Winter's Legacy: Future Days (Winter's Saga Book 6) (28 page)

62 Reprieve

Meg opened her eyes slowly unsure how much time had passed, until the look of worry in her mother’s eyes gave her an estimate.

“Meggie?  Are you all right?”

Meg nodded stiffly.  “They won’t attack tonight or tomorrow.  They are planning to starve us out hoping we turn against one another as we anxiously await an attack that isn’t coming.  They’re
hoping to sit back and watch us self-destruct.”

“That’s messed up,” Alik blur
ted before looking around at everyone watching him, “but under the circumstances, it’s a brilliant strategy.”  His mind was referencing no fewer than a half dozen battles throughout history where a similar tactic was used.  Each had ended in the defeat of the trapped group, but he wasn’t about to say that aloud.

“Are you absolutely sure of this information, M
iss Winter?” Rhett Hays had stepped forward to join the small circle.  “You don’t think he could have put on a show for you and have other intentions?”

Meg was shaking her head.  “I’m sure.  I can read him completely and would have seen right through a ruse.  This
is
their plan.”

Rhett nodded, “You won’t be insulted if I have guards stand watch through the night.”

“Not insulted, thankful.  I think it’s prudent to have guards keeping watch.  Just because Williams and Arkdone aren’t currently planning to attack doesn’t mean the soldiers under them agree with their strategy.”

“Hays.  I remember you,” Creed stepped forward to offer his hand.  “I know what it takes to be a Company Leader, but you’ve done more than that.   You taught them honor.”  Creed leaned into the handshake for a shoulder-bumps-shoulder show of brotherhood.   “That damn well earns my respect.”

Rhett didn’t even try to hide his admiration.  “Thank you, sir.  I’ve—we all have—looked up to you ever since that day in the Retribution pit.  The way you defied orders, in front of the whole campus—”  Rhett still hadn’t let go of Creed’s hand, “—was the most inspiring, balls-to-the-wall move I’ve ever seen.”  Rhett finally looked down and realized he was still gripping Creed’s hand.  Sheepishly, he let go. “
You
taught everyone honor that day, sir.”

Rhett’s neck flushed red as though he just realized his manners.  Abruptly he stood at attention
and delivered a sharp salute.   The room was filled with the sounds of boots shuffling and uniforms crinkling with quick movements.  The entire Company stood rigid, displaying the ultimate show of respect. 

Meg beamed up at her quiet warrior as she watched him return the salute.

“At ease,” Creed smiled.

The room shuffled into their precise stance, feet apart, hands clasped behind their backs. 

“I’m thankful to you for helping my family.  These people are the salt of the earth and I would be honored to lay my life down for them—”

“
...though we would never allow him to.” Margo smiled at the blue-eyed, soulful soldier holding her daughter’s hand as though they had never let go.  “I’m Dr. Margo Winter—Meg, Alik and Evan’s mother.  Thank you all for your decision to join us.  Your personal sacrifices are deeply appreciated.”  Margo spoke to the room as the head of the family.

“I have no doubt Meg has already offered, because it is our way, but I will reiterate: We take care of our own.  God willing, there will be life after Arkdone and Williams.  When that time
comes, you are all welcome to join us here on the ranch and will be treated as family.  We believe in God and live by His teachings.  We work hard and love deeply.  If you agree with our way of life, there is room for you here.  I look forward to meeting each and every one of you.”  Margo’s sincere brown eyes crinkled at the corners as she smiled at the silent room. 

No one moved.  The wide-eyed faces of 17th Company glanced at one another as though trying to wrap their heads around what Dr. Winter just offered.

Rhett spoke up.  “Thank you for your generous offer, Dr. Winter.  Just knowing we have options opens a new world to us.”

“Of course, Rhett,”
Margo nodded, then thought better of it and reached up to wrap her arms around the boy’s neck—pulling him in for a real hug.  “Thank you for taking care of my daughter.” 

Rhett stood stiffly, completely caught off guard at the woman’s show of affection.  She pulled away just as he was about to lift his hands to put them on her back, mimicking her actions, when Dr. Winter stepped back to look him in the eye.

“I uh—I mean—uh—she took care of herself, Dr. Winter.”  He glanced over at Meg, desperately looking for help.

Meg grinned at his reaction to her mom acting like a mom.

“Mom, why don’t we let Rhett address his Company so he can share the situation report with everyone and manage logistics?”

“Of course
.” Margo turned back to Rhett.  “My house is your house. You’re welcome to anything you need and if you have questions, any one of us can find the answers for you.” Margo motioned to the immediate family.

“Thank you, Dr. Winter,” he smiled awkwardly before adding, “Excuse me.” 

Rhett turned and faced his Company.  Valen and Nate materialized at either side of him and instantly, all eyes were on their leader.

