by Mark Mathews
As they drove in, Emily’s eyes grew wider and wider. It was a beautiful spot, log cabins surrounded by pine trees, giving the sense of peace and quiet in a world of madness. It even calmed Wade’s heart a little. The resort largely was untouched, and that gave him some hope they could have a good time without anyone bothering them. The weather was still clear, and he was pretty sure most of the activities still would have the equipment nearby.
“How about we all take a little break from reality? Let’s see if we can find a nice room to stay in, and relax for a day or so?” He knew they would be inclined to accept his offer, but he wasn’t aware how quickly Emily would have a smile on her face, or how Sarah’s eyes would sparkle in gratitude for a little calm in the storm they’d been running from.
“That would be wonderful. Even if most of the things take electricity and don’t work. It still will be a nice, quiet place to recharge our batteries for a bit. Thank you, Wade, for being so thoughtful.” His cheeks warmed a little at the praise in her voice.
He didn’t want to admit it, but when she had that warm timbre in her voice, it touched him to the deepest parts of his heart. He had to shake himself out of it, and then parked around the back of the lobby. He still could be cautious, even if they technically were taking a little vacation from life. He kept his pistol loose in the holster as he walked into the lobby and toward the front desk. There was a stack of maps in place, and a bunch of old-fashioned skeleton keys hanging on a pegboard behind it. A shiver of relief passed over him. He hadn’t even thought of what would have happened if the doors had had electronic key cards. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case, or this vacation would be over before it started. He looked at the map, which showed all the rooms, as well as some of the major activity areas. He found one toward the back of the property, and looked around the pegboard for the matching key. Smiling, he grabbed it and the map and went back out to the girls, who still were waiting in the wagon.
“Okay, girls, I got the key and a map, so let’s get this vacation started!”
Emily was bouncing up and down in her seat with excitement. Even Sarah looked more excited than he’d ever seen her. He drove them to their little cabin, and parked in a clump of trees, trying to hide the paddy wagon as best he could. Emily got out and stretched like a little cat, and Sarah closed her eyes as she breathed in the fresh mountain air. Even Wade felt a lightening of his burdens when he looked around. There was a beautiful lake not too far from their cabin, and the way the sun hit the water made it look like a basin of molten light. The trees gave off a fresh, crisp scent that opened their airways and seemed to clean out the clog of fear and sweat caused by the gang and the other troubles they’d found along the road.
Wade had the key and led the way to the cabin. He opened the cabin door, and when they walked in they were amazed. Everything inside looked like it was carved of live trees. Everything had the detailing of branches and leaves, even a bird or squirrel carved in here and there. It made Emily feel like a fairy living in the forest somewhere. There was a canopy over the king-sized bed that looked as though it was woven from leaves. The carpet matched, making it look like they were walking on a soft bed of leaves wherever they went. There was even a small pool to one side of the room, with stairs leading down to it. Granted, the sauna and the tanning bed would be useless right now, but the water was still good.
“This is amazing!” Emily flitted about the room, touching everything like a little hummingbird who couldn’t make up her mind about from which flower to eat. “What are we going to do first?” She looked at Sarah, eyes shining.
“Well, I think Wade has the activities map, so we should ask him.” She couldn’t help but smile at the little girl. The way she lit up was something that Sarah had wondered if she would ever see. Wade grinned at her, too, and both adults shared a glance that said her happiness was infectious, and they were loving every minute of it.
“Let’s see. There are hiking trails we can investigate, and there’s an archery range. I don’t think that will have been affected at all, so we still could use it. Something tells me the horses aren’t there anymore, though, so I don’t think the pony rides are an option. Swimming is still in, whether it’s in this little pool or in the lake. I’m pretty sure it’s safe in there. And there’s a pretty big library in the lobby, so if there are any books you want to pick up, there’s a chance for it.” Emily was now bouncing on the balls of her feet in excitement.
