Last Family Standing by Jennifer AlLee

Author:Jennifer AlLee
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781426796104
Publisher: Abingdon Fiction
Published: 2014-08-07T04:00:00+00:00

23

We cause quite a ruckus when we walk back into camp. Questions zing at us like arrows, and Jess and I struggle to answer all of them. After we explain that Rick sent two more people back to camp, and why, I put a stop to it all.

“Look, it’s late and, miracle of miracles, it’s not raining. Personally, I want to get some sleep while I’m still dry. We’ll make introductions tomorrow.”

As I head to the shelter, Jules is right beside me. “Wow, you’ve gotten downright forceful out here.”

“What can I say? Living off the land changes a woman.” Smiling, I nudge her shoulder with mine.

Malcolm and Layla meet us at the shelter. “Since we’ll be bunking together, it might be good to make introductions now.” He holds out his hand. “I’m Malcolm, and this is my daughter, Layla.”

“Duncan. And you already know my daughter.” He shakes Malcolm’s hand, then Layla’s.

Before Duncan can work any more of his charm on them, I step in and introduce Jules. Malcolm is polite to our guests, but I sense tension between him and me. He may be a pastor, but I imagine it’s difficult to be loving and generous when you missed out on dinner and you’ve hardly eaten for two weeks. But I think I have a remedy for that.

“We brought you guys something.” I hand him my bandana.

“What? Your laundry?”

“Open it and see.”

To the casual observer, I wanted it to look like I held my bandana wadded up against my stomach. But really, it’s carefully wrapped around a selection of goodies I smuggled from the dinner table.

As Malcolm opens the bundle, his eyes widen. Layla looks over his shoulder. When she sees what he’s holding she squeals.

We shush her as a group, then look to make sure the remaining Singletons didn’t notice.

“There was no way to bring enough for everybody,” I whisper. “But I had to bring something to you two.”

Malcolm’s face softens, then he shocks me by bending down and kissing my cheek. “Thank you. You have no idea what this means.”

“I know what it means. You’re a saint.” Layla grabs the food from her dad and sits on the edge of the shelter.

Shooing him away with a wave of my hand, I motion with my head toward Layla. “You better hurry up if you want to get some.”

“You two seem close,” Jules says after Malcolm moves away.

“We’re just friends. Really, we’ve only known each other for a couple weeks.”

Duncan moves closer, arms crossed loosely over his chest. “If I remember, Nikki, you only knew me for a few weeks before we—”

“Went to the beach. Yeah, I remember.” Boy, do I. And I don’t want him sharing the facts with the entire world.

Jules taps me on the shoulder. “Sorry to interrupt, but is there a latrine around here?”

“Sure. I’ll show you.”

As we walk away, I hear Jess say, “I’ll fill you in on how we sleep, Dad.”

The weight of her easy, casual acceptance of him presses down on me, hunching my shoulders and bowing my head.

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