That was the turning point in his life. He realized then that everyone had a price. He could have offered someone a bottle of tequila to kill Jessy, but he hadn’t and now he was in this mess.
The little girl with the jet-black hair had been standing there, at the edge of the clearing, watching the whole thing unfold. Kyle had tried to explain that the man was going to hurt him, and he was simply defending himself. She hadn’t said much, but he wasn’t convinced she believed him. His charms worked better on women with no self-esteem than little kids who asked too many questions.
He did the only other thing he knew would work with kids, he gave her a treat. That seemed to earn him a few points with her and would hopefully solve the issue of a witness to his misdeeds once the poison took effect. With everything on the line, the only option was to eliminate the risk altogether but he couldn’t simply kill her and expect to get away with it. After Jessy, there would be too many questions. Except that instead of dying, this risk disappeared with her mother and he’d been forced to hunt them down.
Kyle watched and evaluated. He was cunning. He was methodical. It wasn’t going to be easy; the woman had some rather large bodyguards but before he could do anything to her, he had to find the child first. Today wasn’t going to be the day. He would go back to his camp and come up with a better plan.
As he slowly faded back into the trees, he took one last look at the woman bathing in the stream. It was too bad she was going to have to die; she would have made a beautiful first lady in his new city.
10
Megan walked back to the cabin, doing what she could to stay out of the guys’ way. She didn’t like Albert and wasn’t in the mood to deal with him. She had shown Ryland how to skin and prep the rabbit. Given how easy it is to skin a rabbit, the initial skinning part had gone relatively well even though Ryland had been completely grossed out. She’d showed him how to pinch the hide on the rabbit’s back and held his hand over the blade while he cut through the skin. He’d refused to use his fingers to hook them under the skin; choosing instead to use the knife.
Originally, she was hoping to save the fur, which probably would have happened if she’d been smart and removed it entirely before showing him how to remove the innards. Thankfully, in his zest, he didn’t cut into the bowel or intestines or they could have contaminated the meat making it unusable. Luckily, Ryland did get the hang of things and the process wasn’t a complete disaster but it was a messy one. He would certainly need more practice, but Megan was confident he would be able to do it on his own eventually.
Willow had offered to heat some water for her so she could clean up but Megan really wanted a few minutes alone. She didn’t mind a cold bath now and again. Ryland didn’t get a choice and was quickly ordered into the bathroom to wash the blood from his hands and arms.
When she got to the stream, her intention was to wash her arms and face. The water was cool and refreshing and before she knew it, she was stripped down and taking advantage of the privacy. While it invigorated her, it wasn’t long before the water became too cold.
The feeling of someone watching her had been very strong. She couldn’t ignore it any longer and decided to get dressed and head back to the cabin. The entire way back, she kept checking behind her, expecting to see someone following her. She simply couldn’t shake the feeling.
Megan swelled with pride at the smell of cooking rabbit. She had contributed and it made her feel like she belonged. The women were chatting away about the garden they were going to plant.
Megan had to ask, “Where are you getting seeds for the garden?”
Rosie smiled, “Well, that was another thing Dale planned for. We have seeds tucked away in the root cellar. They aren’t just any seeds,” she said with a smile. “They’re heirloom seeds that were originally cultivated for this area. This way, hopefully they’ll be resistant to disease, pests, and can withstand the weather up here. Given our limited water resource, I would love it if we didn’t have to use any sort of chemical pesticide on our food.”
“But we do have to do the work,” Willow added.
“Wow. He really thought of everything didn’t he?” Megan was impressed and wished she could have met the man who had so much foresight.
“Yes, he did. The man didn’t trust the government and wasn’t buying into the idea that we would never have to worry about war or an economic collapse,” Rosie explained.
Megan watched as Willow dumped what looked like rehydrated vegetables into the pot with the rabbit. She had an assortment of spices that she tossed in, which made the entire room smell delicious. Her stomach growled. The food smelled amazing.
“Can I help with anything?” Megan asked, needing to feel useful.
“You can help me make some bread to go with the stew,” Willow told her.
Megan couldn’t even imagine fresh bread. It had been so long since she’d bit into warm, crusty bread that she felt her mouth water in anticipation. Bread was definitely another one of those things she was adding to the list of what she never wanted to take for granted again.
“I would love to!” she jumped off the stool she had been sitting on. “Let me check on Caitlin and I will be right back.”
Caitlin looked much better and was responding to voices. She wasn’t answering questions, but she would move or moan, which according to Rosie was a good sign. They were going to keep giving her the tea every couple hours.
Megan worked alongside Willow and Rosie in the kitchen, learning how to make bread from scratch. They had to grind the wheat by hand first, which was definitely a lot more work. Rosie explained the wheat would store longer and it had been cheaper.
Since the woodstove would be used, they needed to get a fire going. Megan volunteered. That was one thing she was very comfortable doing even before the EMP. The guys had already brought the wood supplies into the house and Megan took a moment to enjoy having others around to help with all the work. Chopping and carrying wood had certainly helped her develop muscles, but it was definitely a chore she wouldn’t mind delegating to someone else.
