It wasn't even sunup when Jacob barged into the bedroom with Cerberus hot on his heels barking wildly.  Beth shot up in a panic.  "What is it!" She shrieked, rubbing her eyes.

"Mabel." There was no need for any other words.  Beth flew out of bed and scrambled to find a pair of sweats.  "I'll meet you out there.  I already fed Romulus and Remus." 

"Thank you," she huffed and jumped into the black sweats.  Cerberus stayed with her while she threw her hair in a bun to keep the locks out of her eyes.  She sprinted to the barn, Cerberus bounding alongside her.

The cow barn was on the back end of the property.  Normally she would have put on a pair of boots or romeos to make the trek through the pasture, but she was pressed for time. 

Mabel was their first rescue cow.  She had been taken from a slaughterhouse on the outskirts of Hellmaw when she was a baby.  She had been raised for veal and given a death sentence, spending her days tied to a post to keep her from wandering.  Apparently the lack of muscle development made the meat quite tender.

Jacob had brought her home and their adventure into rescuing animals began to blossom. 

The mooing echoed across the field and pushed Beth to run faster.  Cardio was not her strong suit, but the occasion called for it and she'd be damned if she missed it.  She burst through the doors and only stopped when she was at the stable.

Mabel was laying on her side, panting and bellowing in pain.  "How is she?" Beth fought to catch her breath.

"She's doing good.  A real trooper." Jacob gave the cow a calming stroke over her throat and jawline.  "There you go girl," he urged as the cow struggled.  "Beth."

"Yeah?" She looked from Mabel and back to Jacob.

"The calf is breeched.  I'll need your help," he said in such a calm voice.  It was Mabel's first baby.  The first calf Beth had ever assisted in birthing.  She had helped puppies, and even pigs, but never a cow. 

"O-okay," she stammered, and went to grab a pair of long gloves from the supply closet.

"I need to be up here to hold her head still.  This has to go fast.  The calf's head is going to come out last.  There won't be much to prepare her cervix for the stretching."  He kept his voice calm to help the cow feel at ease.  "The biggest end is going to come out first.  When I tell you to, I need you to reach in and push the calf back as far as you can.  You're going to need to create some space to pull the hind legs out."

"Shouldn't we call Dr. Reed?" Beth asked in a shaky voice as she doused her gloved hands and arms in lubricant.

"He's not in and the receptionist can't find him.  If we leave her like this the calf will never make it out.  We need to help her." Jacob's voice was soothing but she could still sense the urgency.

"Okay." She took a deep breath.  "Okay tell me what to do." 

"Did you put the lubricant on?"

"Yes." Her arms and hands were slick with the goop.

"Perfect.  Now reach in, best to do it with your hands in a prayer position so its easier on you and Mabel.  Tell me when you feel the baby,"  he instructed, keeping the rhythm of the calming strokes he gave her. 

Beth did as she was told.  It was surprisingly easy to slide her arms in, and she turned her head when she got deep.  Her fingers grazed something wiggling.  "I can feel the tail," she said breathlessly.

"Good.  Now I want you to find the rump and gently shove it as far as you can back.  You're going to need some space when you grab the hind legs.  We have to maneuver them into the birth canal without breaking them or hurting Mabel."  The cow was panting and mooing restlessly, but she stayed put.

"Okay." Beth pushed and it proved to be much harder than she anticipated.  Without knowing how large the uterus was, she felt helpless as she pushed the calf back as far as she could.  Mabel lifted her head and moaned in agony.  "I'm so sorry girl." She wanted to stop, knowing she was hurting the poor creature, but she couldn't.  If she didn't assist the birth, the calf, and possibly Mabel, would die. 

She managed to give enough space between the entrance and the calf's hind legs.  "I've got the legs," she chimed as her hands wrapped around the scrawny limbs.

"Now push them up slightly so you can bend them and stretch them out towards you.  You're essentially going to birth it for her," Jacob told her with sweat forming on his dark brow.  He was struggling to keep Mabel down.