“Oh boy! What can we do first?” Sarah laughed at her enthusiasm. Her heart throbbed with the love that she felt for the little girl. It was new and it was still a little strange to her, but she liked it and she wasn’t going to shy away from it. Maybe they could be a family when all of this over.
“Well, what do you want to do first?” Emily thought for a moment, biting her lip.
“I want to go on the nature hike. After being cooped up in that wagon for so long, I want to walk around outside without having to look over my shoulder.” Wade and Sarah exchanged a glance. Emily was growing up faster than they would have liked, but in this day and age, it was necessary.
“Sounds good to me. Maybe we even can do a little hunting? Do you want to wear a pistol? There should be plenty of squirrels and birds around if you want to practice some more.” It was an added-on thought, and Wade mentally slapped himself for saying it. This was meant to be a breath of fresh air, not another way to get along in the world they were victim to. But Emily just grinned wider.
“That would be great! Yeah! I’d like to go hunting.”
He heaved a sigh of relief that he hadn’t ruined the intention of this stop. Wade started unbuckling his pistol belt. Emily’s smile widened as she took it and gingerly put it on her own hips. She had to tighten it all the way for it to stay on her narrow frame, but luckily it held. She walked a few circles to test it, and the belt stayed where it should. She gave Wade a thumbs-up, showing him she was ready.
“Alright! Let’s see what we can find!” He had the map, so he led the way down toward the lake.
Sarah was bringing up the rear, acting as security, just in case trouble found them. Just because they were going to have themselves a little vacation didn’t mean the rest of the world wanted to leave them alone, and she wasn’t taking any chances. They went near the lake, and Sarah stopped. The fish were jumping, and it made her want to go fishing, really badly.
“Wade? Do they have fishing poles here?” He thought for a moment before pulling out the map. On the back was a list of activities, and he scoured it for fishing. His face lit up.
“Yeah. Actually, there’s a fishing pole rental in the lobby. If you want to go fishing later we can grab some poles.”
That was like a soothing balm to her heart. Fishing was something she used to do with her dad, and it always made her feel like she was on top of the world. Being able to do it again was going to help her recharge her batteries and maybe get rid of this wrongness that she felt, but couldn’t explain.
“Great! I’ll do that when we get back, if you guys don’t mind?” Wade shook his head, and Emily nodded.
“Can I come with you?” She looked shy again, asking if she could intrude on something that she must have felt was so personal to Sarah. It warmed her heart.
“Of course. I’ll tell you all the stories my dad used to tell me when I was little and just learning how to fish.” The grin on Emily’s face could have split her in half if she wasn’t careful. This was turning out to be a wonderful stop for them.
When they got into the woods, the dappled shadows played peek-a-boo with them, throwing them alternately into shade and sunlight as they strode along. They didn’t talk, but it wasn’t because they were trying to be quiet enough to hunt. It was just that the forest was so peaceful no one wanted to ruin the beauty of nature. Birds were singing as they passed under the eaves made of branches. Emily kept her eyes darting to every shadow and bush for any signs of animal life, her hand poised above the pistol. They’d been walking for about twenty minut
es when Emily suddenly froze. She was staring at a spot between two trees, slightly to their left, off the path. Sarah had to pull up short to avoid running into her. Wade stopped, too, following her gaze.
A deer was standing just more than a dozen yards away from them, munching on a bush. Sarah’s panic disappeared as she saw it was just a deer, and not a threat. Wade gave an almost imperceptible nod, and Emily reached for the pistol, painstakingly slowly. They must have been downwind of the deer, because it showed no signs of noticing they were there. Emily’s hand came up, her arms straightened out in the stance that Sarah had shown her, and she aimed. The resounding bang seemed unnaturally loud in this otherwise quiet corner of the world.
The deer never knew what hit it. It ran maybe ten yards and fell down. Emily pumped her fist in victory and let out a whoop. Both Sarah and Wade looked at her with pride. She was adapting very well to this world, and they were so proud of her.
