L Akers - Shoot Like a Girl

Instead, he’d let her putter around in her floppy hat and red gingham-checked apron, tending her herbs, looking like something from a fashion-shoot for the cover of Southern Living Magazine. Meanwhile, he toiled at the big gardens for hours and hours, with sweat creeping down the crack of his ass and his knees nearly giving out.

He never complained. She was cute in that outfit after all. But he could have used more help.

Lots of little things about prepping, survival and preparedness would have been easier if Olivia had been on board, instead of quietly bucking him. Her twin sister, Gabby, had jumped in with both feet, doing her own research, watching YouTube videos, joining online prepping groups and really learning how to handle a gun. He kept hoping Olivia would follow in her footsteps; usually they did everything together.

But it never caught on with Olivia. So, he’d been very careful what he’d asked of her when it came to prepping and preparing… and because of that, she rarely went against him on it.

Until now.

This …

He blew out a breath and looked up at the ceiling. He could feel a vein ticking in his forehead. His tooth-ache also throbbed loudly, reminding him that he couldn’t ignore it forever.

This was …

He clenched his jaw and shook his head slowly, from side to side. He couldn’t even begin to imagine where the hell the stuff was. Bottom line: It wasn’t here .

Pulling back his arm, he hesitated, trying to control himself.

But then he let go and power-slammed his closed fist into the side of the steel container once.

And again.

Pow.

And again.

Pow.

He shook his fist in the air.

Ouch.

That hurt.

But he felt better.

He rubbed his bloody knuckles, swearing under his breath.

He’d been right. No one had said it… yet. But they had to know. Why wasn’t anyone speaking up? Just a ‘Hey Grayson, sure am glad you had the foresight to start prepping since there’s no more food or gas to be had anywhere . Thanks SO MUCH for making sure we don’t starve. And thanks for making sure we’d have water. Hot water at that…’

He shrugged. He didn’t really need anyone to say it. He wasn’t that shallow.

Just a simple thank you would be nice.

While he did regret that the grid went down, he did felt a tiny bit vindicated. Finally, there was a real event. One they didn’t know how long would last—maybe forever?—and no one had even heard a murmur from the officials, or the government. Nothing on the radio. No cell phone communications. No knock on the door from the National Guard. No guys riding by in military vehicles with bullhorns screaming, ‘hey, hang in there, the power is coming back on soon…’

Not a whisper.

Finally, everything he’d prepared for was here .

He’d be lying to himself if he said he hadn’t been just a bit excited once the women arrived safely home. He’d thought about it for years and suddenly, just like that, it was here.

Now the wind was out of his sails.

After this discovery, he wasn’t as ready as he’d thought he’d be.

Thanks to his wife .

With his own family: Graysie and Olivia, that was three mouths to feed. Adding Jake and Gabby made five. If Dusty and Emma returned with Rickey, that made eight. Then he had to add Puck in… he couldn’t let the boy starve, and Gabby’s friends, Tina and Tarra. He wouldn’t turn them away either.

Eleven people.

One dog.

And a donkey.

Thirteen mouths.

Not counting the chickens.

He looked around and sighed.

Sure, they had plenty right now , even with the loss, but for how long? Just the eleven people were a lot of bellies to fill. Especially with the hard work they’d all be doing to survive, and burning more calories. And Ozzie had to be fed, too.

At least the dog-food tote was still there. Maybe they’d all have to eat that. And a damn donkey! That just beat all. That was just what he needed when the shit hit the fan. And he had no clue what to do about Jenny—

“—Grayson?” Olivia whispered, and poked her head through the door of the container.

Timidly, she walked in, guilt written all over her face.

Gabby and Jake walked in behind her.

Emotional support or back-up?

Olivia looked around at the mess, and then at Grayson’s bloody fist. “What’s wrong?”

Grayson raised his eyebrows and lowered his head, looking down at the old wood floor, biting his lip.

Silently, he counted to five.

Five.

Olivia wrung her hands.

Four.

Her shoulders slowly raised around her ears.

Three.

She quickly looked behind her, making sure Gabby and Jake were still nearby.

Two.

She blew out a slow breath.

One.

She squeezed her eyes shut.

Grayson slowly lifted his head and walked the few steps over to his wife. He took her hands in his. So much smaller… and looked into her shiny eyes.

He gave her a small smile; very small. “Honey, w here is the rest of our food and preps?”

Olivia sucked in a deep breath. “I’m sorry. It was a food drive just a few weeks ago… and we had all this stuff we never used. I… I… I never thought we’d…” She paused and looked around to Gabby, hoping for her support. “I donated it to the church… for the needy.”

She cringed in anticipation.

Grayson squeezed her hands gently and nodded his head three times. “Well, news brief. We are now the needy.”

Jake finished pouring gas into Ruby, praying under his breath that he was right… that the old mothballs and Seafoam had worked, and that the gas would run in his truck. Gabby stood beside him, for moral support and encouragement.

The guys had discussed the risk and decided to take a trip to Jake and Gabby’s house to gather any food and supplies that were there. With Olivia’s big screw-up, they just may need it later… not that it would compensate for what she’d given away. They didn’t keep a whole lot, but anything he and Gabby had at the house would help soothe things between Grayson and his wife.

They were also on a mission to find help for Grayson’s toothache, and Tullymore did have a doctor that lived next door to Tucker.

Jake screwed the gas lid on. “Let’s give her a try.”

Gabby stood on her tiptoes and pecked his cheek. “She’s gonna work. Ruby wouldn’t let you down. So, please be careful. Turn around if it’s not safe, but if you get there, the long-term food buckets are just under the house behind the double doors, and don’t forget the two rectangular plastic totes in the back of the closet that say, ‘farm clothes’ on them.”

At the house, she had two rubber totes full of clothes and shoes, using Spacesaver Vacuum Storage Bags . These bags were great for getting a lot of clothes into a small container, when used with a vacuum to suck all the air out.

Nearly a year ago, she’d spent a day shopping at the thrift stores and finding several sets of seasonal clothes on the cheap. For the low price, she’d paid—less than five bucks per outfit—she could pack them away and not have to feel guilty about not wearing it for a long time; maybe never. She’d always known she could borrow her twin sister’s things if ever they had to live at the farm for an extended time, but having a long memory for the feuding over clothes they’d done growing up, she’d prepared the tote to hopefully avoid a repeat of that.

Her tote contained everything from blue jeans to yoga pants, as well as shorts, shirts, and all manners of underthings. There were also comfort items and winter wear, such as sweatpants, sweatshirts, a coat, gloves, hats, and scarves. As was the way with most women she knew, she had no idea what her size would be if ever she should need them, so she chose stretchy, comfortable, and sometimes baggy things that would work whether she’d gained or lost some weight.