Beth bunched the legs up, earning more moos of protest from the cow.  "I've got them straightened." She could slide them towards her now.  "I'm pulling it out."  She gave a tug and Mabel's eyes widened.  Jacob held her down with his strong arms.

"Slowly!  Slowly.  Remember we are stretching her cervix faster than it's designed to stretch." 

Beth blew out a breath in frustration.  "You said to be fast!" She snapped at him.

Jacob gave her a stern look that silenced her immediately.  "Yes.  Just don't yank out the calf.  Its just a baby and this is her first calf, she isn't accustomed to this.  Be gentle, but swift."

"Why can't I hold the head?" She felt like crying as she pulled the legs toward her.

"Do you honestly think you can hold her down if she starts to freak out?" He challenged and she stuck her tongue out like an infant.

"The hooves are out!" She exclaimed as the goopy black hooves emerged.

"Thats great baby.  Keep going, you're doing great," he encouraged her with a smile.

Beth pulled and pulled until the legs were free and squirming.  Mabel mooed relentlessly but didn't stir.  She wrapped both her hands over the exposed rump and gently pulled until the midsection was revealed.  "Okay stop," Jacob ordered.

"Stop?" She gawked at the half born calf before her.

"Just for a second.  You need to make sure the front legs are straightened outward so they don't get caught on the way out.  Just feel underneath real fast and then keep pulling." Beth obeyed him and felt the already straightened legs.  She managed to easily pull the rest of the calf out until it flopped onto the straw floor.

"I did it!" She felt the lump rise in her throat as the tears spilled over her cheeks.  "Its a boy!" She exclaimed through sobs.

Jacob gave Mabel a kiss. "A boy," he mused and left her head to inspect the newborn.  "Little Bruce," he named him.

"Bruce?" Beth queried at the name.  Mabel inched over to her calf and began licking his back and face with her coarse tongue.

"He's tough." Jacob gestured to the now alert calf.  "Like Bruce Banner." 

······························

"To Jacob and Beth.  I hope you washed your hands." The group burst into laughter at Robby's toast.  They had called their friends and arranged a celebration in honor of their first calf birth on the farm.

Robby, Jacob's bachelor friend, was already well on his way to a hangover the next morning.  Danny and Mae Harpel and Kelsie and Cooper Sawde, had joined them for a night of drinks and congratulations.  As per usual, Cooper was babysitting an already smashed Kelsie who was insisting she was fine and just wanted to dance.

"Now you're a real farmer," Danny stated with vigor as he pounded the shot of whiskey he'd ordered.

Beth laughed loudly, the whiskey affecting her and making her head swim.  "Well I guess once you've had your arms up to the shoulders in a cow's vagina, it's pretty hard not to be considered a farmer," she jested and the group cracked up.

The Whiskey Barrel was packed as usual on any given night.  Weeknights and weekdays didn't matter in Palima when the tavern owners were responsible for distilling and distributing the best whiskey for miles around.  The music was always good, the patrons were always respectful, and the drinks were always top notch. 

The creaky front door opened with a tap against the wall. It would have been impossible to hear over the sound of the Wheeler twins drunken karaoke performance, but Beth's booth was two down from the door.  She glanced up out of habit and wished she hadn't.

"Hey there neighbors." Scott's boots thudded melodically on the beer stained floor.

"Hey!" Jacob waved to the three brothers, avoiding looking at Marshall.  Beth felt his distaste for the man and was grateful for it.  "What brings you guys out here tonight?"

"Billy shot a buck." Scott squeezed his younger brother's shoulders.  The three were still dressed in their camouflage and orange vests.  Mud caked their boots and flecked over their weather tanned faces.  Billy's icy green eyes stood out beneath the layer of dirt over his forehead and dishevelled tawny hair.

"Congratulations!" Robby raised his glass to him and drank deep.

"Thanks," Billy muttered sheepishly.  His gaze flickered over to Jacob and Beth as if waiting for their disapproval.  Beth could feel Jacob's hand clenching her thigh beneath the table, silencing her before she could put her drunken two sense in.

