by KC Luck
The little girl clapped her hands, clearly delighted, until she saw the grim look on Pappa Roy’s face.
“Can we?” she asked quietly.
Sam saw the man’s shoulders sag a little.
“I’m afraid we have nothing to offer in trade for all you’re offering,” he replied. Sam nodded. It was a sign of the times that nothing came without a price. Then, she tilted her head and considered the mare in front of her. She was clearly on the older side and tame as a horse could get. Starting to smile, Sam had an idea.
CHAPTER 11
eg finally pushed down the covers of her bed and sat Mup. She tossed and turned all night, but it was not the swaying of the Wind Dancer which caused it. No, not that at all, she thought as she puffed out an angry breath. There was only one reason she was unable to sleep, and it could be described in three simple words. Major Grace Hamilton.
And that damn bet, which did not even happen. Yet, she could not help but wonder what Grace would have wanted if she won. The idea made a tight feeling start low in her body and she growled. There was no way Grace felt any attraction for her, so the whole fantasy was ridiculous. Still
...
Rubbing her eyes in frustration, Meg was surprised by a faint knock at the door to her quarters. “Come in,” she growled, and after a moment, the wooden door opened just enough to let Grace Hamilton slip through. Meg raised her eyebrows, not only because she was surprised the woman was waking her, but because she was not in uniform. She was in hardly anything actually. An oversize white shirt which fell to midthigh and not much else. This is insane, Meg thought while at the same time even stronger arousal thrummed through her body.
“Is this okay?” Grace asked in a quiet voice.
Meg nodded. It was most definitely okay. “Lock the door,”
she suggested, and Grace complied before walking across the small space to stand at the side of Meg's bed. A million questions raced through Meg's mind, but she was not stupid. All discussion could wait and she slipped back into the bed before pulling the covers aside to welcome Grace
in. The beautiful woman gave her a sexy smile and then sank down beside Meg. She stretched out on her back and ran her hands down her own body. It was erotic in ways Meg could not explain and, letting the sheet fall, she took Grace's mouth with her own. The woman responded with a moan of pleasure and opened her lips to let Meg's tongue slip insider to ravish her mouth. The sound sent a throb straight between Meg's legs, and she suddenly wanted nothing more in the world than to take this incredible woman.
Breaking the kiss, Meg slid her hands up under the white shirt Grace wore. She watched the woman bite her lip but did nothing to stop her. Encouraged, Meg continued when suddenly there was another knock at the door. Oh, you have got to be kidding me, Meg thought and turned to shout at whoever was interrupting her moment with Grace. Before she could say a word, things shifted and Grace was no longer beside her. Confused, Meg shook her head only to realize in an instant Grace’s arrival was nothing but a dream. She had never been awake at all. Another knock came at the door, and angry at all of it, Meg climbed out of bed to answer. She wrenched the door open to find Grace standing there, only now in full uniform. Meg licked her lips at the sight of the woman and the dull burn low on her body threatened to fire up again. Instead, she clenched her teeth and gave Grace her most stern look.
“What?” she snapped. A hint of color rose to Grace’s cheeks at the retort, but she kept her poise. It was then that Meg noticed a cup of hot tea in the woman’s hand.
“Good morning to you too, Captain,” Grace said in a voice cold as ice. “I didn’t realize you were in the habit of sleeping late. I only wanted to discuss our approach to Astoria out of earshot of the crew. Based on the situation in Portland, I’m expecting Astoria to be a disaster.” Meg took a deep breath to calm her temper. Clearly, the woman came to see her as a way to bridge their differences.
“Sorry,” she muttered. “You woke me up.” She refrained from admitting it was from a dream where she was moments away from taking her. “I agree, we want this to go smoothly. Give me a second to get dressed.”
Grace lifted her chin. “If you’re sure. I don’t want to inconvenience you,” she said. “We can find a spot elsewhere.” Meg considered what she said for a moment before sighing.
“Let’s do that,’ she said, knowing being alone in her cabin with Grace right now would be too much for her to take.
