Skylar claps her hands, bringing my attention back to her.
“So, this is take two. We tried to do Thanksgiving in the bunker but that was rudely interrupted. So this is Christmas instead! Joslin and I gathered all kinds of different luxury items just for fun. We still have a lot of work ahead of us on the survival side of things but to celebrate our new home and a new beginning I wanted us to have a mini celebration that has nothing to do with survival. Please go ahead and pick up all the things you would like. Joslin and I have already grabbed the things we want for ourselves so everything here is for you guys.”
I look down at Ben and Matty when they groan in disappointment and ask, “What’s wrong guys?”
Matty points at the tables with a disgruntled look. “Stupid clothing, candles, and stuff. Nothing that’s good!”
I take another look at what’s on the tables and see Skylar heading our way. She has a mischievous grin on her face when she reaches us.
“What’s the matter boys, isn’t there anything here you want?” When they both just cross their arms and shake their heads she laughs, “That’s too bad. I thought for sure that table over there would catch your interest.”
Both boys lean around her to get a look at the third table she points at and their eyes light up as they race toward it. Skylar makes to follow them but I reach out and take her hand to stop her.
“This was a really nice thing to do Sky. I’m glad you thought of it.”
Her cheeks turn pink but she leans closer toward me. “Thanks, things have been so messed up for the last little while that I just wanted a little bit of fun for everyone. Also, the ‘office white’ walls in my room and my military wardrobe was getting depressing.”
I laugh. “Well, I’m looking forward to seeing you in non-military clothes again!”
Her blush deepens even more, but before she can answer, Ben and Matty start yelling at each other. We join them at their table to see why they’re arguing. It’s the first time I’ve seen the two of them at odds with each other since they met. I look down at the table and see that they’ve put the things they want into piles but they’re each holding one end of a poster and glaring at each other so I pluck it out from their hands with a frown.
“What’s the problem boys? There’s plenty of this stuff for both of you.”
Ben just crosses his arms and pouts as Matty glares at him and answers me.
“We both want the Transformer posters!”
I try and keep the smile from my face at such normal little boy bickering. It’s really nice to see these two kids acting like, well, kids. They’ve both been through so much in their short lives that it makes my heart glad that they feel safe and secure enough to argue over something as simple as a poster for their rooms. Skylar tries to play peacemaker.
“Why don’t you guys take turns having it in your rooms until I can get back over to the resort and grab some more? They had a whole box full of posters there.”
Ben looks from Skylar to Matty and then back to his sister. “That’s a good idea, Sky, but a better idea is we don’t have to take turns and instead we can share it. Why can’t Matty and I have our own room?”
Skylar’s glow dims slightly at his words as she asks, “You don’t want to share a room with me anymore?”
Ben looks away from Skylar to Matty and sees his friend nodding his head eagerly and says, “I want to share a room with Matty. We can have a boy’s room. We’re big enough!
Matty bounces up and down. “Yeah, we can have a boy’s room of our own and we can decorate it with all this stuff!”
I put my arm around Skylar to give her shoulders a squeeze. “That’s not a bad idea. We’ve got Jackson and Marsh and me in the cabin and it’s a little tight with Matty in there too. I’d be okay with the boys sharing a room.”
Skylar chews on her lip with an expression of uncertainty before slowly nodding her head.
“Okay. I’m not comfortable with Ben being too far from me but I guess we could set up the office between my room and Joslin’s as the boy’s room. If we could make a doorway in the wall between my room and theirs, I’d be okay with it.”
I nod my head and give her a reassuring smile. “I don’t see why we couldn’t. It’s probably just drywall separating the offices.”
Skylar turns back to the smaller boys and gives a half-hearted smile. “Okay, looks like we’ll be decorating a boy’s room for you both to share.”
Ben and Matty start jumping around and high-fiving each other in excitement so we leave them to their planning and move over to the other tables. I glance at Skylar and ask, “Are you sure you are okay with this?”
She sighs. “Yeah, I just… I mean, he had his own room in the bunker but everything here is so new and even though I feel safe here I can’t help but worry. I guess it’s just something I have to accept. Ben’s getting older and it makes sense that he’s going to want his own space.”
I know exactly how she feels so I nod my head. “I feel the same way about Matty. Every day since my mom died he’s been the driving force in my life. In a lot of ways he’s like my own child, not just my little brother. I’m grateful for everything that Lance, Ethan, and Belle have done for us but my number one priority has always been Matty’s safety. That day that you found us tied to the tree was one of the hardest days I’ve had since the bombs dropped. Knowing that no matter how hard I had tried, I couldn’t protect him made me feel like such a failure. I’m not ready to see him grow up but at the same time, I want him to have all the things that I had when I was his age. I think in a lot of ways letting him spread his wings a little bit is protecting him. This is a good first step to letting him feel a little more independent and confident in himself.” I look over at the two boys who are now happily sorting through the toys on the table and sigh. “Let’s just call this a controlled experiment as far as them having their own room. We’ll start here and see how it goes. Besides, smack dab between you and Joslin? How much trouble can they really get into?”