The three of them tipped their heads respectfully, bowing out of the conversation and heading towards the bar.   Billy and Marshall took their seats on the stools, their backs facing the group.  Scott opted for the empty stool at the end where the bar wrapped around, his profile visible and taunting Beth.  She could feel the ghost of his boot trailing up her legs and a twang of guilt racked through her.  She never told Jacob.  She knew what he would do.

Jacob was a jealous man, and an impulsive one at that.  He would kick them out without a second thought and involuntarily create a hole in their income because of it.  She couldn't let him lose the thousands of dollars the brothers had paid for a week stay at their farm.  If she had to keep a miniscule game of footsie to herself to keep the money flowing in for him, then she would.

As if he could sense her thinking of him, Scott let his baby blues drift over to her and a grin split over his handsome face.  She turned to Jacob and wrapped her hands over his arm.  "Will you get me another drink please?"

Jacob kissed her forehead.  "Of course.  Whiskey Sour?" He checked, nodding to her empty glass. 

"No, something different.  Just get me a screwdriver, that sounds yummy," she decided.

"Jake, you want to go smoke a cigar outside?" Danny prompted from across the table. 

"Sure, its a celebration," he agreed with a smile.  "I'm going to get another round of drinks first.  Does anyone else need one?"

Three glasses rose up and rattled on queue as he nodded and walked away.  Jacob leaned over the bar beside Marshall and she could see words being exchanged, but heard nothing.  It was hard to read their body language when all they were doing was sitting hunched over their drinks nodding along and occasionally shrugging their indifference.

"Did Jacob really name that baby after Hulk?" Beth blinked, coming out of her trance and faced an amused Kelsie.

"Uh, yeah," she laughed softly.  "He sure did.  Mabel and little Bruce." The girls awed over the cuteness.

"Here we go." Jacob returned and set the drinks around the table.  He handed Beth hers with a punctuated kiss to her temple before signalling to the guys that he was ready to go outside.  The three women were left alone to sip on their cocktails and gossip about their lives.

"Danny is trying to find a new job,"  Mae complained.  "The man makes more than enough to keep us and the boys content for life, and he wants to up and leave it for some desk job in Hellmaw.  Can you believe that?" The brunette blew her bangs out of her eyes. 

"How much does it pay?" Kelsie queried. 

Mae blushed.  "About fifty grand more a year."

"Fifty?" Beth gaped at her.

"Hell I'd move for twenty," Kelsie admitted.  "Plus that gives us an excuse to have girl's nights out in the big city with you." She nudged her playfully.

"Yeah, I guess." Mae shrugged, fiddling with the straw in her drink.

"They don't make men like that in the city though," Kelsie quipped and gestured to the bar full of rugged looking hicks and farmers.  "Better stick with Danny, he's part of a dying breed."

The girls giggled together, finishing their drinks in record time.  Beth could feel her limit creeping up on her, but disregarded it.  She was out to celebrate and have a good time.  "More drinks?" She asked them.

Kelsie shook her head yes, but Mae groaned and fell deeper into her seat.  "Not me, I have to sober up and drive."

"My husband's my bitch tonight, so bring me a double," Kelsie ordered with a cheesy grin.

"You got it." Beth tapped her nails lightly on the tabletop as she stood to make her way through the crowd to the bar.  Billy was standing up, ordering three beers, when she came up beside him.  "Two whiskey sours.  Make one a double please, Katie," she requested politely.

"How are you tonight, Mrs. Mercy?" Billy slurred sweetly beside her.  The shift in his shy demeanor surprised her.  She looked him over and recognized why.  His emerald orbs were surrounded by a pool of glassy, bloodshot whites that lazily stared out at her.  His sharp cheekbones were the only feature left that wasn't relaxed from intoxication.  His plump lips were parted open as he breathed shallowly and gave her a smile.

"Fine, thank you.  And you?" She replied, tapping her nails while Katie fixed her drinks.

