Journey with Joe (Middlemarch Capture Book 5) Read online

  Joe led her away from the sounds of chatter and laughter. He used his palm on another sensor and opened a waist-high gate. A sign denoted the area private.

  “This is the way to the family and employee housing. We never used to have a sensor here, but we had an incident recently where one of the more determined guests entered Sam’s and Duncan’s bungalow without permission. The guest mistook their politeness as something more. Saber agreed to a sensor after the same guest tried to enter his and Eva’s bungalow the next night.”

  Once they passed through the gate, and closed it after them, Joe led her past several identical dwellings.

  “That’s Saber’s place, Felix’s, Leo’s, Sly’s and the one at the far end is mine.” Joe pointed at the cluster of bungalows around a larger one. “This big one here is Ma’s and Scarlett’s. We also use the large reception room for employee meetings.”

  Sly approached them with a woman at his side. The woman had red hair and freckles on her nose.

  “Mungo,” Sly said. “This is my mate, Cinnabar.”

  The door to the bungalow flew open.

  “Ah, I thought I heard my sons.”

  Mungo stilled, her breath catching. A sudden thought blared through her mind. What if Joe’s mother disliked her? Then she intercepted the woman’s wide, welcoming smile, and some of the tension left her gut. Unlike her sons and daughter, she possessed gray eyes. Slender and taller than Mungo by at least a head, she had long black hair with not a sign of the silver that denoted a life spanning many rotations. She’d tied her hair and it flowed in a tail down her back. Even more astonishing, she wore loose trews that stopped at her knees and one of the shirts that Joe called a T-shirt. Her sons never blinked at her apparel.

  A shout came from behind Joe’s mother, and Gidget squeezed past—at least Mungo thought it was the infamous Gidget—her teeth prominent since she was beaming so widely. “Friend. Friend. Friend.” She pointed at Joe and Mungo then at herself. She wore a jaunty red scarf around her neck and matching red shoes. The rest of her was au natural. Not seemly, but no one apart from Mungo blinked.

  “Hello, Gidget.” Joe winked.

  “She better.” Gidget pointed at Mungo.

  Mungo smiled, maintaining eye contact. “I am, thank ye, Gidget.”

  Joe’s mother patted Gidget’s shoulder. “Son, you’ve brought someone new for me to meet.”

  “Ma, this is Mungo Caimbeulach,” Joe said. “Mungo, my mother, Anna Mitchell.”

  The woman closed the distance between them. Strong arms came around Mungo’s quivering body in a warm embrace.

  Anna placed her hands on Mungo’s biceps and pushed Mungo away until an arm’s length separated them. “Joe, what have you been telling this child about me? She’s terrified.”

  Mungo gulped as Joe came to her. If anything, her trembling became worse and she couldnae stop her limbs quivering.

  “Sweetheart.” Joe kissed her cheek and drew her against his side. “Our way of life differs from what Mungo is used to,” he told his mother. “Mungo is a Scothage, and her family live in the Highlands in a clan keep.”

  Anna’s brows drew together, but Mungo saw no malice or anger. Gradually, she relaxed against Joe.

  “Scothage? I recall you mentioning them. They resemble the Scottish people from Earth?”

  “Yes,” Joe said. “I’m not sure if Scothage people settled on Earth or Scottish people came here but their ways are more…” He hesitated. “Medieval.”

  “Interesting. Come in,” Anna said. “Ah, I think I hear Saber and Felix. I should’ve guessed since my batch of scones is cooling.”

  Anna ushered Mungo inside with the others. She introduced her to a confusing number of people. Joe’s other two brothers—the ones she hadn’t met yet. Leo and Felix. Each of the brothers bore a resemblance, but it was Leo who had her gaping until Joe growled in her ear. Then there were the mates to each of the men. Each of the women wore different clothes—as Joe had explained to her during their journey to the resort. Betrys. Eva. Casey.

  At the end of the introductions, her mind resembled a tangle of knotted information.

  Each of the brothers treated the women with affection and respect. Not one of them expected the women to wait on them or to scurry to follow an order.