She quickly got a hot fire going using the firestarter next to the kindling. Willow put the bread inside a cast iron pot and covered it with the lid before setting it on the stove. The aroma of fresh bread was almost instant. Megan’s stomach was empty and all of the tantalizing smells were making her mouth water. She had gotten used to being hungry, but smelling all the good food had her stomach dancing around in anticipation of a good meal.
The ladies were opening cans of chili and dumping them into another cast iron pot.
“More food?” Megan asked in astonishment.
“This is lunch,” Willow explained. “You can help me whip up some cornbread next. It only takes about thirty minutes on the stove.”
Rosie had a small bowl of water and was wiping down the countertops. The kitchen was always so clean and now Megan knew why. She sniffed smelling lemon in the air.
“I add some lemon essential oil to the water to disinfect,” Rosie explained. “It kills the germs, bacteria, and viruses that stick to the surface.” She grabbed a small box and showed it to Megan. Inside there were probably twenty dark-colored bottles.
“What are those?” she asked.
“These are my essential oils,” Rosie explained. “I have been using them for years to clean as well as medicinally.” She reached in and pulled one out, “Peppermint,” she said removing the lid and inhaling deeply before holding it under Megan’s nose.
“Wow that smells great. And powerful,” she said, suddenly feeling her sinuses clear.
Rosie put the lid on and replaced the bottle. “It smells great and can help relieve congestion. It is also great for easing a headache. In fact, each one of these oils has a number of uses. They store for a long time and won’t lose potency unlike things like chlorine bleach and Lysol.” She smiled, “And I just love the smells!”
Megan appreciated everything she was learning but despite how easy they made it all seem, she di
dn’t want to get too comfortable. They were a close family and she was still a guest.
A guest who would be leaving the minute her daughter was healthy enough. For now, she would continue to learn as much as she could from them and hopefully put it to use when she found somewhere safe to start over. While she knew that she could never build a home for Caitlin that was even close to what these people had, no matter what, she would take pride in creating a home without depending on anyone other than herself. It was better that way.
Rosie put down her cloth and focused her attention on Megan, “Sweetie, you are welcome here. Don’t go making plans to run off. With all of us working together, we will all be better off.”
Megan smiled at her, “I really appreciate that, but we need to move on. You guys have something great here and I am very grateful for your generosity and hospitality, but we can’t impose.”
Rosie shook her head, “You are safe here. Your daughter is safe here. What more could you want?”
Megan knew Rosie was being sincere, but it made her nervous to think about settling down with people she didn’t really know. She’d put her trust in others before only to end up bitterly disappointed and alone anyway, she didn’t see any point in building a relationship since she had no intention of staying. For now, she would play along and be the nice houseguest. Once her daughter was on the mend, they would leave.
Wyatt and the guys had returned and quickly ate the chili and cornbread. There wasn’t a lot to go around, but with the promise of a hearty stew and fresh bread, it was enough. Megan and the ladies each managed to get a small bowl and a piece of cornbread. It was incredibly filling, which Megan realized was the point of serving the bread with the meal. Another mental note for her future utopia, make lots of bread.
The rest of the afternoon was spent cleaning up and Megan got a crash course in the laundry department.
They had three setups. A five-gallon bucket with holes all around the bottom, similar to that of a washing machine tub, was placed inside another five-gallon bucket. The clothes were put inside the bucket filled with water and soap. A toilet plunger was put in the center and a lid with a hole cut out for the plunger handle was placed over the top.
Each of the ladies spent several minutes pulling and pushing the plunger, acting as the agitator in a washing machine. They washed, rinsed and then hung the clothes on a rope stretched between two trees in the sun. Rosie explained they would be taking the clothes in to hang by the fire at dusk if they weren’t dry.
As Megan worked, she found herself falling into an easy camaraderie with the two women. It was easy to imagine herself working alongside everyone on a daily basis. And while she would be the first to say that she preferred hunting and trapping to washing clothes in a bucket, she thoroughly enjoyed how easy it was to talk to Willow and Rosie. Under different circumstances, she might happily call them friends but she didn’t dare now. It would make it too hard to leave when the time came.
11
Wyatt and the guys returned to the cabin, dirty, tired and hungry. Despite their best efforts, they all had scratches and cuts from stringing the barbed wire.
Walking in the door, he stopped to take a long, deep breath and instantly started salivating. The cabin smelled like his favorite family-style restaurant. His mother and Willow had become experts at preparing meals with very few ingredients. It wasn’t always easy to make freeze-dried food taste like fresh food, but they were getting better at it every day.
The smell of fresh bread took him back to growing up in Spokane when his mom spent her time in the kitchen baking and his dad was always sniffing around the stove or sitting at the table, ready to dig in the second she gave the all clear. He longed for those days, but was going to appreciate every moment of his future.
Megan, his mom and Willow were all chatting in the kitchen, holding what he assumed were cups of coffee. It looked so natural and Megan was practically glowing. This was the first time he saw her acting like a typical woman.
