Page 10 of Bailey

“So I guess I will start,” Ethan finally spoke up. “I told the guys my idea about making a trip back to that town we had stopped at to get building and medical supplies, and they think it’s a good idea as well.”

“Not only that,” Caleb continued, “but while we were going through there, I saw some dealerships that still had vehicles inside. I don’t know what is available, but if they’ve been protected all this time, I bet I could get a couple of them running so we can bring the supplies back in one trip.”

“How are you going to do that?” I asked incredulously. Cars just weren’t much of a thing anymore. Lack of fuel was a big part of that. The other part was that once the fuel ran out, the cars fell apart where they were parked from lack of use.

“If anyone can do it, Caleb can,” Boone assured me. He leaned forward and put his hand near his mouth to whisper loudly, “That’s why he was in the foster home with us. His hobby was boosting cars, and his foster parents got sick of picking him up from the police station.”

“How old were you?”

“Thirteen,” Caleb answered with a shrug.

“Were you all bad boys, or was it just Caleb?” I asked teasingly.

“Honey Bee, we were and will be whatever you want us to be,” Boone purred. I blushed at the nickname used in front of the others, but they didn’t comment on it; they just exchanged secret looks. I looked between them and then fixed my eyes on Boone, who looked down at the table.

“How much did you tell them?” I demanded. I was trying not to get upset about him sharing a private moment between us with the others. They said they shared. Obviously, that had to mean more than physical, but I trusted him and couldn’t help but feel a sting of betrayal.

“Bailey,” Boone started, then stopped. He let out a long sigh. “I told them everything, but before you get mad, let me apologize, then explain. I’m sorry for not asking permission to tell them about what happened between us. I should have made sure you knew I was going to because we already told you we share. We want to share you. We’re all kind of crazy about you, and we’re a team. What you shared with me about your life is important information they need to know. So are your reactions to fooling around and… what we did physically.”

I took a sip of my coffee to distract myself from earlier memories and the embarrassment of the thought of them gossiping about me. Pike came over and turned my chair to the side so he could kneel in front of me. He took my hands and looked up at me earnestly. “Bailey, we know you’ve been through so much, and the absolute last thing any of us want to do is cause you more pain or trigger a traumatic response. We don’t want to push you too far or fast or end up pushing you away altogether.”

“To do that,” Ethan continued, “we must share information and communicate openly. That includes you, too. If you don’t want something or want something, you have to tell us. We take our cues from you. Ok?”

I nodded, “Ok,” I said softly, finding my voice. Open and honest. I could do that. And if they compared notes, that saved me from awkward conversations with them.

“Ok. Now that that’s settled, back to this supply run. Ethan told you there was a hospital there, and you said you would need to get supplies for Gray?” Caleb asked.

“Yes. He needs a better cast to keep his bones from shifting while it heals. He will also need crutches or maybe even a wheelchair or something to start moving around. Staying in bed for the next two months won’t be good for him. We should also grab any medical supplies and medication we can find.”

“Ok,” Boone said, “The hospital will be our top priority, and if Caleb can get us a couple of vehicles, we can see what sort of building supplies we can get together. At a minimum, some wood, nails, and new chicken wire to re-do the coop. I haven’t checked your fence line, but we’ll go through the property with a fine-toothed comb and make a list of everything that needs to be fixed, and with any luck, we’ll be able to bring back enough supplies to fix the more pressing issues. When did you want to make the trip?”

“I think we should probably go in a week. That should give us time to get ready. I’ll ask Matty if he will stay with Gray while we’re gone.”

“That kind of brings us to our next matter of discussion,” Pike said. They exchanged looks again, and I patiently waited for him to continue. “You mentioned it taking two months for Gray to heal. And I’m guessing he’ll still need some time to get back to full power after that. With the winter months approaching, we’d like to request shelter until spring formally.” They all looked at me uncertainly, expecting me to kick them out on their asses as soon as Gray could walk. Considering I just tried to send them to Anna’s with Matty, I guess they might have a good reason for thinking that.

“You are more than welcome to stay until spring. Then we can revisit the matter,” I said. The relief was palpable as they all relaxed.

“Thank fuck for that!” Gray shouted from his room, making me laugh.

“Ok, so since that is settled, what do you need to be done so that we’re prepared for winter?” Ethan asked. I checked my mental list, and with six of us living here, I felt a small amount of unease that we wouldn’t have enough food.

“Well, the first thing we are going to need is firewood. And a lot of it. Once the temperature drops, I keep a fire going in the living room to help keep the house warm,” I said. “We’re going to need more food. I’ll have to work out a trade with Henry and Susan for more supplies. Depending on what we can bring back on our supply run, we could use some of that.”

“Who are Henry and Susan?” Boone asked.

“Anna’s parents. We get along pretty well and trade often. With more mouths to feed here, we’ll need more than I usually trade for. When Matty comes over, I will tell him to talk to them about it so they can be prepared. I will have to start hunting more to have meat through the winter. I have a freezer in the basement that sometimes works that we can stock.”

“Oh! Maybe we can bring a new freezer back with us! Those types of stores usually had appliances, too, right?” Pike asked excitedly.

“So that’s another potential issue. As you’ve noticed, I have solar power, but with the added bodies, we will have to be careful not to strain the system. It might not hurt to keep our eyes out on the supply run for solar parts if they have any.”

“So what I’m hearing is that we’ll have to shower in groups so we don’t use extra power to heat more water,” Boone said. “It will be a challenge, but I think that’s a sacrifice we would be willing to make. Boys?”

“Oh, I think that’s something we can manage,” Caleb said with a smirk.

“Good! That’s a relief. I was worried you guys might feel weird showering together,” I said as I stood and brought my plate and cup to the sink. I’d wash them later. Right now, I needed to feed the animals and check on the garden.

“Honey Bee, we’ll shower with you whenever you’d like,” Boone purred.

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