by Marla Monroe
Bruce turned on the water to the shower and adjusted it to suit his tastes. Then he pulled out a towel and bath cloth while trying to imagine something besides Kate’s desperate face.
Chapter Three
Mike drove them deep into the mountainous area until he found a house that looked empty. They got out and explored only to find that the roof was gone from the back half. Once again they climbed in the truck and followed the road until they came to another drive. This one looked well used, so they skipped it and continued driving.
“It’s getting dark, Mike. What are we going to do?” Kate didn’t like the idea of being lost in the mountains at night.
“We’re going to check one last address then turn around and find a place to park and sleep for the night.”
“Maybe we should try another road. This one looks like it goes all the way to Canada to me. We’ll run out of gas before we can get back to get more.”
“I’ve got it figured out, Kate. We have twenty-five more miles before we have to turn around, and I have five gallons of gas stored if we need it in case I miscalculated. I’ve got it under control, Kate.”
“Okay, okay. You know I don’t like driving in the dark and especially not on unfamiliar roads.” Kate had a death grip on her seatbelt.
“Look, help me watch for the next drive. It should be close now.” The map where he’d marked all the houses had come from the courthouse. He’d bought it from one of the men in Barter Town. “We’re almost at the end of the line I drew.”
Several minutes later, Kate pointed out an overgrown drive on the left.
“Is that it?” she asked.
“Looks like it. Hold on. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.”
They followed the drive for nearly a mile before it dead-ended at a small house that looked in fair shape. It had all of its windows and doors from what Kate could see, but they would need to look at it all over to know for sure what sort of shape it was in.
“It’s getting dark fast, Mike. Maybe we should wait until tomorrow to check it out.”
“I think you’re probably right. Let’s sleep in the camper then get up early and see if it will be livable or not.”
They climbed out of the cab of the truck and walked through the tall grass to the trailer. Mike unhooked the broken lock and helped her climb up in back. She grabbed one of the flashlights and started fixing their beds. She was hungry, but they’d eaten their meal several hours earlier. She didn’t feel like trying to come up with something to eat now.
“Climb on up on the bed, Kate. I’ll close everything down and bed down on the floor.” Mike secured the camper door with some wire and a small board he’d picked up from somewhere. Then he settled down on the makeshift bed on the floor.
“I think this one is going to be the one, Kate. Just wait and see.”
“I hope you’re right, Mike. I’m tired of riding. I just want to set up housekeeping and let that be that.” She hoped he would forget about trying to find her a couple of husbands if they were far enough out that no one would bother them.
If he found a woman he wanted to settle down with, they could live there as well. What was wrong with that? Families all lived together nowadays like they used to in the past. She’d give them all the privacy they could want. She just didn’t want to end up belonging to two overbearing brutes who would order her around.
“I can hear you thinking clear down here. What is it, Kate?” Mike’s voice startled her out of her thoughts.
“Nothing. I’m just wondering how we’re going to plant a garden if we don’t have a plow to plow it.”
“You let me worry about that part. You’ll have enough to worry over in the house.”
Kate rolled her eyes, but wisely kept her mouth shut. Mike took his role as head of the house very seriously. She sighed. Obviously, since he was dead set on finding her a husband or two.
Kate grew sleepy and finally let her exhaustion claim her.
* * * *
“Wake up, Kate.”
Mike shook her shoulder again. She wanted to slap his hand away, but knew they needed to get up and get on the road again. Then she remembered that they had found a house to look at and were in the front yard camping out.
She opened one eye and groaned at the light pouring in from the side window where he’d opened the curtains.
“What time is it?” she asked.
“It’s just after seven. We need to see about the house so we can move on if it’s not livable.”
Kate rolled out of the little bed and stepped over his makeshift bed that he hadn’t bothered to pick up. She rolled everything up and replaced the covers at the foot of her bed. Then she pulled out the last of the peanut butter and stale crackers. They quickly ate, washing it down with bottled water.
“You ready?” Mike asked. He acted like a kid at Christmas.
“I guess so. Let’s take the flashlights with us.” She picked up one while Mike grabbed the other.
He helped her down from the camper, and they slowly made their way around the outside of the house to look at the back. Everything looked intact. There was even what looked like a shed with a tractor in it. If only it would work.
They climbed up on the back porch, which seemed to be sturdy and in good repair. Mike tried the door and found the screen unlocked. He tried the door itself, but it was locked. He went from window to window until he found one open on the side of the house.
“You stay right by the window until I come back and tell you it’s safe to climb in.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” She sighed and watched as her brother climbed through the window into the house. She could hear him moving around inside but lost sight of him when he turned a corner.
“You okay in there, Mike?” she called through the window.
“Yeah, I’ll be right out to get you. Go around to the back door again. I’ll let you in.”
She sighed and walked around to the back of the house and climbed back up on the porch. Mike appeared in the window of the back door with a big grin on his face. He unlatched the back door and opened it for her to walk inside.
