Without Law 7 Read online

  “Right,” I said.

  “Then we cut around the wrists and ankles,” she said.

  “Almost,” I shook my head. “But you’re missing a step.”

  “I got it wrong?” Paige asked indignantly.

  “Oooooh,” Tara taunted from the roof. “Teacher’s pet got it wrong! Is she going to have to stay after school and get punish—”

  “Tara, get back to work,” I laughed up at her, and I heard Rolly snicker behind me.

  “If I was wrong,” Paige puzzled. “Then what’s the missing step?”

  “I’ll show you,” I said. “Cut the entrails out, and we’ll do it together.”

  “Okay,” Paige said, and she tried unsuccessfully to roll the bear off the ATV.

  I laughed and helped the brunette, and once the beast was on the ground she sliced the entrails out, and I explained the next steps while she made the cuts. It took us about half an hour to clean the beast, and Rolly, Anna, and Bailey plucked the turkeys and helped us salt the meat and store it, though Bailey saved a fresh bear leg bone for Winchester.

  “We should go have breakfast on the roof with Tara,” Bailey suggested with a smile once we were done.

  “Great idea,” I told the blonde, and she smiled even wider.

  We gathered up the skillet that held breakfast, the coffee that Rolly had reheated for us, and some plates, forks, and cups, and headed upstairs.

  “I didn’t grab Winchester any meat,” Bailey said as we climbed up the stairs.

  “I think he’ll be fine,” I chuckled, and I looked down at the black headed dog coming up the stairs with the large bear bone in his mouth.

  “Is that enough for him?” Bailey asked, concerned.

  “There’s still meat on it,” I said. “That’s plenty for now.”

  “I knew you guys would come up here,” Tara said as we all walked out onto the roof.

  “Yeah,” Paige said. “‘Cause you heard us talking.”

  “Yup,” the platinum blonde chuckled. “Did you bring coffee?”

  “Yes,” Anna said, and she rolled her eyes. “We brought you coffee.”

  The coffee was poured, the plates were fixed, and we all sat on the roof, except for Rolly since Tara had given him her chair.

  “So what happened with the bear?” Anna asked, and she shoveled a large bite of meat into her mouth. Even when she ate like a slob, she was still gorgeous as hell.

  “There’s really not much to it,” I said with a shrug.

  “You were attacked by a bear, and there’s not much to it?” Tara asked, unconvinced.

  I shrugged once more so Tara turned to the other blonde in the group.

  “Bailey, what happened?” she asked again.

  “We were on our way back with the turkeys,” Bailey said through a bite of breakfast. “And it charged at us out of the trees.”

  “Did you know it was there?” Paige asked, and she leaned in, enthralled.

  “Yeah.” Bailey nodded. “We heard it just before it attacked.”

  “Who shot it?” Anna asked.

  “Tav did,” Bailey said, and I saw her frown a bit.

  “We both held our ground and shot at it,” I said, and Bailey smiled at me.

  “Oh, now there’s something to it.” Tara rolled her eyes.

  “Well, I can’t have Bailey discrediting herself,” I chuckled.

  “If you both were shooting at it, how do you know who’s shot took it down?” Paige asked, and she sipped her coffee.

  “Well we both did shoot at it,” Bailey said. “But it kept coming, so we ran in different directions.”

  “The bear cornered Bailey again, didn’t it?” Tara laughed.

  “What makes you say that?” Bailey groaned.

  “That’s what it did last time,” the platinum blonde said.

  “It did, didn’t it?” Anna asked, and she held back a smile.

  “Yes,” Bailey said, and she looked down, but then she started to laugh. “I don’t get it!”

  “Animals love you,” Rolly chuckled. “It makes sense.”

  “Shouldn’t I be rewarded for that?” Bailey laughed. “Not punished?”

  “You know what they say,” Anna said with a shrug. “All good deeds get punished.”

  “The saying is, ‘no good deed goes unpunished’,” Paige snickered.

  “I heard you were wrong earlier.” Anna raised an eyebrow at the brunette. “Popcorn kettle black.”

