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The shaking of the earth slowed to a stop. Children and adults were crying. Glass was breaking. Baer crawled over to Clay and wrapped a hand around his elbow, trying to pull him to his feet while getting up himself.
“Come on. We gotta go.”
Clay could only grunt. He felt disoriented and more than a little drained. He glanced at the pestilents, but they were lost in a tangle of fallen people and random shit that had dropped from tables. They wouldn’t be running after them for a while.
Getting to his feet, he and Baer were slowed to a jog as they tried to carefully work their way around people and broken items. He felt bad for not helping them, but lingering at the flea market meant they were going to get themselves killed.
Their pace picked up when they reached the parking lot. Loud barking caught his attention, and he could see a large German shepherd in a Jeep, with its front paws resting on the seat.
“That Ruby?” Clay asked.
Baer’s smile grew wide. “That’s my girl.”
“You willing to follow me to the house?”
Baer stared at him for a moment, scratching his bearded chin. Only a few seconds ticked by, but Clay felt every last one of them. He knew those damn pestilents were getting to their feet and heading straight for them, but Baer deserved time to think it over.
“Sure. I think I can give you at least a few minutes to explain shit.”
There was no way he was explaining shit. Hell, he had a few new questions for Flo or Jo. Whichever one he could pin down.
Clay pointed off to a sunny spot farther along the row. “The old truck with the faded blue paint. That’s me. Head east. There’s a two-pump gas station about ten miles from here. Pull off there if you get out before me. I’ll lead you to the house.”
Baer gave him one last wave and jogged to his Jeep. Clay watched him go for a second, then darted over to Jo’s truck. He prayed that Baer didn’t fucking disappear on him, but even as the thought occurred to him, something in his gut immediately argued that it was wrong. Baer wasn’t going to leave him.
In fact, Baer would never leave his side.
Clay wasn’t sure where the hell that feeling came from, but he’d cling to it.
He needed some good news at the end of this insane morning.Chapter 5They stopped for groceries on the way back. Clay laughed often with Baer as they wandered the aisles of the stores. He even talked Baer into staying with him at the plantation house for a while, though he didn’t allow himself to look too closely at why he’d decided to stay.
Dane stepped out on the front porch as they parked at the end of the long drive. He greeted Ruby and they were introduced, before helping carry the food into the house.
“Sorry the kitchen is all tore up.” He set the bags on the dining room table. A fine layer of dust covered his clothes and hair, but it didn’t detract from how his loose jeans nicely hugged his ass. The man had an amazing ass.
“I’m pretty mean on a grill,” Baer offered. He looked at his dog sitting next to him with a happy expression. “Is it okay that she’s in the house?”
“Of course,” Clay said. “Dogs are family.”
“The house has a summer kitchen.” Dane pulled steaks out of the bag and whistled. “Now these are a few beauties.”
“Are you hungry? We’ve got enough for three,” Clay asked.
Baer snorted. “We got enough for an army.”
“Sure. I’ve got some onions and potatoes I can dress up in foil for the grill, too.”
Clay pulled out two orange bell peppers. “We can throw these on as well.”
“It’s a feast!” Baer grinned. He hefted a cabbage. “I’ll even wedge this up and add it to the grill. Little garlic salt and pepper, some lemon butter.”
Clay handed him the butter and a lemon. “I’ve never had grilled cabbage, but that sounds fantastic. How can I help?”
While Dane went to get his potatoes and onions, Clay and Baer carried all the ingredients to the summer kitchen. Clay started washing the vegetables and slicing them up. “So, where are you from?” he asked Baer as the man let his dog outside.
“Colorado. Grew up in the thick forests outside of Colorado Springs. I love nature and got my degree in forestry.”
Dane arrived with the additional vegetables and foil. Grabbing a small trash can, he immediately started peeling.
“Around the time I turned twenty, I was hit with a strange wanderlust,” Baer continued. He pulled a well-worn tennis ball out of his pocket and threw it into the backyard, sending the dog running after it. “Grew too restless, even in my wonderful Black Forest. So, I packed up Ruby and started traveling.”