Margo motioned for the family to follow her down the wide corridor leading to the bedrooms and laboratory. 

63 A Time for Everything

Once everybody piled into Margo and Theo’s master bedroom, Margo closed the door so they could hear over Rhett’s commanding voice and the excited “hooahs” from down the hall. 

“Come here, you,” Margo wrapped her daughter in another hug and shook with joy at the feel of her baby girl in her arms. 

“I missed you so much, Megglet,” her mother cooed and began slowly rocking her back and forth just as she’d done when she was a little girl. 

Meg buried her face in her mother’s strong neck and breathed her familiar scent.  “Oh, wow—I missed you too, Mom.”

“Thank you God, for this moment.  Thank you for letting me hold my daughter again,” Margo prayed aloud. 

Meg heard sniffling.  She looked over her mother’s shoulder to see Alik and Evan both fighting back tears. 

“Come here you two,” she reached out and both boys stepped forward, wrapping the girls in an even bigger family hug. 

“I’m so thankful for my family.” Alik’s voice scratched with emotion.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you guys.” Evan sniffled even harder. 

“Let’s not find out.  No one is allowed to leave home.”  Margo stepped back to look at her children with mock sternness.  “You’re all grounded until further notice!”

The room chuckled.

“I love you, Mom,” Meg beamed.  “I love all of you so much that my heart feels like it will burst with joy.”

The boys were rubbing the moisture off their faces and grinning like little kids. 

“Aw, you’re so darn mushy, Megaphone!” Evan teased.

“What a bunch of saps we turned out to be.” Alik grinned over at Farrow happily watching the reunion with tears in her eyes.

“We love you, Meggie,” Margo sighed before wiping her face dry with the back of her worn hands. 

“Right, so.  We all need to rest.  You’re sure we’re safe for now, Meg?”

Meg closed her eyes
and double-checked the status of Williams and his soldiers.  “Williams is settling in for the night.  His soldiers have been ordered to stand down until further notice.”  Meg opened her eyes.  “I’m sure we’re safe for tonight.”

“Good.  Everyone try to get some
sleep,” she stifled a yawn before continuing.  “Girls, you two can use Meg’s room.  Creed, you can bunk with either Evan or Alik.” 

“I’d rather take the floor in the hallway, if that’s
all right with you ma’am.”

“
You’re always on guard, son.” Margo shook her head slowly.  “If that’s what you prefer, I’m fine with it.”

Everyone exchanged “goodnights” and headed out to the corridor. 

Alik squeezed Farrows hand softly as they parted.  He ducked into his room but hesitated at the doorway watching her as she continued down the hallway to Meg’s room. 

Evan slugged him on the shoulder.  “Get some sleep, Romeo,” he yawned.  Alik blushed and grinn
ed at Farrow’s beautiful back before forcing himself to let her walk away.

Seconds later, t
he brothers had flopped face first into their beds, too exhausted to worry about cleaning up first.

64
  Meg and Creed

Meg and Creed slowly walked the length of the corridor, hand in hand.  “Let me get you a pillow and blanket,” Meg insisted turning toward her room. 

“I’m fine, Meg.  I can sleep
on an anthill, if I need to,” he said to her back. 

Ignoring his machismo, she yanked a thick comforter and extra pillow from her closet.  Back in the hallway, she busied herself spreading the blanket and situating the pillow.  Creed watched her movements in silence, taking in her grace and beauty with his blue eyes. 

For a moment, they stood in the corridor staring at each other.

“Wow, I missed you,” Creed blurted.

Meg’s cheeks flushed instantly as she flashed a wide grin that made her dark eyes sparkle even more than they always did.

Self-consciously she tucked her dark curls behind one ear and nodded softly.  “I missed you, too.”

“Okay,” Farrow called from the room at Meg’s back.  “Bathroom’s all yours.” 

Meg whipped around to see a scrubbed-clean version of Farrow making her way to the full
-sized bed.  “I don’t care which side of the bed you’re used to, kiddo.  Just shove me over if you must.”  She crawled into the bed and pulled the covers up over her still wet head. 

Meg shyly turned back to look at Creed.  “I think I’ll go clean up, but I’d like to sit out here and talk with you for a while afterward...that is, if you’re not too tired.”

“Not too tired, at all,” Creed said a little too fast and blushed deeply, though the darkness of the space hid it well.  “I’ll go get showered, too.”  He motioned behind him.  “I think the guys are already asleep so I don’t guess it would bother them for me to use the bathroom.”

Just at that moment, the sound of soft snores echo
ed from down the hall. “I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.” Meg bit her lip, trying to hold back nervous laughter.  Creed couldn’t stop smiling as he watched her angelic face.

“Meet you back here in a few?” Creed asked as he slowly walked backward.

