Jinx grunted under Pa’s weight, all but dragging him inside. “Just long enough to catch your breath.”

Pa groaned again and went down like a felled tree, knocking over a stack of hay bales. The momentum of his fall kept on until he was laid out flat on his back.

Jinx moved a bale off Pa that had landed on his legs before leaving him be.

Eyes bugged out, Peg waved a hand at Pa. “What’d you put in that coffee, Foxy?”

Foxy shooed off his concern, flicking her wrist. “Just something to help Dave relax for a spell.”

“Relax? The man looks dead!” Peg hobbled over to Pa and placed two fingers on his neck. Checking for a pulse was unnecessary, considering the giant man began snoring a steady rhythm.

“How long you reckon that coffee will have him knocked out?” I narrowed my eyes when Foxy shrugged my question off.

“Long enough.” She motioned for us to leave the packhouse. “Y’all get washed up and go to bed.”

I used the collar of my shirt to wipe the grit from the corners of my scratchy eyes and looked around the yard, catching sight of the three dogs and Pixy on the back porch scratching at their empty food bowls. At the moment we had a pair of basset hounds, one mutt that had a good bit of golden retriever in him, and a potbelly pig who remained confused about her species. “There’s too much to get done for that.” I sighed while stretching my back. “Plus there’s the issue of needing to get plants and needing to get them in the ground fast.”

Foxy linked her arm with mine, pulling me along with her up the porch. She paused long enough to dump food into the dog bowls and then led the way inside. “Let my Jinx handle the plants. I’ll round up Charlotte and Raleigh to take care of the chores. Then we’ll bring the younger twins up to my house.”

I didn’t hug Foxy much, but I did right then in the kitchen, going as far as choking out, “I . . . I don’t know what to do about Pa. . . . It’s getting worse.”

Foxy patted and rubbed my back but gave me no empty promises or reassurances about us going to be okay. It hurt, but I respected her honesty in being silent. Really, what could she do?

After Foxy left with both sets of twins, I sent Boss to run through the shower first. Peg and I moved no farther than the dining table, slumping on our elbows. Too tired to even blink.

“I hate him,” Peg rasped as soon as the water pipes squeaked above.