In Shallot, we each took down five teds apiece, and then began our trek back to the ranch. Skeeter told the story of how he made it through a herd of zombies until he got to his wife, who had turned, so that he could put her down so she didn’t hurt anyone. The more Skeeter talked, the more I liked him, and I wondered if Aubrey was anything like her brother. It didn’t feel so senseless now, telling Nathan that it was over between us. Now that Skeeter was moving in, it would have been weird, anyway. Suddenly the thought of being around Nathan without any prospect of fixing what I’d done was very depressing. The closer we got to the ranch, the sicker I felt.
“I can’t believe you know Nate. That’s just bizarre,” Cooper said.
“It’s funny y’all ran into him. You just missed him at the church,” Skeeter said.
“He was at the church?” Bryce said, amused.
“Yep. He was. He left with Zoe the first chance he got because he knew it was only a matter of time before they got in.”
“What church?” I asked, stopping in the middle of the road.
Skeeter grinned. “First Baptist Church of Fairview.”
“Holy shit,” I said, realizing that the people I saw running out of that church could have been Nathan and Zoe.
Skeeter nodded. “Holy shit, indeed.”
We alternated jogging and walking. Cooper was anxious to get home to Ashley, concerned she would be sick with worry. When we reached the top of the hill, I glanced back, hoping my babies would be doing the same thing soon.
Ashley burst through the front door and ran down the drive, jumping into Cooper’s arms. She began to cry immediately. Elleny jumped off the porch and hugged me, trying her best to keep her eyes dry. Nathan, Miranda, and Zoe were standing on the porch, confused at the sight of the gruff-looking fellow bringing up the rear.
“Skeeter?” Nathan said. By his words alone it was obvious he couldn’t believe what he was seeing, but he had the most disgusted look on his face.
“Uncle Skeeter!” Zoe yelled, running down the steps into his arms. The second he hugged her back, she wrinkled her nose. “You stink!”
Skeeter laughed. “I know! Yucky, huh?”
Nathan walked down the steps, and wrapped both of his arms around his brother-in-law. “I can’t . . . I don’t believe it.”
The men hugged for a bit, and then we all hugged each other. When Nathan got to me, he held me tight, and then planted his lips on mine. After less than a second of shock, I let myself melt into him. His fingers dug into my back, and I pulled him close.
“I’m so sorry,” I said against his lips.
He shook his head, keeping his eyes closed. “Don’t. Don’t say a word. Just let me hold you.”
I buried my face into his neck, feeling safer than I had in weeks. Nathan loved me more than he should after what I’d said. Hopefully it wasn’t too much to ask that God give me just one more miracle.
Bryce climbed the few steps to Miranda, and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
“Good God almighty,” Skeeter said, his voice grave. “Y’all shoulda warned me.”
“About what?” Bryce said.
“Two redheads in the house.” He sighed. “I had better chances in Shallot.”
Miranda narrowed her eyes at him, and I laughed. “You’re probably right.”
“I’m so glad you’re back,” Nathan said, hugging me again. He kissed my cheek before pulling me into the house by the hand. He left me long enough to show Skeeter the facilities, and get him some clean clothes, and then he returned. “I have some bad news. The electric is off. I’ve tried to flip the breaker, but it’s . . . it’s gone.”
I nodded. “We knew it was temporary, right?”
Nathan nodded. “So, you met my brother-in-law? He’s something else, isn’t he?”
“Yes. Is this going to be . . . awkward for you?”
“No. Skeeter knows she left. He knew it was over a long time ago. Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” I said, hugging him to me. I pressed my cheek against his shoulder, glad that he didn’t take anything I’d said before seriously. “What I said before . . . I . . .”
Nathan shook his head. “No . . . forget about it. It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not okay. That was a horrible thing to say, and I’m sorry. I wasn’t good at this before the end of the world, and apparently I haven’t gotten any better.”
“Good at what?”
“Loving someone.”
He raised an eyebrow, smiled, and then took me into his arms, planting a tender kiss on my lips. “I never asked for perfection.”
I breathed out a small laugh.
“But I got it, anyway.”
I touched each side of Nathan’s face and pulled him toward me, kissing his lips. Only one thing could make my life better, and I ached for my girls to reach me so we could all be together. “It’s not perfect. Not quite yet.”
“But it will be,” Nathan said, never missing a chance to reassure me.
“Uncle Skeeter, you should come meet Butch,” Zoe said.
Skeeter had just emerged from the bathroom, his skin shiny and his hair wet. His face still looked a little dirty, but it was just the tan line around his eyes from his sunglasses.
“Who’s Butch?” Skeeter said, fastening the last button of his clean shirt. He tugged at the fabric where it fit a big snug. The shirt looked expensive, white with horizontal pinstripes. It didn’t look at all like something he would normally wear.
Zoe tugged on his hand, and he went along with her as if she were too strong to resist. “He’s a cow!”
“You mean a bull?” Skeeter said, looking over at Nathan and feigning concern.
I laughed. “He seems like a good guy.”
“He is.” Nathan smiled, watching the two.
“Not at all like you’ve described Aubrey.”
“He’s nothing like her. But she wasn’t that way at first, either.”
Skeeter pretended to be too scared of Butch, and made a scene trying to break free of Zoe’s grip.
“He’s good with kids. Did he have any of his own?”
“Not yet,” Nathan said, suddenly sad. “His wife was pregnant when this all went down.” He looked at me. “Her name was Jill. She was the sweetest thing.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, kicking myself for bringing up the subject.
Nathan kissed my cheek. “We’ve all lost someone,” he said. “It’s just the way things are, now.”
Cooper and Ashley came outside, hugged and kissed like they did every time he started his patrol. “See if you can’t talk Nate into grilling chicken tonight.” He winked at Nathan before slinging a rifle over his shoulder.
I patted Nathan’s arm. “You are the best cook we’ve got.”
“I love you!” Ashley called.
“I love you more!” Cooper called back, holding out both of his arms wide, and then jogging off to the east.
“Vomit,” I said, teasing Ashley.
She stuck out her tongue. “Don’t be jelly!”
“Jelly?” Nathan asked.
“Jealous,” I said. “You’ll learn all this when Zoe gets older.
He nodded, mouthing
Skeeter jogged up to us, breathing hard from playing with Zoe. “He’s not all that scary. I think we should just cook him.”
“That’s not funny!” Ashley said, even though she was grinning. She turned to go inside. “He’s a pet!”
Nathan elbowed his brother-in-law. “You talk awfully big when he’s in a pen. Maybe we should let him out and see who wins?”
Skeeter sniffed. “I’d win.”
We all laughed, and then Nathan held up his finger, leaning his ear over like he was listening for something.
