by Marla Monroe
Celina had to take a detour around an area that was so overgrown with briars and bushes she couldn’t force her way through it. She prayed that she would be able to make it back to the river once she got around the mess. With the wind howling through the treetops, the normally loud river seemed muted and a long ways off.
Her pack got caught on a branch as she forced her way through yet another group of waist-high bushes. She had to slip her arms out of the pack in order to work it free of the stubborn branch holding it hostage. Finally, with the pack firmly back in place, Celina continued forging her way through the dense, drying vegetation. She nearly fell over when she pushed through a particularly stubborn area to step into a fairly open area in front of an old cabin.
Relief flooded her as she walked closer to the building. It wasn’t in great shape, but it would certainly do as shelter for the night. She pulled her husband’s rifle off her shoulder and wrapped the strap around her hand like he’d shown her how to do before inching her way inside the doorway.
With barely enough light to see the inside of the cabin through the still-intact dirty windows, Celina watched around her for anything that moved as she stepped deeper into the large room. There wasn’t much in the way of furnishings. A double bed in one corner looked as if it had seen better days. A loveseat and moldy chair took up an area in front of the fireplace and a small kitchen table with two chairs sat off to the side in front of a sink, stove, and refrigerator.
Everything looked too dirty to actually use, but the roof seemed to be intact, so it would offer shelter from the wind and rain, if it were to fall. She set the heavy pack on the hearth and shoved the warped door of the cabin as closed as it would go. As much as she would have liked to have built a fire in the fireplace, she had no idea if it would be safe or not. The chimney wouldn’t have been cleaned out for at least the last seven years, she was pretty sure.
Celina spent the next hour cleaning off a place in front of the hearth and making a bed. She found musty but clean linens in a closet in the bathroom to act as the buffer between her and the drafty floor. After making do with a meal of cold beans and some jerky, she snuggled down, wearing all of her clothes and covered with a blanket from her pack. The pack itself made an uncomfortable pillow, but she could make do. It was all she knew how to do now.
When she slept, the dreams came. They always started off with her and her husband, Roger, living in their apartment, secure in their little world. Then they drifted forward to after the disasters to when they had found friends in a small community deep in the Border Lands. They had lived there for nearly six years in relative peace before things started to fall apart again.
First had been the poor crops that had seriously depleted everyone’s supplies. The wolves had always been a problem, but then they started attacking people out in the open in broad daylight. They had lost all fear of man, even with their guns. When the black-market traders and agents started stealing women, everyone had begun to panic. Families moved in with each other for safety.
Celina knew what was coming as the dream continued, but she was powerless to stop it. They hadn’t moved closer to the others yet. Roger wanted to wait until after they had finished harvesting the last of their garden to make the move. She had been scared of waiting, and they’d fought each night about it. They would only lose a few tomatoes, peppers, and some late-maturing beans. It hadn’t been worth it when it was all said and done.
They woke to smoke filling the bedroom. She immediately knew it was the black-market agents since they were known for burning families out of their homes to kidnap the women and any female children they could find. Roger had grabbed his gun and pulled out the packs from beneath the bed that they kept filled and ready, should they need them.
She followed Roger as she held a cloth over her mouth. They managed to get downstairs and into the hall bathroom. They had started the fire on the outside in front of the house. It meant the only way out should have been through the kitchen door. They would be waiting on them there. Roger had reworked the bathroom window there so that they could climb through it. Now if only they would be lucky enough that none of their attackers saw them escape.
In her dream, everything went well. Roger hadn’t been shot as they slipped into the woods. They had made it to the edge of their neighbor’s property to find Bess and her husband, Claude, at home, along with another family that had moved in with them. They managed to kill the agents and all seemed well.
As it normally did, her dream turned to a nightmare, and Celina woke screaming for Roger. Clutching her belly as the memory of struggling to bury him pulled sobs from deep inside, she promised the unborn child she carried that she would protect it with her life.
* * * *
The next morning, the sun was once again shining as she pulled the backpack on and pulled the door open. The temperature outside wasn’t as chilly as she had expected after such a cold wind the night before. She walked to the edge of the clearing and listened for the sound of the river. After nearly a full minute of standing absolutely still, she couldn’t hear it. What was she going to do now? Without the river as her landmark, Celina had no idea which way to go.
She had roughly enough food, if she was stingy, to last another full day. After that, she would go hungry. Should she stay where she was and hope someone would come along, or should she continue in hopes she would stumble across another home that included canned food?
Tears pricked at the back of her eyes. Refusing to give in to them, Celina chose a direction, using the sun, and stepped into the forest. Small rodents scampered ahead of her as she forced herself to put one foot in front of the other. At times there were birds flitting from branch to branch above her head and other times the woods around her was quiet except for the sound of her breathing and noisy movements through dry leaves and branches.