  “Ma, I wondered if you had clothes for Mungo. All she has is what she is wearing now,” Joe said. “She favors trousers rather than dresses.”

  “I’ll take care of the clothes,” another woman said.

  Mungo sought a name, which belatedly came to her. Casey.

  “I have something in the shop that will be perfect with your gorgeous coloring,” Casey said. “Joe, I’ll have them sent to your bungalow.”

  “Thanks, Casey,” Joe said.

  Mungo sat beside Joe and watched the family. Listened. They laughed and poked fun at one another. They talked at the same time. It was wild. Chaotic. And as Mungo relaxed a fraction more, she decided she could try living here to stay near her coos.

  Nay. She’d wait and observe more of Joe’s family. There was much to learn, starting with the strange items and gadgets. Lessons taught to her by her family bade her to proceed with caution.

  Mungo yawned without warning.

  “Joe, your girl needs rest,” Saber said. “She’s exhausted and still recovering from the arrow wound.”

  Something buzzed to her right. Casey plucked a round object from her dress pocket, tapped a button and spoke. Mungo dinnae hear the conversation, but it was some ingenious method of communication.

  “Joe, the clothes are in your bungalow. My aunt sent shoes too.”

  “Thanks.” Joe stood and offered his hand to Mungo. “We’ll see you later for dinner.”

  “We’re off to check out your new herd,” Leo, the extra pretty brother, said.

  “My coos,” Mungo said, making Joe, Sly and Saber chuckle.

  Joe led her from the noisy room into the relative peace of the gardens. They passed several dwellings, each surrounded by plants and bearing a thatch roof, similar to those the crofters had on their cottages.

  Joe stopped at the last one. “This is my home. I used to share it with my brother until he mated with Cinnabar.”

  Joe and his brothers, his sister and the others had mentioned the term mating, but Mungo wasn’t certain what it meant. She presumed it was their way of marriage.

  She hadnae been sure of what to expect, but his dwelling held cozy seats. The green, cream and brown colorings soothed her after the bright colors and light outside. A cluster of pictures hung on a wall, and curiosity poked at her, pulling her in that direction. This was a place to relax. It was also tidy compared to the rooms inhabited by her brothers.

  “Ah, here are the clothes.” He scooped up a bag and led her into another room. “You take first shower.”

  Mungo surveyed the interior of Joe’s quarters. His bungalow, he called it. “What is a shower?”

  “Oh?”

  “I dinnae ken these things. Half the items in yer room.” She gestured at his belongings, not understanding the purpose of each. “I’m lost here. Confused.”

  Joe led her over to a comfortable seat and sat beside her. “I want you here with me. I understand everything differs from what you’re used to. You’re among strangers, but you don’t have to stay.”

  “If I dinnae stay here… I have nowhere else to go. I cannae go home. Not now. And the Grantlach…” She shook her head.

  “Mungo.”

  Her gaze flew to his. Compassion. Understanding. Both glowed in his expression.

  “We’ll work things out. Right now, let’s shower, grab clean clothes and you can rest.”

  “I dinnae want to sleep now.”

  “I can show you around more of the resort.”

  “Aye,” Mungo said.

  “My place isn’t that big. Two bedrooms. A small kitchen but I eat most of my meals at Ma’s. Bathroom and a decent-size lounge.” He smiled. “I’m glad you’re here. I’ve been lonely since Sly
met Cinnabar.”

  He urged Mungo past each of the rooms, ending the tour in the bathroom.

  “Lights on.”

  The dim-lit room brightened until she had a clear view of the contents. Navy-blue walls. No tub.

  “Stay,” Mungo said, overwhelmed by the new experiences.

  “All right.” Joe ripped his T-shirt off and stooped to remove his boots. His trousers and underwear followed. “Water on.”

  Instantly, water flowed from a central point. Steam formed in the bathroom.

  Mungo tried not to show her astonishment, but his grin told her she’d failed.

  “The water is voice activated. You say water on. Are you showering in your clothes?”

  “Nay.”

  “Come and join me then.” Joe stretched out his hand.

  Mungo disrobed and joined Joe. Warm water rained down on her head as she stepped into his arms.

