“I’m glad you agree, Dad,” Matthew said. He felt ready to tackle the tasks at hand now that they had a plan. Just thinking about creating a fence to enclose them and keep their property safe from the dangerous outside world made him ready to jump up and start working at once.
“But I think we should be careful that we aren’t keeping people away entirely,” David finished.
Matthew paused for a moment, startled at what he’d just heard. His father, the one who was suspicious of everyone, was cautioning them to not be too wary of others?
“Why wouldn’t we want to keep people away?” Kathleen demanded. “I don’t want anyone showing up at the hotel and threatening us.”
Matthew felt the tension in the air spark again and foresaw another argument brewing between his father and his wife.
“Well, think about it,” David said. “We’ll need food supplies soon. We’ve already pointed out and agreed that we will need to somehow restock. I know for a fact that no one here has the first idea on how to garden or farm. Therefore, we will eventually need to seek out the support of other people with those skills. If we completely isolate ourselves, we won’t survive long.” David shrugged and met Matthew’s eyes as if daring Matthew to disagree with him. “I’m just as nervous of other people as you are, Kathleen, but there’s also safety in numbers.”
“It’s not safe if we don’t know who those people are!” Kathleen said.
“We’re from the city,” David continued. “We have to recognize that we don’t know how to survive in the country. While we’ve lived in this area for a while, we really don’t know a lot about the land. We don’t know what can and can’t grow here.” David paused, as if he’d suddenly overwhelmed himself, but then took a deep breath as if to strengthen his resolve. “It’s pragmatic to realize that we will need help later on. We should protect ourselves, of course, but not to the point of isolation. If we make enemies, no one will help us when we’re actually in dire straits.”
Matthew looked down at where his hands were gripping his knees. He didn’t want to agree with his father, but as usual, David did have a point. While the idea of reaching out to others and asking for help made him uneasy, they would need to make connections to at least set up trades or find supplies. Feeling so wary of others felt unnatural to him. Usually, he wouldn’t have a problem asking for help. But this time was different because seeking out help would determine whether his family would survive or not. What if he reached out to these future strangers, only to have those people turn on him, like Jade had? What if other people realized how valuable the hotel was and tried to take it from them like Samuel had?
“It’s the people we need to protect ourselves from,” Kathleen said, as if echoing his thoughts. “We can’t trust that people will help us out of the goodness of their hearts. I can tell you that firsthand. They’ll see what we have and try to take it from us.”
“Samuel did try to take the hotel,” Ruth murmured. “I might have trusted him, too, since he was born and raised in Galena. A local. That would have been a mistake.”
David covered her other hand with his. “I know, but we might have to take that chance. We’re smarter now. Much more careful. We can take measures to protect ourselves and still make contact with others.”
“How are we supposed to do that when everyone we’ve met who isn’t family has betrayed us?” Kathleen asked hotly.
Jade made a soft wounded sound. Kathleen looked triumphant as if she’d scored a point. Patton and Allison exchanged confused looks, but both remained silent and let the adults hash out the issue.
Matthew took a deep, calming breath. “I understand, Dad. Maybe though, we can talk about that at a later point. Right now, we should focus on keeping this place safe. Fixing everything that’s wrong will take a while as it is. We can’t have people sneaking up on us, but at the same time we are ignorant about how to survive. We’re blind on both sides.”
“Maybe,” Jade began, before pausing as if uncertain. She cleared her throat and found her voice again. “Maybe it might help everyone feel more secure if they knew how to protect themselves. Walls and fences will only go so far. Sure, you can build a fence, but maybe you can then assess outsiders on a case-by-case basis. Then you aren’t isolating, but if trouble does show up, at least everyone will know how to physically protect themselves. You can rely on your skills instead of relying on the hotel. That would bridge the gap, I think.” Her fingers went to the fringe on her jacket again and began to worry at the leather.
Kathleen made a sound of disapproval. “That’s a good suggestion, Jade, but honestly if we were evaluating people, you wouldn’t make the cut.” She suddenly looked down, as if ashamed at how she sounded, but then she continued to speak. “I know you helped David, but this hotel is for family only. You’ll need to find someplace else to stay long-term. I know David trusts you, but I can’t take the chance that you’ll hurt someone else. While we appreciate you being here, it is only for now. I don’t understand why you’re sticking around to begin with.”
Jade looked at Matthew helplessly, as if pleading.
“I don’t understand why you’re here at all,” Kathleen said, with a note of finality.
5
“Matt, please,” Jade said, “I don’t have anywhere else to go. I would never hurt anyone again, I swear to you. I did a terrible thing that I’ll regret for the rest of my life, but I’m trying to make it up to you. Please don’t send me away.”
Matthew pursed his lips. She