Twice she stopped to rest, and each time it became harder and harder to make herself continue. When she broke through the trees into an open area where rocks and small boulders lay at the base of a large hill, she felt like giving up. It was midafternoon by the level of the sun, and she had no idea if she was near anywhere that would provide shelter or not. Her legs tingled with exhaustion, and she was covered in scratches from the briars and low-hanging branches.
She walked over to the rocks and climbed up until she found one flat enough she could curl up and take a nap. She prayed she would be safe enough up off the ground like she was. Maybe once she had rested for an hour she would be able to continue. As it stood now, Celina didn’t have the energy to take even one more step. Using the backpack as a body pillow of sorts, she curled around it and settled on the sun-warmed rock and fell asleep.
* * * *
Russell followed Abe as they walked through the woods. The other man was showing him around the area so he wouldn’t get lost if he went walking by himself. This was only the third day he’d been outside since his attack by the bear. It had been over two weeks, and he had been getting restless. Abe was taking him on short walks twice a day to build up his strength and familiarize him with everything.
They hadn’t discussed him moving on again since Abe had made the comment that with winter around the corner, he might as well stay there. Russell found that he liked the man despite his snarly attitude and antisocial behavior. He could relate in a way. He didn’t much feel like talking, either. What was there to talk about anyway?
“We’ll stop up ahead where there’s a giant rock pile. We’ll rest there for a few minutes,” Abe said.
Russell just shook his head. The big man meant so Russell could rest. Abe didn’t need to rest. He could probably walk all day without stopping. The guy was a mountain of a man with strength that blew him away. Russell was no midget at six feet, two inches, but he had nothing on Abe.
“Can’t stay long,” Abe said as they stepped out of the trees. “Need to get back and chop some more wood. Going to snow tomorrow night or the next day.”
“How do you know that?” Russell
looked up and didn’t see a cloud in the sky.
The other man didn’t answer him and had stopped dead still in the middle of the clearing. Russell nearly ran into the back of him. Sensing that something was wrong, he didn’t move either, in case there was a wild animal on the rocks ahead. Standing where he was, Russell couldn’t see around the other man to know what had spooked him.
“What is it?” he whispered.
“Not sure. Stay here.” Abe’s deep voice sounded rough in a whisper.
Russell watched as the other man walked straight ahead in slow measured steps. He swallowed, worried that at any minute, something would jump at his new friend. When nothing happened and Abe stopped less than a yard from the first set of rocks, Russell began to grow curious. He eased closer.
“Fuck. What is going on? When did it turn into Grand Central Station out here?” Disgust was evident in the other man’s voice.
Just as Russell made it even with the other man, a woman sat up from where she’d been lying on a rock slightly above them. Her wide, fawn-colored eyes took them both in with obvious nervousness.
“Are you okay?” Russell moved a few steps closer.
Abe turned and frowned at him. “Don’t go talking to her, or she’ll want to go back with us.”
“Who are you?” Her soft, husky voice sent chills down his spine.
“I’m Russell, and this sociable guy is Abraham or Abe for short.”
“Do you live near here?” She still didn’t move, holding the backpack that looked bigger than she was in her lap.
“Not far from here. Where are you from?” Russell wondered why she was all alone out here in the woods.
“I’m originally from Tennessee. What about you?”
“Missouri.” Russell nudged Abe in the arm.
“What?” He continued to stare at the woman.
“What’s your name, ma’am?” Russell thought her golden-brown hair with its red highlights was beautiful even though it was a tangled mess.
“Celina. I’m looking for a safe place to live. Are there any empty homes near yours?”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Both Abe and Russell answered her question at the same time. They both glared at each other. It was obvious that Abe didn’t want her around. Why was he being so hostile toward her? She was obviously in need of help. There was no way he could leave her there with night approaching.
“Abe! What is your problem?”
“I–I don’t want to cause any trouble. I just want somewhere to spend the night. I’ll keep going in the morning.” She hugged the backpack tighter to her body.
“Why don’t you let us help you down from there? It’s going to get dark before long, so we need to get moving.” Russell stepped closer to the rocks.
Abe let out a disgusted sigh and pushed Russell to the side. “You can’t lift her until your shoulder heals up. I’ll get her down.”
Russell smothered a smile and waited to see what Celina would do. She hesitated for a second then held her pack out to the big man. He adjusted the straps then slipped it over his arms and settled it on his back before holding out his arms once again. She scooted closer to the edge of the rock and leaned forward with her arms outstretched so that Abe could scoop her off the rock. When he swung her off and stood her on her feet, Russell thought she was the cutest thing he’d ever seen.
“Better get going.” Abe turned and led the way back toward the lodge.
Russell nodded for her to go next and he brought up the rear. It just seemed natural to put her in the middle where she would be the safest. Besides, he liked watching her as he walked. Her bulky coat hid her figure, but it didn’t stop him from imagining what she would look like once the coat came off. Then a picture of his late wife flashed in his mind, and he instantly felt ashamed that he was ogling another woman. It didn’t matter that it had been over fifteen months since he’d lost her. She had been his everything.
