Monroe, Marla - Their Border Lands Gift [Men of the Border Lands 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (5 page)

“Kate. Are you listening to me?”

“No, sorry, what did you say?”

“I was saying that you need to keep close to me once we get there. They say the wolves are bad around the abandoned buildings. They make dens out of them.”

“Great. Something else to worry about,” she muttered.

They pulled into Middleton behind the other truck. It pulled off the side of the road just inside of town, and Bruce rolled down his window.

“If you follow this road straight through town, you’ll hit all the major stores. Watch out for wolves. We’re headed to the industrial park side for some parts we need,” Bruce said.

“Thanks for letting us follow you in,” Mike told them.

“Don’t stay past four, because you don’t want to have to unload in the dark. Wolves are bad around the woods back at your place,” Bruce warned them.

The other truck pulled off heading in a different direction. Mike pulled back on the road and drove until they found the first store that looked promising.

“What are we going to get here?” Kate asked as they pulled into the parking lot of a Home Depot.

“I need some parts for the tractor, and we can use some gardening tools and water hoses.” Mike climbed out of the truck and looked around. There were empty cars everywhere with buggies lying on their sides in every direction.

“Mike? Maybe I should just stay in the truck.”

“Nope, you’ve got to come with me. We don’t know who else is out here besides us and Marcus and Bruce. Come on, Kate.”

She sighed and climbed out of the truck. She followed Mike up to the storefront where he kicked out the remaining glass to one of the sliding doors. He climbed through then waited on her to do the same.

“Watch for glass, Kate.”

He grabbed a cart and handed it to her. “All right let’s take each row together. Remember, if you see a wolf, stop and be still. I’ve got the handgun with me if we need it.”

“Are you sure this is a good idea, Mike?” Kate felt like there were a thousand eyes on them now.

“Come on, Kate. It will be fine.”

They combed the aisles and loaded up with garden hoses, gloves, and various parts that Mike needed, but there were no other garden implements left. Neither were there any canning supplies. After loading up the camper, they pulled out of the parking lot and followed the road farther into town. The next store they came to was one of those super department stores with everything imaginable inside. Here they found the canning supplies along with some much-needed canned goods and first aid supplies.

Kate grabbed a couple of pairs of insulated underwear for both of them and a pair of boots for her. She figured she needed another pair of jeans, but left most all the other clothes alone. She didn’t need them. She had plenty for now.

They loaded up the camper with their finds and decided to make one more stop. They passed by several stores until they came to a sporting goods store. Here they added supplies for the camper and a good winter coat for each of them. There were shells for the rifle, but none for the shotgun or the handgun.

It was close to three now. Kate had just handed the last of the supplies up to Mike to load in the truck when movement caught her attention to the left. She swung her head and nearly screamed. There, not fifteen feet away, stood two wolves.

“Kate, don’t move.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to,” she whispered back.

They stood there for several long minutes, waiting to see what the wolves were going to do. Kate’s legs were beginning to shake. Fear was getting the best of her.

“Mike? I can’t stand here much longer. I’m going to start shaking all over.”

“Easy, Kate. I’ve unlocked the doors to the truck. I want you to walk toward the driver’s side because it is closer to you. Don’t run! Walk slowly. Climb in and crank the truck and pull out of the parking lot.”

Kate swallowed around the knot in her throat. She could do this. All she needed to do was walk a few feet ahead. She slowly put one foot in front of the other and took a step forward. The wolves didn’t move. She made another step, and they still didn’t move. By the time she was within grabbing distance of the door handle, she was soaking wet with sweat and shaking like a leaf. She risked a glance in their direction and nearly cried out. They’d moved closer to her.

“Easy, Kate. Just climb up in the truck. The keys are on the seat. I put them through the back window.”

Kate slowly lifted her arm and grabbed the door handle. She opened the door and the wolves started toward her.

“Kate! Get in the fucking truck!”

She climbed in the truck pulling the door closed behind her. She fumbled with the keys, trying to get them in the lock when the first wolf struck the door. Kate screamed and dropped the keys. Mike slid through the sliding window and slammed it shut. They both reached for the keys. Mike came up with them and shoved them in the starter.

“Go, Kate!” She started the truck, slammed it into drive, and floored it.

The wolves chased them all the way out of the parking lot and down the road before they gave up.

“Slow down, Kate, before we have a wreck. It’s all right now, Kate. Slow down.”

She slowed the truck down and finally stopped in the middle of the road. Her heart was in her throat along with the blasted knot now. She couldn’t catch her breath.

“It’s okay, Kate. Breathe through your nose so you don’t hyperventilate.” Mike was the voice of calm, but she’d seen his face turn white, so she knew he’d been as scared as she had been.

“I want to go home, Mike.” Kate couldn’t unclench her fingers from the steering wheel.

“Change seats with me and we will.” He climbed out of the passenger side and walked around to the driver’s side and opened the door.