TAYLOR SAT IN HER OFFICE at the police station and flipped through the latest reports from her deputies. There was not much there to worry about so far. The one she just read was nothing but a disagreement between two men wanting “the best spot to fish” off of one corner of the pier. The report noted one of the complainants threw back a pretty large fish from his adversary’s bucket. The deputy called to the scene had handled it perfectly though, by simply having them all calm down and then asking the “offending party” to repay with a fish of his own—of similar size, of course. Then, they were sent packing with a promise to work on a timetable to share the spot in the future.
Smiling, Taylor turned another page and shook her head as she tried to decipher some of the words. I am really going to have to talk to them about working on their penmanship, she thought. But at least they are a good group. The deputies were people who volunteered from the town and had little training before she put a badge on their shirt. They did a good job though, and the city felt safe. And it is not like I give them easy duty. She had her people out on bikes patrolling regularly. Not to mention the new foot patrols in
place on the waterfront to help keep things organized at the tent city.
Flipping the page to another report, she frowned. This one was a little more serious. There was theft in one of the outlying neighborhoods. This time, a cured ham was cut down and taken from a smokehouse. There were a lot of things Taylor was willing to put up with, but stealing food was not one of them. She was sure the crime was connected to the theft of Jack's chickens and she knew the time was quickly approaching when she would have to address it. She would keep Astoria safe at all costs. For the most part, the town was crime free, and it was working primarily because everyone was so busy. As Alice was proud to say “idle hands do the devil's work.” Luckily, to keep everyone fed, there was not much time for idle anything. Not to mention there are apparently festivities in the works, she thought. Jackie told her late last night the group of the women who were unofficially in charge of such things were putting their heads together about how to get a Christmas tree set up in the center of town. It was precisely the kind of thing Taylor like to hear. Keeping morale up and goodwill among everyone was her plan for Astoria.
LAURA WORKED IN THE rows at Astoria’s library and tried to distract herself by shelving another cart full of books. There was a rapid turnover as people in town and the outskirts made regular trips in to swap out novels. With little other entertainment, reading had become extremely popular again. So much so a lot of the books were getting worn out and she had to tape covers back together far too often.
Maybe Sam can be on the lookout for a source of more books, she thought and was proud of herself for being able
to think of her woman’s upcoming departure without tearing up. Laura accepted the reality that Sam needed to go.
Even though she knew Taylor questioned the new people down by the waterfront for information, there were still some areas no one knew anything about. Especially in the direction of Portland, she thought, which did nothing to dispel her fears. Portland used to be the largest city in Oregon. She was smart enough to know going there would be dangerous. Sam, however, promised to stay only on the outskirts and Laura had no choice but to believe her. With a sigh, Laura came to a spot on the shelf where books were put back in the wrong order, and she quickly alphabetized them. As she finished, George, another of the library volunteers, came to find her among the shelves.
“Laura,” he said. “Sam is up front and wants to talk to you.”
Laura r
aised her eyebrows. Sam is here? she thought and left the cart to follow George toward the front counter.
Typically, they would plan in advance if Sam was going to come by and ride home with her. Besides, it was not even lunch time yet. Maybe a picnic because I’ve been so sad? It was precisely the type of thing the woman would do, and Laura loved her for it.
“Sam,” Laura said as she reached where her girlfriend waited. “Is everything all right?” The woman turned to her and smiled. It was so warm and loving, Laura felt her heart skip a beat. No one ever affected Laura like Sam could. Even though they were still getting to know each other, their love was undeniable. As if feeling it too, Sam reached out her hand, and Laura took it.
“Come outside with me for a moment,” she said with a twinkle in her eyes. “I want to show you something.” Laura could not help but return the smile as she let Sam lead her to the door. “Now, cover your eyes. This is a surprise.” More curious than ever, Laura did as she was asked.
“What are you up to, Sam?” she asked with a laugh.
Sam took her elbow and guided her outside.
“You'll know in a second, sweetheart,” she said.