"Couldn't be better," he slurred and hiccupped.  A loud bang had their heads whipping in the direction of Scott and Marshall who were playing quarters on the counter.  Scott had slammed his fist on the counter in triumph.  Marshall's weather worn hands were cradling his head and mumbling something incoherent.  "You know they're not so bad, right?"

The comment had caught her off guard.  "Excuse me?"

"Scott and Marshall." He turned to regard her with compassion over the neck of his beer bottle.  "I know they seem like assholes, but they're good guys.  Really."

She couldn't help the way her lips twitched up into a small smile.  The younger brother defending the older brothers.  It was the first conversation she'd ever had with Billy since they arrived.  "I'm sure they are," she mustered, not convinced in the slightest.

Billy shook his head.  "No they really are.  I know Scott comes on a little strong, and Marshall is set in his ways with a loud mouth, but they're good guys.  If you were ever in trouble, they would be the ones you'd hope were in your corner."

Beth pursed her lips as Katie set the drinks in front of her.  "I believe you," she replied once the drinks were in her hand so she could make a graceful exit. 

"Billy!" Scott bellowed over the bar.  His deep voice reverberated off the walls and directly into her ears.  She jumped a bit, nearly spilling her drinks.  Only waitresses used trays and Beth was no waitress.  She had one drink tucked in the crook of her elbow and the other two in her fists.  Despite her friend declining to drink, Beth couldn't come back empty handed so she ordered her one anyway.

"What?" The chipper tone of his was gone and replaced with that familiar somber voice that had first introduced himself to her.  His shoulders seemed to slump forward at his brother's call.

"Marshall's done." Scott lifted the oldest brother's head off the bar and released it.  Marshall's head fell back into his hands with a thunk.  "Take him home," he ordered without room for argument.  Beth glimpsed a flash of defeat across Billy's sallow face and felt all at once sympathy for him.  He was clearly the chauffeur for the group despite his drinking.

"Are you good to drive?" Beth queried, placing a hand on his shoulder to draw his attention back to her.  Scott lifted his arms up in mock offense when Billy turned back to Beth.

"Yeah, I'll be okay."  She could see Scott moving around the bar coming towards them.

"You sure?  I can easily get you guys a ride back," she assured him.  His eyes were glassy red and he reeked of beer breath.

"Awe, that's mighty kind of you, but my brother is a better driver drunk than he is sober.  You'll be fine, won't you Billy?"  Scott squeezed his shoulder a bit harder than necessary.  Billy winced and nodded along.  "Good man.  Here's the keys to the truck, Marshall's going to need woken up.  I'm going to stay a while longer."

Billy and Beth gave him an inquisitive look.  "Who's going to drive you home?" They asked in unison much to his amusement.

"You are." He slapped Billy on the back of his shoulder with a grin.  "I'll call you when I'm ready to leave. So stay awake."

Beth raised a brow at the two of them.  Billy made no attempt to back out of Scott's arrangement.  "Sure thing," he grumbled out and pushed past him.

"Hope he wasn't bothering you, Beth."  Scott leaned against the bar with his usual shit eating grin.

Beth scoffed at his rudeness.  "Actually we were having a conversation.  He's really sweet."

Scott let out a roar of a laugh.  "Sweet?  Yeah I'd describe him that way too.  Soft and sweet." He eyed the glasses in her arms.  "Let me help you with those."

"No it's o-" Scott snatched up the glasses and pointed over to her booth.

"That table?" He inquired with a nod in it's direction.  Beth started towards it as a response, not wanting to linger back with him.

She slid into the booth with Mae and Kelsie staring at her in wonderment.  "Who is this?" Kelsie asked with a shy smile.  Even Mae perked up in her seat and attempted to look as sober as possible.  Beth wanted to roll her eyes, but even drunk she refused to be impolite.

"Scott Booth." He stuck his hand out and shook each one of theirs.  "I'm renting out the loft for the week."

