The McClane Apocalypse Book Five (13 page)

Reagan reins in beside her and says, “So, do
you wanna’ talk about it?”

Sam tries to play dumb about that fateful day
at the clinic and replies, “What do you…”

“Get real, Sam. You’re about as good at
lying
as
me.”

Sam smiles with embarrassment and shrugs,
trying not to show her coloring cheeks. “I don’t know.”

“What’s happened since? Anything else?”
Reagan
inquires
after the
incident at the clinic when she’d caught her and Simon kissing in
the stock room.

“No, nothing. He hasn’t even talked to me. At
all! He is avoiding me even more now than ever.”

“Maybe he just hasn’t had a chance,” Reagan
offers with a grim smile. “It’s kind of hard to be alone with so
many people living on this farm.”

Sam chuckles and nods. “Did you tell
everyone… or anyone?”

“No, your secret’s safe with me. Besides,
Simon asked me not to tell anyone, so I’m bound,” Reagan tells her,
a frizzy blonde curl blowing into her face.

Sam exhales with relief. She’s glad nobody
else knows. It’s embarrassing enough having Simon think she’s
disgusting without the whole family knowing. They would probably
think she threw herself at him. He’s too good and kind to do or
even think anything of a deviant nature.

“Ok, good. I don’t want anyone to be mad at
me,” Sam admits guiltily.

“Why would anyone be mad?” Reagan asks with a
degree of confusion.

“Because Simon’s…. Simon is,” she states but
cannot finish.

“Too young? I sort of agree. You’re both
young, Sam. Hell, what do I know? Maybe you aren’t. People grow up
a lot faster now, I suppose.”

“I didn’t mean young,” Sam says and lowers
her eyes.

“What did you mean, kid?” Reagan asks as they
come down the back hill that will lead to the hog barn.

“Nothing,” Sam deflects and steers her horse
a few feet away from Reagan’s. She doesn’t want to reveal too much
to her older adopted sister. It’s not that she doesn’t trust Reagan
because she does. It’s that her feelings are too humiliating to
voice.

“It looks like you might get your chance to
talk to him,” Reagan says and points to their south.

Simon and his sister are collecting
herbs again in the denser part of the forest. Paige is becoming
quite the helper to her brother with herb collection. He tosses
back his head and laughs heartily at something his sister has said
to him. Sam frowns. He never laughs
around
her anymore. He won’t even look at her most
of the time.

“No, I’d rather not. I’m just going to head
back with you, Reagan,” Sam says quickly, tightening her grip on
the reins nervously.

“Hey, guys!” Reagan calls loudly. “What’s
going on?”

Sam would like to shrivel up and die. She’d
also like to knock Reagan over the head. Simon’s head snaps up.
When he sees that she’s with Reagan, Sam notices that he turns away
with a frown. His sister waves jovially to them as they draw
near.

“Tractor’s broke,” she calls out.

“Really? Again?” Reagan asks her.

“Yeah, something’s wrong with the… I don’t
remember what,” Paige answers with a scowl.

“The hydraulic hose and also a part for the
thresher snapped,” Simon informs her impatiently without turning
back to face them.

“Oh yeah,” Paige says with a grin. “Hydraulic
hose. Excuse me, Mr. Perfectionist.”

Simon doesn’t answer but just grunts at his
sister instead.

“What are the guys doing about it?” Reagan
asks.

Paige replies, “I think they’re going on a
run for a few parts. John said something about not having another
one on the farm.”

“We used the last
hose
and patched it a couple times,” Simon
interjects over his shoulder. “We need to have three or four. Plus
we have some other parts- like for the
thresher
- on the list that we should try to find.
Stuff that’s going to go bad soon.”

“Who’s going?” Sam asks.

Simon doesn’t answer her but turns away
again. Paige shoots a confused look at her brother but takes up the
conversation for Simon.

“Kelly and Cory are going tonight, I guess,”
she answers.

Reagan frowns and bumps her horse a few feet
forward. “I’m going back. I need to talk to John. Sam’s gonna stick
around and help you guys. You kids behave now.”