  “What the fuck?” Tara laughed.

  “Popcorn kettle black,” Anna said very seriously.

  Everyone burst into belly laughs, except for Anna.

  “What?” she asked very sternly.

  “It’s the pot calling the kettle black,” I said once I had regained enough breath to speak properly again.

  “What the hell does popcorn kettle black mean?” Paige giggled.

  “It’s a saying,” Anna said defensively. “My mom used to say it when someone was being a hypocrite.”

  “You’re right about the meaning,” Rolly said with a smile at the redhead. “But they’re right, it’s the pot calling the kettle black.”

  “My life is a lie,” Anna said seriously, then she started to laugh. “I seriously thought that was the phrase!”

  “You probably heard it when you were really young,” Bailey said.

  “I did,” Anna laughed. “I never thought to question it.”

  “That was the greatest thing ever,” Tara laughed, and she wiped away a tear from laughing so hard.

  “You’re such a bitch,” Anna chuckled, and she pushed the platinum blonde.

  “Yes.” Tara nodded in agreement. “But I’m also wondering when we get to eat that turkey.”

  “We can have turkey for dinner,” I chuckled.

  “As long as you promise to cook it,” Rolly said, and he tipped his cup toward Tara.

  “You got it,” the platinum blonde said.

  “Maybe we should cook both,” I suggested.

  “Why?” Anna asked. “Will it keep better if we cook it?”

  “No,” I shook my head. “But we need to have a meeting tonight.”

  “Okay,” the redhead said with a nod. “What’s the meeting about?”

  “We have to figure out our water line,” I said.

  “Oh.” Anna nodded. “I remember you bringing that up recently.”

  “Any brilliant ideas, Rolly?” Bailey asked.

  “Not yet.” The old man shook his head. “I don’t see a way around just digging it.”

  “The river is like a mile away,” Tara said with a frown. “That’s a shit ton of digging.”

  “It is.” I nodded. “Let’s hope someone else has thought of a better way.”

  “Paige?” Anna asked with a raised brow.

  “Oh,” Paige said, and she pulled her coffee cup away from her mouth and swallowed. “Well, we could use the dynamite.”

  “To dig?” Bailey questioned.

  “Yeah,” Paige said. “But it would be messy.”

  “And loud,” Anna added.

  “We need the dynamite for the bridge,” I said. “And having extra afterward wouldn’t be a bad thing either.”

  “Good try, kid,” Rolly said with a grin at the brunette.

  “Other than that,” Paige said, and she pursed her lips. “I think Rolly’s right, we’ll have to dig it out.”

  “Is there a way we could use the horses?” Tara asked.

  “Not really.” I shook my head. “They’re great for helping sowing and pulling, but not much else.”

  “We should continue the discussion at the meeting tonight,” Anna suggested. “Someone might come up with an idea while we talk.”

  “Good thinking,” I said. “Will you and Paige run and tell the others about the meeting?”

  “Of course,” the redhead said with a nod.

  “What else is on the agenda today?” Rolly asked.

  “Wood, wood, and more wood,” I chuckled.

  “I’ll take some wood
,” Tara winked at me, and Rolly rolled his eyes.

  “Sure,” I said. “You can help chop wood.”

  “I don’t think you’d appreciate that,” the platinum blonde joked.

  “We don’t have enough wood yet?” Bailey asked, and she disregarded Tara’s joke.

  “Not yet,” I shook my head. “I’d rather be over prepared than under.”

  “Right,” the blonde said.

  “Don’t forget,” Anna said. “The civilians and farmers have wood at their places too.”

  “They do.” I nodded. “But I bet some of it gets used daily, just like here.”

  “Should we up the amount everyone has to cut each day?” the redhead asked.

  “No,” I said. “They’ve been working hard with the animals and harvesting and canning, I can cut down a few extra trees.”

  “I’ll help,” Rolly said, and he finished off his coffee and stood up.

  “Let’s get to it then,” I clapped.

  “My guard duty is almost over,” Tara said. “Can I go instead of Paige?”

