“Yeah.” He nodded slightly. “They noticed. Had a talk with my ol’ man about you.”
“I know. He and I had a heart-to-heart yesterday. That’s why I skipped our lesson.” She paused, curious about his take on their relationship and the odd vibes she still picked up from him on occasion. “You told him we’re just friends, right?”
“Hmmph.” Caleb grimaced. “Yeah, he knows. He likes you, I think. Not sure how mom feels, though.”
“Really? I don’t think anyone around here likes me. Mostly, they tolerate me. But it’s getting better, I guess, and I’m not as scared as I was,” she admitted quietly, aware of the boys seated on the cloth with them.
“You were scared?” The blond finally cast her a quick glance.
“Of course I was.” She giggled nervously. “A strange place with crazy ideas floating around. I think I would have been foolish not to have been afraid.”
“You’re gonna be fine, little bit.” He gave her a full smile. “No one’s gonna hurt you. In fact, there’s talk of taking you back to Midland for your final year.”
Bailey could feel the lump in her throat, her heart pounding wildly inside her chest. “Oh my God, really?”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “So hang in there.”
“Ok.” She glanced around, still feeling like more people were watching them than the display. “When?”
“I dunno. Nothing’s official yet. In time for school to start, maybe a few weeks before. We can talk about the rest later.” He stroked the smaller head in his lap while he spoke.
“Sure.” She smiled in earnest, curious if her brothers would be included in the proposition. But at least I’m going to get another chance, she breathed. There for the longest time, I thought this would be the last home I would ever know.
Twenty-Seven
Tell Me Everything
After the Fourth of July celebration, Bailey began to relax into life on The Ranch. Her fear of being harmed by the other community members had waned after her confrontation with John Cross, and she firmly believed that if they intended to kill her, they would have done so already. Her conversation with Caleb had confirmed this, and she could at last look forward to the future with hope.
Still driven by the desire to even the score with Amanda, she refrained from attempting to make friends with the girl. Everyone else on the premises, however, became fair game, and she slowly made the rounds, getting closer to as many as she could, while trying to learn about them and their past.
One of the first few that she became better acquainted with was Alissa Porter. She had the honor of being the youngest of the Fox daughters and explained that she had married her husband Tom in an attempt to avoid coming to The Ranch, back when her parents first made the move.
“I got pregnant with Judy on purpose, so I guess you could say I trapped him,” she confessed while they picked tomatoes in the morning sun. “I was only sixteen at the time. He loved me though, an’ we had Lynnette a few years later.”
Bailey grimaced. “So how did you end up here?”
“He died.” Her expression shifted to sad for a moment. “He worked on an oil rig, an’ they had some kinda accident. When th’ case settled, I decided to bring the money and invest it here, in th’ community.”
The girl bobbed her head lightly, having wondered how they had managed to fund such a massive enterprise. “You got enough to pay for all this?” She wafted her hand around to indicate the expanse of the fortress.
“Oh, hell no.” Alissa laughed. “Only a small part. The thing is, everyone contributes. Some o’ the men take jobs an’ work outside to bring in income. An’ we never keep cash. We always invest it somewhere. Cash won’ be worth anything when the end comes.” Her features grew strained after she let the last sentence slip.
“It’s ok,” Bailey soothed. “I know the reason behind building The Ranch.”
“Oh, you do?” She breathed in relief. “I’m so glad! I thought I had told you somethin’ I shouldn’t have!”
“No, you’re good. So, how long have you actually been here?” she pushed for more, realizing that the Porter girls had spent some time on the outside if what she said was true.
“Tom’s been gone eight years. We moved here right after Lynnette’s tenth birthday, so about six years,” she replied, topping off her basket. “I think we’ve plucked enough for today. Le’s get these over t’ Martha’s so she can get started on them.”
“Is she going to can them?” Bailey asked, with the mason jars they always used coming to mind.
“Yes. We can most everything,” the other woman explained. “Makes it last longer. Plus, we keep a rotation going, so we’re eatin’ the stuff that was stored in previous years an’ save the fresher crops for the future.”
“Yes, I noticed you guys had a pretty good way of keeping track,” Bailey beamed at the discovery. “Pretty smart.”
“You think it’ll work? If we ever truly need it?”
“I don’t know why it wouldn’t.” She nodded her approval. “What I don’t get is what could be so catastrophic that the world would actually come to an end.” She resisted the urge to make fun of their concern over the volcano a few weeks back.
Alissa laughed. “Well, that depends on who you talk to. Some here think that there’s gonna be a huge pandemic, an’ some crazy illness will circle the globe, killin’ off everyone. So bein’ away in the middle o’ nowhere means we got that covered.”
“Right,” Bailey agreed. “What do you believe will be the cause? Are you a zombie apocalypse kinda girl?” She giggled at her joke.
“Uhh, no,” she replied, placing her basket on the Cross porch. “I think that in the end, it’ll be men killin’ each other that’ll bring about our demise. Maybe a nuclear war. Maybe some chemical bombings or somethin’. Somethin’ really gruesome like that, which means again, keepin’ away will help us have a better chance.”