“Everything looks in good shape, Kate. I think we have a keeper.” He was like a kid in a candy store showing her around.
“The water works! There’s gas, but no electricity. I guess that was more than we could hope for.”
“You’re kidding. We have gas? I wonder how?” Kate hurried over to the stove and turned on the burner. It hissed but didn’t light. She quickly turned it back off.
“We’ll need to light the pilot light. I wonder if we have gas or electric hot water heaters. I could really use a hot bath.”
“If we don’t have gas, I can carry water from the stove so you can have a hot bath, Kate. You’ll feel better in no time.”
“I think what we need to do first is pick a room to clean and start cleaning.”
“I’m going to have to leave that to you and start work on that old tractor out there. We’ve got to put a garden in before it’s too late in the year.” Mike hurried out the door, leaving Kate alone in the kitchen.
After all, I am the woman. It’s my job to take care of the house. She sighed and decided the kitchen would be the first room to clean. They could sleep in the camper another night or two if they needed to. She pulled everything out of the cabinets and stacked it on one end of the kitchen and got to work cleaning the room from top to bottom.
At some point, she heard the tractor start up. She walked over to the back door and looked through the screen to see Mike waving triumphantly as he drove the thing around the backyard. She waved back and went back to cleaning and putting the dishes away. By the time Mike returned to the house at dusk, she had the kitchen in working order and had started on one of the bathrooms.
“So, how did it go plowing?” she asked as he stripped off his boots.
“Got the old garden back there broken up, but it’s going to take a lot of plowing to get it in planting shape. I’m not sure how much diesel
is in the old tank back there, either.”
“It will work out. I’m going to warm us up some soup for dinner tonight. How does that sound to you?”
“Good, but can you add something to it? I’m starved, and neither of us got lunch today.”
“I’ll fix it up with something. You need a bath. I’ve cleaned the majority of the bathroom. Go get cleaned up. You can handle a little cool water.”
They made a meal out of canned soup and pinto beans. Then Mike carried hot water from the stove to the bathroom so that Kate could have a hot bath. She carried her clean clothes inside to change into when she dried off.
She sighed as soon as she slipped into the warm water. It wasn’t exactly hot, but it was close. She hadn’t had a real bath in a week. This was heaven as far as she was concerned. She quickly bathed then just relaxed against the back of the tub and let the warm water sink into her weary muscles.
“Kate! You okay in there?” Mike knocked on the door.
She huffed out a breath in annoyance. “I’m fine, Mike. I’m just enjoying having a bath.”
“Well don’t drown while I’m out moving our stuff inside.”
Before she could stop him he was gone. Great! He would have them sleeping on something dirty if she didn’t get out of the tub now and direct where to put their things. Typical man.
Kate climbed out of the tub and quickly dried off. She pulled on her clean clothes and raced out of the house to stop him.
“Don’t, Mike.”
“Don’t what?” he asked, standing outside of the camper with his arms full.
“Nothing else is clean in the house yet. We’re going to have to sleep in the camper another night so I can clean our bedrooms next.”
“Oh. Didn’t think about needing to clean them.” He looked sheepish and tossed the stuff back in the camper.
Kate cringed at the mess he just made, but didn’t say anything. It looked like most of it was his stuff anyway. She retraced her steps back into the house and cleaned up the bathroom from her bath. She looked at the tub longingly, but reminded herself she could have another bath tomorrow.
They sat up and talked about what they would work on next and how long it might take to finish everything that needed doing around the little house. Kate was feeling pretty good about the house and making it into a home until Mike brought up the subject of finding her a couple of husbands.
“I figure there are some decent men around here in this area working their land. In a few months, we can maybe meet some of them.”
“How do you plan to do that?” She couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of her voice.
“Kate,” he began.
“No, we have a nice place here that between the two of us we can turn into a home. You can find yourself a woman and bring her home. I’ll stay out of your way. Just don’t send me off to live with a couple of strangers, Mike.”
Mike got up and stomped off toward the camper. “I’m not going to discuss this with you again.”
Kate pressed her lips together to keep from screaming at him. She sat on the porch long enough to let him get settled then made her way to the camper and climbed inside. He’d already lain down on the floor. She had to climb over him to get to the bed.
“Kate. I’m sorry. I just don’t see that I have a choice. I can’t keep you safe. There are black market thieves everywhere. If I’m out in the field plowing or out hunting for food, you’re all alone here with no one to keep you safe. They could snatch you, and I’d never see you again.”
“Let’s just see how things go, Mike. Please?” She knew he would hear the tears in her voice. They rolled down her cheeks as she lay on the little bed.
He was silent for a long time then he sighed. “Okay, Kate. We’ll see how things go.”
Chapter Four
The weeks flew by as Kate turned the little three-bedroom house into a home for them. She helped Mike plant once he had the garden tilled within an inch of its life. They figured they had enough for the two of them for the winter. Kate studied the books they’d brought with them on canning and made a list of supplies they would need come harvest time.
