Discovering the tall blonde in the room that Devon had shared with Nung, she knocked lightly on the frame, “Hi.”
“Hey,” the other girl looked over her shoulder, “What a surprise!”
“Not really,” Bailey countered evenly, “Caleb and I are moving down here; his father is a real jerk.”
“Showed you his true colors, did he,” Amanda flicked her hair, lifting the infant from her tiny makeshift crib, “I hope you don’ mind; it’s time t’ feed.”
“No, not at all,” Bailey eagerly perched on one of the beds, watching as the new mother bared a breast and eased down into the rocking chair, placing the tiny mouth against her nipple.
Tossing a blanket over herself once she had settled in, she smiled, “So, you an’ Caleb are official then.”
“Oh my God, I’m sorry,” the girl instantly threw up her hands in surrender, “I didn’t even think about… ”
“Hey, don’ worry,” Amanda cut her off with a laugh, “We was over a long time ago, even if it was hard fur me t’ admit. ‘Sides, Dev loves me real good.” Moving the covering so she could see her baby’s eyes staring up at her, “An’ I’m glad my little lapse in judgement didn’ ruin things for you.”
“No, it didn’t,” Bailey suddenly felt awkward sharing girl talk with Caleb’s ex-lover. “Maybe I should go.”
Making a quick exit, she moved down the hall to her own room, where she set about returning her things to their proper places. Skipping down the stairs, she retrieved her trash bag of gear from the car. It being from their last trip from Midland, it held all of her winter clothes, and she put those items away as well.
Stretching out across the bed when she was done, she lay still, listening to the familiar creak of the windmill outside. A small smile teasing her lips, she relaxed into the comfort of the sound, and drifted off to sleep.
So It Is
What Connie had estimated would be three days, turned out to be two weeks, although it wasn’t exactly her choice in the matter. The morning following the meeting, the entire group had awoken to discover another snow storm had taken place in the darkness, adding at least six inches to the icy mixture that coated the ground.
Using the backhoe, one of the men cleared all the streets, and most of the men, and some of the women pitched in to clear the paths to each of the houses. It proved to be a futile effort, as the temperature remained below freezing, and more continued to fall in long spurts. After seven days, Caleb had sufficiently healed enough, he ventured outside to have a look around, wishing he could help. However, in the end, he remained delegated to dog duty.
Calling another meeting at the two week marker, what remained of the menfolk met in private, having some hard decisions to make. When they came out, Connie and the girl from Pouty were bundled up and given a Jeep. It had further been decided that Luis would do the driving, which he eagerly accepted. Two of the vehicles that they had taken from the other town had been equipped with snow chains, and one of these was sacrificed for the trip.
Bailey held Caleb’s hand under the canopy next to the stables while they watched the group exit through the gate. Glancing across at the large empty space that had once been the arena, sadness crept over her and she sighed, “I don’t think they’re coming back.”
“Don’t say that,” he gave her a squeeze. “We have t’ stay positive, little bit.”
“I know,” she agreed, “But it’s so hard. And I’m going to miss that old lady, I think.”
“We all are,” Caleb chuckled, tugging on her digits, “Come on. I’m supposed t’ go check in with Kathy today.”
Walking through the path created by the cleared road, the couple arrived on the other side of the compound several minutes later. Entering the med center, Caleb eagerly climbed onto the table, a little less gingerly than he had the last time he had been there.
“Well, you seem to be getting around better,” the nurse observed, pulling out her stethoscope to give him a listen.
“Yeah,” the young man grinned, “I’m still sore, but at least it don’ hurt t’ breathe anymore.” Standing, he removed his clothes for her, so she could have a better look.
After a thorough examination, she removed the brown bandages from his chest to investigate further. “I’m not going to X-ray you yet; I think you’re coming along nicely. I want to leave you unwrapped as well, but don’t overdo it. No shoveling snow!” she commanded, causing the couple to laugh loudly.
“Anything I can do?” he asked while putting his clothes on.
