Page 46

Kara’s eyes go wide. “That’s how you met?”

“Mhmm, I rushed him with a knife that very same night. Wild times.”

“Seems like it worked out, though. You all look very happy.”

She smiles, rubbing her belly with a light hand. “It did, and we are.”

“How far along?”

“Enough that I feel like one of those watermelons out in the yard. I just know it’s a girl, though.

My feet swelled up like this when I was carrying my firstborn.

” She pats the girl on her other side fondly.

“I’d show you all these potatoes in my shoes if we weren’t eating right now. Swollen as all get out!”

“How about you two? How long have you been together?” Wyatt asks, shoving a forkful of salad in his mouth.

They stumble, talking over each other as if to deny they are together. Half words and uncertain glances tangle in a mess until Kara finally rescues them both. “Since we were teenagers. I’ve known him forever.”

“Well, isn’t that romantic? See, I told you that we aren’t the only ones out here making this all work.” Addison taps her husband with the back of her hand, and he concedes with a nod.

“You win, Darlin’. She wasn’t joking about it being a while since we’ve seen anyone else, though. Was starting to think it’s just us left.”

“There are others,” Wade says, cautiously. “Long way away, though. We’ve been driving for days.”

“Sounds to me like maybe you should stay the night. Get some rest? We got a spare room and the shower even works ‘cause of the well. It’s cold, fair warning.” When Kara politely declines Addison’s offer, she gives her husband a side eye as if hoping he’ll try harder.

He doesn’t, and that’s when she continues with a resigned sigh.

“I’ll admit asking you out here isn’t purely as a thanks.

I have an ulterior motive. He just ain’t wanting me to ask because he’s too proud. ”

“I ain’t too proud. It just isn’t their problem, you know that.”

“What is it you wanna ask?” Wade’s ready for any number of bullshit questions that’ll have them running for the hills or fighting for their lives.

“There’s a windmill,” Wyatt admits. “Been trying to get it up for months. Can’t fucking do it, just the two of us…sorry, language…know it’s not your problem to help, but if you got the time, we’d appreciate it. Won’t take but one morning.”

“We got it all set up for electricity,” Addison smiles. “Hot water for the baby, lights, and all sorts of good stuff. He don’t want me saying because he’s afraid you’d just take this place from us, but I can tell you’re not like that. Even if you can’t help, you wouldn’t do us wrong that way.”

Kara’s already watching Wade with an amused purse of her lips, her voice light. “Well, honey, are you gonna help these folks put up a windmill or what?”

“Guess so.”

He hates how much he loves that term of endearment, even if it’s fake, or how nice it feels when her knee gently bops his under the table all over again.

* * *

The guest room is cozy and clean, and they take turns using the shower in the attached bathroom.

Feels good to get the grime off himself even if it’s cold water and when he comes out, still ruffling his hair with a towel he’s stalled at the sight of Kara bent over the side of the bed with her jean covered ass in the air.

He’s regretting not jerking off in the shower right about now because his dick is rapidly starting to perk up. If that isn’t the best ass he’s ever seen in his life, he doesn’t know what is. A perfect peach just waiting for him to….

Quickly, he clears his throat before he can mentally take this too far.

“Oh, you’re done.” She jumps back up in surprise. “I was looking for the…the cap to my water bottle. It’s under there. Dropped it.”

He fetches the cap for her, and she takes it almost shyly, watching him move to the other side of the bed. They’ve shared before without a problem, except for the fact that she almost knocked herself out on the side table trying to get away from him in the treehouse. Shit.

“I could take the floor?” He’s giving her a chance to agree if she’s not okay with this arrangement, but her face falls instantly, like he just told her that the horse out there died.

“No, it’s okay. There’s plenty of room, right?”

“Right.”

“Okay then, get back in here,” she teases.

He grabs his spare shirt waiting on a chair, and pulls it on. “So, they seem nice. Could still be cannibals, though.”

“Sure. After everything we’ve been through, the people who named their horse Cheese Doodle are the ones to take us out.”

“Never know.”

“Well, maybe I want to believe this once that there are people like us out here. That’s what we’re hoping to find, right? We’re being careful, got the door locked, but we can’t assume everyone’s out to get us, Wade.”

“Yeah. Maybe. Think they’ll regret roping me into being a farm hand. Don’t know shit about putting up a windmill. I could saddle that green horse faster than I could get one of those going.”

“Missed your calling as a cowboy, but there’s still time,” she drawls, rolling her head against the pillow to grace him with a sassy smile.

“I don’t think we’re far enough west for that yet.”

“Shhh, just go with it.”

She’s implying some indulgent wild cowboy fantasy, but he’s not delusional enough to believe she’s serious.