She nods her head in resignation but looks past me at something so I turn and look. I see Jackson standing in the doorway with an uncertain expression on his face. After the way Skylar blasted him outside in the yard, I can’t blame the guy for being slightly nervous so I’m surprised when she’s the one to step around me and call out to him.
“Hey, Jackson, come on in and take a look at some of this stuff. Feel free to grab anything you might like for yourself. There’s plenty to go around and there’s more over at the resort if we want it.”
He takes a couple steps into the room toward the tables but then shakes his head and heads over to where we’re standing. He looks back and forth between Skylar and I and then lets out a deep breath.
“Listen, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for the way I was behaving. There are some things that I’m working through but that’s no excuse for how I’ve been acting. I just want you guys to know that I know you’re not my enemy and I’m grateful for the way you’ve taken me in and included me in your plans for a future here.”
Skylar reaches out and rests a hand on his arm for a moment before dropping it back to her side. “I totally understand, Jackson. You’re not the only one that’s guilty of lashing out. I had my own apologizing to do after I let Rex and his people into the bunker.” She gives a small laugh. “At least you didn’t point a gun at anybody’s head!”
His eyes go wide and he looks at me for confirmation so I just give a half shrug and a nod of amusement so he turns back to her. “Now that’s a story I think I need to hear!”
Skylar laughs and rolls her eyes. “I’m sure we all have stories we can swap one night around a campfire. The main thing is we all want the same thing, to have a future without having to constantly be worrying about our safety and whether we will have enough food to get through the next week. As long as you’re on board with that plan and you’re willing to get along with everybody, you’ll fit right in with us.”
His face turns serious and he nod
s his head. “That’s exactly what I want for both Joslin and myself. It’s going to be an adjustment for a while after so many years under my dad’s command, surrounded by soldiers but this is exactly what I had hoped for us for the future. So once again, thank you, guys.”
Skylar and I watch for a few minutes as he goes over to the tables and starts picking through some of the supplies. I turn to her and ask, “Do you want some help taking some of this stuff back to your room? We can also take a look at that office and see what we have to work with for the boys.”
She gives me one of her gorgeous smiles and nods. “Sure, although I only have a few bags and I can handle it myself, let’s go take a look at that room and see what we have to do to get it ready for them.”
I scoop up the bags she points to and we head out of the dining room and down the hall toward the room her and Ben have been staying in. She stops halfway and pushes open one of the doors off of the hallway, moves into the room and opens the blinds on the single window so that we can get some light in there. It’s just a standard four blank wall office with a desk, a chair and a long-dead plant in the corner.
“This will work. It shouldn’t be a problem to haul out this office furniture. There’s more than enough room in here to put in a set of bunk beds and that way they’ll have some floor space if they want to play in here. Once we put up some posters and maybe some shelves for their books, games, and toys it’ll be a perfect boy den,” I tell her.
She walks over to one of the walls and puts a hand on it. “My room’s just on the other side of this. How do you feel about putting a doorway between the two and then maybe locking the hall door? It’s not that I don’t trust them - but I don’t trust them! I can just see them sneaking out at night whenever they feel like it to go exploring.”
I let out a laugh. “I think that’s probably a good idea. I can honestly say that is something I would have totally done when I was Matty’s age. That will cut down a little bit on your privacy though, are you okay with that?”
She shakes her head in disbelief. “Privacy? I’ve been stuck in a bunker with a little boy for seven years. What’s this privacy you speak of?”
I nod slowly with a smile. “I understand that! It’s been a long time since I’ve had my own space too. I’m hoping that we might get some of that here though. I wouldn’t mind having a little bit of privacy with you, I mean, if you feel the same?”
Her eyes dance as she steps toward me. “I think I’d like that too. Every time we plan something together some crisis comes up. I really hope we will have an uneventful summer where we can actually spend some time together.” She takes another step closer and I catch my breath at her nearness but what she says next has me bursting out in laughter. “But not before you get the boys’ room set up!”
As we leave the room and head to hers to drop off the bags, I have a stupid grin pasted across my face. No matter what happens this summer spending time with Skylar will be a priority for me. No matter what it takes!
Chapter Eight … Joslin
I toss the last pulled weed from this row into a bucket and lean back on my heels so I can arch my back to stretch the ache away. I lift my face to the hot sun and close my eyes to just enjoy every moment of the bliss I feel under its rays. After seven years of being a cave dweller, being in the sun every day is intoxicating. The last month and a half here at the camp has changed every part of me for the better. Being a part of this group, this family and working together to build and grow a future has been more than I ever dreamed of having. I no longer have to hide who I am or what I’m thinking about because everyone here has accepted me completely. The first few weeks were a busy rush of getting all our projects and planting completed but once everything was done, everything just slowed down. We do our daily chores and spend the rest of the time enjoying ourselves. I’ve been slowly getting to know everyone and every day I spend with them confirms that I made the right choice in helping them and joining them here at the camp.
