New Title 1 (21 page)

I laughed so hard my chest hurt as I took the dog-eared paperback. “Thanks. I’ll treasure it.” Tears stung my eyes as I gave her one last squeeze. “You be careful out there.”

“
We will. And you be careful here. Stick with Brian. He seems like a good guy, one who’s actually worth your time.”

I knew how she’d felt about Denny. Even though she hadn’t known him long before he got killed, she’d called him on being a selfish prick.

“
I’d better go. Jake’s getting a few things and I told him I’d meet him outside. The caravan’s leaving soon so there’s not much time. He said goodbye from him, too.”

“
It’s just you two going? Not Tanesha or any of the others?” I would’ve expected Tanesha to blow this town.

“
Just us. Daylon’s gone with some others to check on how close the zombies are. Aaron’s resting. Carl’s building flamethrowers, and I don’t know where Tanesha is. You tell her goodbye from me when you see her.”

“
I’ll walk you out,” I offered.

“
No. Let’s just do this now.” Maureen’s eyes glistened as she gave me a final hard hug then fled from the restaurant.

I went back to the kitchen and finished the pots because I didn’t want to leave the task for someone else then hurried outside to watch the caravan drive away. I was too late. They were already gone. Instead I spotted Brian walking and talking with Councilman Santa.

I hurried to catch up and grabbed his hand. “What’s up? How are things going?”

“
They’re going.” He gave me a little smile that made my insides glow. “Ashleigh this is Barry Jensen. I don’t know if you’ve been introduced yet.”

“
Pleased to meet you.”

Jensen did a double-take back and forth between us as if adding numbers that didn’t equal the right sum. “Good to see you again and thank you for bringing Durbinville the fuel truck.” He cleared his throat. “Well, I guess I’ll go take care of what we talked about.” He hurried off, leaving us alone.

“
What’ve you been doing today?” Brian asked.

I filled him in on my many jobs as a gofer. “What about you?”

“
I’ve sent some people to scavenge for supplies and more weapons. Daylon’s taken a team to scout the zombies’ movements. And I spent some time figuring out how to release the fuel from the tank.”

“
Have you had any chance to rest? Never mind. I know you haven’t. I’m going back to your house and do some laundry for both of us. Then I’ll make a meal and I expect you to come home to eat and sleep. You’re running on fumes and you’ll do nobody any good if you collapse.”

With that Betty Homemaker scolding and a quick kiss, I left Brian and headed back to jail to get my things. After that, I hiked to his house and was ready to collapse by the time I got there. But a housewife’s work is never done. I collected our dirty clothes, basically everything we owned, and stuffed them all into the washing machine in one big load so as not to waste water or electricity.

Walking through the kitchen on my way to the laundry room, I looked away from the spot behind the center island where I’d killed Lainie. The room was scoured clean and smelled of bleach, but I knew if I looked at the floor I’d only see her bloody corpse. But I could hardly prepare food without facing the kitchen so after filling the washer I steeled my nerve and got a can of beans from the cupboard. After that, I was able to go through the motions of preparing a meal without thinking of Lainie too much. By the time the load of laundry finished , I’d gotten over my unease at being in the kitchen. I put the damp clothes in a hamper and carried them to the backyard to hang on a line.

I was struggling to pin a cold, clammy sheet that the breeze was twisting around me like mummy wrappings when a voice came from the other side of the sheer fabric.

“
Who’s winning?” Brian asked.

“
Gravity,” I answered dryly and jammed on another clothespin before walking around the flapping sheet to face him.

“
What are you doing out here?”

“
What’s it look like? Hangin’ the warsh, Paw,” I drawled.

“
You could’ve used the dryer. My generator can crank out enough juice for a load or two.” He picked up the half-empty basket of wet clothes and carried it toward the back door.

“
You told me to conserve electricity. I’m just following orders.” But I was glad to get a reprieve from laundry duty and worshipped the purr of the machine as the clothes tumbled dry. Sweet, blessed electricity.

I served up homemade burritos and some nasty canned corn. But it was food, we were both hungry so we gobbled it up. We didn’t talk about zombies at all. I kept the conversation light, telling Brian stories about my time in Vegas—not the seamier stuff but anecdotes about a horrible roommate I used to have. Then he shared some college roomie memories with me. While we washed dishes, we discussed favorite movies and music and afterward we each took a shower, although I would’ve been fine sharing one.

Clean and dressed in a fresh tank top and shorts, I waited for Brian in his bed and when he came from the bathroom, all damp and warm and soap-smelling, I tossed back the covers and welcomed him between the sheets. I snuggled down beside him, stroked his damp hair away from his forehead and kissed it. “You look like shit. You need to get a solid eight hours.”

“
Of sleep?” he asked with a quirk of his eyebrow.

“
Yes, sleep. Nothing more than that.” I did my best to sound prudish but doubted he bought it.

“
My mind’s spinning. I can’t relax.” He slipped an arm around me and nuzzled my neck.

I moaned a little then squirmed away to reach for something on the nightstand. “Then you need to be distracted. I’ve got just the thing.” I opened to page two-hundred and three of
The Lord’s Lusty Wench
and began to read aloud. The scene started with a blow by blow account of a blow job and after about a page I stopped reading to act out the material. Warm skin slid like silk beneath my hands and into my mouth. Brian looked down at me with hungry eyes begging for more. Needless to say, we never got back to the story.

