by Marla Monroe
I’m getting all worked up over this, and she might tell us to shove it and walk away once we bring it up. I don’t want her to leave. Not just because I like her and the way she looks, but because there’s no way she can survive out there on her own. I’d worry myself sick thinking about it.
There wasn’t anything he could do about any of it while he sat watching the house. He needed to keep vigilant until Benton relieved him after midnight. He couldn’t help but wonder if the other man had talked anymore to Gail, or if she’d been fast asleep when he’d gone inside.
Nothing stirred around them as he waited in the cedar tree. Somewhere around one, Benton walked out with his weapons strapped on and nodded for him to go inside.
“Nothing moving?”
“Nope. Saw a mule deer grazing out in the north pasture area. Other than that, it’s been quiet.”
“Night, Travis.”
“Night, Benton.”
Chapter Three
Gail woke to the sweet aroma of what smelled like coffee. Where had they gotten coffee? She couldn’t believe that there was any still out there. She noticed that the pallet on the floor had been straightened. At least they didn’t seem to be slobs.
When she walked into the kitchen, it was to find both men sitting at the table sipping something from mugs.
“Is that coffee?” she asked.
“Sort of. It’s a mixture of leaves and roots from a recipe we found in a survivalist book. It smells almost like coffee but doesn’t exactly taste the same. Want to try some?” Travis asked.
“Yeah. But just a little bit in case I don’t like it.” She sat at the table with Benton while Travis got a mug from the cabinet and walked outside.
“Where’s he going?” she asked.
“We’re cooking over the fire outside. Can’t do much with the fireplace until we widen it a little.”
“Here you go.” Travis handed the cup of steaming liquid to her. “Be careful. It’s hot.”
“Thanks.” Gail blew on the dark brew before sipping it. “I see what you mean. It’s not bad, but definitely not coffee. What kind of tea was that you made yesterday? It was pretty good, too.”
“Dandelion tea. We’ve been harvesting the plants all along the way and drying them to keep for winter.” Benton sipped from his mug.
“Can I help you guys clean up the house?”
“You need to stay off your feet another day or two, Gail. I know they have to hurt.” Travis smiled. “You can help us once you’ve had time to heal. We’ll bring you the ladies clothes and shoes to sort through in case something will fit you.”
“I’ll feel useless just sitting around while you guys do all the work. How about I sit on the bed and sort through whatever you find while you empty the drawers and closets?”
The two men exchanged glances, then Benton shrugged. “As long as you stay off those feet.”
“I will. I don’t want to sit in the living room while you guys are upstairs.” Gail dipped her head. She didn’t want them to notice how nervous she was at the thought of being alone again.
“Don’t worry, Gail. Nothing is going to hurt you. We’ll keep you safe.”
Thirty minutes later, after eating some dried beef jerky, Benton turned around with his back to her and bent down.
“Hop on. I’ll give you a ride upstairs so you don’t hurt your feet.”
“What? I’m too heavy for you to carry up those stairs. You’ll hurt yourself.”
“He can carry you, Gail. You aren’t too heavy at all.” Travis jerked his head toward the other man. “Go ahead. I’ll be right behind you so if he even acts like he’s losing his balance I can help.”
“That’s not making me feel any better about it.” Gail glared at the other man.
“Come on. Time’s wasting.” Benton looked back at her over his shoulder. “Climb on, Gail.”
Against her better judgement, Gail climbed on his back and latched her arms around his neck.
“Loosen your hold on my neck some. I can’t breathe.” The raspy nature of his voice spoke volumes.
“Sorry.” She loosened her grip but held on tight with her legs.
Benton easily stood and crossed the kitchen to the living room before climbing the stairs without a hitch. When they’d reached the landing, he bent down some, allowing her to slide off him.
“See. Told you I could carry you. We’ve already done most of the main bedroom. You can go through what’s left after we finish the other two rooms. Travis brought all the girly things back inside for you to sort through. We had been going to trash them, but you might find something you can use.”
“Thanks. It’s been a long time since I had anything to really clean my face other than crude soap. It would be nice to find some face wash or scrub in some of it.” Gail smiled at the two men. “Okay, lead the way.”
They settled her on the queen-sized bed in the next room to be cleaned out. She was pleased to find that there were several things she could wear. Evidently, the girl who’d been living there had been plus-sized like her, though she’d been a little taller than Gail. She could take up the jeans. She didn’t think she had any reason to keep the dresses, but opted to keep a couple just to be able to wear them for herself when she needed to feel feminine sometimes.
Wait. I can carry all this stuff when me when I leave. What am I doing?
Well, winter was coming, and Gail knew she couldn’t survive on her own for more than a few days, much less through winter. What was she going to do?
I could stay with them, if they treat me well.
What if they wanted more than just being friends? Men were men, no matter what. They were bound to want sex at some point. Could she see herself having sex with either of them? She glanced at them as they unpacked a trunk and cleared out the closet. Maybe she could. They’d been nothing but nice so far and had treated her well.
“What do you think, Gail?” Travis asked.
