Read The McClane Apocalypse Book Three for Free Online Page B

you don't have to do
so much of that by yourself," Sue tells her. "Wow, Grams must be
beat if she's sleeping this late. Let me just get him fed and then
I'll help you out."
    It's hardly late. When she presses the
button on the digital clock, it gives her an audible reading of
7:10 a.m. Grams should have been up by now for sure, but perhaps
she's talking with Grandpa alone in their suite since Hannah had
heard him go in there a while ago.
    "You're fine. Just feed Isaac because you
know the other two will be up soon, and until the men lift the ban
on playing outside, the kids are stuck in here all day," she
answers Sue, referring to her sister's other son and daughter.
    Sue groans loudly, and a chair's legs at the
island scrape roughly against the hardwood floor as she pulls one
out to sit.
    Sue says, "Oh boy. That's not going to make
them happy. It was great of Em to help keep them entertained
yesterday, but I can't imagine them not wanting to go outside again
today."
    "I just hope that Grandpa and Reagan can get
the patients well enough to move their caravan on somewhere else
soon. It feels odd having strangers here. It's like Reagan
mentioned yesterday that they could always set up a more permanent
camp on some other farm. Just look at the Johnson's farm. I never
thought they'd move away and leave their farm and they did.
Great-uncle Peter's group can just find somewhere like that to go,"
Hannah explains as gently as she can, though she's starting to wish
Kelly had not allowed them to stay at all. Holding Isaac in her
arms a few moments ago had made her realize how easily he could
become sick. Life is so fragile, especially now.
    "I agree, but I'm kind of hoping Peter will
take the group much farther away than the Johnson's. Heck, I just
hope he takes himself far away," Sue says with a laugh.
    Sue, like Reagan, has never liked or had
much tolerance for Peter. Hannah refrains from answering because it
feels unkind to say such things about family, even if they are
alcohol and drug dependent.
    "We need to finish our canning, so the
garden has to be picked," Hannah changes the direction of their
conversation from something that is only bound to get more negative
to something that is practical.
    "Right, I agree. We got another hundred
pounds of potatoes stowed, but the cabbage will be ready in a few
days and so will the rest of the peppers," Sue updates her.
    "Do you think Derek will let you go out and
do some picking today so that we can get some of the canning done?"
she asks of her brother-in-law.
    "Good grief, I hope so!" her sisters says,
miffed. "It's been an adjustment having him around so much. When he
was deployed, I was left to my own devices. I'm not used to having
to answer to Derek. Our marriage has definitely gone through a
total overhaul having him here."
    "Having him around can't be bad, though.
Right?" Hannah asks with a smile.
    Sue pats Isaac, probably on his back, before
answering.
    "Yeah, it's great. I just used to do
whatever I wanted or needed to do when he was gone, so it's just
kinda' surreal. But I like him being home."
    "Good, because you two are great together.
He's a very devoted dad, too," Hannah adds as she takes the fluffy
breakfast biscuits out of the oven.
    "Yeah, he is pretty great. How's it going
with Kelly?" her sister asks, stunning Hannah.
    A warm blush creeps onto her cheeks, and she
refuses to look in the general direction of Sue.
    "Um, he's fine," Hannah answers
noncommittally. There is no way she can tell Sue or anyone else on
the farm what has transpired between herself and Kelly.
    "I didn't ask if he was fine, Hannie. What's
going on between you? The last time we spoke, you told me you were
sick of him being indifferent and constantly pushing you away," Sue
reminds her.
    Hannah remembers that conversation all too
well. She doesn't need a reminder. It was one of the reasons that
she'd decided to sneak into his room and seduce him until he could
no longer withstand her. That plan had