The McClane Apocalypse: Book One (16 page)

“It’s nothing that none of us wouldn’t have done...”

Sue can’t take any more of Reagan’s coolness and crushes her in a fierce hug and cries her heart out. Reagan, for once, doesn’t stiffen or push her away. When she finally pulls back, Reagan’s eyes are dry but at least there is emotion behind them.

“I love you, sis,” Sue says solemnly. “I mean it. I’d give you my third born, but I know you’d just give it back.”

“Ya’ got that right! You’re stuck with your own brats,” Reagan says brusquely and starts eating. Sue laughs at her joke, but Reagan just ignores her. She knows it’s not easy for her little sister to find laughter anymore.

The love she feels for her sisters is like nothing she could ever explain to anyone unless they had sisters of their own or they’d just never get it. And Reagan’s selfless loyalty toward her family is so fierce it sometimes scares Sue. It has become worse since she’d come home from college, but it had always been there. The girl had punched a boy twice her size, knocking him out cold when she was only thirteen. He’d made the mistake of poking fun of Hannah when the girls and Grams had been buying grain, birdseed and salt blocks for the horses and cows at the feed mill in town. Hannah had accidently knocked over a box of dog treats and scrambled around trying to find it. She didn’t like to make a nuisance of herself, and their grandparents had never coddled her. But for some sick reason the boy had found it humorous to make some biting comments about Hannah’s blindness. He’d even mimicked her. It was all the motivation Reagan had needed; she was on him in an instant. Grams had missed the whole thing, thankfully. The people in town who knew the McClane family all loved Hannah, and there were two very large men working at the feed mill who were about to do the same thing Reagan had done to that teenager. And boy, had they all had a good laugh that day. The men gave Reagan hearty slaps on the shoulder, and one of them even gave her a stick of gum. From then on, Reagan had become known as “little shit kicker.” Nobody said it around Grams, though. Even the grown men in town knew better.

“What the hell? Does Grams think she’s feeding one of those damn lumberjacks?” Reagan asks, obviously referencing John and Kelly. She’s not a big eater, never has been.

“You need to eat up, Grandpa’s orders this time. And those two guys already ate,” Sue tells her.

“Hey, how did I get up here? I don’t remember coming up here,” Reagan asks in confusion. She’s looking around her room.

“Oh, well John brought you up last night, remember?” Sue tells her, but Reagan shakes her head and frowns. “He stayed with you all night. Grandpa came up to check on you. But he was more concerned about staying near Derek, so he left you in John’s care. Who apparently did a good job, ‘cuz just look at you now.” Reagan’s mouth drops open, and she glares with hostility.

“He was up here? With me? All damn night? Geesh, thanks a lot, you guys. You’ve really got my back! Leaving me up here with him all night while I’m out like a damn log,” Reagan barks. She gnaws away at a biscuit slathered with elderberry jam. Then she stabs at her eggs like she’s mad at them, too.

“Reagan, John’s a really good person. He took care of you all night and looked after you. Don’t get mad, there just wasn’t anyone else who could do it. Grandpa and I were with Derek; Grams and Hannah were beat and also took care of all the kids with Kelly. Everyone else was doing chores and running back and forth to the shed for Grandpa. John didn’t even hesitate. He wanted to do it,” she explains. She reaches over pressing her hand lightly onto Reagan’s only to have her snatch it away. Reagan shrugs angrily.

“Whatever,” she growls out in between bites.

“Derek actually ate a small amount of food this morning and is awake and getting sick of lying there already if it makes you feel any better,” Sue tells her trying to change the subject. “Grandpa says that maybe tomorrow he’ll be up and on his feet a bit. He’s gonna have to go slowly, though. Take his time healing. Well, you know that much, I guess.”

“Plus the fact that he is kind of girly,” Reagan says jokingly. She pushes the tray toward Sue. Most of the food is still on the plate, but for Reagan this is normal. Sue pilfers a piece of breakfast sausage and the other half of a biscuit. She just shrugs at Reagan.

“That’s good, Sue. You do need to gain some weight. You’re coming into the homestretch, and I don’t think you’ve gained more than fifteen pounds. Now that your hubby’s home, you can just concentrate on you and the baby,” Reagan lectures.

There’s a knock at the door, and John peeks his head around just as Reagan flings back the covers.

“Is everyone decent in here?” he asks mischievously.

