“What’s up, Mack?” I ask.
He clears his throat. “Egypt, we need to make us official. I talked to the boys and they agreed.” He stands and gets in front of me on one knee. Holy shit, I know where this is leading.
“I don’t care what’s going on around us. I want to marry you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?” he asks huskily. Looking at him, I see my soul mate, the man of my dreams. And I love him.
“Yes, Mack, I’ll marry you,” I whisper. He opens the tiny box and inside is a huge diamond with little blue diamonds going around it. He takes it out of the box and slips it onto my finger. Wrapping my arms around his neck, he kisses me. I hear Rufus growl and Mack flinches. Breaking off the kiss, he looks at his arm and then at Rufus.
“That little shit just bit me,” he says shocked. I start laughing and cannot stop. That is my boy, he always bites at the wrong time. Growling, Mack picks me up and starts for our bedroom. Mack is yelling and swearing with Rufus on his heels, nipping at his ankles. He jumps on the bed with me in his arms. He glares down at Rufus and Rufus just growls right back. I’m laughing so hard that my stomach hurts.
Mack starts kissing me and I get dizzy. I will never get tired of this man. His hands are all over me, inside of me. That by the time I flip over, I am shaking with need. Trailing kisses down his chest, I take him fully into my mouth. I feel him shudder as I suck harder. I swirl my tongue around the tip and start to kiss my way back up. Straddling him, I slowly have him enter me one delicious inch at a time. When we cannot take any more, he lifts his hips off the bed, slamming the rest of the way inside me.
Moaning, I start to rock my hips grinding into him. Grabbing my waist, he lifts me up and pushes me back down hard. He fills me completely. Whimpering, I do not think I can take any more. Picking up my pace, I feel my climax coming on hard. Breathing hard, I clench and let loose. Moaning his name, he sits up and keeps thrusting inside me. He is pushing me down on him hard when I feel his release. We stay that way for a while, too tired to move. My legs feel like they are going to fall off.
Mack gets up after a while and goes and grabs a wet washcloth. After I settle down next to him with his arm around me and my head on his chest, I look at the ring and can’t help but smile.
“I love you, Mack.”
“I love you more than life itself, Egypt,” he whispers. He turns off the light and I start to feel my eyes close.
Chapter 23
Waking up, I am still snuggled in close to Mack. Moving my hand so that it rests on his chest. Looking at the ring, I just cannot believe that through everything, we are getting married. I know this man laying here with me can and will make me happy. Looking at the clock it is a little after six am. It is time to get up and start the day. We are going to be very busy the next few weeks getting ready for winter and the horde of zombies that is coming this way. I slowly get up out of bed so I do not wake Mack. I open up the door so the dogs can go out. Making my way to the bathroom, I start the shower. I let that warm up while I get my clothes for the day. I pick a t-shirt and jeans. Heading back into the bathroom, I brush my teeth and use mouthwash. I cannot stand morning breath.
Stepping into the shower, I let the water run down my body. It feels so good. Trying to hurry up, I wash my hair and shave my legs. Turning the water off, I wrap a towel around myself and head out to get a cup of coffee. Mack is sitting up in bed smiling at me with two cups in his hands. Smiling, I walk over and sit down next to him. Grabbing one of the cups, I take a whiff and damn if it does not smell amazing.
“Morning, Sunshine,” Mack says.
“Morning, Mack," I say, taking a sip of my coffee. He knows just how to make it. The dogs come running in and jump on the bed. Rufus goes to crawl up Mack’s chest.
“Oh, no you don’t, Cujo. I don’t need any more bite marks," he muttered. I am trying not to laugh, but it is so hard not to.
“Aw, Mack, he’s not going to bite this time.” Looking over at him, I can see the doubt on his face, I really do not blame him. Shaking his head, he climbs over me and I cannot help but look. He is naked. He is one fine man.
“I’m going to hop in the shower and then we can go to breakfast together,” Mack says.
“OK, can you throw my clothes out to me?” Sipping my coffee, I wait for him to answer. Looking over at him, he is just grinning.