“Huh? I’m sorry. My mind was wandering while I sorted.” She felt heat burn up her neck to her cheeks.
“We were thinking this could be your room. It has a dresser with a mirror, and the closet is a walk-in so you have plenty of room.” Benton stood back from the closet door.
“Sure. That would be nice. I found plenty of things I can wear. The girl must have been close to my size, just taller.”
“That’s good. What about the shoes?” Travis asked.
“A lot of them aren’t wearable for working around the house. I’ll keep the house shoes and a couple of the mules to walk around the house, but the rest can go. I think I can wear the work boots if I wear two pairs of socks.”
“Her feet were a little larger than yours.” Benton looked from her feet to the boots she’d set at the edge of the bed.
“Yeah. Not a lot, just enough that I’ll need the extra padding,” she said.
“Time to take a break before we tackle the last bedroom.” Benton stretched.
“I’ll go down and get the left-over potato soup,” Travis said. “You two stay here and finish sorting. I’ll bring it up so Gail doesn’t need to go back down the stairs again.”
The rest of the day passed quickly. They managed to clear out the last bedroom that proved to be a younger teen’s room. His boots actually fit Gail. She kept the boots from the other room for later wear when she wore out the boy’s.
“I promised to let you help me catch a fish for supper tonight. Still game now that you have boots to wear?” Travis asked.
“You bet. But only if you let me walk since I have socks and boots now.”
Travis looked at Benton. The other man shrugged.
“Sounds like a plan. Let’s go.” Travis helped her down from the bed, then followed her down the stairs to the main floor.
Gail waited while he gathered the supplies, then he led her out to the barn area where he presented her with a coffee can.
“You’re in charge of the can while I find the worms.”
Gail watched as Travis dug
around the front of the barn, unearthing several wiggly worms. He deposited each one into the can along with a little dirt. She held the can away from her body and knew she wouldn’t be able to put the worm on the hook. He’d have to do that for her.
“That should be plenty. We only need two or three fish depending on how large they are.”
“Do you think we’ll be able to catch some?”
“Sure of it. We’ve caught fish in this stream a little farther back when we were looking for a house to live in.”
Gail followed the Travis through the back yard and the woods to the stream that lay around a hundred yards from the back of the house. She watched as he threaded a worm over the hook then handed the string to her.
“Just throw it out, keeping hold of one end and dragging it slowly through the water until you feel a tug. Jerk once then haul the fish in.”
“Wouldn’t this be easier with a pole?” she asked.
“There might be some rods in the barn, but we haven’t gone through it yet to see. This will do for now. Think you can handle it?” he asked.
She couldn’t help but grin. “I can handle it. Are you going to fish, too?”
“Yep. I’m going a few feet over so we don’t tangle our lines. Remember. When you feel a tug, give it a little tug to set the hook.”
“I’ve got it.”
* * * *
Travis had just thrown his baited hook into the water when he heard a squeal. He looked over to find Gail tugging at the line hand over hand pulling something in. By the looks of the taunt line, it was something large. He pulled his line out of the water and made his way over the rocks to where she stood.
“What do you have there?” he asked.
“I don’t know, but it’s fighting me. Help. I don’t want to lose it.” She tried to hand the line over to him.
“I’ll hold on to you while you pull it in. Don’t let go of the line, Gail.”
Travis wrapped his arms around her waist and planted his heels so she didn’t jerk him off balance as she struggled with whatever was on the other end of her line. She pulled and pulled until a large fish flapped on top of a rock, then another one. He gingerly let go of Gail so she didn’t lose her footing and picked his way across the uneven ground to grab the fish. It was a doozy of a catch.
“Has to be a good four pounds, Gail. Great going! We only need one more nice sized fish, and we’re set for supper.” Travis laid it on the ground well away from the water and added a worm to her hook. “Have at it again. You’re on a roll. No need for me to waste my time trying.”
“It was probably beginners luck.”
“So, have some more.”
“If you say so.”
He watched as she tossed out her line again. She slowly pulled it in with no luck. She tossed it in a different spot and pulled the line. Then suddenly she jerked it and squealed again.
“I’ve got another one.”
“I see you do. Pull it in like you did the last one.” He wrapped his arms around her soft frame and tried not to enjoy it too much.
Who am I fooling? I love it. She’s so soft and curvy. My dick is getting hard just being close to her.
When she’d finally gotten it to the rocks, he let go of her and retrieved the fish that was nearly as large as the last one she’d caught. Looked like they had supper for the night. He picked up the other fish from the ground, rinsed it off, and carried both while Gail carried the fishing supplies.
Once back at the house, he turned over the fish to Benton to prepare and cook while he cleaned and put away the line and hooks. He returned the unused worms to the spot he’d dug them up in hopes they would be around the next time they fished.
“Who caught the fish?” Benton asked as he removed the scales from first one, then the second fish.
“Gail caught both of them. She’s a real pro at fishing.” Travis ruffled her hair.
“Hey.” She popped at his hand. “I was lucky. That’s all.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re lucky. This is going to be good. Haven’t had fish this size to cook in a while. Most of what we caught has been small. They don’t cook as well as the larger size do.”
