“Really?” he growled as he realized the pot was empty.
Chase smiled. “Guess you better make another pot, Albert.”
Megan held back a smile. Served the old codger right for being so rude. Albert threw her a nasty look as he headed out the door with the pot in hand. She assumed they must have a stash of water out there or there was a well with a hand pump. That would be too perfect she thought to herself.
After watching the routine for several minutes, Megan decided she best get back to Caitlin and see if she was ready to move yet. She didn’t want to stay around for a minute longer than necessary.
5
Wyatt watched Megan scan the room. He knew what she was doing. She was sizing everyone up. He still wasn’t sure about her, but she seemed harmless. Maybe a little cranky and definitely a lot protective, but that was to be expected with a sick child.
This world had changed people. It transformed the nicest people he knew into some of the most ruthless. Brotherly love and human kindness in general was a rarity these days. Everyone was suspicious of everyone else and for good reason. No one was safe anymore.
Wyatt had a feeling she was looking for the quickest way out. This woman didn’t feel comfortable in their home or around them that much was obvious. He got it, but she clearly didn’t realize the danger she was putting herself and her daughter in by trying to go it alone. This wasn’t the time to be a lone wolf. She needed people and he intended to convince her of that and not only for her sake.
It’d been a long time since he felt any sort of attraction to someone and if he were being honest with himself, he had to resist the pangs of jealousy he felt when he saw his brother with his wife. Despite how quickly the world had changed, their bond only seemed to grow stronger. While Wyatt realized that given the existing climate, he wasn’t sure if he’d ever find someone like that, he was very attracted to Megan. She intrigued him and he wanted to get to know her better. A lot better. He felt a connection that couldn’t be explained and he wanted the chance to find out if there could be more.
Wyatt had a feeling she could be an asset to them as well. While his mom had taken her to the outhouse, he’d quickly searched the bag under the bed. He’d found cable snares. After hearing her story about skinning a rabbit, he was convinced.
She knew how to trap and that could help put food on the table as well as replenish the food stockpile they’d built before the EMP. The petite woman didn’t look like a trapper, but he suspected there was more to her than meets the eye.
As he watched her over the brim of his coffee cup, he got an idea.
“Would you like to take a bath?”
She swung around to look at him.
“What?” The surprise on her face was evident as she stared at him.
He realized that had come out wrong. “Not with me. That is to say—” Taking a deep breath, he tried to explain. “We can get you hot water if you would like to take a bath. We don’t have enough pressure for an indoor shower, but we can fill the tub upstairs,” he explained quickly. He felt like an idiot.
Megan eyed him carefully. He watched the look of excitement cross her face. Considering that she probably hadn’t enjoyed hot water in months, it might go a long way toward easing some of her aches and pains and hopefully, improve her mood, which he was sure he’d made worse.
“I should probably get going.”
Wyatt laughed and rolled his eyes at the ridiculous statement. “Your daughter is lying in bed, unconscious. Are you going to scoop her up and leave? Or maybe you’re going to leave her in our care?”
She glared at him and he swore he saw smoke coming from her nostrils. She was mad. It was a very attractive look on her, which made him grin. Damn, he had it bad. He really liked this woman.
“Just relax. Let her heal. Take a bath. You’ll feel better. There’s no reason for you to rush out the door.” He leaned forward and touched her arm. “I think you know we aren’t going to hurt you. We want to help. We aren’t crazy.”
A snort from Albert who was lighting the stove interrupted the moment.
“Albert, quit acting like a grumpy old man,” Wyatt scolded as he fought back his grin at Megan giving Albert the look of death. “He’s putting on a show. He isn’t quite as mean as he wants you to believe. Ignore him.”
Megan looked to Willow and Jack who had been quietly talking in the corner of the kitchen.
Willow spoke up. “A hot bath is a luxury that you don’t want to pass up. Especially when you’ll have all these handsome men, carrying buckets of water for you. I bet you’ll feel better.”
An elbow in the ribs from Willow prompted Jack to respond. “Yeah, it’s no problem. Albert will get the fire going and we’ll heat the water on the stove. It’ll take about an hour.”
“See, it’s settled. You’re going to take an almost hot bath. My mom will keep an eye on Caitlin and hopefully, with my mom’s magic, she’ll be on the road to recovery in no time,” Wyatt assured her.
Megan conceded. “I’m going to go check on Caitlin first, and then I’ll help carry the water. There is no way I’ll let you guys wait on me hand and foot.”
Wyatt winked. “Of course not.”
He watched as she slid off the stool. She was sore. He could tell by the way she winced when her feet hit the ground. A bath would definitely do her some good. He had a feeling she’d been on her own since this started, which was a huge burden for anyone let alone a single woman with a child.
It was time she leaned on others. With each of them helping out, the burden was so much easier to carry. So much so, Wyatt couldn’t imagine trying to survive without his family.