They share a soft laugh and settle in for the night, long moments passing while trying to get comfortable and fuck if he doesn’t hate how far away she is.

Isn’t brave enough yet to scoot closer, but then remembers his plan.

Operation Courting Kara is still a go, and this is a prime opportunity, or it would be if he had any game left whatsoever.

She’s fidgeting a lot tonight. Tosses and turns and fluffs her pillow. If he pays close attention, he can see her casting glances his way when she thinks he’s not looking.

He can do this. No big deal. Wade grabs his pillow and shifts it under his head, the barest half an inch in her direction.

No response.

He does it again, going a little further and covering by ruffling the blankets, too.

Her fussing has gone silent, then she surprises him by doing the very same thing, inching closer until their pillows touch at the ends.

“The mattress is kinda stiff, huh?” she says.

“Mhmm. Pillow’s lumpy.”

“Mine too.”

They’re both just restless, that’s all. Has nothing to do with wanting to be closer. That’s what he tells himself, even as he works up the courage to go an extra step further and gently lean his foot against hers.

It’s one thing to sleep wrapped up together while he was still so fresh off his captivity, and the only comfort he could find was her. It’s another thing entirely to do so when his overall goal is far from innocent.

When he checks her face, she’s smiling up at the ceiling, her voice wistful as her foot nudges him. “They’ve got a nice life here, don’t they? Simple. Easy.”

“No battles to fight, no enemies to chase down. Just the three of them, this house, and the fields around it. Harvesting crops and putting up windmills.”

“Sounds good to me.”

It sounds good to him, too. A lot like what he hopes might happen after their road trip is over, if he’s able to convince her to pick a spot and put down fresh roots with him. He falls asleep the same way he does every night, thinking of them out west in their own version of paradise.

* * *

Wade has never put together a windmill. They already got most of the pieces assembled, and all he really has to do is help raise it.

Once finished, he heads back into the house to check on Kara, who’s been making lunch with Addison, leaving Wyatt behind to fiddle with electricity-related details.

Wade is not a quiet person, but he must be today because they don’t hear him coming at all, though he hears them loud and clear from the hall.

“ He’s handsome, that one. You picked well.”

“ He is. Don’t know if I picked so much as just got lucky.”

Yep, that’s Kara’s voice, he thinks, leaning carefully against the wall.

“ Looks at you the way Wyatt looks at me sometimes, when he thinks I ain’t lookin’ back. All sweet-like. Got them heart eyes for you.”

It’s silent for a moment, and much as he hates eavesdropping, he absolutely has to know what Kara says in return.

“ I feel like I should be honest with you. You’ve been so kind. Me and Wade, were not really—”

“ Oh, I already know.”

“ You do?”

“ You both still have that brand-new look. Got those butterflies still, I bet. That’s a before thing. Not an after thing. Well, not for long after, anyway. Unless you’re lucky like me and Wyatt. I still get butterflies for him. Question is, why not?”

“ Why not what?”

“ Why aren’t you together yet?”

“ He doesn’t…it’s complicated.”

“ Well, you’re lucky you have each other either way.

I keep hoping that it ain’t all bad, you know?

To be honest, some of my best moments have happened once the world ended.

Got married again to someone who loves me, got pregnant, settled down.

I don’t know that any of that coulda happened before.

Is that wrong? To feel like maybe some good came of it all? ”

“ I know exactly what you mean. Being out here with Wade is the happiest I’ve been in so long.”

Kara thinks he’s attractive.

She’s the happiest she’s been out here with him.

She feels lucky to have him.

She thinks he doesn’t…. something . What exactly, he has no idea, but he tries to focus on the first three instead.

Those are more than enough to sustain him.

He’s starting to feel guilty for not announcing himself, so rather than risk regretting it even further, he makes as much noise as one person can in an empty hallway and calls out for Kara.

Anything else he needs to know, he’ll have to hear it directly from her. Eventually.

* * *

After a quick lunch, it’s time to leave the farm behind, and they get plenty of sightseeing suggestions before they go. Everything from a ball of twine, to dick shaped mushroom rocks and a bluff overlook that Addison describes as very romantic.

“Y’all have safe travels now,” Wyatt calls out as they head down the driveway. “Swing back here again someday!”

They offer waves and smiles, then they’re on the road again, and Kara curls around him like she never left.

“See, no cannibals this time,” she jokes. “Are we gonna see those mushroom rocks?”

“Pfft. Thought you’d be all about that ball of twine.”

“I’m not a cat, Wade.”

“Alright, the dick rocks, then?”

“Maybe. Or the bluff?”

“We’ll rock, paper, scissors it soon.” He taps her knuckles with his hand and grins when she nuzzles her face between his shoulders.

They’ve done a good deed and made new friends. Not a bad day’s work on the road.