Paige laughs and nods. Sam would like
to follow her mentor but knows that Reagan will just reject the
offer. Instead, she dismounts and ties her mare’s reins loosely to
a thin branch. The horse tosses her head angrily, wanting to return
to the barn with Reagan’s gelding. Sam just
pats
her neck and rubs her velvety muzzle once. She
cautiously approaches the others and decides to stick by
Paige.

“I hope they’re careful,” she comments
quietly, averting her eyes from Simon who has finally turned to
face them.

“They will be,” he says to her. “Don’t worry,
Sam.”

She nods grimly but can’t help the
concern she feels every time any of the family leaves the farm for
a supply run. Simon turns quickly away
with
a pained grin.

“Right,” Paige adds. “The psycho’s going, so
Kelly will be safe.”

“Paige,” Simon warns.

Of course she’s referring to Cory as a
psycho. She really, really doesn’t like him. So much for Simon’s
assessment that they’d get along great if Cory ever came home. He’s
been home for weeks and they still hate each other.

“Cory’s really sweet,” Sam tells her friend.
Paige’s light eyes jump to hers. “You two just got off on the wrong
foot is all. He’s a good guy.”

This just gets a snort from Paige before she
pushes her wavy, loose red hair behind her shoulder. The leaves on
the trees are starting to turn out their fall colors with a flair
that catches Sam’s artistic eye. Some of the hues match the light
to dark red strands of Paige’s locks.

“Yeah, he’s a real charmer,” Paige remarks
with sarcasm. “When can you start working with me, Simon, so that I
can go on runs, too?”

“What’s your hurry?” he asks impatiently.

“I want to contribute more, help more. I used
to do runs for my group all the time. Sometimes I’d go with Gavin,
but other times I’d go alone…”

Simon interrupts her with a groan of misery.
“That’s great. I really don’t like thinking of you out there by
yourself. You could’ve been killed, you know.”

“I know, but I wasn’t. I’m a lot more
stealthy than you’re giving me credit for,” Paige says proudly.

“No way, beanpole,” Cory’s deep voice from
the woods startles them as he enters their relaxing, peaceful scene
of herb procuring.

“Damn it, Cory!” Simon curses as he swings
around to face their intruder. “I could’ve shot you, bro.”

“Missed opportunity,” Paige says gaily.

“There’s no way in hell you’re stealthy, ya’
big Amazon,” Cory jibes, ignoring Simon’s reprimand.

Sam jumps in to defend her new friend, “Hey,
that’s not nice, Cory! Paige isn’t an Amazon. She’s beautiful.”

Paige grunts and exclaims, “Good grief, Sam.
I don’t know about that.”

“Me neither,” Cory interrupts on an obnoxious
chortle, earning another glare from Paige.

“Shut up,” she grinds
through
her teeth.

Sam just smiles gently at their heated
exchange. She catches Simon staring at her. When she tries to offer
a smile his way, he turns his back to them again.

“C’mon, beanpole,” Cory says directly to
Paige, who looks just as startled as the rest of them. He rolls his
eyes impatiently, extends his hand, which gets ignored, and says,
“Reagan said she needs your help with something back at the barn.
That’s why I came out here.”

“Why would she need my help?” Paige asks
confusedly.

“Who knows?” Cory answers and then adds
because he can’t seem to not antagonize her, “I personally think we
should start your training, too. First up would be staying out of
the rest of our ways.”

Paige scowls at him but takes her brother’s
help in getting up from her squatted position. They leave a moment
later; Paige still glaring, Cory still smirking.

Simon is clearly not happy to be left
alone with her. Sam’s
quite sure
that Reagan doesn’t need Paige’s help with anything in the
barns, either. She’s cooked this up to have her be alone with
Simon. Sam would rather shrivel up and die on the spot. He looks
like he’d prefer to do the same. He even glances not once but twice
toward the path on which his sister and Cory just departed as if
he’d like to follow.

Sam clears her throat and says, “Have any
luck? Finding any useful herbs, I mean.”

His eyes jump furtively to hers before
glancing away. “Um, yeah sure. Found some goldenseal. That’ll be
helpful.”

“Oh… good,” she
mumbles
uncomfortably. Why do things have to be
strained between them? It’s killing her, this
separation.