  “I recall you being absent for some of your duty,” I said with a raised brow. “How about you get off after Anna and Paige get back?”

  “No fair,” Tara pouted, and her cleavage bulged out as she pushed her chest upward.

  “Seems fair to me,” Anna said with a wry smile.

  “Me too,” Paige said.

  “It’s settled then,” I said and I grabbed the dishes.

  “Jerks,” Tara muttered.

  “What was that?” I joked.

  “Oh, nothing,” Tara said, feigning innocence.

  “I’d spank you, but I think you’d like it too much.” I grinned.

  “You’re right.” The platinum blonde winked, and she flashed me a toothy smile.

  The girls left to go inform the others of the meeting, and Rolly and I cut wood while Bailey helped split and stack. The day was leisurely, so I took over guard duty for Paige around three o'clock, and I looked down to see Tara starting on dinner while the other girls worked in the garden with Winchester.

  The air was particularly crisp on the roof, and I pulled my jacket closed and zipped it. I worried it might snow again, though last time it hadn’t really stuck, and Paige said that the farmer’s almanac suggested it would be a late coming winter.

  However long it would take, winter was on its way, and as I stared out at the horizon and breathed in the fresh air, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment. One of my girls and I had taken out a bear earlier, we were well stocked for winter, and my team could handle anything that came their way. It was amazing to think that what had started off for me as a yearlong survival trip in the woods had turned into this: a home, a family, and four beautiful women I was madly in love with.

  I frowned when I thought about how this all started for the girls, they must’ve been terrified when the power went out here over Christmas break. They were obviously in need of help when I found them, though they would never admit it, and I would never tell them just how obvious it had been. I knew that they were proud of the efforts they had made since my arrival, and I was proud of them, too.

  Paige, the bookish brunette, had settled into the role of navigator very well, I could always count on her to get us where we needed to go. Tara, the beautiful platinum blonde, was our most skilled close combat warrior. Bailey, the mousy blonde hippie, was one hell of a sniper, and Anna, the gorgeous, muscular redhead, had grown to be a great second in command.

  I smiled to myself as I looked down and watched the girls work, I could smell the faint scent of turkey and I looked out to the horizon to take in the pinks and oranges of the sunset.

  “Hey,” Bailey said a moment later, and I turned to see her with two drinks in her hand.

  “Hey,” I said to the petite blonde.

  “Tara’s making dinner,” she said, and she handed me the drink. “I thought you might like some whiskey.”

  “I would,” I said and took the cup.

  “It’s nice up here,” the blonde hippie said. “I’m glad we have guard duty now.”

  “Why is that?” I chuckled, and I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her onto my lap.

  “It’s so quiet up here,” the blonde said, and she leaned back against me. “And you get a great view of everyone.”

  “I have a pretty nice view right here,” I said and looked at the pretty blonde.

  “Oh my God,” Bailey laughed, and she smacked me on the chest playfully. “That was so cheesy.”

  “Yes,” I said. “But you deserve to feel beautiful.”

  “Thanks,” the pretty blonde said with a smile and blushed.

  Just then I saw the farmers and civilians making their way down the road toward campus.

  “Looks like it’s time for our meeting,” Bailey said, and she moved to stand, but I caught her and pulled her in for a deep kiss.

  “Let’s stay a minute longer,” I said after I broke away from her.

  “I’ll stay up here all day,” Bailey panted, and I smiled and kissed her once more.

  Chapter 2

  Bailey and I made our way down to the fire pit, everyone else was already gathered around commenting on the turkeys Tara was cooking, so I found Rolly and Betty sitting together.

  “Hey old timer,” I said, and I clapped him on the shoulder.

  “What’s up, boss?” the old man asked with a smile.

  “I wanted to see if you would be interested in taking guard duty while we have the meeting,” I said, and Rolly’s face dropped. “With Betty of course.”

  “Oh,” the old man said, and he looked to his female companion. “Is that okay with you?”

  “Some alone time?” Betty asked with a raised brow. “I’ll take it.”