“You can observe,” her eyes darted over at the girl for an instant, “And while you’re both here, I’d like to have a little talk with you about birth control.”
“Oh my God!” Bailey exclaimed loudly, “Why does EVERYONE assume that we’re sleeping together!”
Taken by surprise, the older women held up her hands, “Whoa, whoa, I’m only trying to be helpful; no offense intended. I’m the medical expert, and I wish that people would keep that in mind and stop taking things into their own hands around here.”
Bailey stared at her, the wheels turning, “Is someone else pregnant?”
Her jaw dropped, Kathy took a step back, “It would be unprofessional of me to discuss anyone else with you.”
Shooting Caleb a half grin, the girl knew she was on to something, “Well, don’t worry. We’re not physically involved, so there won’t be any surprises coming from us.”
“Well, just the same, I’d like for you to be prepared,” Kathy opened a drawer, removing a box of prophylactics and handing them to the man next to her.
“Uh, thanks,” he accepted the small box, giving it a frown, “But really, by the time we’re ready for these, we won’ have t’ worry about gettin’ into trouble.” When the woman failed to take them back, he placed them on the small table next to the bed, giving the container a tiny wave, “You ready, little bit?”
“Yes,” the girl answered, still in shock. Turning to the door, she exited without looking back. Pausing her step enough for him to catch her in front of the gym, she laughed loudly, “Can you believe that? And someone else here is pregnant! I knew it was going to happen. I knew it!”
“Keep your voice down,” he instructed, reaching for her hand.
“Ok,” she agreed in a much lower tone, “But I was right!”
“Yeah, but that don’ mean much. It’s really not a good thing in the end. Can’t wait to see what the menfolk do about it.”
Arriving back at the ranch house a short time later, they discovered the house had fallen into an uproar. Seeing Peter rushing around the living room, apparently packing random items, Bailey demanded loudly, “What the hell’s going on?”
“We’re moving to Lawson,” he stated flatly, while trying to appear calm.
“What?” Caleb interrupted, “I thought that was bad for morale.”
“It is,” Pete admitted, stepping closer to them so he could lower his voice, “But with the Pouty girl outta here, that gives us more options.”
“You were staying up top so she wouldn’t find out about the cave?” Bailey speculated.
“Partly, yes,” her uncle nodded, “But maintaining the heat in so many dwellings is becoming more difficult. Two of the turbines are down, an’ we may lose a third. Keeping the underground chamber warm is practically energy free, since it stays at a higher temperature naturally. Plus, we’ll be safer, no matter what comes at us. Go pack your stuff, Bailey-girl. Caleb an’ I need to have a talk.”
“Oh God,” she rolled her eyes, almost certain she knew what the topic was going to be. Giving her best friend a knowing smirk, she stomped up the stairs to comply.
Caleb watched her slender frame disappear around the turn before he met the other man’s stare, “Ok, what?”
“You need to make a choice,” the older man put it bluntly, “You know as well as I do, quarters are going to be tight down below. I’m going to give Bailey the bed that was meant for me an’ Brenda, an’ I’ll take one of the bunks in th
e other room. I want you to share it with her.”
“I have a bed, remember?” Caleb shook his head, “I doubt my ol’ man is still mad. Besides, I’m not gonna pressure her t’ do it. I told her she needed time, an’ I’m gonna give it t’ her,” his gaze returned to the stairs, his mind back on the young woman on the third floor.
“Caleb, you’re a good man,” a hand clamped onto his shoulder while he was being praised, “But you have to listen to me. There are only three of the menfolk left, an’ things are gonna come to a head. Your father would like to run this place, all on his own, an’ Mike would go along with that, I’m fairly certain.”
“So what’re you sayin’?”
“I’m sayin’, the two of you need to consummate your relationship.”
“What!” the younger man exclaimed loudly, taking a step back to remove the other man’s appendage from his own. “First off, no one even talks like that anymore. An’ second off, I’m not gonna force her!”
