The next day over two feet of snow had fallen in a single night. No one was going off the mountain and no one was coming up.

Ammo was in bed with Loretta and Colt when Loretta woke up. "Ammo, are you cold boy? It's freezing outside. Did the boys not build a fire last night?"

"Baby is everything ok?" Colt said sleepily.

"No it's freezin... AND IT SNOWED LAST NIGHT!" Loretta jumped out of bed and looked out the window. "This means you ain't gonna be leavin, baby boy."

"So what are we gonna do sweetheart?" Colt shot up, "oh fuck it's cold." He grabbed his shirt and through it on. He wrapped his arms and the blanket around Loretta. "I don't want you gettin cold babe."

"I'm fine," Loretta kissed Colt, "thank you though. Let's go downstairs and light the wood stove and warm the house up."

The two walked downstairs with Ammo close behind and started a fire in the heater. Then Colt and Loretta curled up in the floor next to the wood burner stove with Ammo and fell back asleep.

By sunrise, all the boys had woken up. They were all on the couch with blankets except Ryder and RC, who was in the floor with blankets.

Loretta woke up and woke Colt up. "Good mornin boys."

"Mornin sis," they all said tired as hell.

"Guess winter came early," Ryder said.

"Yeah," Gil said.

Rooster looked at Loretta, Colt, Gabe, and Ryder. He said to the others and said, "Gil, RC get warm closes on. We're doin chores and chopping wood. Loretta, take care of Gabe please. Ryder, Colt go get all the blankets you can and close all windows and start findin a couple deck of cards or board games. Baby, can you make breakfast for everyone?"

No one argued. Rooster was needless to say intimidating.

The three men went outside to work while each of us do our jobs inside.

After breakfast, they all played games and joked around. Drinking, smoking, and just having fun.

For the first time in a over a year Loretta was happy.

"So we all know you've been workin your ass off to keep this place and make bills," RC said.

"We've been thinkin a lot, Lor," Ryder said.

"We grew up here too and it's our job when Momma and Daddy died to take care of you and we haven't," Gil said with tears in his eyes.

"Guys I'm makin it fine," Loretta lied.

"Lori, you told me two day ago your gonna loose this place if you don't drop outta school," Colt chimed in.

"Oh hell no, you are NOT dropping out of school," Rooster said. "We are all chipping in and paying off the land and startin a college fund for you."

"We know you don't wanna leave Wayland but go to college to be a vet and come back. Plenty of farmers in the area need vets and you can stay here once you get a job," Ryder said.

"We can start our own family and keep y'all's family farm alive,Lori," Colt said smiling.

"So you two are datin," Lacie said.

Colt looked at Loretta, then Rooster and Gil, then back at Loretta. Loretta quickly said, "yes." Colt grabbed her hand and kissed it, not thinking her brothers are less than five feet away.

Rooster looked at Colt and said in a fatherly roar, "were you the one who chopped all that wood before we came."

Colt kind of scared, "yes sure."

"Who pays for dates?" Rooster glared.

"Me sir," Colt sounded like he was in a interrogation.

"Will you protect my baby sister at all cost if someone or somethin were to attempt to hurt her."

"I'd lay down my life for her, sir. She is the most beautiful smart badass woman I have ever met." Colt looked at Loretta and just smiled.

Loretta kissed Colt on the cheek and and a tear fell from her eye. But it wasn't like all the other tears it was one of... joy. A feeling she only felt with Colt.

"That's all I needed young man." Rooster then gave Colt a firm hand shake and instantly handed Loretta an envelope with 100,000 dollars in it. "You too start a life here together. Wayland ain't much but it's home."

They all continued to play cards, get drunk, and laugh until their sides hurt. That night nobody cared that Colt slept in Loretta's room. He was now family.