Laura felt the light breeze coming up the street from the waterfront only a few blocks away. Then there was the sound of a nicker and Laura knew immediately it was Lester, Sam's horse. This was not unusual, so she still did not know what the surprise was.
Then, there was another nicker, as if a second horse was chatting with Lester and Laura furrowed her brow. Whose horse is that? she wondered while at the same time she felt Sam’s warm hands on her own. She slowly pulled them away from Laura’s eyes so she could see.
“I want you to meet someone,” Sam said. Laura blinked.
Standing beside Lester was a gray mare. She looked right at Laura and her expression was gentle. “This is Honey,” Sam continued. “I got her for you.”
Still not entirely sure what was going on, Laura turned to look at Sam.
“What does that mean?” she said, and as pieces fell into place, her heart swelled with hope. “Are you saying ...” She trailed off, not wanting to say what she thought in case she was wrong.
“I’m saying, I want you to come with me on the scout,”
Sam explained. “It will be our adventure.” Unable to think of any words, Laura simply threw her arms around Sam’s neck and hugged her tight. Sam was not leaving her behind after all.
CHAPTER 12
nna stood at the edge of the bed and contemplated the Aold manual typewriter. She was thrilled she found the antique and traded for it without Lexi suspecting. It was the perfect birthday present. The mission to successfully sneak the heavy thing back to the farmhouse went off without a hitch, although Sam jokingly said she was sure her back would hurt for a week. It really is a beast, Anna thought just as the bedroom door opened a crack and Jackie slipped in.
She held a red silk scarf in her hand. “Sorry, we just got here. Things are a little crazy in town right now,” she said as Anna took the cloth from her friend.
“Because of all the new arrivals?” she asked trying to determine the best way to tie a bow on Lexi's present.
“Yes,” she answered. “And this latest group.” Jackie sighed.
Anna paused to look at her friend.
“What about them?” she asked.
Jackie waved her off.
“It's nothing,” she answered before pointing at the typewriter. “So, are you wrapping it in paper first?”
Anna raised her eyebrows. “Have you felt how heavy this thing is?” she asked with a laugh. “Aside from the fact it is not exactly a neat square.”
Jackie smiled. “Fair enough,” she said. “But don't go getting ink on my scarf. It's one of Taylor's favorites.”
Anna could not let that statement go without a comment.
“Oh, I can imagine,” she teased, and Jackie actually blushed a little. Anna loved to see it. Jackie and Taylor were two of
her favorite people in the world and watching them in this honeymoon-like stage was wonderful.
“I'm sure Lexi has her favorites, too,” Jackie bantered back. Anna laughed. Yes, Lexi has her favorites. And we are honeymooning a bit ourselves, she thought. Although they loved each other for over half their lives, they were only married a few months. Possibly the best few months of my life. It never ceased to amaze her how happy she was with things. Even without power and all the inconveniences it brought, she had Lexi and the little boy, Joe. Plus, she was surrounded by dear friends, and lived in a town where she felt useful. The time before the blackout seemed so less rich by comparison.
Smiling, Anna refocused on the task at hand. She could not wait to see Lexi’s face when she saw the gift. Ever since they were teenagers, she knew Lexi wrote things and took a lot of pleasure from crafting stories. Although Anna only read some of her work, she knew it was good. Especially her love letters, she thought with a smile as she slipped the edge of the scarf under the device. The beautiful words Lexi wrote to her every day when they were first falling in love still touched her heart when she thought of them.
Tying the fabric into a big, floppy bow, Anna was convinced no one was more loving and romantic than her Lexi. I don’t know how I would survive without her now that we are back together again, she thought as she stepped back to take a last look at the present. She is my everything.
WHILE THE LAST WORDS of “Happy Birthday” faded, Sam was all smiles. Not only was she looking forward to eating the birthday cake Alice so cleverly baked in her amazing Dutch oven, but things were right between her and Laura
again. The woman was beside her, so close their knees touched and the contact warmed Sam to her core. Although Laura never turned away her affection, there was an invisible wall between them for the last few days. It was gone and Laura was back to her cheerful, loving self.
