Нора Робертс - Year One

“He’s right.” Arlys strode over to join them. “Wait, Fred. Just in case.”

Jonah gave Arlys a long look when she took out the gun from under her coat. Then nodded. “I’ll take left, you take right.”

They moved in, down thinly stocked shelves, by a counter with its open and empty cash register. By tacit agreement she pushed open the door of the women’s room, he the men’s.

Once satisfied, Jonah shifted his gun to his left hand, held out his right. “Jonah.”

She did the same. “Arlys. Okay, Fred!”

“Chuck says the pumps are on.” Fred kissed the baby who now lay contentedly in her arms. “He’s gassing up the Humvee.”

“I guess this is as good a place as any to get acquainted.” Jonah put his gun away as Rachel and Katie came in. “I’ll fill up our tank.”

“We need a chair for Katie.” Fred beamed. “So she can sit and feed Hannah.”

“There’s one in the back.” Arlys holstered her gun. “I’ll get it.”

“I could hold—which one is that?”

“This is Duncan.”

“I can hold Duncan while you feed Hannah.” Fred managed the exchange smoothly, then covered Duncan’s face with little kisses.

“You’re so good with them.”

“I’m going to have half a dozen one day. Duncan’s wide awake. Hello, Duncan! He says he needs to be changed.”

“I’m not surprised.”

“I can do it.”

“That’d be great,” Rachel said before Katie could speak. She handed Fred a diaper bag. “All the basics are in there.”

“There’s a changing table in the bathroom.” Arlys rolled out a desk chair. “I didn’t try the water, but if the pumps are running, there’s got to be power.”

“I hope so because our new mother needs a hot meal. Don’t say you’re fine, Katie. You’ve got three mouths to feed, and have to stay healthy and strong. There’s probably a microwave in here.”

Arlys pointed.

“Great. Maybe you could heat something up for her? I want to check out the over-the-counter meds they might have left. I’m a doctor.”

“Now I’m even happier to meet you. I saw a couple of cans of beef stew.”

“Perfect. I’ll see about more baby supplies while I’m at it. Can’t go overboard there with three.”

Arlys scavenged the shelves—no point depleting their own supplies. She heated stew, canned ravioli, a can of chicken noodle soup in doubled paper bowls in the microwave. As she worked, she saw the men get in the vehicles, pull away from the pumps.

Getting them out of sight of the road, she thought.

Just in case.

She set the various choices on the checkout counter, took some stew to Katie.

“Thanks. She’s slowing down, so nearly done.”

“Fred?”

“She took Antonia to change.” Eyes exhausted, Katie smiled. “She’s wonderful.”

“You have no idea. I have to say you look amazing for a woman who had triplets no more than days ago.”

Katie looked down at Hannah. “Twins. Hannah was orphaned. Her mother died giving birth. She was alone in the hospital because everyone was sick or dead. So we took her with us. She’s mine now.”

Katie looked up, those exhausted eyes fierce. “Just as much mine.”

“We’ll help you protect the babies.” Fred carried Antonia back. “All your babies.”

“The babies and I wouldn’t be here without Jonah and Rachel. Part of me believed they were the last decent people left on Earth. I think we were meant to meet you. Everything so horrible, and yet we met you. We met people who’d protect babies and help strangers. We’ll help you.”

“Yes, we will.” Rachel came back with a bulging bag. “Over-the-counter meds, basic vitamins, and first aid. Look through it, take whatever you need. Well, minus the baby-care items.”

Pushing a hand through her curly mop of hair, Rachel glanced toward the counter. “That up for grabs?”

“You bet.”

“I’m starving.”

“Arlys got cut on her arm.” Fred jiggled the baby. “Could you look at it?”

Rachel smiled. “The doctor is in.”

Arlys sat on a counter while Rachel cleaned and re-bandaged the cut.

“This could have used a few stitches. You’re going to have a scar.”

“Least of my worries.”

“It’s healing well.”

“What kind of a doctor?”

“Emergency Medicine.”

“Handier and handier.” Testing her arm, Arlys looked over at Katie—nursing another baby and eating stew one-handed, while Fred sat on the floor snuggling the other babies.

“Did you deliver the twins?”

“No. Jonah did. He found Katie in labor, got her into the hospital. We were in crisis. The only OB left was trying to save Hannah and her mother, so Jonah delivered the twins. He’s a paramedic.”

“This is our lucky day.”

“Ours, too.” Rachel picked up a bowl of soup—the men had returned and grabbed up the raviolis. “We wouldn’t have gotten this far today if you hadn’t cleared the way. We need to stick together.”

“Couldn’t agree more. We’re going to need to find real shelter tonight.” Like Rachel, she again glanced toward Katie and the baby in her arms. “Somewhere warm.”

“The town we just went through looked promising, but you want to push on. Why Ohio?”

“My parents, my brother. I’m hoping.”

Nodding, Rachel ate more soup. “We push on.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

Lana woke shuddering, on the edge of a scream. She clutched a fist to her chest, to the heart that felt it would leap out of her, leave her hollow.

Grief, drenching grief overwhelmed even fear.

A dream, some terrible dream she couldn’t quite remember. She remembered the feelings in it—that grief, that fear. And … crows circling. Crows circling, shrieking. Blood on her hands, her face.

She looked down at her hands. Though they trembled, no blood stained them.

Stress, she told herself. Stress dreams, compounded by waking alone.

She huddled in the bed, assuring herself all was well. Better than well. The bed, warm and soft, stood in a room where a fire still simmered. A room where wide windows offered the spread of a snow-saturated forest, as quiet and peaceful as a church, on a rise of land.

They’d found Eric, and no stress dream could smear the joy of remembering how Max leaped from the car, grabbed his brother, embraced him.

They’d found Eric, alive and well. Found shelter beyond anything she’d believed still existed in the expansive mountain home tucked into the Alleghenies.

Hot food, good wine, a group of survivors banded together.

For the first time in weeks, she’d felt safe. For the first time in weeks, she and Max had loved each other with joy rather than desperation.

No, she wouldn’t let a dream dredged from her weak and nervous subconscious spoil that. Though fatigue still dragged at her, she got out of bed. She indulged in a shower—oh, glorious body jets, soft-scented soap, and shampoo—and refreshed herself on their housemates.

Eric, of course, was eight years Max’s junior. Handsome, eager, his eyes more blue than Max’s gray, his smile quicker, flashier. And a little giddy now to have discovered the power inside him.

Had it come through the blood? she wondered, since Eric had never shown any interest in or talent for the Craft before.

The virus, she thought. It somehow grew from the virus—or filled the void left by it.

Along with Eric, there was Shaun, awkward and nerdy, thick glasses over brown eyes, floppy hair.

The college group included Kim, a stunning girl with gorgeous caramel-gold skin. Cool and cautious in Lana’s estimation, but who could blame her? A genius, according to Eric.

Poe, football star who had had scouts sniffing around him. Tough faced, tough bodied. He’d been the one to push a plate of spaghetti to her when she and Max had found the house in the snowy dark.