“Egypt, you can come in while I’m showering. I don’t bite,” he says laughing, “not hard anyway.” I must have blushed because he shakes his head laughing even harder. Throwing a pillow at him, he ducks into the bathroom. I hear the water turn on, so I sit back and finish my coffee. After I am finished, I get up and head to the bathroom. We have to get a move on. No more waiting for him to finish. Walking in, I can see him through the glass. I get that flutter in my stomach so I look away. Dropping the towel to the ground, I start to get dressed. Leaving my shirt off, I unwrap my hair and start brushing it out. I hate to get my shirt wet. The water turns off and Mack steps out. He dries off and wraps a towel around his waist. Coming up behind me, he wraps his arms around my waist. Leaning my head against his chest, I look at him in the mirror.
“I love you,” he whispers in my ear. Shivering, I look into his eyes. I know what I am ready for, but that is going to have to wait until tonight. I can tell he is thinking the same thing because he takes a few steps back. Smiling at him, I hurry and finish.
Throwing my socks and boots on, I wait outside on the patio for Mack. We have 15 minutes before we need to go for breakfast. Sitting down, I watch the dogs play for awhile. It is nice to have this private spot where I can relax without tons of people on top of me. Mack comes out and grabs my hand.
“You ready to start the day?” he asks.
“Yep, sure am. We just have tons to do with little time to do it.” Standing up, we walk hand and hand with the dogs in tow out the door and down the hallway. I can already hear people talking and laughing. Squeezing Mack’s hand, we stop in the dining room. Looking around, everyone is up. They all want to see what I have to say at the meeting. Mack knows how I am feeling and leads me to the command center and up the steps. John is up there keeping watch.
Walking over to the edge I look out over the farm fields. It is a beautiful morning, the sun is out with no clouds in the sky. I feel a gentle breeze. It seems in the 70s today. For October, that is not too bad. Mack comes up from behind me and places his hands over mine. He plays with the ring on my finger making me look down at my hand. Looking at the ring, it sparkles in the sunlight.
“Wow, are you guys like getting married?” John asks. Laughing, I turn to look at him.
“Yes, we are, John.” We hear the breakfast bell. “Why don’t you go get something to eat with Tabby? I’ll stay up here and keep watch.” He looks around like he not sure if he should.
“Come on, man, I’ll go with you. I’ll bring Egypt something back to eat,” Mack says. Throwing his arm around John’s shoulders, they make their way down the steps. Stretching, I lean my hands on the railing. Looking to the right is where the zombies will be coming from. It scares me to death just to think about. I do think about it. I have to keep everyone safe. That is on me and what we can get accomplished. Looking at the fence, I know reinforcing it will be better and maybe keep them out. Just in case, we will have practice drills with everyone. I am going to have Nate pull my SUV to my office side of the house. In case we need to get out quick.
Mack comes up the steps with a tray of food and sets it down on the little table. I walk over and sit in one of the chairs. He has brought everything. He even got cut up fruit. Smiling, I pop a strawberry in my mouth. Mack is smiling at me.
“I can’t believe you got fruit,” I say smiling.
“Well, I’m in good with the cooks now,” he says laughing.
"Mack, I’m going to have Nate pull the SUV around to the office and Hank's truck too. I’ll have Tomas put emergency supplies in both and make sure they are full on gas. Just in case of emergency.
What do you think?”
He takes his time to answer, shaking his head. “I think it needs to be done considering what we’re facing. I know the last two rooms are safer than the rest of the house. It could be that steel door that pulls out of the wall and closes it off. But if we get overrun that’s where everyone should head. I also think one of the RVs that isn’t being used should be packed with supplies, gassed up just like the SUV,” he says thoughtfully.
“OK, we will get the boys on that today. Is everyone going to meet in the front yard? I can talk to them from here. That way everyone can see and hear me.” He is leaning back in the chair enjoying the fruit just as much as I am.
“Sounds good, and yes in about twenty minutes. That way we can start getting the stuff done,” he says.
We sit and relax the rest of the time eating. Tabby waddles up the steps and joins us. She is getting big. Laughing, I shake my head. She comes over and sits on my lap. She may be 21, but she’s still my baby.