He had to help her unwrap her hands from the wheel then push her over to the other side of the truck. He turned them around toward home, and Kate began to calm down the closer they got to the house. She wasn’t sure she would ever be warm again, though. Ice ran through her veins at the realization that they could have been killed. She hadn’t even been that scared when she’d nearly been abducted all those times.

As soon as they pulled into the front yard, she climbed out of the cab of the truck and ran inside the house. Mike chuckled behind her.

“Don’t you dare laugh at me, Mike Shaw! You could have been killed if you hadn’t been able to get through that window when you did.”

“It’s okay now, Kate. Let’s unload so we can get to bed. I’m tired. I know you are, too.”

They spent the next two hours unloading everything. It was dark by the time they finished. She let Mike put things up while she fixed them something to eat. After dinner, they each took a quick bath and went straight to bed. Kate lay awake long enough to pray that she wouldn’t dream about the wolves. Then she fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * * *

Summer soon turned to fall, and Kate worked from sunup to sundown every day harvesting and canning everything possible. Mike had found a stash of blackberries, and she put up jelly as well as the vegetables from the garden. She fell into bed each night totally exhausted but pleased.

Much to her disdain, though, Mike had made friends with several of the other settlers around the area, including two households of men. Everyone thought they were married, which suited Kate just fine. She wasn’t attracted to any of them. If she were interested in anyone it would be Marcus and Bruce, but they were off-limits.

“What do you think about Roy and Evan? They’re real hard workers. Their place is in great shape,” Mike asked her after he’d been over to borrow their ax for the day.

“No. I don’t like them. They’re loud and rowdy.”

Mike huffed out a breath and walked off without saying anything. Disgust filled her at the thought of any of the men she’d met touching her. She just couldn’t see herself with any of them. Mike was quickly losing patience with her, she knew, but she still didn’t see why they couldn’t continue as they were.

There was a knock at the door. Assuming it would be one of the men her
husband
had befriended, she opened the door to find Bruce standing on the front porch.

“Don’t you look before you open a door? How do you know it’s not a total stranger?”

“Kate, tell me you didn’t just open the door without looking!” Mike stormed into the living room.

“You have people over here all the time. I assumed it was one of them.” She frowned at Bruce and stomped off.

She heard the other man warning Mike to teach her to be more careful. She didn’t stick around to hear what else he had to say about her. She was pissed because he had been right. She shouldn’t have opened the door at all. The other men had warned Mike that strangers had been seen in the area lately.

She busied herself in the kitchen while Mike talked to Bruce out on the front porch. She had no idea what they were talking about, but when Mike returned nearly an hour later, he was smiling.

“What are you so happy about?”

“Bruce and Marcus have cattle. We’re going to trade with them for a half a side of beef.”

“What are we going to trade?” she asked. She couldn’t imagine what they had that the other men didn’t.

“They need some of their clothes mended, and I promised you would cook them a full meal.”

“You did what?” She couldn’t believe he’d bartered her services without asking her.

“Kate, they need their clothes tended to and haven’t had a decent cooked meal in years. Since their wife died. We need the meat.”

“Fine.” She needed to get used to the fact that he was making the decisions. It just irked her not to have any say in anything.

“Bruce said they would drop off some things to be fixed tomorrow. If I’m outside, please be sure it’s one of them before you open the door.”

“I will. When am I supposed to cook this meal for them?”

“I thought we would have them over at the end of the week. Supposed to start getting cold after that,” Bruce said. “We’ll need to start getting things ready for the snows.” Mike hugged her. “What do you think about them, Kate?”

“They’re nice enough, but they’re still grieving for their wife.”

“I think they’ve started looking around for another woman now. At least that’s the feeling I’ve gotten when we’ve talked.”

“I’m not going to throw myself on them, so get that out of your head.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to, Kate.”

“Good, because I’m not desperate for a husband. I’m happy like I am.”

Mike sighed and shook his head. “You’re going to have to choose someone soon, Kate. With these strangers in the area, I’m getting worried.”

“I keep the pistol in my reach all the time, Mike. I can shoot what I aim for.”

“Yeah, I know, but you might not have time to reach for it. These guys are pretty slick, according to the other men.” Mike pursed his lips. “I can’t help but be worried, Kate.”

“I know, Mike.” She sighed. “Just see how things go this winter.”

Mike shook his head and headed for his bedroom. Kate finished up in the kitchen and walked to hers. She could see that the worry and strain had aged her brother beyond his twenty-four years. He had lines around his mouth, and he only seemed to smile now when he was around his new friends.

She lay awake in bed a long time, thinking about her plight. Should she pick one of the sets of men and let her brother go? Could she handle being
married
to two men she didn’t love? Then she thought about Bruce and Marcus. She was attracted to them, for some reason. Maybe it was because they’d been so careful of her when they’d saved her that day in Barter Town.