“Why don’t you go inside and set the table while we finish cooking the fish,” Benton suggested.
“Sure.” She smiled at them before almost skipping inside.
“She had fun,” Benton said.
“Yeah. You should have heard her squeal each time she got a tug on the line. I’m surprised the fish didn’t run for cover. She had a smile on her face and giggled like a kid.”
“She’s relaxing around us. That’s good.”
“She’s got curves, and she’s soft, Benton.”
“How’d you figure that out?”
“When she was pulling the largest fish out I held on to her so she didn’t lose her balance and end up in the stream. It didn’t seem to bother her at all.”
“Means she’s trusting us. We still need to take it slow.”
“I know, but tell my dick not to notice every time I’m around her.”
Benton chuckled. “I’ve got the same problem. She’s pretty, shapely, and sweet. All the things I’ve ever wanted in a woman.”
Travis nodded. He agreed. He’d be dreaming about her when he went to bed that night. Hell, he’d daydream about her any chance he got. She was perfect for him, for them. Taking it slow was going to be torture. If it got her between them, it would be well worth it.
“Table’s set. Are the fish ready?”
“Almost. They’re in the skillet. Just a few more minutes and they should be perfect. Remember, you have to watch for bones when you’re eating it.” Benton checked the fish.
Travis watched the way Gail watched his friend. There was speculation in her eyes, as well as interest. Maybe it wouldn’t take as long as Benton thought. She was thinking about them. Only time would tell if it was in a good way. A hot, steamy sex way. A stay with them forever way.
Chapter Four
Gail looked up when the men entered the kitchen after having worked all day out in the barn. They’d been clearing out junk and debris from wild animals using it as a home and taking stock of what they had to work with. Both looked tired and were very dirty.
“I can have supper ready in thirty minutes if that will give you enough time to clean up,” she told them.
“Yeah. We’ll clean up outside using the hand pump. Hope we can find some solar panels at that lumber store we passed on our way here. I want to get the electric pump up and running so we can bathe in the bathroom before winter sets in. Otherwise, we’re going to have to pump water and warm it over the fire to clean up in.” Benton wiped his brow on his shirt.
“We’ll be in to eat in a little while. Thanks, Gail.”
She smiled as they walked back outside to clean up. She hated for one of them to have to walk into that town all alone and couldn’t help but wonder how they’d bring the supplies back, but they were resourceful if nothing else. She would love to have a hot bath out of a real shower. She hadn’t had one since just after the year of tears, as she’d come to call it. She’d been all of twelve years old. Now, at twenty-seven, she’d almost forgotten what it felt like.
She got busy warming up the rabbit stew out on the open fire that held the last of their potatoes in it. It would be one of the last complete meals they would have until there was a garden they could eat from.
There I go, thinking that I’m staying past winter. It’s been a week. I’m probably getting in their way. If I do, I’ve got to make a decision about the two men. I like them a lot. Is it enough to have a relationship with them that isn’t purely friendly? I can’t expect them to live with me and not eventually want more.
“It smells great out there. You sure cook better than Travis and I do.” Benton remained by the back door, opening it every once in a while and inhaling.
“The women did most of the cooking at the place I was living. I didn’t mind. I got to be pretty good at it.”
&nb
sp; “Thank God,” Travis said, coming to sit at the table after walking into the kitchen. “I was getting tired of burnt food. Neither of us can ever tell when something is completely done unless we burn it.”
“Benton didn’t burn the fish.”
“Fish is different. We’ve cooked fish for years.”
“What are you talking about?” Benton asked when he walked inside.
“I was just telling her how great her cooking is. We always tend to burn things.”
“Yep, her cooking is a hell of a lot better than ours.” Benton patted the top of Gail’s head. “Thanks for that.”
“Do you have to leave tomorrow? I’m going to worry about you all alone out there. How long will it take you to walk?” Gail knew she was bombarding the man with questions.
“I’ll be fine. Probably take me about three hours to make it there, a couple of hours to locate what we need, and another four to pull it back.” He smiled. “I should be back by sundown if I leave at dawn.”
“Hope they have the solar supplies and a wagon of some sort to bring it back. Too bad you couldn’t use one of the cars or trucks left in the parking lot.”
“Yeah, but even if they have gas in them, the batteries will be shot.”
“What about if they sell batteries? Do you think one of them will work?” Gail asked.
“I doubt it, but it might be worth a try. It all depends on how much time I have so that I don’t get caught on the road in the dark.” Benton sat at the table.
“Okay, guys. One of you needs to bring the stew inside for me. It should be warm enough now.”
“I’ll get it.” Travis walked outside but returned with the cast iron boiler and set it on the hot pad she’d set on the table.
“Dig in, guys.” She handed Benton the ladle.
“We’ve pretty much got the barn and shed cleared out. Found some supplies, but most of it was junk.” Travis passed his bowl for Benton to fill for him.
“Did manage to uncover an ax and more gardening tools,” Benton said.