“Mom, why don’t you guys exchange vows this afternoon. I mean after all the bad news you’re going to be telling everyone soon. It would bring spirits back up,” she beams.
Looking over at Mack, he’s grinning just like she is. I think they had this planned from the beginning. But honestly, I think it would be nice to get it done. It would just be one last thing to worry about. Smiling up at her, I gently move a piece of hair out of her face.
“OK, let’s do it. Could you find me a dress to wear?” I ask her.
“You bet I can, and I’ll have Aunt Nancy and Mimi make a huge dinner,” she says happily.
She jumps off my lap and goes down the stairs as fast as she can. Standing up, I walk over and sit on Mack’s lap. Running my fingers through his hair, I am glad he does not have it pulled back. Then the meeting starts. Walking over to the edge, I look down into the yard and everyone is there. Well, no time like the present to get started.
“Morning everyone. I’ve got a lot to say so please, leave the questions for after. I’m going to start by saying we got a huge problem coming our way. On our way home from Georgia, we saw a horde of zombies the size of which I’ve never seen. There were thousands of them all coming this way. I know that sounds crazy, but it’s happening. I’m thinking they are running out of food in the cities and are moving to find it. We think we have a month before they can get here. Now I know some of you are wondering why we don’t leave. Here’s why, this is still the safest place we have to go. We’re going to reinforce the fences around here with metal beams and sheeting. Sal has a team that’s going out after the meeting and starting to get it. I’m leading a team to go and hit the armory tomorrow. So we will be set that way. We are all going to have to pitch in and get all this done. We still need to go out and get more supplies, wood, clothes, etc.”
I let everything sink in. Mack hands me a drink. I didn’t realize how dry my mouth got for all this talking.
“It’s going to be hard work for the next few weeks with hardly any down time. The only day none of us do anything is on Sunday. Hank will have a sermon in the morning, the rest of the day is free. Today I will need some volunteers to go to the orchards to pick fruit; I think with this outing the older kids can come with us.” Looking over at Hank he steps up and talks about a few other things. At the end, the questions come in and it takes us a half hour to answer them all.
At the end of the meeting, I head down to the kitchen. My mom is sitting at the table putting together bagged lunches.
“Mom, what’s those for?”
“For when you go out to the orchards. It would be good for the kids if they can get out for a while,” she says.
“Yeah, I think this will be the safest place for them to get out,” I say softly.
“They will be just fine with you, Egypt. You know how to keep them safe,” she says looking over at me. Wiping her hands on a towel she leans over and grabs my hand.
“He did well, don’t you think?” she asks.
“Yes he did, but I think he had a little bit of help.” Smiling, I look at her.
“You love that man, Egypt?” she asks, looking me in the eyes.
“Mom, I think it’s always been him. I love him with everything that I have.”
“That man would die for you. The way he looks at you, the way he touches you, that’s hard to find in the normal world. But to find it now with the chaos, that’s your soul mate,” she says.
“There isn’t nothing I wouldn’t do for him. The things I went through in Georgia, and he still loves me,” I say.
“You don’t have to tell me what happened, but I’m sure it was horrible. But you got through it and it’s made you stronger. I’m not saying you don’t need to heal, but what I’m saying is that man will be by your side and help you,” she says, getting up and putting the lunches into a big box.
"I love you, Mom.” Standing, I wrap my arms around her and don’t want to let go. She is home to me. She is my mom. If I can be half the woman she is then I will be great.
“I love you too, honey, but if you don’t mind, I want to go and hug that handsome man right over there.” Laughing she walks over to where Mack is standing. She so small compared to Mack. He hugs her back and comes over to the table.
Chapter 24
Pulling me to my feet, he wraps his arms around me. “We ready to go? I see Mom has made us lunches. This will be a fun trip for the kids,” he says. Looking over at my mom, she seems so happy.
“Yep, we can go. I was thinking on the way back if it’s clear, we will stop at houses and clear them out along with any gardens we find.”
“Great, let’s get going." He hands me my 9mm and my backpack. I don’t have to check it because I know he will have everything I need already in there. Giving my mom a hug, I head out the door to the front yard. The kids are already there in front of the trucks. There is: Rachel, Lizzy, Tyler, Jonny, and Tara. And then the teenagers: Tomas, Zack, and Liam. There are eight of them. This outing should be fun. Tabby walks over and gets into the truck that I will be riding in. Looking over at Mack, he shakes his head.