  Joe demonstrated the different settings, and she tried the voice controls. Soon, she wore loose dark green trews and a long shirt in a lighter green—a shirt Joe called a tunic. The clothing was perfect for the hot temperatures and the pretty colors made her preen. Joe lent her a comb, and for the first cycle in ages, her hair was knot-free. The shoes came in one size, according to Joe. They consisted of a special material that shrunk to the perfect fit.

  Joe dressed in a pair of the abbreviated trews and another T-shirt. “Are you ready to go?”

  He led her from his dwelling, their footwear making crunching sounds as they walked down the path. Once they left the family area, laughter and chatter floated to her.

  Her gaze darted left and right, taking in the sights. According to Joe, most of the female guests hailed from the nearby planet of Dalcon. but they came from a cross section of races. There were several blue-skinned Manx, some Labhras with their flickering skin colors indicating their fluctuating emotions, a powerful striped Tigrus, and a couple of compact Setanta with their distinctive straight violet-toned hair. Some came from races Joe had little experience with and, he explained, they shouldnae stare. Unintended rudeness of that nature caused deaths every year, and he didn’t mean for either of them to end up a statistic. Not now when he’d rescued her.

  The trouble was that everything made her goggle and gawk. This place… The things they possessed. She marveled at each new discovery, each new sight.

  “Joe, yer family is wealthy.”

  “No, not really. We came from Earth with what we could carry, and things were getting desperate before Saber won this property in a game of poker. The place was rundown, and it took hard work to get the resort to this level.”

  “But ye have more wealth than my father.”

  “Everything is tied up in the resort. Oops.” Joe grasped her arm and backtracked.

  “They…they…”

  “They’re practically naked and having sex,” Joe said. “This is a resort for women to relax and enjoy themselves. Sex is part of the fun.”

  By the kirk! This place might take more getting used to than she’d presumed. “This would ne’er happen at home.”

  With a backward glance, she followed Joe as they detoured in a different direction.

  “This is one of the swimming pools. And of course, we have the beach, which a lot of the women prefer. Dining room. Café. Shops where we sell clothes, shoes and jewelry. Casey and her aunt look after the shops.”

  “Does your sister make the jewelry?”

  “Yeah, although she mainly works on reception, greeting and organizing rooms and requests from guests.

  “Eva is in charge of the kitchens. We won’t go in there. Her employees won’t let us inside. They’re protective of Eva and her domain. Eva also owns a restaurant on Dalcon.”

  “Where is Dalcon?” Mungo asked.

  “It’s the nearest planet to this one. I can take you to visit. We pick up supplies once or twice a week. Every five or so cycles.”

  “Yer life is so different from mine.”

  “Not so much,” Joe said, stopping to watch her close enough to make her self-conscious. “We’re both farmers at heart. So is Sly. That gives us a lot in common.”

  Joe showed her the main areas of the resort, then it was time to return for the evening meal.

  “Tonight, we’re having dinner with Ma. I’m not sure who else will be there. Most nights, Saber wants us to attend the receptions and dances to make sure all the women have partners and enjoy the evening. Sometimes we need danger money.”

  Joe told her about another alien race where the womenfolk pinched their men to show attraction and appreciation.

  “Ye’re telling me a falsehood,” Mungo said, trying to imagine what Joe had told her.

  “Ask Saber and Sly. Scarlett researches the different races so we’re aware of their idiosyncrasies. She withheld information on purpose,” Joe said, sounding aggrieved. “One day she’ll find a man who won’t let her get away with her shenanigans. I and my brothers will stand on the sidelines and cheer.”

  When they reached Anna Mitchell’s bungalow, she started issuing orders. Joe had to collect food that Eva had made while Anna set Mungo to work preparing vegetables and threading them onto sticks. They were having something called a barbeque.

  Gradually, more of Joe’s brothers arrived, and their mother set them to work too. Not one cat-man complained even though some tasks fell into the category of women’s work. For a while, Mungo wondered if this behavior was normal, but she saw no resentment from the men or signs they wanted to slap or snarl at the women. Mungo relaxed, coming to understand Joe’s life truly was different from the clan ways.

