Free Poppy's Present (Poppy's Place) by Stephanie Beck

 
    Chapter One
     
    The jars hissed, steam blistering even through the oven mitt. Poppy cussed and jerked her hand away before killing the burner. Sweat dripped off her face, but not tears. A stupid little burn didn’t warrant tears though they were closer to the surface than normal. Poppy hurried to the sink and ran cold water over the redness. She preferred canning in her ground-floor kitchen, but Mary already had the business kitchen stocked. The basement area sported all the necessities and even a sound system, but no windows. Her personal sink overlooked the backyard where the girls would be playing around this time, Grandma or one of the grandpas pushing them on swings.
    The pattering of little feet down the stairs made her smile. She looked over her shoulder, not sure which one of her three daughters would soon make an appearance. Dee, buck naked and covered in mud, tore through the basement, leaving a trail of black, wet dirt behind her on the gray carpet.
    “What are you doing, you crazy baby?”
    Dee put her hands on her hips. “I’m not a baby. There’s a whole bunch of dirt in the backyard for the new flowerbed. Grandpa Duane put out the hose for Grandma and bam—mud all over. You should see Lola. She and Da are all caked in sludge. Come and play, Mommy.”
    Her eldest took off back up the stairs, trailing more dirt, before Poppy could comment or argue. She adored her in-laws. A more accepting, loving, life-affirming group she’d never met, but her temples pounded at the thought of how filthy the tub would be after she bathed her twin five-year-olds and three-year-old.
    Trevor would be back the next morning, Michael had late classes, and Cody hadn’t made it into the house before bedtime in a week thanks to a new breeding system they’d implemented on the ranch. Being married to three men should have made managing three children a breeze. It should have made after bedtime a blast. Lately...nothing seemed to go quite right. By year six of marriage, the mystery and constant new discoveries had faded into something different. It wasn’t always exciting. Not always fun and games, but that didn’t diminish the commitment and love shared.
    She wet a washcloth in cold water and shut off the faucet. They were due for a nice night out or maybe a weekend away, but for now, mud was settling into the carpets, and she needed to get a jump on it.

Chapter Two
     
    Michael silently eased the front door closed behind him, but Poppy winced and whipped around toward the girls’ bedrooms. She held her breath for a few seconds, but when no one emerged, she turned back to Michael and smiled.
    “Hi, Big Guy. How was your day?” She set her book aside and snuggled deeper into the sofa where she’d settled with a blanket after the summer sun set.
    He hung his black tote on his hook and pulled out a few books. “Long. You’d think I’d be used to the bullshit of law school after two years of it, but it’s getting old.”
    Michael plopped on the sofa with a huff, his shoulders rounded. She reached up and rubbed his arm. When the county hired an in-house detective, Michael’s business had dried up, forcing him to look for something new. Finding a new niche had taken longer than any of them would have liked, but law seemed to suit him. His father’s practice offered Michael an opening to join an established business. Thomas wanted to ease back, and Michael would be ready as soon as he finished another few months of classes and passed the bar exam.
    “You’re doing so great,” she said. “Tell me about class.”
    “I really don’t want to.” He leaned back and closed his eyes. “Legal precedent and contract obligations are beating around my brain, arguing with one another. Tell me about your day, beautiful. How are the girls? Already in bed?”
    “Well, your parents made the backyard a mud hole while tilling up the garden, so the girls had a lovely mud bath, followed by a real bath in Mary’s tub, thank