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He turned to give her a smile. “Besides, it doesn’t matter what the date is on the MRE bags. Those things never expire.”
Tessa chuckled, the possibilities running through her mind, but a small voice of reason held her tongue in check. She would say yes in an instant if there was proof that Landon was coming back, but without knowing what was going to happen, her priority was to protect her kids. Sally and Arthur were nice enough—too nice some would argue—and she was sure they weren’t offering help for nothing. They needed another set of eyes on the dead-end road, another gun at the ready. That was all understandable, but what if something happened to her? These people would be the only things standing between the chaos of the city or the possibility of starvation and her kids.
“I have to think about this,” she said.
“Take all the time you need.” Sally wrapped her in a hug, ignoring Arthur’s pointed stare. Tessa could feel him watching her and knew he wanted a decision sooner rather than later so he could come up with a plan. But she couldn’t give him an answer until she knew for certain and every passing hour made it feel less likely that Landon was coming.
“Random question.” Tessa blinked back her tears and tried to focus on something she could control. “Would you by chance have some extra mason jars? I’d like to use up the chicken and veggies in the freezer in a big pot of soup and can the leftovers. I can give you half of whatever it makes.”
Despite her protests, Sally insisted she would watch the kids while Tessa ran back home to gather the ingredients. She glanced over her shoulder one more time before rushing into the house. They’ll be okay for a few minutes without me. Rationally, she knew this. But some primitive urge forced her to hurry anyway. The whole world seemed too quiet without them.
Moose followed her around the house as she grabbed the dented crab boil pot and opened the deep freezer. Five days and everything was defrosted, the chest barely holding the temperature at 45 degrees. It was 40 degrees this morning. At least the last of it wouldn’t go to waste.
The ten-pound bag of chicken thigh meat and five-pound bag of chicken breasts went into the pot and she piled the rest of the bags of veggies on top. She’d worry about sorting the ingredients later once she got back across the street. In the kitchen, she stopped for bullion powder and spices. Moose settled onto the rug and waited for her to start cooking.
“I promise I’ll bring you some back.” Tessa lifted the heavy pot onto her hip as she kicked the pantry door closed and grabbed a bucket of water.
“That was fast.” Sally laughed when Tessa came into the kitchen. “I figured you’d enjoy the break. How long has it been since you had one?”
“Six months.” She lifted the pot onto the counter and glanced outside. Emily was tugging Arthur by his arm, begging him to push her on the tire swing. “Oh no. He doesn’t have to play with her. She can be such a little boss. I’ll tell her to leave him alone.”
Sally stopped her from opening the door. “Arthur is fine. He may look like a crusty old man, but he’s really a big kid at heart. Let him play again for a little bit.”
Tessa stood back and watched them. A wide grin lit up Arthur’s serious face as he twisted the tire in circles to tighten the rope. Mason and Emily sat nestled inside, clinging to the rubber sides, and their squeals turned to happy screams when he released it to let them spin. Sally stood next to Tessa smiling even as tears pooled in the corners of her eyes.
Tessa reached for the woman’s hand. “I’m sure Anissa will be okay and find her way back home soon.”
“Me too.” Sally nodded. “Now let’s get started on this soup.”
It was odd working in someone else’s kitchen, but they found an easy rhythm. The evening faded away in a humid fog of chicken broth and steam from the pressure cooker. Sally made cornbread in the cast iron skillet and cooked it on the grill. They shared dinner while they waited for the jars to seal. By the end of the night, they were able to fill eighteen quart size jars and although Sally tried to put her foot down, Tessa only took nine.
“At least let Arthur help you carry them home,” Sally said with a sigh.
“I’ve got it. Thank you though. And I’ll bring you the jars back when we are done with them. Mason, grab the water bucket.”
Arthur took the heavy pot from her hands before she even made it out the door. He ignored her protest and started walking as the sun set on their little hill. Emily and Mason raced to the house with the bucket dragging along the road.
“I really can carry that,” Tessa muttered. “You guys have already done too much.”
“I know that you can carry it.” Arthur set the pot down on her front porch. When he bent over, his gun holster stuck out from under his shirt. The sight of it made Tessa feel awful. She’d left her gun in the safe as if the real terrors could only happen at night and here he was always carrying a weapon and now carrying his jars for her.
Her cheeks flushed, but she tried to be polite. “Thank you again, for everything.”
“Yep.” He nodded.
“Listen. I know you want an answer on if I’m staying or going so you can plan for what happens next, but I don’t know if I can stay here without Landon. Our only family is up in Idaho and we would all be safer there. I’m serious that you should come with me.”
Arthur was silent, staring at his house. Just when she thought he was about to leave, he turned to look at her. “If things were different, I’d agree with you. But we can’t leave right now. Don’t let that stop you from making your decision though. Either way, you’ll still have options.”
“Either way?” Her forehead creased as she stood waiting for an explanation.
“Mommy!” Emily screamed from inside the house. “Mason took my doll and won’t give it back.”
“I did not!”
Arthur chuckled, but a deep sadness filled his eyes. “We’ll talk later. Go take care of your kids.”