“We were,” Reagan retorts angrily.

“Is there anything I can do for you, Sue, or... Miss McClane?” John asks as he comes closer to the bed.

Sue wonders at the sudden formality.

“I think maybe that might not be a bad...” Sue starts but is cut off by Reagan.

“No! I don’t need your help, so get out!” she snaps rudely. But as she steps out of bed, she loses her balance and plops back down. John is at her side in a flash. This only angers Regan even more. She waves him away. “Stop, I’m not a child, damn it!”

“Well, then stop acting like one and take the help,” he replies quietly. Well, well, this is turning out to be a very interesting morning after all. Perhaps Reagan has met her match. At least he isn’t intimidated by her.

“You can’t help me, genius. I need to use the restroom. And you aren’t going in
there
with me!”

“Well, you’re not getting down those stairs without
me
. And Sue’s in no shape to help you. Now quit taking up my time. I have work I need to get back to,” he berates. And without further ado, he scoops her into his arms and stalks from the room as Sue follows in his wake. His demeanor may be abrupt, but he carries her very gently, going slowly down the stairs.

“Put me down now. I can walk the rest of the way on my own!” Reagan protests as they reach the second floor hall but is ignored.

John doesn’t stop until he is inside the kids’ bathroom. Sue follows them into the room as John sets her softly to her feet. He offers a supportive arm, but she slaps him away with a resounding crack. She does not offer the same gentleness. John leaves the restroom frowning.

Her children have once again left their toothbrushes on the double sink counter, a splattering of toothpaste is in each bowl and the hand towels are on the floor along with some dirty clothing. Some things never change.

“Do you need help, sweetie?” Sue offers.

“No, I think I got it from here,” Reagan rolls her eyes at her, disappears into the toilet closet and shuts the door behind her. It gives Sue a chance to tidy up the bathroom. She takes two bunched up, damp towels and spreads them out across the towel racks to better dry. She wipes the toothpaste out of the sink and off of the counter. And when Reagan reemerges, Sue takes a second to talk with her while she washes her hands. Her color has almost returned to normal, but her hair is standing up in a wild, curly mess in all directions.

“I think you should be a little kinder with John. He’s really trying here, Reagan. Almost nobody but me knows him, so I’m sure he feels out of place, unsure of himself- Kelly, too. Remember when Derek and I got married how John was deployed overseas? I know you’ve never met him, but he is really nice. He and Kelly and the kids are all strangers to us. Just think how they must feel. And John knows he owes you, and he just wants to be helpful,” she admonishes. Reagan snorts.

“He doesn’t owe me,” she protests on a pout. “And I don’t need his help!”

“Real mature, Reagan. Was I supposed to carry you down here? You literally saved his brother’s life last night. We all know it. But he knows it more than anyone. It would be like if he had saved me. I want you to just think about how you’d feel,” Sue lectures her again. She finishes with her cleaning and goes to the door again.

“We’re ready, Johnny.” Sue calls him back; he hadn’t gone two feet beyond the door.

“Sure thing, Sue,” he answers, and eases past her stomach into the room again.

“Ready, boss?” he asks with a smirk which Reagan returns with a grimace, but at least this time she doesn’t argue. “Think you can walk this time? I’ll just help.”

“Yes... thanks,” she adds and looks quickly to Sue for approval. The scolding must’ve worked.

Sue turns and heads back up to Reagan’s bedroom, leaving them to work out their issues. When she reaches the attic she sits on a sofa waiting for them. It takes a few minutes longer than it should, and she wonders if they are arguing again. When they emerge from the stairwell, John is supporting her around the waist, and she is actually putting her arm around back. He places her in an armchair near Sue where she can see that her sister’s color is still paler than normal.

“Do you want to get dressed, Reagan?” Sue asks, knowing what the answer will be. Dresses were never her thing.

“Duh. This crap is irritating and I can’t move in it. Reminds me of those stupid dresses Grams used to make us wear to church.” Reagan rises shakily, gives John a look and disappears into her big closet. Sue joins her. There is a bench in the dressing area where she makes Reagan sit while she gathers her clean clothes. Choices, choices, Sue thinks sarcastically. Jeans, black tees, jean shorts, white tees: the decision is so difficult. Sue remembers reading once that great men like Einstein always wore the same colored suits, shirts, shoes and ties so they weren’t bothered with trivial things like matching an outfit. The irony of her sister’s closet is not lost on her.

