Not able to help, the girls just looked around at the thick trees and saw several deer. Driving for another few miles, they rounded a curve and saw a house on the left side of the road. “What the hell?!” Wendy shouted and stomped the brakes.
The road ahead stopped in front of the house and dark green grass seemed to form a road, but a fence ran across it. “Hey, those are water sprinklers,” Sally said and then everyone noticed the half dozen water sprinklers watering the dark grass and trees.
“Are you sure you didn’t miss a turn?” Jo Ann asked. “There are trees over there behind the fence. Not big ones, but trees older than I am.”
Waving her hand at the house, “That’s the Kercher house. They go to our church,” Wendy cried out. “See that dark grass, that’s where the road was.”
“Um, there’s a tree in the dark grass past the fence,” Sally said, pointing ahead.
Looking around, Wendy saw a trailer near the creek that had solar panels and water hoses running to it. Turning, she saw the dirt track that led to the dilapidated barn. “I’ll drive through the damn field,” Wendy growled, stomping on the gas.
Driving past the dilapidated barn, the girls saw the track they were on continued past the barn and ended at a dirt road. Wendy stopped and looked back and saw someone had plowed up the road for a quarter of a mile, but the last few hundred yards only had small grass stems sticking out of the dirt.
“I knew I was on the right road,” Wendy sighed with relief and turned back onto the dirt road that had disappeared.
When she reached Ted and Tammy’s, Wendy gave a soft sob remembering sweet little Nicole and then saw two graves beside the house. “I bet Arthur did that,” Wendy mumbled, taking her foot off the brake.
Looking ahead, Wendy’s mouth fell open and her foot just slipped off the accelerator as she looked at Jack and Starlie’s farm. “Holy crap, they must be rich! Look at all the stuff they have!” Sally cried out, rolling down her window.
Vehicles were parked in rows and most were new. “This isn’t theirs,” Wendy mumbled, looking around and finding it hard to believe this was the same valley she’d lived in.
Turning away from Jack’s farm, Wendy saw the business house and there was more stuff stacked around in neat piles. Then to one side were two tanker trailers and a line of ATVs. “Arthur, you left the fucking farm?!” Wendy bellowed as the realization set in.
Gripping the steering wheel, Wendy stomped the accelerator.
***
Leading the kids, Arthur set his chainsaw down. “Okay, Shawn, your turn,” Arthur said, looking down at Nicole asleep in the sling.
“You sure I’m ready?” Shawn asked nervously.
“You’ve seen me cut down ten trees and asked that on the last five. Tuck your dick in your boot and get your gear on,” Arthur chuckled as the other kids stepped back.
Taking his AR off, Shawn adjusted his chaps and put his hard hat on before lowering the earmuffs. As Shawn knelt down to start the chainsaw, the dogs ran up to Arthur and looked out over the slope. All four gave soft growls and Arthur spun around, dropping to his right knee.
“Shawn, don’t start the saw,” Arthur snapped, pulling his AR up from under his arm.
Kirk ran up and tapped Shawn until Shawn looked back. Seeing Kirk scared, Shawn lifted his hardhat up. “Someone’s coming,” Kirk whispered, gripping his AR tight.
Turning and seeing Arthur looking down the slope, Shawn heard a vehicle approaching. “Shawn, get the kids behind trees. I don’t know anyone that drives a Tahoe,” Arthur called over his shoulder.
Only twenty feet from the gate, Arthur glanced down at the AR and then at Nicole. “Sorry, blue eyes, you’ll have to ride this one out with me,” Arthur said, looking up as the Tahoe stopped at the gate and the driver’s door shot open. Arthur’s mouth gaped and the AR fell from his numb hands.
Storming over to the keypad, Wendy punched in the code and the gate didn’t open. “Arthur, you open this gate right now!” Wendy screamed. “I told you to stay at home! I swear, if you are sick I’m going to kick your ass!”
Hearing the dogs barking, Wendy turned to see Kit and Kat running at her full bore followed by Donald and Daisy. “Babies,” Wendy cried out, loving on the dogs. “Is Arthur okay or does momma have to spank his ass?”
The kids all stepped out from behind the trees as Arthur slowly stood up. They knew it was Wendy because of the pictures around the house.
Lifting her head up from where the dogs had run from, Wendy felt her heart skip, seeing Arthur numbly walking through the trees to her. “Arthur!” Wendy cried out and took off running.
Instinctively, Arthur pulled Nicole under his left arm and holding his right out as Wendy jumped up, hitting him in the chest to wrap her arms and legs around him. “Baby,” Arthur cried, hugging Wendy tight and Wendy kissed him and then leaned back.
“You shaved your beard,” she noted and then realized Arthur was only holding her with one arm. Glancing down, Wendy gasped and released her legs to slide off. “I didn’t hurt her, did I?” Wendy said, looking at the baby. Then Wendy reached out, moving the sling away from the face.
“Nicole?!” Wendy gasped and bent down to kiss Nicole.
Standing up from Nicole, Wendy felt Arthur pull her in and kissed her hard with tears rolling out of his eyes. “I thought you were dead,” Arthur sobbed.
Wrapping her arms around him, “I thought I was too, baby. By the time I could move, there wasn’t any way to let you know,” Wendy said, crying into his neck.
Blinking the tears from her eyes, Wendy looked behind Arthur and gave a startle. Wendy’s eyes grew big, seeing the mass of kids walking toward them. She pushed away from Arthur and looked at the kids, then back to Arthur. “Okay, I’m not that mad you left the farm,” Wendy finally said.
“Now we have a big family,” Arthur grinned, moving to hug Wendy, but she stopped him.
“It’s not done yet,” Wendy smiled and turned to the Tahoe. “Girls, bring the boys!”
Arthur and the kids watched two girls walk around the Tahoe. One carrying a baby and the other a toddler, “Twins!” Andrea said, behind them.
“Yeah, we have been through a lot, just as I’m sure you’ve been through a lot,” Wendy said, turning around and noticed the kids behind Arthur were all looking at her with a reverence that was starting to bother her.
“Wendy, why are the twins looking at me like I walk on water?” Arthur asked, looking down at Sally and Jo Ann who were stopped at his feet.
“Guys, I’m Arthur’s wife,” Wendy told the group of kids.
“Oh, we know,” Shawn said, stepping over in awe.
“Work’s done today!” Arthur called out, putting an arm around Wendy and turned around. “Robin!” Arthur cried out. “I just put those damn clothes on you! You know how hard it was to find pink jeans and a shirt to fit your skinny ass?!”
Robin giggled and ran over in her pink boots and latched onto Arthur’s leg. Looking up from Robin, Arthur looked Wendy in the eyes. “This one…. is your child,” he said with a serious voice.
Bending down, Wendy picked up the naked, boot-wearing toddler. “Come on, girls. Let me show you our home,” Wendy said, grabbing Arthur’s hand. The entire group moved to the house and introductions were made. Then, everyone sat down in the living room. For the rest of the day, everyone told their stories of how they ended up in this new family.
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Viral Misery (Book 1) Page 41