"The week?" Kelsie exclaimed and shot a pursed lip smile in Beth's direction.  "You didn't tell me you had guests this week." Those were the words she chose, but Beth wasn't an imbecile.  She knew what Kelsie was really trying to say was somewhere along the lines of, "Why didn't you tell us someone like that was staying so we could come over and gawk at him?"  That was more accurate.

"Guests come and go," she said absentmindedly and slid into the booth beside Mae.

"Why don't you join us, Scott?" Mae prompted boldly.  Beth glowered at her from the side.

"That's mighty kind of you ladies." He slipped right in beside Beth and, at once, she felt her spine go rigid as his leg gently pressed against hers.  He gave her a knowing smirk, doing nothing to move it.

"So, is it just you staying the week, or do you have friends with you?" Kelsie queried with her fists beneath her chin like a dazed schoolgirl.

"My brothers actually. I'm the middle child." He smiled and took a few gulps of his beer. 

"Do they look like you?" Mae drunkenly blurted.  Beth pinched her under the table.  "Ow!" She squealed, rubbing her arm.

Scott chuckled.  "I suppose all siblings hold some kind of resemblance."

"Hey I'm going to go pick some music.  Requests?" Kelsie hopped up from her seat.

"I'm sure anything you pick will be just fine, sweetheart." Beth's lip curled in disgust.  His charm was on thick tonight.  She felt herself staring longingly at the door, praying her husband would finish his cigar and come back in.  She knew the drill though.  He left for the cigar, but then he'd get to talking and drinking and soon an hour would pass before he remembered to come back in for his wife.  She sighed quietly to herself.

"So what were you ladies talking about before I crashed your party?" Scott pounded the rest of his beer with ease.

"How they don't make men like you in the city," Mae gushed.

"Mae!" Beth scolded with her brows knot together.

Scott shook his empty beer at a lingering waitress who winked on her way back for another.  "Its okay.  She's right.  Real men live in the country.  Not some hoity toity slum like Hellmaw," he stated, his blue eyes shifted to Beth.  She nearly lost her breath when she felt that familiar sensation running up and down her calf.  She could see Scott's upper thigh twitching as he discretely rubbed his leg against her.  Mae was drunk and oblivious to the matter.

"Well, I for one managed to find a real man outside of the country," Beth drawled out irritably.  She tossed the straw from her drink and drank straight from the glass.  The burn made her shut her eyes, momentarily forgetting the awkward interaction.

"Yeah?" Scott pressed.  "He know how to change the oil in your car?" The leg stopped moving.

Mae snorted laughter.  "We take it to Ralf's Auto.  You know, support local businesses and all," Beth didn't hide her icy tone.  She flinched and glared at him as a new sensation took over.  He was gliding his fingertips up and down her arm and leaning closer.

"I see.  Does he hunt and fish?" Scott's brow rose up, taunting her.  His fingers never ceasing their movements.

"You already know the answer to that." She narrowed her eyes at him and ripped her arm away.

Scott nodded as the waitress came back with a fresh beer.  "Thanks darlin'." The woman stammered over a response to his charm.

Beth faced forward, dripping in wrath.  "I know one thing Jacob's done that screams manliness," Mae piped up, and for once Beth was grateful.

"What's that?" Scott prompted.

"He helped birth a breeched calf this morning." She pointed a painted pink nail at him.

Scott's brows shot up as he turned to Beth.  "Is that true?"

Beth smiled venomously.  "Yep.  He had to pin down Mabel's head so I could pull him out." She wanted to say more, to prove her husband's worth, but refrained.  Her shouting out random acts of strength would only make Scott less convinced.

"Oh." Scott took a swig and guffawed as he set the bottle down.  "So he didn't birth the calf, you did.  He just played emotional support dog for the mom." Mae nearly spit out her drink as laughter racked through her body.  Scott took advantage of the distraction as Mae furiously mopped up the splotches of whiskey.  He went back to touching her with his fingertips.  The warmth and roughness of them against the bare skin of her leg just below the hem of her sweater dress made her freeze.  They tickled her knee and she felt a deep scarlet rise in her cheeks.  Her chest and face all at once felt flushed and the air was stifling.  Mae dabbed and cleaned the mess she'd made, ignoring them entirely.  Scott's fingers pressed flat and soon his whole hand was creeping up her leg.  She fought to keep her breathing steady and her expression impassive, but he reached up too far.  Her dress shifted and his hand rested against her inner thigh.