Wyatt had to admit that he was lucky. Not only was he close to his family but they’d always been of like mind when it came to prepping. While his father had been the instigator in all of it, his mom had always made a point of choosing more natural products over the convenience of store bought. Wyatt had long suspected that it had more to do with her upbringing than anything else did. One of several siblings growing up in a very poor household, from what his mom used to say, his gran had made foraging for food and herbs a game and despite often not having enough food on the table, they always knew they were loved.
When she’d married his dad, he would laughingly tease her about some of her more frugal ways reminding her that she didn’t have to worry about money anymore but he’d quickly grown to appreciate her efforts. Especially when he decided to buy the land for their cabin and was able to pay cash for it.
Dale Morris had purchased the entire fifty-acre plot fifteen years ago to keep others from building around him or any kind of logging operations from removing the concealing trees. The location was extremely remote and because it was completely off the grid, there were no utility bills. In fact, most of the building had been built without permits, which meant records showed it was nothing more than a parcel of undeveloped land.
More importantly, the elevation meant the harsh winter weather would act as an invisible fence and without any real roads to the property; it would be secluded and safe; at least for the time being.
Wyatt and his father hadn’t been to the cabin in some time. They had plans to go up in spring to take another truckload of supplies, but everything happened before they were ready. In fact, they’d planned to have a big family reunion at the cabin and spend a week hanging out, living off the land, and getting in some practice for when the time came they had to live there. They’d waited too long. The time was now and they weren’t totally prepared.
The family had come up with a plan to get there and after about a week of walking at night to avoid the crowds and taking what they could find from abandoned homes and rapidly emptying store shelves, they’d made it.
Wyatt could understand loss, which was why he admired Megan’s protective behavior and absolute tenacity at managing to carry her daughter up the hill to the cabin and to break in without any tools. He felt the same way about his family. Wyatt thought back to the moment he ca
me home to see his father lying dead on the floor of the living room. It was something he vowed never to happen again. He still kicked himself for leaving his parents alone. He knew better, but assumed it would all be okay. Never again would he leave the people he cared about to fend for themselves.
The loss of his little sister, Wynona, had created his strong need to guard the people he cared about. It’s what drove him into the military and later the SEALs. He learned a hard lesson in life at the ripe age of thirteen.
Wyatt had been playing basketball with his nine-year-old sister in the driveway of their home. The ball had rolled into the street and she ran to get it only to be hit and killed by a speeding car. Wyatt’s memories of his little sister lying dead in the street and then his father lying dead in the same house the family had lived in for more than thirty years was excruciating.
He’d let his guard down for a short time and another loved one had been ripped away from him. It made him extremely vigilant over the people he had now. They were his family and there was no way he would leave them alone to fend for themselves.
Wyatt shook himself out of the funk that threatened to grab hold and tumble him into a pit of despair and grief. All that mattered was what was right in front of him.
He watched Megan limp into his bedroom and decided she was going to be under his protection whether she liked it or not. He could protect her and Caitlin. That was now his mission.
Megan turned back right before she went through the door. She met his eyes, held them for a few seconds before turning back. You aren’t going anywhere Megan Wolford, he silently vowed.
6
Megan held her breath as she sank into the tub of water. The burning sensation coming from what must have been a hundred cuts and scrapes on her arms, legs and chest would pass soon. Once the stinging stopped, she exhaled and simply reveled in the feel of warm water caressing every inch of her body. Cold baths had been the norm for three months. This, this was a little bit of heaven.
A girl could get used to this.
Megan allowed herself a few minutes to soak and relax. Then it was all business. Willow had given her a razor, which was another luxury Megan had been without since everything went dark. She thought back to all of the little things in life she’d taken for granted. Baths, shampoo, conditioner, razors were things she realized she never wanted to do without again.
Coffee, she thought to herself. Add coffee to that list.
She washed her hair twice and added a heaping amount of conditioner for good measure. It felt good to do something so normal and being clean felt even better. Megan wanted to stay in the tub for hours, but felt as if she was taking advantage of their hospitality.
Leaving the bathroom, Megan found Willow and Ryland sitting on one of the sofas in the loft area. They looked so comfortable. It made her envious of what they had.
“How was the bath?” Willow asked.
Megan smiled. “Fabulous, like you promised.”
Willow smiled back and nodded. “I told you.”
Megan looked at Ryland, who was hunched over and intently writing in a notebook.
“We’re doing some math. With no schools, I figure it’s up to us to teach the kids these days. I’m no math whiz, but I can balance a checkbook. Or I used to be able to,” Willow explained. “I’m, or I guess was, a teacher before all this happened. A little school each day makes us both feel more normal.”
Megan nodded. “Good idea. We were doing a little reading and some math at home as well. You have plenty of books to keep everyone busy.”
Willow stared out the window. “It’s amazing how much we took for granted, isn’t it?” A wistful looked crossed her face as she stared out at the treetops.
Megan couldn’t agree with her more. In an instant, life had changed. No one went to work, school or anywhere for that matter. The only cars that ran were the older ones, but considering those were all gas-guzzlers, it didn’t do much good. The gas pumps didn’t work.