“Good thing you were never a fashionista diva type. Your wardrobe is pathetic, Reagan,” she scolds.

“Your wardrobe is tents right now, so shut it,” Reagan comes back on her. Sue laughs.

“You got a point there,” Sue agrees. “It’s hot out today, so let’s get your bony butt into these shorts while I find you a bra. You do own one, right?”

“Ha ha, funny,” Reagan answers snidely. “They’re in the second drawer down on the left, smarty pants.”

“Right, found one,” Sue returns. Together they manage to get her bra and a clean shirt on without messing up her bandage. Every time Reagan winces, it makes Sue sick to her stomach. “Grams says that some of the peppers we started in the greenhouse in the spring are ripe enough for canning. Also, the first whole row of tomatoes is ready, too, so we’re gonna start processing them. And she’s got all the kids picking strawberries.”

“That’s good. We’re going to need all the produce we can grow to make it through the winter. Grandpa said we’ll butcher a cow in the fall to have in the freezer. Good thing he knows how to handle it the right way. He can teach Derek, too.”

“Yeah and he can show John and Kelly, too,” Sue says.

“What makes you think they’ll still be here in the fall? That’s four months from now, Sue,” Reagan mentions as she turns away Sue’s offer of socks.

“Where would they go, honey? And why would they want to?” Sue asks. “Do you want me to pull your hair up for you?”

“No,” Reagan says abruptly. She never wears her hair back anymore. Sue suspects that Reagan is self-conscious about the scar on her face and the ones on her neck and shoulder. “And why do they need to stay? We’re not running a pet shelter here, Sue. We don’t know anything about Kelly, and you barely know John.”

“Oh my word! Reagan, they are both good men. Derek knows Kelly. And as much as you don’t seem too taken with either of them, John especially, there are Kelly’s siblings to consider, honey. We’re not going to turn them out. You of all people know how bad it is out there. For God’s sake, Reagan, Derek came home with a bullet wound in his side and you... you...”

“I don’t want to talk about that and you know it,” Reagan growls out a warning. She rises and the conversation is over.

They are finished getting her dressed, so Reagan leans on Sue just slightly this time to go back to the living area. Her sister has a bead of sweat on her forehead from these minor exertions so far. She’s still a little weak from the blood loss. John is seated on the sofa waiting patiently for them. Sue hopes he hasn’t overheard Reagan wanting to throw them all out.

“You’re on your own with the hair. Now, I wanna’ get back to Derek and the kids. It’s the first time he’s seen them since you guys got here, and they are probably driving him crazy with noise already,” Sue tells them both and collects the food tray. She sees in her peripheral vision that Reagan is trying to smooth her hair down with her hand.

“Hey, where’s my shoes?” Reagan blurts, looking around in confusion.

“Uh-uh, Grandpa says no going outside or chores or riding or any Reagan type activities for you today, little missy. You’re stuck with the fam today! We’re all gonna get some quality bonding time with Reagan!” Sue tells her with a bright smile and gets an unladylike groan and a foul curse word in return. John shouts one loud laugh and then clams back up when Reagan glares at him.

“Come along, kiddos,” she says to John and Reagan and heads back down to the kitchen. She assumes they will follow or work it out on their own. She’s too busy to babysit them. Sue’s got a husband to dote on today.

Chapter Nine

Kelly

“That’s it, Em. Just spread their food right down in the trough area. Good job, honey,” Kelly tells his little sister. She’s still withdrawn but not as bad as when they had first come to the farm. She has learned to trust Derek’s kids, and they play together every day between chore times. Today she’s learning to help with the cows, though she’s scared to death of them. She hasn’t let go of Kelly’s pants leg since they arrived in the barn.

“I don’t like them, Kelly. They creep me out. Why are their tongues so long... ew... gross!” she complains. Hannah braided her hair this morning and for that he’s grateful to have the help of women. He’d have no idea how to teach her things like that, or for that matter, how to do it. Hannah is patient and kind with Kelly’s siblings. Of course, she is patient and kind with everyone.

“They’re harmless, Em. They’re more scared of you than you are of them. They’re like big, wimpy giants. See?” he demonstrates with a wave of his hand at a cow’s face. It instantly jumps back, swinging its head to and fro in agitated fear. “Besides, this here is Clover and she’s going to give us the milk that will be made into butter. You like butter on your bread, right?”