Tom laughed, which bothered Rick. “I’m laughing because I think you mean to ask her on a date. I have no idea what a date would be these days. The answer is Jackie is a grown woman, and you need to ask her.”
Rick’s face was crimson, and he felt hot. “I kinda meant - are you going to shoot me?”
“Not if you treat her right and don’t do anything stupid.”
Rick breathed deep. “I would never do anything to hurt her. I don’t have a clue what a date is either, but I’ll start by asking her to go up to the creek with me to catch some fish for supper.”
“I think that’s a good start. My wife died over two years ago, and I need to think about this kind of stuff one day. I guess riding horses, picking flowers, and long walks in the woods will have to do until movies, restaurants, and beaches open back up.”
Rick stood up and extended his hand. “Those activities sound pretty good right now to me. I always heard that an EMP attack would take us back a hundred and fifty years. Did you know that Brenda likes you?”
Tom took his hand and stood beside him. “Hey, there’s a small lake about two hundred yards northeast of here. The creek flows into it, and then the lake has a waterfall on the other end. The creek flows on down to the ranch on the east side. The lake is a great place to swim and fish. It’ll be a bit cold this time of the year.”
“Tom, that’s nice, but you changed the subject. I said Brenda likes you.”
Tom was tired of wannabe cupids pushing women at him but bit his tongue. “I like Brenda. Sorry, but I ain’t ready for a relationship.”
Rick slapped him on the back. “I wasn’t either until I saw Jackie.”
*
Chapter 20
Southern Oregon – The Clark ranch.
Sam ran to meet Tom when she saw him come out of the woods. “What was all the gunfire about? We were torn about whether we should go to help you or stay put. I was worried about you.”
“The ones who took our ranch are target practicing,” Tom answered.
Sam braided Lucy’s hair while listening. She shook her head. “Isn’t that stupid? Won’t other people wonder what’s going on and come to see?”
Granny B walked over to them. “Yes, we need to stop them before they attract too much attention.”
Tom made the timeout sign. “Whoa down, ladies. Let’s get Jack and James up here before we make plans to attack. Several of those ARs will come in handy. Right now, I plan to head up to the lake and take a bath.”
Rick looked at Tom and then went to find Jackie.
“Granny B, there won’t be any tomfoolery up at the lake. I’ll keep Rick’s eyes under control, and I’m thinking the ladies will act like ladies. We all kinda stink and need a bath.”
Granny B huffed, “I’ll stay here at the cabin and warm up some water for a whore’s bath. You young folks enjoy the water. Remember to keep a guard posted at all times. Never forget to watch for critters, also.”
Tom left Granny B and found Rick and Jackie on the back porch laughing. He quickly turned and bumped into Brenda. She almost fell, but Tom caught her. “I see my brother hasn’t wasted any time with your sister.”
Tom sat down on a log by the fire, and Brenda sat down beside him. “I’m going to walk up to the lake with you. My foot feels better, but I might need a bit of help.”
“Glad to help a damsel in distress. Oh, Rick asked me if I minded him seeing Jackie. I told him she was grown and could make her own decisions. I like your brother. He appears to be a straight shooter and can be trusted.”
She nodded and then said, “Jim is dead. He was a big jerk, and I was leaving him when we got back from Hawaii.”
She went on to tell Tom what an asshat Jim had been. Tom was focused on getting out of the conversation. He thought, I know where this is going.
“I’m sorry you had such a bad experience. My wife died, and I miss her so much,” Tom said as he changed the topic to how much he and his wife had been in love. Brenda finally gave up and went into the cabin to get some towels.
Jackie and Rick walked together up the hill to the lake while Tom walked between Brenda and Sam. Both women talked much more than Tom liked, so he tuned them out. He watched the path while thinking about their trip down the hillside to meet Jack and his crew later that night. Then he heard, “Tom! Tom!”
He turned to Sam. “What?”
“You were off in a world of your own. I guess you have to be constantly thinking about threats and how to help us survive. I’m glad we have you and now, Rick.”
Tom nodded and kept on walking.
They arrived at the lake, and Tom said, “This is the best place to swim or bathe. You ladies go first, and I promise to keep Rick from peeking.”
Jackie laughed. “And who’s going to keep you from peeking?”
Rick turned to Jackie and smiled. “That would be my job.”
The baths were much quicker than the ladies planned since the cold mountain lake was fed by streams from the snowmelt higher up. The men kept their backs to the lake and were surprised when the women walked back up to them in fresh jeans and T-shirts. Tom looked up and smiled when the girls stopped in front of him. Brenda said, “Well, at least we
