Even if she had just chased him away, he was probably dead. He hadn’t come back begging for forgiveness and shelter, which led me to believe that it was likely the wild animals had got to him or maybe starvation.
Now, Kieran just works at keeping things running smoothly. She prepares the miles and keeps the younger girls in line. She managed the kitchen far better than I would be able to.
I stretched my legs before pushing myself to a seated position on the side of the bed. My muscles twitched as I stretched my arms over my head.
I yawned and glanced over my shoulder at Shawn’s sleeping body. His chest rose and fell slowly with each deep breath.
Sometimes I didn’t quite understand how Shawn and I got to this point. I fought it. And a lot of times, I still felt like I should fight it.
But then there were times when I appreciated having him with me. A relationship had been the last thing on my mind, yet it happened.
I walked over to the chair next to the dresser and grabbed a clean shirt from the drawer. As I pulled it on, Shawn groaned.
“Aww, Stevie,” he said his eyes still ninety percent closed. “Come back to bed.”
“I wish I could,” I said standing as I pulled on a new pair of jeans. Something Gage had brought back from one of the other houses. They still had their tags. “It’s time to get the day started.”
Shawn’s eyes slowly opened. He scooted back slightly and crossed his hands behind his head.
“There isn’t anything left to do,” Shawn said with a smirk. “We’re ahead of schedule. I think you can lay with me for a few more hours.” He pointed at the window. “It’s barely even morning.”
“I have to help,” I said.
“Maybe you should give everyone a day off,” Shawn said.
My eyes narrowed. “You think I work everyone too hard?”
“No, but even before all this, people had weekends off,” Shawn said.
“I just want to make sure we’re prepared,” I said. “Who knows what will happen next.”
“I’m not sure we can be any more prepared,” Shawn said. “It’s time to relax and enjoy what we’ve accomplished.”
I shook my head. “Our work will never be done.”
“Well, I know that.” Shawn sat up, becoming more serious. “Is it so wrong to want more time with you?”
“No, of course not,” I said sitting down on the side of the bed next to him. “But there is still so much stuff out there. We need to get as much of it as we can. Our numbers keep growing. What if people keep showing up?”
“We’ll figure it out,” Shawn said. “You’re not in this alone.”
Shawn leaned forward and kissed me. His lips were soft. He was trying his best to lure me back into bed. I leaned toward him, kissing him back.
His hand slipped around the back of my neck as his kisses became more ravenous. Shivers of desire ran through my body.
“Shawn,” I said.
“Don’t say it,” he whispered back. “Stay. Just a little while longer.”
My head fell back and he kissed down my neck. “You know I can’t do that.”
Maybe Shawn was right. Maybe I should take a break.
I pulled back. It was like I’d been struck by lightning. I couldn’t take a break. I had to keep working because there wasn’t a place where we’d ever be able to stop.
Shawn sighed and leaned back. “I guess I’ll just have to get used to it.”
“Get used to what?” I asked my nose wrinkling.
“That you’re a workaholic,” Shawn said.
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. I wanted to argue but he wasn’t wrong. Keeping myself busy had been my way of life since I was young. If I was busy, I wouldn’t dwell on the crappy things that were thrown at me.
“Staying on top of things will keep us all alive,” I reminded him.
He rolled over on his side and yawned. “Well, I need more sleep.”
“Get as much as you need,” I said leaning over and giving him a kiss.
I hoped I didn’t sound sarcastic because that wasn’t what I was trying to do. It didn’t bother me when others were resting or taking a break… only myself.
His jaw relaxed and his breathing slowed before I even left the room. Most days, Shawn worked just as if not harder than anyone else. I knew he needed the rest.
As I stepped into the hallway, Gage was making his way up the stairs. He gestured for me to come down.
“Something wrong?” I asked.
“Jake Quinn from down the road is here to talk to us,” Gage said.
“What is it?”
Gage shook his head. “He didn’t want to have to repeat himself, so he’s waiting for you.”
“Okay.”
“He did say he was shocked how many people are here,” Gage said. “What are we up to? Twenty?”
“Twenty-five total,” I said. “Is Kieran making breakfast?”
I knew that she had at least started preparing something because I could smell the potatoes cooking in oil. Kieran liked them crunchy, which meant they were slightly overcooked.
We’d been lucky to find a massive supply of all sorts of freeze-dried foods. There had been everything from powdered milk to freeze-dried beef and, of course, everything in between.
My favorites were the peaches and pineapples. And the soups. Anything warm made me forget the rain that constantly fell from the gray sky.
Jake was standing by the door, squishing his hat between his hands. He looked worried.
“Welcome,” I said offering him a smile. “Come on in. Have a seat.”
“I don’t
