I smiled, kissed their foreheads, and then turned to Nathan. He nodded, and looked to Skeeter and Ashley.
“We’re staying?” Ashley asked. She searched everyone’s faces, and then took a deep breath, a resolved smile on her face. She turned to the corporal. “We’re staying.”
“Sir?” the corporal said to Skeeter.
Skeeter squeezed Ashley to his side. “Let April know we appreciate her sending you boys after us, but we’re doing just fine here.”
The corporal looked back to his men, who all seemed baffled, and then back to us. “If you change your mind, anchor something bright like a blanket to the roof. We’ll be making the rounds. Good luck to you, sir!”
The corporal held a small radio to his mouth. “Pedro to HQ, come in, over.”
A man on the other end of the radio confirmed through a scratchy connection.
“Yeah, we’re out here at Red Hill. The civilians have decided to sit tight, over.”
After a short pause, the radio scratched again. “Roger that.”
The corporal nodded to us, and the men returned to their helicopter. Within moments it was in the air and out of sight.
“There’s people!” Zoe said, grinning. She clapped her hands together once and intertwined her fingers.
The sky was nearly clear, finally empty of the fallout from the blast. I climbed up the ladder, and one by one, everybody followed. We stood, able to see for miles in each direction. Over the past months, fewer walking dead could be seen. Before the blast, it had been nearly a month since the last of them had wandered too close to the ranch. We couldn’t be sure why. Maybe they had all migrated to the city, or maybe others like us were eradicating more shufflers every day. Eventually, the earth would be rid of them. We wouldn’t live in fear forever.
Nathan reached out for my hand and sighed, sharing my unspoken relief that we had made the right decision. At Red Hill, we made our own destiny; raising our children in the safest way we could, and protecting each other in a world made of nightmares and uncertainty. The eight of us had carved a place there, and we were more than surviving. We were living.
Zoe and Halle clung to my legs, taking in the otherworldly scene. The ranch and its surroundings were entirely covered in ash, dreary and monochrome, except for a small stretch of red dirt road that had been uncovered by the blustering blades of the helicopter. It was exactly the way the end of the world should look. I smiled, and squeezed Nathan’s hand. If the last year had taught me anything, it was that the end only led to one thing—a beginning.
Want more Jamie McGuire? Read the international phenomenon
¦ ¦ ¦
Beautiful Disaster
Click Here to Order
Still can’t get enough? Read the #1
¦ ¦ ¦
Walking Disaster
Click Here to Order
Acknowledgments
WRITING IS OFTEN A SOLITARY job, but no author does it alone. If I didn’t have my manager, biggest cheerleader, and strongest supporter in my corner, the distractions of life wouldn’t quiet down long enough for me to write a sentence, much less an entire novel. My husband is all of those things for me. Thank you for always calming the waters, love.
Thank you to Wes Hughes for always being kind. In 2008 you helped me, a struggling student, make ends meet, and in 2013 you let me, a struggling-to-meet-her-deadline author, stay in your guest house to finish
Amy Tannenbaum, who rolls with whatever I throw her way, be it laughter in the morning or late-night, panicked texts. You are not only my super-editor-turned-agent, you’re one of my most treasured friends. I’ve said before I wouldn’t want to experience any part of this process without you, and it’s still true. Your pep talks and constant voice of reason make me feel sorry for anyone who doesn’t have you in their life. Also, enormous appreciation for the amazing Chris Prestia and all the folks at the Jane Rotrosen Agency for all you do.
Greer Hendricks came on as my editor in February of this year to replace Amy. Amy assured me Greer was perfect for me, and, as always, Amy was right. Greer has taken my writing to the next level, entertained my son in the backseat while stuck in traffic on the way to a book signing, and quite literally saved a manuscript for me—while on vacation, I might add. Thank you, Greer. I don’t like change, but you’ve most graciously made this the most wonderful transition I could have hoped for.
After six novels, Nicole Lambert has been inexcusably overlooked when writing my acknowledgments. Nicole helped me set up my very first website back when I was posting one chapter at a time of
A year ago I was in New York City meeting the geniuses at Atria Books. I was hugely pregnant, sweaty (it was August), and nervous as hell. Waiting for me in the lobby was Ariele Fredman, smiling and funny and oh-so- calming. I couldn’t begin to list everything she does for me, but know that she is the best publicist an author could ask for. Thanks for being everything, Mermaid.
Enormous gratitude to my publisher, Judith Curr, who rules the world of Atria with an iron pillow. She is one of the most intelligent and intriguing people I’ve ever met, a force of nature, and yet she’s a safe place to land when I need things to go right. Thank you, Judith. I wouldn’t want anyone else to run my show!
A big thanks to my team at Atria! If I listed everyone who helped to mold this novel into its current state, I would need rolling credits, but I’ll take this opportunity to sincerely thank a few: Isolde Sauer, Ben Lee, Sarah Cantin, Hillary Tisman, Jackie Jou, and Kimberly Goldstein.
I want to thank my assistant, Colton. I’m not sure how I managed my career—or my life—before he came along. Thank you for all you do! Here’s to many more terrifying (but safe) plane rides together!
Dr. Ross Vanhooser is someone who has appeared in my acknowledgments time and time again. Had he not believed in me, and encouraged me in an environment where no one else did, my life and career would be in a much different place. This time around, he also assisted me with my medical research for
I also wish to thank Sharon Ronck. When others asked her to not wave my flag quite so high, she proudly held up two. I’m honored to have fulfilled your predictions! We need more people in this world with a heart like yours.
To Leah, Miranda, Ashley, David, Angie, and Christie for the use of their names, and for allowing me to add fictional flair to their characters.
To authors Colleen Hoover, Karly Lane, Lani Wendt Young, Eyvonna Rains, and Tracey Garvis Graves for reading