“I got it!” She did a little victory dance as she put the pistol back into the holster and started for the deer. She walked as quietly as she could, trying not to make any sudden movements that might scare it off.
“Yes, you did. Good job, tiger! Wanna learn how to gut it?” The color drained from Emily’s face, and Sarah doubled over laughing. Emily stared at her in horror.
“The look on your face was priceless!” Sarah choked out. Emily glared at her, then turned her attention back to Wade. She squared her shoulders, then walked over to him with determination in her eyes.
“Yes! I’ll need to learn everything, so I might as well start now.” That statement shut up Sarah pretty quickly.
This little girl was a spitfire, and she felt properly chastised for laughing. Wade raised an eyebrow at Sarah, almost as if he was mocking her as well. She stuck her tongue out at him, even though she knew it was childish. She watched as Emily and Wade went over to the deer. This was something she really didn’t want to see. So, she continued down the path, scoping out the trail, and scuffling leaves so she wouldn’t hear any sounds coming from the butchering. Wade showed Emily how to break the back legs, then start at the butt to slice open the belly. He cut the esophagus, then grabbed a handful of guts and deftly pulled the whole bundle out, leaving the empty rib cage with a little blood pooling between the bones.
Surprisingly, Emily didn’t blanche or throw up, and she had a determined look on her face as she watched him. He tried his best to do it slowly, so she could pay attention to what he was doing if she ever had to do it herself. When he finished, he grabbed the front legs and offered them to Emily. She swallowed hard, then took them and stepped between them, dragging the deer with her as she walked. The farther she walked, the more she started to strut. She was proud that she’d felled the deer. When they got back, Wade offered to start dressing and cooking the deer while the girls went fishing.
“Sounds good to me!” Sarah was a little squeamish, but she didn’t want to admit it since she had been a big, tough cop before.
“Where did you say the fishing poles were?” Wade bit down on a laugh.
“They’re by the gift shop. There’s a little equipment rental shed.” She smiled her thanks and held out a hand for Emily.
The little girl took it eagerly and followed Sarah to the lobby. Wade went about lashing some sticks together into a spit to cook the deer on, then set about skinning it. He had no problem doing the manual labor portion of the cooking, and if the girls managed to come back with some fish, he would dress them, too. The weapons they’d taken from the bikers all were meant for bigger, bulkier people. He wanted to find something that wouldn’t have so much recoil for a little girl. There had to be a gun store somewhere in the Great Lakes area that hadn’t been picked clean yet. The thought made him smile. They really were a little family. This vacation was just what they needed.
Sarah led Emily back toward the lobby, and they browsed the gift shop for a few moments before they went to the equipment rental shack. Emily found a T-shirt that she loved that had a beautiful picture of the grounds in moonlight on it, and Sarah told her to go ahead and take it. There was no way the world was going to go back to monetary currency, so she wasn’t too worried about it. She found a wonderful pocket knife with a dozen different attachments that she picked up for Wade, blushing a little since she was thinking of him so much. When they finally got to the shed, Emily’s eyes immediately focused on the bows and arrows.
“They have an archery field next to the lake! Can we take the bows, too? Please?” The little girl almost was jumping up and down with excitement, and it would have broken her heart to tell her no. But they might not have enough time in one day to get everything done that they wanted. Maybe she’d have to have a little chat with Wade to see if they could take an extra day here.
“Sure, honey. Grab one and a quiver and we’ll see how we do with time.” Emily let out a squeal of delight and raced around the corner.
Laden down with all of her equipment, she looked much smaller than she really was. Yet, Sarah knew she had a steel cord for a spine, and she was willing to do whatever needed to be done. She’d gotten lucky to have such a wonderful little girl find her in the middle of hell. The trip to the lake was short, and Sarah showed Emily how to bait her hook so she wouldn’t lose her bait if a fish nibbled but didn’t swallow the hook. They had a great time, chit-chatting and reeling in the fish. Sarah had had the thought to grab a bucket in case they caught anything, and it was full in less than an hour.