“You guys sound like you’ve thought of everything,” Bailey praised.
“Well, we’ve tried to. Le’s go find lunch, shall we?” Alissa ended the conversation at that, hoping that she really hadn’t revealed too much and knowing that things wouldn’t go well for her if she had.
After their meal, the girls went their separate ways, and Bailey wandered over to the stables. Finding a shady spot in the back, she stretched out, considering a nap before her combat lesson. If he has time for me today.
“Hey, stranger,” Caleb teased, towering over her reclined position beneath their tree.
“Hey yourself,” Bailey countered, grinning from ear to ear. There goes my nap. “I have a question for you once we get started.”
“All right, le’s go!” He offered her his hand and hauled her to her feet.
Once they were into the routine, she put forth her quandary, “How do you think the world is going to end? Tell me everything, and don’t worry about upsetting me.”
“Why the hell are you asking me that?” He stopped in mid-movement and glared at her.
“I don’t know. Just curious, I guess. I mean, you guys have gone to a lot of trouble to build this place, and I’m trying to figure out if it was really worth it.” She could see his eyes grow distant and second guessed herself. “It’s ok if you don’t want to talk about it,” she added quickly.
“Naw, I’ll tell you what I think. Only, I don’ understand why you wanna know.” He blinked at her, his mind turning what her motives could be. “Le’s finish this up, an’ then we’ll take a walk.”
She noticed that he looked around them, appearing to be anxious while they went through the rest of his lesson, and she did her best to focus the remainder of the time. Once they were done, they took off to stroll around the base of the massive wall.
“You seem nervous,” she prodded gently. “Does it bother you to think about it?”
“A little bit,” he confessed. “I guess because I never really believed it would happen. Not when I was a kid, anyways.”
“And you grew up here,”
she recalled.
“Yeah, I’ve never lived anywhere else. I mean, I’ve stayed other places, mostly in Midland or Odessa. I spent some time in El Paso, too, when I was workin’ or whatever.” He kicked the ground anxiously. “But this has always been my home.”
“So, what made you change your mind?” She squinted slightly at him. “That the end is really going to come.”
“The world’s just got so many things wrong with it.” He used his hands to illustrate. “And at the very base of all of it is man. We’re destroyin’ our planet…an’ each other. I only hope when it reaches critical, there’s still enough o’ nature left for the earth to heal itself an’ t’ go on.”
“What’s your favorite theory then? How’s mankind going to meet its doom?”
“I like another ice age. That’ll wipe out a few billion pretty efficiently.” He chuckled slightly. “O’ course that’s not really how I see it goin’ down. I think overall, the greatest thing we have goin’ against us is each other. Our planet is grossly overpopulated, an’ we’re shipping resources all over the place instead o’ livin’ off o’ what’s available locally. That’s one o’ the reason’s I like this setup here.”
“Ok, anything specific?”
“Well, we could live indefinitely off o’ what we’re able t’ produce here. With the wind power for electricity an’ water, we could go without anything from the outside world. An’ with the multiple systems, we have backups, so if we did encounter a problem, we would have time to make an alternate plan or repair it.”
“So you think shipping food to other areas is a no-no?”
“Oh, hell yeah! Take Midland for example. It’s in the middle o’ the desert, for Christ’s sake!”
Bailey grinned at his assessment, having discovered the same thing for herself a few months prior. “Ok, so why is that important? I mean, technically, so is The Ranch.”
He laughed at her naivety. “Yeah, but we’re not trying to support a million people here. If anything, or when anything, ever happens, all those people are fucked.” He held his hands up, palms to the sky. “There’s no resources aroun’ there, so as soon as things even get a little bumpy, it has the potential t’ get ugly.”
“You think they would hurt each other?” She scowled.
“Most definitely.” He shoved his hands in his pockets, kicking the ground again. “Once the food runs out an’ the stores are emptied, the smart ones are gonna get the hell out o’ town, an’ the rest’ll be fightin’ over the scraps.”
“Wow,” she breathed. “That’s a scary thought.”
Caleb stopped abruptly. “I know it is, little bit. That’s why I really hope you decide to stay here.”
“You really think that I’m going to get a choice? Uncle Pete said when we came here, we would go back to the apartment so I could finish high school, but then afterwards, he said I couldn’t leave. I wish he would make up his mind.”
“Well, I think he already has.” He spun on his heel, looking around them to see if anyone was close by. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you. But you’re gonna find out soon enough anyways. They’re sendin’ you back to Midland, all right, in a few days. I think the boys’re stayin’ here though.”
“What?” she cried a little loudly, disappointed she had been right about them being forced to remain behind.
“Sshssh…” He waved his hands at her anxiously. “I jus’ said I wadn’supposed t’ tell you, so you can’t say anything. But yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s what’s gonna happen. They’re gonna keep th’ boys though so they aren’t uprooted again when you come back.”
“And if I don’t come back, then they’re just rid of me, is that it?” she fumed.
“Something like that,” he confessed, reaching for her hand. “It’s a big choice, little bit.”
“Well, that’s just great. Am I going alone, or is Uncle Pete coming?”