“You don’t have to force her; in fact I would prefer that you didn’t. But,” he paused, glancing around to make sure the conversation was still private, “Everyone needs to be clear that you two are involved.”
“An’ why is that?” Caleb demanded, his anger beginning to boil, “This wouldn’ have anything t’ do with someone else comin’ up pregnant around here, would it?”
The color drained from the older man’s face, “What do you know about that?”
“Nothing,” he shot back, running his fingers through his hair in an agitated state. “I don’ know a damned thing.”
Taking the stairs in twos, at least for the first flight, Caleb made his way to the third floor, and stomped to the end of the hall. Entering her room unannounced, he closed the door loudly behind him, “Your uncle wants me to fuck you.”
Spinning around from her packing, Bailey only stared with her mouth hanging open. After a long silence, she regained her voice, “Are you sure?”
“Yup. Pretty sure. He said we need to consummate our relationship.”
“Wow, that’s blunt! And a bit pushy on top of that.”
“Yeah, an’ it scares the shit outta me, if you wanna know the truth. Somethin’s goin’ on, an’ he don’ wanna tell us what.”
“So, he wants us to sleep together, or to get married, or what?”
“He didn’ specify. That’s exactly what he said, an’ I’m so pissed right now I wanna kick th’ shit outta someone!”
Her face shifted from surprise to horror, “You don’t really want me, do you,” she concluded in a dejected tone.
“Don’t really want you; what?” he wrinkled his brow, “How could you say that?” he opened his palm to the ceiling, shoving the hand towards her, “O’ course I want you. I’ve wanted you since th’ first time I ever saw you, back in Illinois.” The words were out before he could stop them, his skin growing paler after their utterance, “Shit, I didn’ mean it like that, Bailey!”
Scrunching her nose, she retorted, “Well, I think we should just do it an’ get it over with.”
He gaped at her, “Whadda you mean, get it over with? What happened to it bein’ perfect?” his hands shot to his hips as he rebuked her.
“It isn’t going to be perfect,” she sniffed loudly, “Everything is messed up and ruined, no matter how you slice it. The world is crashed. There isn’t even a connection to the internet anymore! It’s gone, Caleb! All gone! So, if you want to fuck me and get it over with, then that’s fine by me. At least I won’t have to worry about it anymore, and it’ll be done.”
Staring at her, he couldn’t believe his ears. “When did the internet disappear?”
“A few days ago. I’ve been logging in once a day, to see if anything has changed, and it’s only been getting worse. Then it was all gone; no connection,” a tear spilled over and rolled down her cheek, “It’s over, Caleb. The world as we know it is gone,” she broke down into loud sobs.
Stepping towards her, he wrapped her in his arms, thankful he could do so, “Shhshh.” Running a firm hand down her back, he nuzzled her scalp through her auburn waves, “Easy, baby. You don’ really wanna do that; not like this.”
“Yes, I do,” she grasped at his shirt, pressing herself against him, “I don’t want to think about it anymore. I don’t want it to be an issue anymore. If it’s not with you, now, then who will it be?” she whined. “One of the men from Pouty, when they force themselves on me?”
“Don’t say that,” he tightened his grip, “They ain’ gonna get the better o’ us or force you t’ do anything!”
“You don’t know that,” she pulled herself away, wiping angrily at her tears. “You don’t know anything, Caleb, any more than the rest of us do. They have us outnumbered, and who knows what all tricks they have up their sleeves!” Her tone grew softer, “Please, Caleb. Please don’t make me beg.”
His blue eyes stared at her, finding it hard to focus. Rocking his jaw side to side, he considered her plea, and her uncle’s possible motives for pushing the issue. You knew eventually it would come to this, he reminded himself with a loud sigh. Quit being afraid, an’ do what you gotta do.
“Take your clothes off,” he instructed quietly, unbuttoning his shirt. Turning his back so that he didn’t have to watch her in the fading light, he continued to remove his clothing, until all that remained was his cotton briefs. Looking over his shoulder at that point, he could see that she had complied, but had stopped at her undergarments as well and stood staring at him. “Well?”