“She will be fine, Egypt,” he says quietly.
Watching the kids pile in the three trucks we will be taking, I hop in and get settled. The gate opens and Mack pulls out and heads down the road. It is about a twenty minute drive on all back roads. I am glad that we will not be going through towns with the kids. At the end of our road, Mack makes a right turn. Watching the farms go by, I see a few animals grazing. Hank will be taking a few guys with him to grab the animals to put in our fenced area by the barn. We will have fresh meat this winter when we need it. I think we will be able to keep them for a year before we have to eat them. I guess we will have to wait and see.
We make a left on Western Reserve Road. The houses as we pass them look abandoned. Maybe we can hit a few on the way back. We drive for about 15 minutes and come up to the orchard. The kids in our truck are getting excited as they raise their voices. Smiling, I look over at Mack and he is smiling too. He reaches over and laces our hands together. Pulling into the field. The kids giggle as we bounce around.
“OK, kids listen up. We’re going to drive around for a few minutes before we get out. So we can make sure it’s safe to get out.” As Mack slowly drives through the rows, the kids are quiet and looking out the windows. I’m glad they are taking this as seriously as they should. We take 15 minutes driving around before we stop. The excitement in the truck is overwhelming.
“OK, kiddos, listen up. Stay where we can see you if you see anything, come to us, don’t wait. We will be all around you guys.” Opening the door, I hop out, helping the little ones out one at a time. Mack goes behind the truck and grabs all the baskets. There are 30 in all. I hope we can fill all these up. We would be set for winter. The kids each take a basket and run to the trees. I walk about 200 yards and keep watch. I grab an apple to munch on. Looking out over the orchard, I see Mack to my left, and Liam to my right. Pete and Hank are over at the other side. We should be able to
see anybody before they can get to the kids.
A few hours and twenty baskets later we decide to stop for lunch. Walking over to the back of the truck, I grab the box with our lunches in it. The kids all lineup and grab a bag. There are enough lunches for all of us. Finding a place in the sun, I sit down on the grass and open the bag. There is a pop, sandwich, chips, and a cookie. My mom sure knows how to pack them. Tabby comes over and sits next to me.
“How you feeling, Tabby?” Looking over at her she looks so tired. When I get back, I am going to take her off duty. She needs to be resting more. Her weight looks good, so at least I do not have to worry about that.
“I’m a little tired, but I haven’t been out really since this all began. It feels good, though,” she says excitedly. Picking up a chip, she tosses it into her mouth with a smile on her face.
“Have you had any of the apples today?”
Laughing, she says, “Oh yeah, Mom, more than one.”
Laughing, I shake my head and drink the rest of my pop. Standing up, I walk over and toss my empty stuff into the box. The kids slowly do the same and start picking again. Smiling, I head over to Mack.
“I don’t think it’s going to take too much longer to fill the baskets.”
“Nope, they are fast, aren’t they?” Mack asks.
“We’ve got a lot to do before we leave in the morning for the armory. We…..” Liam comes running up and stops right in front of us. Looking over at him I see the worry on his face.
"Mom, we need to pack up, there are zombies coming down the road." Mack does not wait to hear the rest. He jogs over to the center of the kids and tells them to stop what they are doing and get into the trucks. I run to the trucks and open the doors so they can get right in. Hank, Pete, and Liam grab the baskets and put them in the truck. Pulling out my 9mm, I stand keeping watch as they finish up. The kids are safely in the trucks and the guys are just about done. When they finish up, I see the zombies turning towards the orchards. They must smell us. The guys start piling into the trucks. Hopping in, I slam the door closed. Mack starts the truck and we head out. Looking back at the kids they all have grim faces. Damn, I wanted this to be perfect for them, but I guess nothing will ever be any more. We take what fun we can get and enjoy it. None of them are crying, so that is a good thing. We come to the end of the orchard and Mack heads back the way we came.
The Outbreak Series (Book 2): Outbreak The Living Page 16