"Excuse me, I need to use the bathroom." Beth leaped up, avoiding his eyes.

"Can you bring me some paper towels while you're in there?" Mae requested without so much as a glance to her distressed friend.

"Sure." Beth forced herself to look down at Scott once it was clear he wasn't moving.

He was beaming up at her, clearly satisfied with her reaction.  "Did you need me to move?" He kept his gaze fixed on her golden brown orbs as he brought the beer bottle back to his lips. 

"Yes," she gritted out through clenched teeth.

Scott smirked and set his beer down.  Rather than slide out for her to exit, he pressed his back into the cushioned seat and leaned away from the table.  Beth blew out a breath and picked up her leg, shoving him over with her boot.  Scott's smirk widened into a grin as he let her push him out.

Beth stormed passed him, hair smacking him in the face, and down to the back of the bar where the bathrooms were hidden around a corner.  The door barely moved when she pressed on it.

"Occupied!" A small voice yelled from within.

Beth sighed and leaned back against the opposite wall, picking at her nails to kill time.  A rumble of muffled laughter sounded beside her from the end of the hall.  She did the absolute least to hide her eye roll as Scott smirked from around the corner.  "What do you want?" She snapped.

"Woah," Scott held his hands up in mock surrender, "I just wanted to-"

Beth whirled around on him with her hands balled into fists and resting on her hips.  "Wanted to what?  Harrass me? Put your hands on me?  I've tried to be nice, but I don't appreciate the way you, or your brother, behave towards Jacob and I.  I think it would be best if we didn't have any further interactions, or I'll have to tell Jacob about you not being able to keep your hands off of me," she threatened with her arms rising to cross over her chest, punctuating her point.

For a moment Scott seemed completely taken aback.  His brows shot up and the smug look on his face dissipated as his jaw slackened ever so slightly.  A swell of triumph bubbled inside of her at the sight until he opened his mouth and let out a low chuckle.  He took another step forward, but she held her ground.  "You won't tell him shit," he spat with confidence.

Shock settled into her features at his words.  "Excuse me?" She scoffed.

Scott stepped closer, this time Beth staggered back.  His smirk returned and made the blond whiskers on his cheeks twitch.  "If you were going to tell him, you already would have." He laughed and rubbed a hand over his face as if remembering a fond joke.  Beth felt a knot in her stomach begin to twist.  "What are you going to do now?  Tell him that I touched you?  Again?  Then you'd have to explain to him why you didn't tell him sooner.  What would good ole Jake think of you keeping that from him?  Seems a bit dishonest to me." He shrugged nonchalantly.

"You son of a bitch," Beth seethed, sobering up immediately.

Scott beamed down at her, knowing his words were taking effect.  "Language," he clucked his tongue condescendingly, creeping closer to her still.

"Jacob will be back any minute." Her words were meant to be a warning, but they came out small and shaky. 

"No he won't.  He's still smoking outside with his friends," he replied, suavely taking another step.  Beth swallowed hard and matched his stride backwards.  Her back pressed against the wall, giving her an impossibly overwhelming sensation of claustrophobia as Scott reached her.  His towering height loomed above her while he stared down at her like prey.  "You're so beautiful.  Did you know that?" He reached up and toyed with a lock of her hair.  Beth's heart hammered in her chest as she felt his fingertips and knuckles graze her cheek.  Her voice became mute the longer he stared at her.  "It's too bad you couldn't have picked someone of your own kind." His words cut like glass and she wrenched her head away, ducking around him just as the woman exited the bathroom.  Beth nearly shoved her out of the way diving into the bathroom and locking the door behind her.  She pressed her back to the door and let herself slide onto the grimy floor in a heap of hopeless, angry tears.