She seemed to be genuinely enjoying herself and his mind quickly brought the sight of her nearly naked body to the forefront. His blood started racing and he had to take a deep breath to control his very primitive response to the image.
She turned to look at him, smiled and then went back to her conversation. Boy, he was in trouble. He wanted her to stay—bad. He had to make her see the benefits to sticking with them. Sure, it would be a little crowded, but they would find a way. This woman sparked a fire within him that he didn’t want to ignore.
He watched with envy as Jack walked into the kitchen, grabbed his wife at the waist and laid a big kiss on her. She giggled. They chatted a few moments before he swatted her on the butt and went out the back door.
Wyatt followed his brother out to clean up before dinner. The table was already set and he knew they were waiting on the men to be settled.
Ryland came downstairs, “Next time I want to go with you guys,” he called out.
“I doubt that, young man,” grumbled Albert. “Messing with barbed wire isn’t any fun.”
“Hanging out with the girls and doing nothing all day isn’t any fun either, Albert.” Ryland stood on the bottom step, “I’m practically a man and I need to know how to do that stuff,” he argued.
Wyatt overheard the conversation and popped back in the door. He figured the kid was right. “You’re right, Ry. You can do your school stuff in the morning and if your mom and dad say it’s cool, you can come out with us.”
Willow raised an eyebrow and then busted out laughing. “Do you actually think I am going to argue for you to stay with me all day, kid? No way. You go right on ahead and hang out with your dad and uncle.” She quietly added, “Let them experience your bubbly attitude.”
Wyatt laughed; he remembered those tortured days of being a preteen. Too old to play, too young to work. It was a rough time in a boy’s life. Thankfully, his nephew had plenty of things to keep him busy. He wouldn’t have to worry about being bored or not fitting in. He would figure out his place soon enough.
Dinner was served and they spent an enjoyable hour eating by candlelight. The conversation was light and they all talked about their plans for tomorrow and the future. Chase and Albert ended up in a heated argument over whether baseball or football should be brought back first as the national sport. It was Ryland, who put a stop to it when he pointed out that technically, soccer could be played most anywhere. Jack backed him up and Chase conceded the argument but Albert refused to pointing out that the stadiums still existed.
Wyatt couldn’t help but notice Megan had been quiet during dinner as they made their plans for the day, weeks and coming months and didn’t bother contributing to their attempt to talk about sports. She stared down at her food with a pensive look on her face. She clearly had no intention of staying and the others seemed to notice her silence.
Chase finally said what had been on Wyatt’s mind. “You know, with the nine of us together, we make an excellent team. Each of us brings something to the table. Even the kids and that dog.”
Despite Albert usually being grumpy and negative, he looked directly at Megan, “You should stay.”
His gruff voice didn’t fool anyone who knew him. He acted like a grumpy old man, but he was really one of the nicest, most loyal people Jack had met. At least that’s what he had told Wyatt when he brought him home.
Wyatt watched Megan to see if the words were getting through. “Thank you. I’ll think about it. Right now, I really need to get my daughter better.”
Willow stood and began clearing the table, “You think about it. We will all be right here.”
Megan excused herself to go check on Caitlin again.
Wyatt walked in to see if there were any changes in the little girl’s condition. The scene before him was very touching. Megan was sitting next to her daughter, smoothing her dark hair back from her face. He knew her heart was breaking and she was absolutely terrified of losing her child. He was hoping that once Caitlin got better, s
he would be more willing to listen to the group.
She had to stay. Every day that passed, he found himself caring about her more and more, which logically didn’t make sense. He barely knew her and she intentionally didn’t share much because she didn’t intend to stay. But her passion for her daughter and the way she tackles anything set in front of her are qualities that make her that much more attractive to him.
Duke’s ears perked up when he saw him. He had moved to the foot of the bed, but was still sticking close by taking his guard dog job very seriously. In fact, it may have been a little too seriously. He hadn’t eaten much on their journey up to the cabin and hadn’t even touched his bowl of food since he took on the job of guarding Caitlin.
Wyatt hoped it was just because he was dedicated to his charge and completely focused on her. The last thing they needed was a sick dog. Duke was only five and had many years left in him. Ryland would be crushed if he lost his dog. They all would be.
It seems like they had all been fighting to hold on to even the smallest things that reminded them of their old lives. Hopefully, it was nothing more than a phase and the dog would bounce back tomorrow.
“You can use that top drawer if you want,” he told her when she looked up and saw him standing there.
She chuckled, “I packed pretty light. I don’t know that I have anything to put in that top drawer.”
“Just the same. Put a few things away. I want you to feel comfortable here,” he told her in all earnestness. “Megan, you don’t have to go. Okay? I know, you’re tired of hearing us all say it, but we really want you to know how valuable you are to us and how valuable we can be to you and your little girl.”
She took a deep breath. “I know. I get it. I need to work some stuff out. I will give it some thought.”
EMP Lodge Series (Book 1): Dark Retreat Page 8