“You want to start practicing, and I’ll take the fish to Wade? I’ll come right back.” A shadow passed over Emily’s face, but then she let it pass.
“Okay, sounds good.”
Sarah wasn’t too worried. If anything happened in the ten minutes that she’d be gone, then Emily could shoot them with an arrow. Yes, they were only practice tips, but with the force of the bow, they still would pierce a person. Besides, there was such a feeling of peace here that she was sure Emily would be able to sense danger before it happened. Sarah picked up the bucket and started back toward their cabin. Looking over her shoulder, she could see Emily walking up to the first target, strapping on the quiver, and drawing an arrow to load the bow. She looked fierce and determined, like a little warrior queen, and it made Sarah’s heart swell with pride. When she turned her attention back to where she was going, she barely avoided a branch that was sticking out of the ground, half buried. Thanking her lucky stars no one had seen her almost face-plant, she walked up to Wade with a smile.
“Hey. So, I have something I want to talk to you about. I come bearing fish.” She held the bucket out like an offering, and Wade laughed at the look on her face. He reached out for them and started dressing them.
“What’s going on in that thought factory in your mind? I can see the wheels turning and the gears whirring, but I can’t quite read what’s coming out. So, you’ll have to help me with that.” Sarah smiled as she sat down.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
“I WAS THINKING, maybe we should stay here for another day? She’s having a good time, and we’re sort of recharging our batteries here without having to worry about anyone attacking us. What do you think?”
Sarah was hoping Wade with agree with her. Yes, she was doing it for Emily’s sake, to let her just be a kid for a little while, but she was doing it for herself, too. She was getting such a good feeling here of normalcy, or what normalcy used to be, that she didn’t want to pick up and leave yet. She bit her lip, watching as Wade started cleaning the fish she’d brought him.
“Well, I don’t see why not. No one has made themselves known, and it wouldn’t hurt to rest and relax a little without having to look over our shoulders all the time for another day. That’s fine. Where’s Emily?” Sarah grinned at him, happy that they could stay.
“She’s at the lake practicing to be Robin Hood.” Wade smiled up at her.
“I wish you could take some pictures of that. I’d like to see that.” Sarah knew he’d been growing fonder and fonder of the little girl since
they’d met, and she didn’t want to deny him that.
“Why don’t you go down there and watch her for a little while? I think that I can handle turning a spit for a bit.”
The look he gave her was something she never would forget no matter how long she lived. He hopped up with the agility of a man half his age and went to the lake. A single tear slid down her cheek as she watched him go, and it was more because of happiness than anything else. She sat down on the stump he’d been sitting on, and started cranking the spit. The music of the birds around her lulled her into a peaceful state, and she almost could think of herself back in her childhood dreams of being a fairy princess, living out in the woods with all of her animal friends.
Wade made his way down to the lake, hearing the thud of arrows in the target before he saw her. As he came around a bush, he rustled it by accident. When he got out in the open, he found Emily with an arrow notched, pointed right at his heart. He put his hands up in surrender.
“It’s just me! Don’t shoot! I come in peace.” He laughed as she hurried pointed the weapon away from him. Her cheeks grew red and she looked like she wanted to throw the bow down.
“I’m sorry. I guess I was just a little jumpy from the past few days. I wouldn’t shoot you, I promise.” He came up to her and gave her a hug.
“I know you wouldn’t. Now, let’s see what you got, Robin Hood.”
Wade stood back and watched her, correcting little things here and there, until she was hitting not only the center of the target, but also chipping away parts of the arrows she’d already shot. She really was doing wonderfully. After about half an hour, he paused her.
“You’re doing great. I’m going to head back and finish up dinner, keep practicing and show Sarah how good you are.” The little girl was grinning so broadly she could only nod. Wade ruffled her hair affectionately and made his way back to the bonfire. Sarah saw him coming, and to be honest, she was bouncing up and down with excitement to hear how Emily had done.