery things sound great. You’ve done me and my family a great service, not just with this and the Kabluey blueberry thing. But those both sound like great ideas. How much would it be for an introduction into those ventures?” Tristan asked as Sasha was impressed he hadn’t argued with her about the whole domestic chores- thing. Most guys usually did. Or usually backed off and backed away at that point. But if anything Tristan had taken a strong, confident but still relaxed stance and his body language showed he wasn’t trying to hide or conceal anything and not put on a front either, which Sasha really appreciated.

“Oh, it’d be free, you just would have to be in agreement with your brothers and your dad about it. Because you said they have the farm right?” Sasha reminded him as she began to really appraise just what kind of man was before her. He was strong like she expected any hard working farm boy to be. But he had modern and forward ways of thinking and seemed to strike a nice balance between the two. No wonder she was drawn to him as much as she was and she found she was desperately trying to grasp at straws here trying to find something, anything that would be something to make him not look like the damn fine young man he seemed to be when they saw each other last.

“Well, not all of it. I currently have my name on about fifty acres myself. It’s where my parents are trying to cross breed a few varieties so we will have an official Leduc variety of blueberry.” He revealed. It was supposed to be a super top secret family secret that had been the last few years in the making. But for Sasha, if it was something that could make him stand out and separate himself in her mind from all the others, he was going to take it and use it.

“Now that is what you need to bring to the table when you meet with the wineries and other microbreweries along with a variety of blueberries and their different characteristics because they may see something different in what you have than you do.” Sasha encouraged him.

“What about breweries?” Chuck asked as he and Frank joined them outside before Sasha handed her dad the bucket of items she had collected for him and gave him the corresponding toolbox he would need.

“Oh I was asking Tristan what he wanted do with his future. And when he mentioned that he wasn’t entirely sure, I suggested to him the same thing I told all the other kids of the orchards I visited last year, to go into an adjacent field. So a lot of the orchards are getting into the hard cider business and starting their own microbreweries to go with it. And with blueberries, they have plenty of sugars. You could totally make a blueberry hard cider or even go to the wineries. Saint Julian is pretty close to here, you could meet with them and make a blueberry wine or learn how to make your own. Or you could take Leduc farms and really make it- it’s own destination. Not just a u-pick farm. But Tristan clued me into the fact that you’re trying to cross breed different varieties, he didn’t tell me which ones, but you were trying to make your own official Leduc blueberry. So take it and either come out with a line of blueberry goods, more than just the whole- pies, muffins, scones and other baked goods, candies, fruit snacks, jellies and jams. But things like pancake mixes, salsas, wine, beer. The possibilities are endless really.” Sasha explained.

“If you don’t mind me saying so.” Sasha added when she had a hard time reading Chuck’s surprised and floored expression.

“Sorry, did I overstep my bounds again and tell people their own business again Dad? I’m sorry. I do that. It’s not very professional…” Sasha began to apologize before Tristan and his dad both immediately interrupted her.

“No! No! Not at all! That’s brilliant! Frank, seriously. You need to be paying her the same wage you pay yourself for the hard work she does. And, Young Lady. You need to be charging by the hour to give that kind of business advice. Most business experts would charge thousands of dollars for what you just did. In fact, Miss Sasha, let me get you my checkbook, and write you a check right now for that.” Chuck insisted.

“No, no, it’s ok. We were just bouncing ideas off of each other. It’s not meant to be business advice like that.” Sasha immediately put her hands up to stop him.

“She even said she has contacts she could put us into contact with- for both the winery and the microbreweries.” Tristan added to his dad.

“Well, shoot. Little Lady, you do that, I’ll give you every variety of blueberry bush we have here and every one you could ever want from here to the U.P. to Maryland to Minnisota to Indiana and even Ohio and Pennsylvania. Hell, you put us in touch with those folks and we’ll name a beverage after you and give you the royalties to it too.” Chuck offered and for once Sasha’s pretty blue eyes nearly popped out of her head.

“Deal.” Frank agreed before he urged Sasha to pull her phone out and make those phone calls to get Chuck and his family in touch with her other contacts while Tristan helped Frank with what he needed while learning all they could from him while Chuck and his wife Crystal and their son Gabe talked to Sasha at the kitchen table as she made phone calls and set up meet and greets for them.

“You like Sasha don’t you?” Frank asked Tristan as they worked in the basement as Tristan got to learn the names of different kinds of tools and learn what fittings were what as he helped Frank since Sasha was busy with his dad and his eldest brother.

“I do.” Tristan confirmed.

