Page 61 of Shelter (The Wanderers 4)

“I knew her.” Haley sat taller, eyes wide. “It had to be her. I remember when she joined us. I bet it was about eight years ago. She was in the next age group below me, but I know exactly who she is. Gorgeous skin, beautiful curly hair, full lips, a smile that lights up her eyes.”

Riggs gasped. “That’s her.”

“Do you have any idea where your facility was located, Haley?” Rush asked. If he definitively knew where Harmony was being held, it would really help.

Haley shook her head, her eyes sad. “Not a clue.”

“How long did it take you to get to the estate the day of our wedding?” Braylon asked.

“Maybe thirty minutes. It wasn’t far.”

Rush nodded slowly. “There are people with aerial photos of those homes and the areas. There are also extensive sketches of the insides. Could you perhaps identify the one you were in if you saw those sketches?”

“Probably. I can’t see why not. I lived there fourteen years.”

Braylon snorted. “Hell, you could probably create the sketches.”

Rush flinched. “Good point. Or at the very least add to them. I’ll hook you up with the people who work in that department when we arrive. Let’s see if there’s any chance we can narrow down Harmony’s location. If there’s even a slight possibility I could do something to help Marian reunite with her daughter, I will.”

Haley scrambled forward in the cramped space and wrapped her arms around Rush’s neck. “You’re a good man. I’m so glad to have met you.”

“Ditto that,” Riggs stated.

“Indeed.” Storm grabbed Rush’s foot in solidarity.

Braylon took a deep breath. “Who would have thought when we first found out there was a man in the basement holding cell we would later befriend him and even take him in as part of our family.”

Rush felt the bond growing between all of them. He knew they were grateful for his help, but he also knew emotions were running high during this intense adventure.

He refused to let himself believe they could all truly accept him into their family for the rest of their lives. After all, he’d been the source of great distress. The woman they loved had been violated against her will with his sperm. That was a huge mountain to overcome even though it had been out of his control.

Rush worried that when the baby was born, they would all look at the child and feel jealousy or anger toward Rush. Rush had no right to have fathered this family’s firstborn child. He hadn’t been invited.

They were all good people. Riggs and Braylon deserved kudos for managing to recognize the world they lived in wasn’t just or fair. They’d worked hard to educate themselves on what life was like outside the firm thumb of The Republic.

But could they really take in a stranger and not feel frustrated every time they looked at him for the next twenty years?

Rush was falling harder and harder for Haley with every passing hour. He’d felt a connection to her from the moment they first met, but he’d forced himself to be reasonable and keep his feelings stuffed into a tight box, not wanting to pressure her or any of them.

She tugged on his heartstrings though. They all did. He secretly prayed they could truly accept him into their lives and likewise the child who would join the family whether they liked it or not.

The irony was that family units within The Wanders were often comprised of four or more people. Even though women had free will, including the right to birth control and abortion, families often naturally developed in multiples because any other option wasn’t particularly sustainable in a society with so few women.

Often, men gravitated toward each other and developed a bond, moving into the same household and living together before they found a woman who suited them and joined their union. More importantly, no one could be certain exactly who fathered a child.

Granted, there were exceptions. Obviously, they would all know if Storm was the father or if one of the men happened to be of Asian descent or extremely blond or Hispanic. But if two or more of the men looked like Braylon and Rush, they might never know. Nor did they care.

There would be no doubt in this case. And that fact weighed heavily in the air. Rush felt the enormity of the situation more each day. The beautiful, dark-haired, petite woman with the sweetest smile and disposition he’d ever met was carrying his child.

He wanted to pull her into his arms, nuzzle her neck, curl up with her. He wanted to make love to her. Would he get that chance? He wasn’t certain yet.

When they’d arrived at their second destination, it had been Riggs who claimed Haley’s body while the rest of them basked in the beauty that was Haley coming completely undone yet again.

The third time they’d stopped they hadn’t had the opportunity to do more than hold her and pass her around. They hadn’t been alone.

Rush’s chest felt tight every time he looked at her. He was grateful so many people loved her, but he prayed he too could join the ranks one day, feeling their acceptance once and for all.

He couldn’t fully trust that day might come while they were on the run, unsettled, stressed, always concerned. Soon. They would make it to the main bunker. He knew they would. They had to. They were getting closer every day. And with each mile they moved farther from Virginia, he breathed easier. They all did.

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