As Lexi blew out the candles on her birthday cake, Sam took Laura’s hand and was rewarded with a squeeze. She knew Laura was as excited as she was about the adventures they would start together first thing in the morning. Of course, Sam was not a fool. There was always the possibility of danger too, but working together, she knew everything would be okay. Because we are a great team, she thought just as the first present from Jackie and Taylor was set in front of Lexi.
“You didn’t have to do this,” Lexi said, but it was clear she was touched by the gesture.
“Are you kidding? And miss a chance to shop?” Jackie teased. Lexi laughed as she carefully slipped a finger under the edge of the wrapping paper. Sam knew it was because Lexi planned to save it, being wise enough to realize it would come in handy later. Conserving and recycling were a sign of the times. Nothing could be taken for granted or wasted. It was all the more reason Sam was excited to get going on her scout. There might be sources of supplies out there. She believed there had to be other communities not too far away which were doing okay, too. They might have things Astoria needed and vice versa. Anything is possible, she thought just as Lexi pulled the metal wall sculpture from the box. There was lettering on it, and Sam watched Lexi read the words. Slowly, she held it up for everyone to read.
“Follow Your Heart”. Sam thought it was a perfect motto for all of them. Doing just that was what had led her to the farmhouse and to Laura.
“Thank you, little sister. And Taylor,” Lexi said. “It is beautiful.”
Jackie smiled. “Just a little reminder,” she said and then glanced at Anna. Sam saw a look pass between them, and then Jackie tapped Taylor's arm.
Realizing this was her cue, the strong woman stood and pulled Lexi’s other present from under the table. She gently set the typewriter in front of Lexi.
“This is from Anna,” Taylor said, and everyone held their breath. Lexi looked stunned at first, but then tears came to her eyes. She reached out and took Anna's hand, looking into her wife's face.
“Hey,” she whispered, and then Anna had tears in her eyes, too.
“Hey back,” she said. “Does that m
ean you like it?”
Lexi nodded. “I love it,” she said. “But how?”
Anna gave a little laugh and waved at the group around the table. “Oh, it was quite the team effort,” she replied.
Sam grinned. What Anna said was true. They worked as a team to find, hide, and deliver Lexi her gift. She realized these people meant the world to her. She would miss them in the month she and Laura would be gone but took heart in knowing they would be safe in Astoria until she returned.
SIGHING AS SHE LAY back on the bed, Lexi let the warmth of the few sips of scotch she was surprised with at the end of the night settle over her. Feeling fantastic, Lexi considered her birthday celebration. She could not imagine any way it could have been better. After Anna gave her the typewriter, others had given her presents to go along with it. Sam and Laura traded for reams of paper because Lexi's was almost gone after being used to make flyers announcing events in town. Alice had a thesaurus, and Lexi knew that would be helpful not being able to Google a word if she needed a creative way to describe something. The others found
presents just as thoughtful. Best of all though, she was surrounded by friends and family. Lexi knew it was a blessing. It all could have been so different, she thought, remembering the first night of the solar storm, and the escape from Seattle with Anna, Taylor, Jackie, and Alice. It was all so frightening, yet they survived because they worked together. Yes, because we worked together. She sighed again and closed her eyes.
Just then she felt the bed shift when Anna sat on the edge beside her. “Don't you fall asleep on me yet, Lexi Scott,” she heard Anna say. Without opening her eyes, Lexi reached out with her hand to find Anna's leg. When her fingertips found nothing but bare skin, she felt a tightness low on her own body.
“And why is that, Anna Scott?” she asked with a mischievous smile crossing her face. She started to open her eyes but felt Anna's hand on her cheek.
“I think I want you to keep your eyes closed for right now,” Anna said, trailing her thumb over Lexi's lips. The touch sent a shiver of desire straight to Lexi's core. She felt the bed shift again and then Anna was straddling her. Lexi let out a moan. This birthday was about to get even better.