  “I thought you might,” I chuckled.

  “I don’t have any ideas for the water anyway,” Betty shook her head. “I don’t see a way past just buckin’ up and diggin’ the damn thing.”

  “Alright, grab some dinner and drinks,” I said. “And if you do think of anything, let me know.”

  “Will do,” the curly gray haired woman said.

  “Okay,” I raised my voice above the din once everyone had a plate and a drink.

  “Right.” Jeff nodded, and he lowered his plate to his lap. “This is about the water, right?”

  “That’s right,” I said. “Has anyone thought of any ideas on the best way to keep our lines from freezing?”

  I looked around the group and saw heads shaking.

  “What about the horses?” Cathy asked.

  “That’s what I said!” Tara blurted, and then she frowned. “They told me there wasn’t really a way to use them for it.”

  “Can’t we attach something to them that can dig into the ground?” Joanna, Cathy’s daughter, asked.

  “Not really,” Paige answered.

  “Horses are great for helping plow or pull,” Briar, the gruff old farmer, interjected. “But a plow won’t go deep enough to get under the frost line.”

  “Okay,” Cathy said.

  “It was a good thought,” I told the sandy blonde haired woman. I didn’t want the group to get discouraged.

  “Well how far down would we need to dig?” Jeff asked, and he tugged on his red beard.

  “Below the frost line,” Dan, Betty’s grandson, offered.

  “About four feet,” Paige affirmed.

  “That’s right,” I agreed.

  “And how far is the river from here?” Mike, one of the dark haired civilians, asked.

  “About a mile,” Anna answered.

  “That’s a lot of digging,” Jeff groaned.

  “It wouldn’t be that bad,” Jim, another of the civilians, said.

  “Even I think it would be a decent amount of work,” I chuckled.

  “Yeah,” Jim said. “But there’s more than twenty of us all together, it wouldn’t be so bad if we all worked together.”

  “He’s right,” Anna said.

  “Does an
yone have any other ideas before we settle on digging?” I asked, and I looked around the group to see lowered faces.

  “Aside from Paige’s dynamite idea,” Bailey said. “I think this is the only way we have.”

  “Dynamite idea?” Donna, a black haired civilian, asked.

  “Yes,” I said with a nod. “Paige said that we could use explosives to dig.”

  “From my experience with explosives,” Jeff said. “I’d say that’s not the best idea.”

  “Right.” I nodded, and I turned to Paige. “It was a good thought, though.”

  “Not really,” Paige chuckled. “But it doesn’t hurt to suggest things.”

  “Yes,” I said with a smile at the brunette. “I don’t want anyone to ever feel like you have a stupid suggestion, sometimes the ideas that are the farthest in left field are the ones that can really change the way we think about a problem.”

  “Right now I really don’t see a way around just digging it.” Dan frowned.

  “That’s what your grandmother said,” I chuckled.

  “We’re no strangers to hard work,” the boy said.

  “I don’t think any of us are,” Cathy laughed.

  “I guess it’s settled then,” I said. “We’ll dig the trench for the water line.”

  “We have extra shovels at the farm,” Justin, another farmer, offered.

  “That would be great,” I said. “Between the campus, Betty’s place, and your place, we should have enough shovels for everyone.”

  “What about insulation?” Jim asked.

  “What do you mean?” I asked, and I looked at him quizzically.

  “If we insulate the line, there’s less of a chance it will freeze,” he said.

  “That’s true.” Paige nodded. “But we would have to go get some insulation.”

  “That hasn’t exactly been on our list of things for our runs,” Anna said. “Though maybe it should’ve been.”

  “We could take some from the buildings that aren’t being used,” Jim suggested.

  “Great idea,” I said.

  “We’ll have to knock out some walls,” Jeff added.

  “Shouldn’t be too much trouble,” Dan said with a shrug.

  “You’ll need to be careful not to breathe any in,” Marla informed us. “And try not to touch it with bare hands.”

  “Right,” I agreed. “We’ll have a team that starts on the insulation, and everyone else can begin the digging.”