A squeal of laughter has a smile forming on my lips as I slowly open my eyes and turn my head toward the sound. Matty and Ben are playing a game of tag nearby and the sounds of their glee help to fill the hole that I’ve had in my heart for so many years. I had no idea that a person could fall in love so fast because that’s what it is. I love those two little boys so much and I would lay down my life for them. I glance around the yard and see Skylar over in the corner under a large tree and it looks like she’s either digging something up or burying something. Lance and Rex are over at the trucks with the engine hoods up doing some kind of maintenance on them. I keep turning my head and spot Sasha sitting under another tree reading a book with a contented expression on her face. It makes me happy to see her so relaxed. I’ve gotten to spend some time with her and at first, she was jumpy and full of anxiety. Over the last few weeks though, she’s calmed down a lot and now her true personality has started to shine through. What surprised me the most about Sasha is her biting sense of humor that is heavy with sarcasm and wit. I haven’t had a lot of female friends in my life so it’s with cautious delight that I find my place with Sasha and Skylar.
The sound of a cabin door slamming shut has me turning away from Sasha. When I see a stranger coming toward me, I fall back onto my butt in shock and reach for the holstered handgun on my hip. My fingers fumble with the strap even as the guy walking my way lifts a hand in greeting. I don’t know how he got past the fences without anyone seeing him. I quickly scan the yard again looking for any other intruders but only see my people. I’m about to scream a warning when Lance lets out a bellow of laughter. I tear my eyes away from the stranger, who is getting closer and closer to me, to turn and look at him. My fear turns to confusion when I see Lance pointing at the stranger with one hand while clutching his belly in laughter with the other. I turn my eyes back to the stranger in total confusion with my gun halfway out of its holster and see the guy rubbing at his close-cropped hair with a bashful grin on his face. It takes me a few more seconds to recognize the stranger as Marsh. His trademark waist-long dreadlocks have been sheared off leaving him almost unrecognizable. Without all that hair in the way, his cheekbones are more prominent and his icy blue eyes dominate his features. When those eyes meet mine, I feel my cheeks flush with heat that has nothing to do with the sun beaming down on me. I look away to push myself off the ground and to try and hide my reaction to his new look. Who knew that under all that hair Marsh was super-hot!
He comes to a stop in front of me and clears his throat. “Hey Joslin, not liking my new look isn’t reason to shoot me!” He says in a teasing tone.
My eyes go wide in shock. “Oh, no! I…I’m so sorry! I didn’t recognize you. I thought you were an intruder!”
Those killer eyes twinkle in amusement. “Ah, so you DO like the new DO?”
I feel totally flustered by him right now and I start stuttering out a reply but thankfully I’m saved from total embarrassment when Lance and Rex join us.
Lance reaches out and gives his son’s head a rub and declares, “My son has been found! I’ve been searching for this kid for years!”
Marsh rolls his eyes my way at his dad’s antics. “My dad the comedian ladies and gentleman. He’ll be here all week!”
Rex barks out a laugh but then shakes his head sadly. “I never knew you had such a small head, man. All this time I thought you were bigger than life with that huge mess of dreads. Now it turns out you’re just…well…tiny head man!” He lets out an overly dramatic sigh. “You’re going to have to turn in your surfboard now.”
I have a small grin on my lips at their teasing banter but the way Marsh keeps glancing my way and the reddening of his cheeks make me take pity on him so I throw the poor guy a bone.
“Well, surfboard or not, I really like the new style. It makes you look more grown up, more manly.” The minute the words come out of my mouth I feel the heat of a deep blush flow into my face. Did I really just say that? Oh my God, I just said that! It’s made even worse by t
he raised eyebrows Lance and Rex are directing my way and the cocky expression that forms on Marsh’s face.
Lance must see my embarrassment because he steps in front of me to give Marsh’s head another rubbing, giving me time to get my composure back.
“Seriously son, I like it. It was well past time for you to cut them off but what made today the day for it?” he asks.
Marsh bats his dad’s hand away from his head and turns the motion into rubbing at his newly exposed neck with a pout. “Belle wouldn’t help me with them anymore. She said my hair had its own ecosystem at this point and now that we have plenty of water and warm weather, they had to go.” His pout turns to an outraged scowl. “I swear she was humming with glee when she started cutting!”
The three of us burst out laughing just as Skylar walks up. She’s looking at me intently with a calculating expression. She glances toward Marsh and back to me with her mouth open to say something but before words can form she whips her gaze back to Marsh in wide-eyed shock.
“Holy Frack! Marsh, is that you?” At his sheepish nod, a grin splits across her face. She lets out an appreciative whistle and slinks toward him. “Well hello, handsome! Where have you been hiding?”
Marsh’s eyes dart toward Rex and back to her as she keeps moving closer to him. He nervously starts stepping backward to keep some distance between them.
Endless Winter Box Set: Books 1 - 4 Page 57
