Read Waiting Out Winter for Free Online

incomprehensively. He understood the logic, but the source puzzled him. Nick wondered if the ordeal was starting to take a toll on Jerry. He nodded and went to check the situation with the boys. Sarah met him in the hallway.
    “The boys are in bed. I think they’ve both calmed down but you’ll probably want to talk to them in the morning.”
    “Thanks Sare…”
    “Hey, what are aunties for if not to rescue small children?” She smiled and offered him a hug. He thought it was just to end a bad day, but felt something in it, something he wanted to call forgiveness and hoped this meant she’d moved past his pre-nuptial tantrum. She kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear, confirming his hopes, “It’s ok, bro. You were only doing what you always do--what you think is best for everyone.” She smiled and sidestepped into her makeshift bedroom, quietly shutting the door behind her.
    Jerry was still pacing when Nick returned to the living room to douse lights.
    Hunter’s outbursts became more frequent after that night, and Tyler became more withdrawn. Sarah involved Tyler with the care of Emily to keep his mind occupied and left Hunter to his father, suggesting he should know how to deal with a miniature version of himself. Scott called back several days later to let them know he’d be staying there and toughing it out. He was afraid the blood spattered on Michelle may have infected her and didn’t want to bring it to them. Nick said they understood, but their door was always open if Scott changed his mind. Nick was still reeling from the situation when he and Jerry headed out for supplies.
    “When we’re done today, can we swing by the house? Sarah wants me to grab everything in the kitchen cupboard--paper plates and spices and whatnot.”
    Nick nodded while he steered past the debris in the street to leave his neighborhood. “Whatever. Why didn’t you get them all before? She grabbed photo albums, why not food? Christ my sister can be brainless some days.”
    “Hey now. She grabbed the food, this is the nonfood stuff--and I think I may have some chew in the garage I’d like to grab, too. So it’s not just her, it’s me. And what the hell is up with you?”
    “What’s up? We’re trying to survive and she’s worried about paper plates.”
    “No. I know you better than that. This isn’t about Sarah, this is you. What the hell’s gotten into you? You’ve been a fucking bear since... Is this because of Scott?”
    “Yes. Well, no. It’s just… everything. Are you blind? Look at this place.” He jutted his chin toward the windshield, indicating the road ahead of them. Garbage cans had been knocked over, lawns needed cutting, laundry that had been outside when the panic hit was still hanging or lying on the ground, forgotten. “If the plastic on the windows didn’t move so they could gawk at us, you’d think it was a ghost town.”
    “We run into people sometimes…”
    “Yeah, people that avoid us. People that won’t talk to you because you might be diseased. People that will grab what they want and run away as if you were a leper trying to kiss them.”
    “Nick, really? It’s not all that bad. You have to understand how they feel. Hell, how are we any better? We’re covered head to toe, sprayed down with this foul shit--which by the way, is starting to burn a hole right through my damn wrist--and we’re not exactly planning any barbeque parties.”
    “Never mind. You’re too thick to get it.” Nick watched the house on the corner rather than the road in front of him as they passed it. The house was abandoned now and he made a mental note to check it on one of their excursions to see if they’d left anything useful behind.
    Jamie had told him how the woman--who had moved in with her husband, children and home daycare business only a few months before the world ended--had had a hell of a time when all the kids were pulled from her care. Then her own children fell to the dangers of the tiny