“I don’t know the particulars.” He sighed, dropping her digits and ambling along the path. “An’ Pete’s a petroleum engineer. He mostly works in the field or as a consultant. He only took the office job there in town for those few months so you guys could finish out the school year. But he may go and stay with you sporadically t’ give you a little supervision.”
“Are you coming?” she asked more quietly. “I mean, I’m sure there are people here who could take care of the horses.” The evening sun glinted off his blond spikes, and she could see how he worked to process the question.
“I’m not sure if I should do that,” he replied softly, leaving the reasons for his doubts unspoken. He would have liked to tell her that he didn’t want her to go, because it might influence her decision, but the last thing he wanted was to taint her choice. In the end, he knew he couldn’t do that, so the best option would be to allow her to do it all on her own.
Twenty-Eight
Rendered
Bailey climbed the stairs to her room that night with a heavy heart. She hadn’t wanted to come to The Ranch to begin with, but the thought of leaving made her weary with grief. Maybe you don’t want to leave the twins. Maybe that’s it. She tried to console herself, knowing they were in good hands, but in the end, she knew that wasn’t the cause of her anguish.
Stripping down and slipping into her light pajamas, she climbed under her quilt and stared at the window, aware of the windmill outside. I’m going to miss this place, she confessed into the darkness. And I’m going to miss Caleb.
Never in her life had the girl worked so hard. Her hands had grown tougher after the hours of working in the garden. And she had quickly gotten used to the idea of going without makeup, trading the time she used to spend working on her appearance for the hours she put into building her health and strength.
I wonder what they would think if I refused to go. She toyed with the idea, aware that it wouldn’t be a wise choice. She knew she needed to complete her education and that going to the high school for one more year was the best option.
She also knew that Jess and Jase would be home-schooled, along with the rest of the kids at The Ranch, so she didn’t have to worry about that. The rest of the young people there seemed pretty well off, so she felt confident that it would be comparable to public education. Caleb is taking college classes after all.
Still, she had much to consider, with all of their lives being affected by her choice. Knowing she had a few days to decide, she put the decision on the back burner and focused on her breathing until she fell asleep.
Time passed, and things continued as normal, Bailey feeling aware that the friendships she had started to build continued to grow. She found herself lost each day in the never-ending list of chores and lessons that occupied her time.
In the end, no one mentioned her leaving for a full month, and she had begun to wonder if Caleb had been wrong by the time her uncle approached her.
“Hey, Bailey-girl.” Pete sidled up next to her while she enjoyed a sunset on the veranda with the boys. “Are you about ready t’ get back t’ civilization?”
Her mouth gaping, she stared at him, having thought the day would never come. “I guess that I am,” she breathed in deep pants of excitement. “Is it time to go back to school?” She hadn’t been sure what her choice would be until it had been laid before her. I need to go and finish. That’s all there is to it.
“Yeah.” He looked away from her, taking in the gorgeous sky. “The boys are gonna join the small school here locally, but I think it would be better if we let you finish the last year in Midland…if you wanna go.”
“Yes, I’ll go,” she beamed. “But you guys will be here when I get back, right? I’ve gotten kind of attached to these guys.” She tussled a set of brown locks for emphasis.
Grinning, Pete stepped forward, pulling her into a tight embrace. “Be good, little bit,” he urged into her hair. “Get your things together tonight. Luis’s gonna take the plane an’ fly you back first thing in the morning.”
“What do you mean, Luis?” she stammered. “You’re not taking
me?”
“Naw,” he countered smoothly. “I got things to do around here. The guys’ll give you a lift, an’ he’s gonna stay at the apartment with you, get a job an’ all that. Just take your key and do your best. You’re old enough and responsible enough.” He sighed loudly. “Make good choices, an’ we’ll see you maybe for Christmas.”
“Yes, sir.” She grinned broadly, giving him a mock salute. Grabbing each of her little brothers for a quick hug, she headed up the stairs to pack her bag and be ready to leave. So, Luis is going to be my chaperone. I wonder who else is going to bring the plane back?
While stuffing her things into her suitcase, she realized she wouldn’t need much. Mostly her makeup, as she had left the rest of her belongings at the apartment. Running down a mental check list, she made sure her key and her phones were in the side of her bag, and she was set.
At that moment, her thoughts turned to the fair-haired man who had become her trainer and dearest friend. I have to see Caleb. She knew it would be hard, but she couldn’t bear the thought of leaving without saying goodbye.
Clomping down the stairs, she noticed how late it was getting, and most of the house had turned in for the night. Gosh, I’ll have to hurry if I want to be discreet. She could always knock on his door, but the thought of disturbing his parents tarnished the idea.
Hoping he would still be out with the animals, she jogged down the road that connected the ranch house to the barn and stables. Opening the door quietly, she listened into the darkness, the stillness indicating that the far stall remained unoccupied that evening.
Back outside, she made her way over to the barn, to the end with the swinging double doors, which held the cages of rabbits. She gave a startled jump when the door opened and the man she had been searching for stepped out into the moonlight.
“Hey, little bit. What a surprise.” He grinned, but his brow appeared furrowed in dim glow. “You all set t’ leave?”
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