Everything stopped. No electricity, communications, internet. Nothing. It was a very strange, scary new world and people had lost their minds. It wasn’t safe out there. The isolation made average people prey for those who were unscrupulous and looking to benefit from the tragedy that had befallen the world.
“I’ll let you guys get back to it.” Megan stopped on the first stair. “Willow?”
The woman lifted her head to look at her in question.
“Do you like it here? I mean, do you feel as if you and your son are safe?”
Willow smiled. “Of course. I would trust no one else with my own son. Rosie, Wyatt and all of them, really are reliable and trustworthy. Rosie is an excellent mother and grandma and she’s managed to keep us all alive and well long before this happened. Caitlin will be fine,” she said with confidence. “You could stay, you know.”
Megan winced. This place was a fantasy. It wasn’t hers and she felt wrong for intruding. They’d worked hard to make it what it was. Was it fair for her to show up at the door and expect them to take her in? She didn’t think so.
Depending on others had only ever led to heartache for Megan and she wasn’t prepared to start now. Especially, not now.
“You’re too kind, Willow. Thank you again for the bath and all the soaps.” Calling over her shoulder as she walked downstairs. “Have fun doing your math, Ryland.”
Wyatt watched as Megan came down the stairs. She was moving a little better and he was amazed at the transformation. She was wearing a clean pair of jeans, cinched up at the waist with a belt that was too big.
She was a little on the thin side, but she didn’t look unhealthy. Her hair had been brushed and pulled back into a ponytail. Wyatt had to admit he was tired of seeing women resort to that hairstyle. He missed the days of long, flowing hair, but understood the reason behind it. The women today were forced to do a lot of manual labor and long hair would definitely be in the way.
Megan smiled at him and he felt his heart skip a beat. She was gorgeous. He loved the confidence and independence she exuded.
“So, are you busy?” he asked, not sure if she would actually want to do anything.
She shrugged her shoulders. “I’m busy waiting.”
He laughed. “Well, I know how to help you pass the time and keep your mind occupied while we wait for your daughter to wake up. Come on.”
She didn’t look convinced, but she nodded her head again, and followed him outside. “Okay, I’m all yours.”
Wyatt smiled. If only that were true.
“We’re going to make a solar dehydrator today.”
“Really?” she sounded impressed, which boosted his confidence.
Pointing to the supplies, he’d already laid out. “Yep. So, we’re going to use these two-by-fours to make a box. It won’t be perfect, but that doesn’t matter. We have enough to make a couple dehydrators, so follow my lead.”
He handed her a hammer and pointed to an old coffee can filled with obviously used nails. He showed her how to construct the box with the wood before he grabbed the window screens propped against a tree.
“Now, it isn’t ideal, but we’ll use this silicone to attach the screens to the bottom side of the boxes.”
He added a thin layer of the sticky goo and pushed the metal frame against the wood. Megan repeated the action on her own box.
He glanced across to see how she was doing and caught the scrunched up look on her face as she worked with the used nails. Some were a bit harder to use but she still managed.
“We can add legs to the boxes, but we don’t have that many pieces of wood all the same length. Instead, when it’s time to use the dehydrators, we’ll place them on rocks, which will serve as the base that holds the screen off the ground.”
Megan looked from Wyatt to the box frames. “That’s it?”
“Well, when it’s time, we’ll slice up our fruit, vegetables, and hopefully meat, nice and thin. Then we’ll lay them on the screen and place the windows over the top.”
&n
bsp; He pointed to where he’d grabbed the screens. There were two different sized windows. One had a crack.
“We pulled those out of a house in town. It’d been completely trashed, but the windows were fine. A crack isn’t going to hurt the dehydration process.”
“That’s awesome,” she said with real excitement, her eyes bright. “I can’t wait to see how it works.”
He flashed his most charming smile. “Stick around and you can.”
The words didn’t have the effect he was going for. Instead, her eyebrows furrowed. “I’m going to check on Caitlin.”
Wyatt watched her walk away before turning his back to the cabin and giving himself a mental face palm. Nice one, dude.
The rest of the day flew by. Megan had grabbed a few books from upstairs and spent the time reading to her unconscious daughter. She remembered stories about how comatose patients could sometimes hear their loved ones talking to them and she hoped that was the case. Rosie had drifted in and out to check on the girl. Occasionally she would bring in more tea and between the two of them, they slowly got it down Caitlin’s throat.
By nightfall, Megan was tired and growing more worried about her daughter. She wasn’t waking up. Rosie promised it would happen; they needed to have faith. Megan’s faith was quickly evaporating. She needed to do more than read stories.
She found Rosie in the kitchen stirring a pot on the stove. There were several empty jars lined up on the counter with wicks inside, standing straight up. Megan forgot her original reason for coming to find her.
“What are you doing?”
Rosie smiled. “Making candles. All the little nubs and pieces from the candles we’ve burned are all thrown into a pot and melted down again. I even collected some broken crayons when we went through town. Now they’ll be colorful candles!”
EMP Lodge Series Box Set | Books 1-6 Page 5