Her bottom lip trembling, she clasped her hands in front of her, and stammered, “I wanted it to be perfect,” she confessed, followed by a loud broken sob.
“Well, ours wasn’t,” he stated gruffly, taking ahold of her arm and removing her bra before pushing her back onto the bed. Grasping her panties, she gave no resistance when he removed them. Pulling his own covering out of the way, he lay over her, staring into her clear green eyes for a long moment. “I really am sorry,” he allowed more softly, before he roughly put an end to their dilemma.
White Wedding
Bailey awoke to the sound of the windmill squealing outside. The noise brought her a small amount of comfort, indicating she remained inside the ranch house, at least for the time being. Shifting, to stretch, she made two discoveries; she was naked, and she was not alone.
Stifling her urge to scream, the events of the evening before flooded into her fragmented thoughts, “Oh God!”
Hearing her utterance, Caleb rolled over, parting her legs and pushing his nakedness against her.
“What are you doing?” she gasped.
“You’re mine, remember?” he licked and bit roughly at the skin that covered the front of her neck, “Lay still, an’ I won’ take long.”
“It was supposed to be one time, Caleb!” her voice shrill, she pushed against his chest, as if she could remove him. An instant later, she recalled his injuries, and relaxed her arms, unwilling to risk hurting him to put an end to it.
“Tha’s better,” he smiled against her cheek, licking her ear while his fingers weaved through her soft hair and located her scalp. His lips tracing the line of her jaw, he moaned.
“Stop that,” she hissed, “Amanda will hear you! She’s in the next room!”
“So what?” he gripped her tighter for a moment, breathing heavily against her hair covered ear. When he was finished, he slid out from the covers to locate his clothing. “How do you think they made that kid o’ theirs?”
“You’re disgusting,” she bit angrily, clutching the blanket tightly between her fingers, watching his naked form as he slowly covered it with his layers, “You’re not even going to get a bath?”
“Naw, what’s the point? I’m gonna fuck you again in a few hours, anyways,” he tossed her a grin and exited the room.
Lifting the sheet, she glared down into the darkness, unable to make out any of her anatomy. “I feel so tingly,” she whispered to herself with a violent shudder. Climbing out of bed, she realized she would have
to get dressed to get to the bathroom for her shower, so she donned her previously worn clothing to accomplish the task, carrying fresh attire under her arm.
Once she had washed away the evidence of their encounter, Bailey dressed in her usual cold weather items, faintly aware that the tingle she had experienced earlier that morning persisted. Brushing out her long, auburn locks, she pulled them up into a ponytail, and flicked it a few times in the playful mood that had settled over her. Exiting the small room, she returned to her quarters, and made quick work of the rest of her packing before she went downstairs.
Arriving on the ground floor, she discovered that everyone in town had gathered in the house for breakfast. Pasting on her best smile, she refused to have her discomfort made public, and sauntered into the kitchen with her head held high. Catching sight of Caleb leaning against the counter, her heart leapt into overdrive, beating wildly against her ribs. His hair is wet; he did have a shower!
Waiting for her to come to him, the young man glared at her while she ambled about the small space, gathering her morning meal. When she finally moved within reach, he shifted to clasp her hand, and pulled her closer to him, returning his rear end to the edge of the counter, her body pressed full length against his.
Dropping her plate on the flat surface behind him, the urge to play along washed over her, and she pushed her face up to his. Their lips meeting gently at first, the kiss quickly deepened into much more, bringing a hot flush of embarrassment to her round cheeks when she realized all conversation had ceased, and everyone stared. Giggling quietly, she retrieved her platter, and left him standing there, while she moved to the dining room to consume her meal.
Watching her rear end sway as she disappeared through the door frame, Caleb broke into a wide grin, giving her uncle a wink. Lifting his mug of warm brew, the older man repaid the gesture with a small nod, and moved to the larger room in the front of the house, calling loudly, “Everyone here now?”
The Irrevocable Series Boxed Set Page 42