“Sasha has a lot of boys after her. Always has since she became a teenager. So I’ll give you the same advice I gave all of them. Sasha has had to grow up fast, not entirely by choice either. And while I regret I took a lot from her childhood early on because my father in law and my brothers were trying to start this business, because she’s had to grow and mature so early- it means she won’t put up with any immaturity in anyone else. She has no tolerance for abuse of any kind and won’t put up with any shit from anyone for anything, traditions and customs be damned. She’s a very driven individual and has always had a clear vision of what she wants for herself and all the steps she has to take to get there. So she’s going to probably want someone similar to herself in those respects. And while she can be spontaneous and fun loving, she’s also pretty serious about a lot of things. And she won’t like to take something that is a hobby for her, and have all the fun she has doing it- taken out of it- by always thinking about money and the bottom line and making a fun hobby into a side hustle and grind. She doesn’t do anything half assed and she goes head first into everything she wants to do. She’s an all in kind of girl. So beware ok? Don’t let those big blue eyes, blonde hair and cute button nose fool you, I’ve seen her cut people down to the core with a look and a remark. That razor sharp wit she has, can be either hilarious or hurtful and not much in between.” Frank honestly warned him.

“Yeah, I’ve noticed.” Tristan nodded.

“Our family has had to go through some hard times so I’m pretty sure the reason why she’s so hell bent on having a homestead farm is because in Alaska there was a lot of food scarcity because of the 9 months of solid winter. So ever since she’s been in charge of cooking and keeping track of our pantry. She keeps it full at all times. And it almost borders on food hoarding. But we are a big family and we go through it pretty well. So I know there’s a saying that ‘the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach’. That’s true for her. The way to her heart is through hers, at least what I’ve seen. Her cousin Brie is dating an orc and Sasha has turned greener than the orc Brie’s dating ever was- with jealous and envy that he cooks for Brie when she can’t even get her own mother to make more than a salad or her own sister to bake anything other than cookies from a tub of cookie dough and while her and I do a lot of BBQ together, especially on the weekends. Through the week, it falls to her most of the time. So maybe start there.” Frank revealed in a low murmur.

“Duly noted.” Tristan nodded in understanding.

“Oh and she’s into horses too. She wants to get a blue roan and call it Kabluey just like those blueberries.” Frank added.

“Blue roan horse, food, self sufficiency and independence, got it.” Tristan repeated.

“Good, now, hand me that coupling.” Frank urged as he pointed to it before Tristan handed it over.

It took most of the morning, but once Frank got everything cut out and unhooked, then all the guys loaded up the water heater onto a dolly and got it out of the basement and out of the house so the new one could get put back in as Sasha was relieved to get the help and simply get the doors for them to help with getting the old out and the new put back in and turned it on and it worked like a dream before Frank and Chuck settled up while Crystal, Chuck’s wife and Mandy, Gabe’s wife, gave Sasha a bunch of recipes for blueberry baked goods while Sasha swapped them for other recipes she had picked up from the orchards she had worked with last year that she had memorized as Crystal seemed practically enchanted with Sasha and the fact that Mandy and Sasha immediately hit it off and got along as Sasha was keen to see Mandy’s little baby bump and talk pregnancy stuff over because of Sasha’s midwifing background.

Then Crystal got Sasha in touch with a family friend who had horses, specifically those blue roans that Sasha seemed keen on getting and insisted that if Sasha’s mom wasn’t in labor, she needed to come to these meet and greets too, which Frank urged Sasha to attend which seemed to surprise her, because surely the family van would be in service elsewhere during. But Frank waived off that he would see to it that she’d have transportation for the events which caused Sasha to look at her dad curiously but not put up any other argument but simply agree that she’d be there to make the introductions in person.

“She’s perfect.” Crystal told Tristan the moment they saw Frank and Sasha off.

“Mom!” Tristan immediately ducked and flushed in embarrassment.

“Hey, when it’s the one, it’s the one. And if she’s your mate, she’s your mate, don’t let anything or anyone else get in the way.” Crystal urged him.

“Mom, she may not even be my mate, this might just be puppy love and puppy love never lasts.” He contested.

“Yet your eyes shifted every time you looked at her when she wasn’t looking at you and you thought no one else was looking.” Crystal insisted before his dad put the catalog to his son’s chest.

“Why are you giving me this?” Tristan asked.

“Don’t turn into a stalker, but that’s her address, Son. Take a drive, check it out and see just how high the bar she’s set up- is.” His dad encouraged him as Tristan looked at the address on the catalog and suddenly cradled the catalog to his chest like it was the most precious thing in the world. But he had to play this, very, very carefully and not fuck it up.