  “Joe, please fire up the barbeque. I want to you to start cooking the meat and vegetables,” Anna instructed.

  Joe turned to Mungo. “Want to help?”

  She nodded and followed Joe out a different door. Pale pink hedges surrounded a flat area. Her new shoes clomped on the large stone squares underfoot as she trailed Joe. Over to her left, a long table already held plates, silver cutlery and a vase of yellow flowers.

  The barbecue reminded Mungo of a cooking fire, but the grilling process appeared more efficient. The delicious scents had her stomach rumbling.

  Soon Anna declared everything ready, and she urged everyone to take a seat. Brothers, sisters and wives chatted and laughed together. The jovial atmosphere relaxed Mungo, and she enjoyed the meal more than she’d expected. Meals at the clan castle often came to violence with knives tossed and punches traded. Mungo had learned to sit far away from the top table and to eat fast and disappear as soon as possible. In the kitchen with Janeet was her favored place to dine in peace.

  “Are you all right?” Joe asked in a low voice.

  “This is different to the castle. I keep expecting one of yer brothers to cuff someone.”

  Joe grinned at her. “Because of the opinionated and mouthy women around here?”

  Mungo glanced at Casey and Eva who were shouting over Saber and Felix, both women waving and gesturing with their hands to illustrate whatever their point. “Aye.”

  “You’re safe here, Mungo. We might not agree with each other in everything, but we never do more than shout at our mates. Now if I disagreed with one of my brothers, we might punch each other until one of our other brothers or cousins breaks up the fight. Women are safe from violence with us.”

  Mungo lifted a hand to cover her yawn.

  “You’re tired. Ma won’t mind if we leave early.” Joe stood. “Mungo needs sleep, so we’ll head off.”

  “I should help to clean up,” Mungo murmured.

  “Next time,” Joe said. “Come on.”

  Before she kenned it, she and Joe were back at Joe’s bungalow.

  “Will you share my bed? Or do you want your own room?”

  “Yers,” Mungo said.

  “Perfect answer,” Joe said. “I’m tired myself.” He stripped and padded over to tug back the bed covers.

  Mungo hesitated then shrugged inwardly. She disrobed and slipped into the bed. The mattr
ess was firm but without the lumps that hers contained. Joe took her into his arms, and Mungo relaxed, fatigued by the events of the last cycles.

  “This is softer than the ground.” She punctuated this with a yawn.

  “Go to sleep, Mungo.”

  “I wanted to learn more about yer life here.”

  “Tomorrow,” Joe said. “You’re exhausted.”

  17 – Attack And Counterattack

  Falling asleep with Mungo in his arms appeased his feline and allowed Joe to drift off to sleep. But now, something had woken him. It took him several more beats to realize someone was pounding on his door.

  Joe slipped from the bed and prowled to the door. He flung it open to glower at Sly. “This had better be important.”

  “Mungo’s family has come to retrieve her,” Sly said. “Somehow, they know the poison arrow didn’t kill her. Either that, or they want revenge.”

  “My father?” Mungo spoke from behind Joe.

  “What does Saber want to do?” Joe asked.

  “We can’t let them reach the resort. Scothage men on the rampage will upset the guests,” Sly said. “We’re having a quick meeting outside Saber’s place to decide on a plan of attack.”

  Joe shut the door behind Sly. “Go back to bed.”

  “Nay, this is happening because of me. We’ll go to meet them. Ye and the others creep up on them in feline form. Use me as a decoy.” Mungo grabbed clothes and dressed as she spoke.

  “That’s a good plan,” Joe said. “Once we capture them, we’ll fly them back to the Caimbeulach keep.”

  Seconds later, they were both dressed and jogging down the path to Saber’s bungalow.

  “Everyone is here,” Mungo said in astonishment.

  “My brothers, cousins and friends like you. They want you to choose where you wish to live rather than let your father drag you away,” Joe said. All his brothers were present and his cousins were in feline form.

  When they reached the group of men, Joe spoke. “Mungo has a plan.” He repeated her idea and everyone listened with close attention.

  “That’s fine as long as they don’t shoot Mungo again and ask questions later,” Saber said.