“Definitely,” Meg waved and slipped into her room, closing the door behind her.

A few minutes later, Creed was hurriedly dressing in a clean pair of Alik’s cargo pants and a black T-shirt.

Back in the corridor, he sat on top of Meg’s comforter and leaned against the wall.  He had to pull his knees up so his long legs would fit.

He had just closed his eyes for a moment when he heard the rumble of Meg’s shower come to an abrupt stop.  Nervously, he rubbed his damp palms on his thighs as the minutes ticked by.  He heard her pad across the room and imagined she was looking in her closet for clothes.
The sound of cloth rustling confirmed his guess.  Moments later, the door to her room opened quietly and out stepped the girl of his dreams. 

She
had gathered her long hair over one shoulder and was using a white towel to dry her dark, curls.  His eyes were transfixed. 

“Hi,” she
whispered softly and smiled.

“Hey.”  His voice was low and breathy.  Creed
grinned and leaped to his feet.  A wave of shyness slipped over him as he watched her movements.  He shoved his hands deep into his pockets, trying not to stare, but unable to look away.  He desperately wanted to memorize every curve of her face, the way her dark eyes captured light and glistened, the soft smile lines framing the corners of her beautiful mouth—everything.

Meg
watched him, watching her. 

She
bit back a giggle at the way he nervously ran his fingers through his dark, still-wet hair making it stand on end and felt herself blush when she felt his nervous excitement.  That’s when she saw a glimmer of a silver chain peeking out above his collar.  She slowly followed its line to where the outline of a circular pendant shifted beneath his black T-shirt.

Without a word, s
he closed the distance between them, reached out and traced the circular shape softly with the tip of her finger.

“Thank you for all you’ve done to help my family while I was—away,” she started, feeling
a pang of her own bashfulness creep up her cheeks. 

The muscles in Creed’s jaw worked as he clenched his teeth at her achingly familiar scent of strawberries and lilies. 
He felt out of control and dazed before realizing he’d been holding his breath.

“I dreamed of you,” Meg’s eyes churning with raw emotion.  “Even when I had no waking memories, my heart remembered you when I slept.  I saw these blue eyes,” she reached up with one hand and cupped his masculine cheekbone. 

Creed reflexively leaned into her palm and closed his eyes against the flood of emotions swelling in his heart.

Meg was smiling through happy
tears when he opened his eyes.  “I hurried back to you as fast as I could.”

The
usually stone-faced soldier melted—his sweet, crooked smile widened.  The light in his blue eyes sparkled with emotion.  “It has always been you.”  He gathered her hands in his own and brushed reverent kisses across her knuckles.  “You hold both halves of my heart in your hands.”

His
now red-rimmed eyes looked in wonder at the girl who had changed his life with the touch of her hand.

He
fell to his knees at her feet.  “I didn’t even know what love was until you,” he whispered his proclamation reverently as he gazed up at his dark-eyed angel. 

Her damp ringlets framed her light, olive skin.  Her smile widened turning her eyes into sparkling slits
.  Teardrops danced on her lashes. 

Weaving her slender fingers between his, she lowered herself to kneel with him.  “I love you, Creed.  No amount of time or distance is ever going to change that.  My heart belongs to you.”

“Are you sure?” Creed’s beamed—his smile flashing adorably.

“Absolutely,” Meg giggled
softly.

Creed reached up around the back of his neck and neatly unfa
stened the clasp of the chain he’d worn every day since he last saw her.

Meg watched him spill the small platinum ring off
the chain and into his wide palm. 

“Do you remember the inscription?” he asked carefully.

“‘My dream came true,’” she quoted watching the ocean-blue of his eyes darken with happy emotion.

His hand was shaking as he took the small band between his thumb and forefinger. 

“We shared a promise once.  I’ve been wearing this hoping that someday we could pick up where we left—”

“Creed, love.  May I have my ring?”  Meg watched Creed’s face light up. 

“Oh, yes!” He gushed, a little too loudly.  They were laughing as quietly as they could manage in their joy.  Creed managed to slip the simple band onto the fourth finger of her left hand.

Meg flung her arms around his neck so overwhelmed with love.

His heart squeezed with joy in his chest as he met her half way to seal their promise with soft kiss.  Creed started to pull away but Meg held on, deepening their kiss. 

“Meg—”
he managed to say against her lips.

“Hmm?” She didn’t stop her playful pursuit.

“Meggie,” Creed’s voice took on a gentle but stern tone.

“No one’s coming.  The house is quiet and the only soldiers awake are in the barn and outside guarding the perimeter—well, okay.  Mom’s still awake in her room.”  She slumped her shoulders dramatically.

Creed
grinned and shook his head.  “Come here, you,” he picked her up easily, sat her against the wall and moved to sit beside her. 

Meg huffed in frustration.