He certainly looked like a wolf. But no wolf would be domesticated like this. She paused to gingerly scratch his ears and his furry face took on a look of intense canine adoration. Connie gave her a disbelieving look, eyebrow raised, and opened the door.
Tami stepped through the door right behind Connie. It was a nice big apartment, with its beautiful hardwood floor and high ceilings with fancy molding. The tall windows were boarded up to shut out the wind but even so it was cold inside. The furniture consisted of a trunk with a cushion on it and a rough table and four chairs set in the middle of what must have been a living room. The kitchen was completely empty, reminding Tami of the deserted ranch house she had stayed at until Tracker came along, but it was spotlessly clean. Two doors stayed shut, but Connie opened the third and showed her a small room with a narrow bed heaped with blankets, and table with a big antique washbowl on top of it and a small wood stove near it.
“This is your room. You have two roommates: Jasminka Keric and Randie Halvorson. They share a room, but we’re giving you a room to yourself. Jas and Randie are both out right now. I think they’re doing laundry. There is no running water, so water has to be pumped. There’s no showers or regular bathrooms. We have an outhouse behind the house that men from town clean for us twice a week. You can wash your face in this washbowl.” Connie indicated the bowl and pitcher, and fiddled with her thumbnail. “I know this isn’t what we’re used to, but it’s what we have now.”
Tami smiled. “I teach people how to live in the wilderness. This will be fine.”
Connie lifted her head and stared at her. “Oh. Good. Then at least I won’t have to hear you complain. We do have some rules around here everybody has to follow.”
That made sense. Any house with two dozen women in it needed a set of rules in place to prevent mass murder. “Okay.”
“One,” Connie lifted a finger. “Everyone takes turns cleaning, cooking, and doing laundry. We’ll add you to the roster.”
Tami nodded. “Fine.”
“Two. No men are allowed upstairs except for Faron, Stag, and occasionally one of Taye’s men, and then only with permission, and only after calling a warning to let the girls know a man is coming up.”
“Sure. I can do that.”
Connie nodded her pale blond head with approval. “Three. No one is allowed out of the fence without an escort. That is for safety. You know why.”
Yeah, thought Tami grimly, she knew why.
“Four. You can receive male visitors only on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday in the evenings, and on Sunday afternoon, and only in the big room downstairs. When I say male visitors I mean boyfriends.” Connie rolled her eyes. “I feel like a high-school chaperone from the 1930s saying that. But we have to set times or the men would be swarming this place morning, noon, and night.”
“No problem. But I won’t be having any male visitors of that sort.”
“Don’t be too sure of that,” Connie muttered darkly. “The men around here are dying to get married, and they are persistent. Did seeing Dick the Dick tell you anything about the way the men are around here?”
“They’re all like that?” Tami swallowed sickly.
“No, he’s probably the worst. Most of them are a lot more polite, at least. If any guy gives you a hard time, just yell for Faron or Stag or one of the wolves.” Connie glanced toward the door. “Snake will probably stick to you like glue, so he can take care of any guys who get out of line.”
So, Des had given her a guard dog. Snake, with his big sharp teeth, looked like he was able to take care of a lot of trouble. “I’ll just stay in here during the visiting times.”
“You can try.” Connie sounded gloomy. “It’s cold here, and the big room has a fireplace and some wood stoves. It’s the warmest room in the House except for the kitchen. Besides, eventually you’ll get sick of your own
Tami stepped through the door right behind Connie. It was a nice big apartment, with its beautiful hardwood floor and high ceilings with fancy molding. The tall windows were boarded up to shut out the wind but even so it was cold inside. The furniture consisted of a trunk with a cushion on it and a rough table and four chairs set in the middle of what must have been a living room. The kitchen was completely empty, reminding Tami of the deserted ranch house she had stayed at until Tracker came along, but it was spotlessly clean. Two doors stayed shut, but Connie opened the third and showed her a small room with a narrow bed heaped with blankets, and table with a big antique washbowl on top of it and a small wood stove near it.
“This is your room. You have two roommates: Jasminka Keric and Randie Halvorson. They share a room, but we’re giving you a room to yourself. Jas and Randie are both out right now. I think they’re doing laundry. There is no running water, so water has to be pumped. There’s no showers or regular bathrooms. We have an outhouse behind the house that men from town clean for us twice a week. You can wash your face in this washbowl.” Connie indicated the bowl and pitcher, and fiddled with her thumbnail. “I know this isn’t what we’re used to, but it’s what we have now.”
Tami smiled. “I teach people how to live in the wilderness. This will be fine.”
Connie lifted her head and stared at her. “Oh. Good. Then at least I won’t have to hear you complain. We do have some rules around here everybody has to follow.”
That made sense. Any house with two dozen women in it needed a set of rules in place to prevent mass murder. “Okay.”
“One,” Connie lifted a finger. “Everyone takes turns cleaning, cooking, and doing laundry. We’ll add you to the roster.”
Tami nodded. “Fine.”
“Two. No men are allowed upstairs except for Faron, Stag, and occasionally one of Taye’s men, and then only with permission, and only after calling a warning to let the girls know a man is coming up.”
“Sure. I can do that.”
Connie nodded her pale blond head with approval. “Three. No one is allowed out of the fence without an escort. That is for safety. You know why.”
Yeah, thought Tami grimly, she knew why.
“Four. You can receive male visitors only on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday in the evenings, and on Sunday afternoon, and only in the big room downstairs. When I say male visitors I mean boyfriends.” Connie rolled her eyes. “I feel like a high-school chaperone from the 1930s saying that. But we have to set times or the men would be swarming this place morning, noon, and night.”
“No problem. But I won’t be having any male visitors of that sort.”
“Don’t be too sure of that,” Connie muttered darkly. “The men around here are dying to get married, and they are persistent. Did seeing Dick the Dick tell you anything about the way the men are around here?”
“They’re all like that?” Tami swallowed sickly.
“No, he’s probably the worst. Most of them are a lot more polite, at least. If any guy gives you a hard time, just yell for Faron or Stag or one of the wolves.” Connie glanced toward the door. “Snake will probably stick to you like glue, so he can take care of any guys who get out of line.”
So, Des had given her a guard dog. Snake, with his big sharp teeth, looked like he was able to take care of a lot of trouble. “I’ll just stay in here during the visiting times.”
“You can try.” Connie sounded gloomy. “It’s cold here, and the big room has a fireplace and some wood stoves. It’s the warmest room in the House except for the kitchen. Besides, eventually you’ll get sick of your own
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