When I lay back, took him in my arms and he thrust inside me, I closed my eyes and opened up to the sense of unity, of two bodies becoming one. For a few elusive moments, I experienced pure joy. Everything else faded away and we became a sum much greater than its parts. But even after we separated, I felt the closeness continuing. This was a new feeling for me. I wondered if Brian felt it too. But I couldn’t ask without sounding like a needy, emotional chick so I didn’t. Instead I made a smart-ass remark about the Lusty Wench getting her groove on with the Lord.

“
Wonder if she files a sexual harassment suit later in the story.”

Brian chuckled at my weak joke and I felt as warm and as cozy as a basketful of kittens as he pulled me close to snuggle. I could so grow used to this, given time and the opportunity to stay alive for a while.

Later, after his breathing grew slow and deep, I remembered the clothes hanging out to dry. I rose, dressed and went out into the frosty night to snatch them off the line and throw them in the basket. They were crunchy with frost and my fingers quickly went numb. The stars were sharp points in the black sky despite the glow from the perimeter lights. A gunshot went off and I jerked. At last the lines were bare. I snatched up the basket and ran shivering into the warmth and safety of the house.

* * * * *

Chapter Fifteen

I thought I’d slip out of the bedroom before Ashleigh awoke, let her enjoy the oblivion of sleep a little longer before having to face another day. But her voice stopped me as I was putting on my jeans.

“
What’s that big bruise on your leg?”

I’d almost forgotten about the zombie bite even though my thigh ached from it. I’d been focused on more important things yesterday and more pleasant things last night. I paused with my pants around my knees and looked at the ugly black and purple mark about the size of my palm.

“
Happened a couple of nights ago. It looks worse than it is.”

“
Wait a minute.” Ashleigh threw back the covers, climbed out of bed, naked, and bent to examine the wound. “Holy crap, that’s a bite! You didn’t tell me you got bit.”

“
I forgot. The skin wasn’t broken so I didn’t worry about it.”

She rubbed her fingers lightly over the bruise. They were cool but left warm trails that shot straight to my groin. “How did it happen?”

I told her about the breach and described my encounter with the Mini Me zombie.

“
We’d better keep an eye on this even if she didn’t draw blood. You might not be infected but that’s still a nasty bruise.” She pressed a little kiss to my leg that sent more fiery trails blazing through me. It was very pleasant to be fussed over by a pretty girl.

“
Do you have to leave right now?” She sat on the edge of the bed, legs apart, making all kinds of offers with her eyes and her smile.

I tore my gaze from her, pulled up my jeans and fastened them. “I’d love nothing more than to hang out in bed with you, but I’ve been gone too long as it is. I need to check on things. I guess I’m kind of in charge now.” And I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. It wasn’t something I’d dreamed of or sought after, but now that the responsibility seemed to be mine, I was going to take it seriously.

I remembered Janice’s words yesterday when we’d met after the meeting. “So now it appears you’re making the decisions. I hope you’re up to the challenge.”

“
I hope I am too,” I’d responded, not trying to deny there’d been a shift of power. “I’d be happy to learn from your experience and listen to suggestions.”

Her smile had been the definition of enigmatic. “You may find having everyone depend on you isn’t all that pleasant. Responsibility is a heavy burden. Good luck.” She’d left without giving any advice or making reference to the council as the true governing body of the town. It had been a strange encounter that left me unsettled.

Now Ashleigh flopped back on the bed and stretched. “Fine, leave me here all alone. If you don’t go, your boyfriend Fes will stop by soon enough to check on you. He’s so in love with you.”

I put on a T-shirt that smelled of laundry detergent instead of sweat. “You don’t like Fes much, do you? You seemed to think he was funny the other night at dinner.”

She shrugged. “He’s okay in small doses I guess. But I’m only half kidding when I say he’s into you. He wants you all to himself.”

“
Um, I don’t think so.” I thought of Fes’s bragging about sleeping with Nancy Piznowski and the many girlfriends he’d had back in high school.

She rolled onto her stomach. “I don’t mean in a gay way, although God knows what kind of repressed shit is going on in that meathead of his. I mean he wants you to be there for him—
only
for him. Somebody to listen to him spout off and be his bestest buddy.”

I stared at her. “I don’t think Fes really even
likes
me. We got stuck working together, but when our shift is over we rarely hang out. He usually goes to the bar and I go home.”

“
Never mind. I don’t know what I’m talking about. Forget it.”

There was an edge to her voice that told me this wasn’t an idle thought. Something about Fes had pissed her off. I thought of how she’d turned on a dime from asking me to go with her to telling me she didn’t think we should be together. A dusty light bulb flickered in my mind.

“
Did Fes
say
something to you?”

Ashleigh was silent for a few seconds as if debating before she spoke. “Maybe he suggested I’m too much of a slut to be with you and I should get out of town.”

“
What? When?” I sat on the edge of the bed. “What did he say exactly?”

She sighed. “Before I left he said it would be better if broke it off with you because I’d eventually wreck your life. He had your best interests at heart. I’m clearly trouble.” She rolled her eyes. “I shouldn’t have told you, but, damn it, he pissed me off.”

“
He’s an asshole.” I was torn between rage at Fes and wanting to soothe Ashleigh. Despite her sarcasm, I knew she’d been hurt by his words. “He was wrong. You’re the best thing that’s happened to me. Ever. I can’t even tell you how glad I am you came back. I’m apologize for him.”