Caleb Cobb stretched, and half a dozen young women watching from the far side of the compound almost fainted. Seventeen years old, he had the height of his father, as well as his blue eyes, but a lither frame, taking more from his mother than just her wavy hair. Still, he worked out a lot with the other Serenity boys, and he had muscles on that body that made female hearts beat a little faster.

Especially when he was half-naked, sweat stained and totally unaware of the effect he was having.

His Pa sighed. “You sure he’s mine?”

River hit Jayne on the arm. “Of course he is.”

Spending time on Jerusalem while Kaylee did a few ‘minor’ jobs that entailed taking half the engine apart, the crew had taken the opportunity of earning a few credits to support their savings, and Caleb had offered to chop enough wood on the ranch where they had negotiated a landing spot to keep the family going for most of the winter. The family had four daughters of marriageable age, and they had friends, and ... well, only having six in his own personal entourage was less than usual.

“Only he ain’t even looking at ‘em.”

“What do you expect?” she asked, turning her huge dark eyes on her husband. “That he leers at them? Propositions them? Strips off entirely and struts around buck naked?”

Jayne squirmed internally as he always did when she was angry with him. “No. But actually knowing they’re there would be a start.”

Caleb had wandered to the water butt and was now tipping bucketfuls over his head, the resulting soaking making his pants stick to his well-defined thighs, and the girls were now having to fan each other.

“He’s a good boy.”

“You sure he ain’t sly?”

This time the punch was much harder, and he knew it was going to leave a bruise.

“And if he was? Would you love him any the less?”

“No, a’course not. He’s a Cobb.”

“Then why worry?”

“Because he’s a Cobb!”

River knew her husband could never be described as an intellectual, and was inclined to revert to his baseline of obt