Simon glances at her and shakes his head with
a frown, “We should head back.”

He turns to go, but Sam grasps his arm
quickly. “Simon, wait. We… we need to talk.”

A wind gust spirits through the forest,
flipping her dark hair into her face. Simon reaches out and tucks a
handful behind her ear for her.

“Let’s go,” he says firmly and takes her hand
into his and the reins of her mare into his other.

Sam doesn’t pull away. After they begin
walking, he attempts to dislodge his hand from hers, but Sam holds
fast. She notices the tight line of his mouth pinch even
tighter.

“Will you not talk to me?” she asks in a soft
tone.

“There really isn’t
anything to say
,” he states firmly and shakes free
of her grasp.

He walks faster than her, but Sam trots to
catch up.

“I think there is, Simon. You kissed me.
Don’t you remember?”

He halts, causing her to bump into his
shoulder. Her mare even tosses her head indignantly.

In a clipped, angry tone he says, “Of course
I remember. How can I not?”

He looks grossed out or
severely
distressed by this
conversation. It only makes Sam more confused and
disheartened.

“What’s wrong? Why have you been avoiding me?
Do you… do you think I’m… disgusting?” Sam asks hesitantly, afraid
of his response.

Simon shakes his head and looks to the tree
tops before answering, “No, Samantha. I didn’t mean it like that. I
shouldn’t have said that.”

Sam frowns and stares at her feet covered in
dusty, black riding boots that come to her knees. Simon’s long,
tanned index finger hooks under her chin, forcing her to look up at
him.

“You aren’t disgusting. I’m a stupid
idiot for saying that. I just blurted. You’re,” he pauses for a
long time, “not
disgusting
.”

“Then why won’t you talk to me? I don’t
understand. Are you mad at me? Is that it? Do you hate me now? I
couldn’t bear it if I thought you hated me, Simon,” Sam babbles
because she can’t seem to stop. “You can’t be mad at me, ok? Please
say you aren’t. I’m sorry. I can’t take this. You’re my best
friend.”

“I’m not your best friend, Sam,”
Simon
retorts
on a hiss, then
rakes a hand through his auburn hair.

“Please don’t say that, Simon,”
Sam
says softly
, near to tears.
“Please don’t. You
are
my best
friend. I understand if you don’t have feelings for me. Heck, who
would? I just couldn’t bear it if you weren’t my friend
anymore.”

“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?” he
asks angrily, a line pinching between his brows.

“I need you to be my friend. I can’t go
through this life without you. I’ll back off. I’ll give you space.
But please don’t shut me out, not completely,” Sam begs brokenly as
a tear slips down her cheek.

“Why would you think that nobody would have
feelings for you? That’s what I wanted to know,” Simon demands with
an edge of hostility.

Sam doesn’t understand why he’s so angry. She
bites her lower lip instead of answering.

“I’m sorry,” she repeats.

“That kiss wasn’t your fault, Sam. It was my
fault, so stop apologizing. It’ll never happen again, ok?” he
says.

His dark blue eyes are serious and steady.
Sam nods.

“I understand,” she responds while swallowing
the hard lump of rejection in her throat.

“I’m sorry I’m such a pig. It won’t happen
ever again,” he says with defeat and brushes her hair behind her
ear again. “I’m considering moving into town anyways. I’d be closer
to the practice if there’s an emergency.”

Sam furrows her brow with confusion. Why does
he think his behavior was piggish? She opens her mouth to ask him,
but Simon turns and walks further along their path with her horse.
She jogs in front of him and places her hand on his chest.

“What do you mean, Simon?” she demands. “You
can’t leave the farm! Please! I’ll do whatever you say, Simon. I
won’t bug you anymore. I’ll give you more space. I’ll stop
pestering you! I’ll stop asking you to hang out. You can’t
leave.”

“Sam, stop it,” Simon demands.

He is speaking to her as if she is being
hysterical. She is being hysterical. How can he even think about
moving off of the farm? Her hands begin to shake, and she is
helpless to stop it.

“No, Simon!” she says
in
a rush of breath. “You can’t leave
here. I’d die without you.”

“Stop being dramatic. You’d be a hell of a
lot better off without me pawing at you,” he says angrily.