Abe’s long stride was eating up the distance to the lodge and slowly putting space between them. He sighed and called out to get him to slow down. After that, the other man would turn to check their progress every few minutes. Why had the man been so short with Celina? It wasn’t her fault she was lost and alone in the woods.
When they reached the edge of the clearing that surrounded the lodge and its outbuildings, Russell felt relief flow over him. His shoulder was aching some, and it was obvious that Celina was about at the end of her endurance. To her credit, she hadn’t complained once about Abe’s pace. He doubted she would have said a word even if he’d walked out of sight. She struck him as stubborn by the lift of her chin when she’d spoken to them earlier.
Abe reached the lodge door and opened it. He left it open for them to enter behind him but had already reached the fireplace and was adding a log when Russell closed and locked the door behind them. While the other man tended to the fire, he began to pull off his outerwear and hang it on one of the many hooks on the wall by the door.
“Take off your coat and go over to the fireplace so you can get warm,” Russell suggested.
She dipped her head and unzipped the coat, shrugging out of it as she did. He was busy removing his boots when the sound of a log hitting the floor jerked his eyes toward Abe. The other man was staring at Celina as she stretched to hang up her coat. Russell frowned. What was Abe’s deal? He was just about to ask the other man when she turned around and he noticed the slightly rounded mound of Celina’s abdomen where her shirt was stretched tightly over it. Celina was pregnant.
Chapter Four
“You’re pregnant,” Russell spit out.
“Um, yeah. Somewhere around four months, I think.”
She didn’t seem to notice that they were both staring at her stomach. Abe bent to pick up the log he’d dropped and focused his attention on seeing about the fire. The sight of her slightly rounded belly had shocked him. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen a woman, much less a pregnant one. What in the hell was she doing out there all alone? Fuck! What were they going to do with her?
“What are you doing way out here all alone, Celina?” Russell asked.
Abe pretended to be busy with the fire as he listened to them talk. His heart was thumping along like a freight train. He was afraid that if he stopped to look at his hands he’d find them shaking.
“My husband and I were trying to find somewhere safer to live. Black-market agents burned us out of our last home, and Roger was injured when we ran. He died a few weeks back.”
Abe winced at the obvious pain in the woman’s voice. He knew that feeling well. With a tired sigh, he returned the poker to the stand and turned from the fire to watch them. Celina had taken a seat on the couch in front of him with Russell sitting on the edge of one of the chairs. He moved over some so as not to block the heat from the fire.
“I’m sorry for your loss. I guess we all know about loss. Still, carrying a child and all is going to be hard for you. Where were you heading?” Russell was absently rubbing his injured shoulder.
“Thanks.” She drew in a deep breath. Tears glistened in her eyes. “I don’t know where to go. I was just trying to keep moving until I found somewhere I could stay.”
“There are several cabins around the lodge here. I’m sure one of them would be in good enough shape for you to live in over the winter.” Abe felt Russell’s eyes on him like a hot iron.
“No!”
No doubt Russell expected him to agree and offer her the place. Before Abe knew what he was going to say, he was offering her a room in the lodge.
“You don’t need to be out there alone. Anything could happen. There are plenty of empty rooms here in the lodge. You can pick whichever one you want and we’ll get it cleaned up.” He stepped away from the fire. “I’m going to see about making something to eat. Russell, take her upstairs so she can pick out a room.”
With that, he pushed through the door into the kitchen and breathed a sigh of relief to be out of her presence. His puls
e refused to settle down despite the fact he’d put distance between them. He couldn’t figure out why she affected him this way. She really wasn’t anything special to look at. Well, except for those amazing honey-brown eyes and all that golden-brown hair. It was a rat’s nest right now, but he was sure it would look glorious when it was clean and brushed until it was shiny and soft.
Disgusted with where his thoughts were headed, Abe concentrated on what to make to eat. He was sure she would be hungry, and it had been a long time since lunch for him and Russell. He stomped around, gathering what he needed and mumbled to himself as he prepared the meal. He couldn’t help but wonder what they were doing in the other room or if they had gone upstairs to check out the empty rooms. Something inside of him needed to know where she was. He snorted with displeasure that he couldn’t seem to put her out of his mind for long.
Once dinner was ready, Abe shoved the kitchen door open wide and started to call out to them to come eat while it was hot, but they weren’t in the living room. He walked over to the stairs and bellowed up to the second floor.
“Dinner’s ready. Get down here and eat while it’s hot.” He didn’t wait around to listen for an answer.
When they walked through the kitchen door five minutes later, Abe was already eating at the table. He knew it was rude of him, but he didn’t need to encourage Celina to get attached to him. He wasn’t someone she should want to depend on. Abe was a loner and liked it that way. Up until Russell had shown up and now her, he hadn’t seen anyone in a long time and those times had been from afar. Suddenly now, he had two people staying in his lodge. It was enough to give him a complex.