“There’s a city out this direction called Middleton where they say you can scavenge supplies. We probably need to make a run there and load up on whatever we can find,” Mike told her one day.
“How far is it, Mike?” She wasn’t really excited about leaving their home.
“About two hours’ drive according to the map.”
“Are you sure we need to go?”
Mike didn’t seem to catch on that she wasn’t happy about the planned trip.
“Yeah, we need to go and get whatever we can before there’s nothing left. Plus, we need some things like those canning supplies you have on your list there.” He pointed at her supply list. She almost covered it up.
“I don’t like the idea of leaving the house, Mike. What if someone comes and steals stuff from us? Maybe I should stay and guard it while you go. I can shoot the gun as well as you can.”
“Absolutely not. You go with me. I’m not leaving you here alone.”
“Mike.”
“No! End of discussion. We’ll leave first thing in the morning. I’m going to clean out the truck and the camper. We’ll need all the room we can squeeze out of them.” Mike turned and walked out of the house leaving Kate to fume.
Early the next morning, they pulled down the drive and were about to pull out onto the road when Mike stopped for another truck coming down the road. It passed them but stopped a little piece down the road.
“Mike?”
“Shh, Kate. They’re probably just interested in who their neighbors are.”
The two men climbed out of the truck and walked back toward them. To everyone’s surprise, it was the two men who’d helped save Kate back in Barter Town.
“Hi. Looks like we’re neighbors,” Mike said as they approached.
Both men walked over to Mike’s side of the truck.
“You working the Crowley place? It was in pretty bad shape last time we saw it,” Bruce said.
“We’ve been working on it for the last few weeks. Got a garden planted, so we’ll be good for winter.”
“Where you headed now?” Marcus asked with a smile.
“Middleton. I heard there are still some good pickings there, and we need supplies.”
“That’s where we are headed. You can follow us,” Marcus told them.
“That’s real nice of you. Thanks.”
“Ma’am,” Bruce said with a nod before walking back to their truck.
“They’re good men,” Mike said. “Too bad they’re still mourning their poor wife.”
“Mike!”
“Kate, I’m just making a statement. I’m not going to push you on them. That would be insensitive.”
“For them or me?” she asked with a growl.
They rode in silence the entire drive to Middleton. Kate had a lot on her mind, including the two hunky men in the truck ahead of them. They were both strong men with kind eyes. She realized that she was attracted to them, and before she knew it, her panties were wet thinking about more than just saying hi.
She let herself imagine a scenario where they were her husbands and they worshiped the ground she walked on. To have the love of such men would be heaven, she decided.
“Kate. Are you listening to me?”
“No, sorry, what did you say?”
“I was saying that you need to keep close to me once we get there. They say the wolves are bad around the abandoned buildings. They make dens out of them.”
“Great. Something else to worry about,” she muttered.
They pulled into Middleton behind the other truck. It pulled off the side of the road just inside of town, and Bruce rolled down his window.
“If you follow this road straight through town, you’ll hit all the major stores. Watch out for wolves. We’re headed to the industrial park side for some parts we need,” Bruce said.
“Thanks for lett
ing us follow you in,” Mike told them.
“Don’t stay past four, because you don’t want to have to unload in the dark. Wolves are bad around the woods back at your place,” Bruce warned them.
The other truck pulled off heading in a different direction. Mike pulled back on the road and drove until they found the first store that looked promising.
“What are we going to get here?” Kate asked as they pulled into the parking lot of a Home Depot.
“I need some parts for the tractor, and we can use some gardening tools and water hoses.” Mike climbed out of the truck and looked around. There were empty cars everywhere with buggies lying on their sides in every direction.
“Mike? Maybe I should just stay in the truck.”
“Nope, you’ve got to come with me. We don’t know who else is out here besides us and Marcus and Bruce. Come on, Kate.”
She sighed and climbed out of the truck. She followed Mike up to the storefront where he kicked out the remaining glass to one of the sliding doors. He climbed through then waited on her to do the same.
“Watch for glass, Kate.”
He grabbed a cart and handed it to her. “All right let’s take each row together. Remember, if you see a wolf, stop and be still. I’ve got the handgun with me if we need it.”
“Are you sure this is a good idea, Mike?” Kate felt like there were a thousand eyes on them now.
“Come on, Kate. It will be fine.”
They combed the aisles and loaded up with garden hoses, gloves, and various parts that Mike needed, but there were no other garden implements left. Neither were there any canning supplies. After loading up the camper, they pulled out of the parking lot and followed the road farther into town. The next store they came to was one of those super department stores with everything imaginable inside. Here they found the canning supplies along with some much-needed canned goods and first aid supplies.
Kate grabbed a couple of pairs of insulated underwear for both of them and a pair of boots for her. She figured she needed another pair of jeans, but left most all the other clothes alone. She didn’t need them. She had plenty for now.
