To Be Continued...with Robin Renee Ray

When the Night Falls

By

Robin Renee Ray

Part Five

          Sitting in the grocery store waiting for the rest of the town folk to show up, Gavin and Gus stacked what little ammo that they had left. Gavin’s wife Carol was in the back gathering chairs to bring up to the counter so the men would have a place to sit. Allen was standing on the steps waiting for Betsy who was bringing a basket of boiled potatoes and fresh biscuits, so he could then ride out and meet the Baxter family. They were the only ones left that lived away from the town.

          “You gonna stand there daydreaming or you gonna help me carry this?” Betsy called out from the corner of the store. “I’ve been yellin’ at ya for five minutes.”

          “Now Betsy, it doesn’t even take half that long to walk across town.” Allen took the basket from her and then offered her his other arm.

          “Since when did you start actin’ all gentlemen like?” she smiled placing her arm around his.

          “Should have done it long ago, Betsy. Should have just up and asked you to be my wife and moved you out of this God forsaken place.”

          Betsy stopped and pulled Allen around to face her. “You mean to tell me after all these years you are just now telling me you have feeling for me, Allen Lyle?”

          “Yes, Ms. Boyd, I am. And for that I am truly sorry. If I had known things were gonna end up being so bad here, and that we may not…” he paused looking down. “I…I”

          “It’s all right, Allen. I understand how bad things are and I know we may never see them boys again. Do you think we still have a chance of getting out of here?”

          Allen pulled her into a hug. “If we can make it to spring, then I think we will be just fine.” Then he stepped back and started walking toward the door of the grocery store.

          “Just so you know old man. I fancy you too,” she admitted then pulled him back and reached up and touched his face then kissed him. “I’ve loved you ever since you had that bank built across from my house. I’ve just been waitin’ on you.”

          “And I’m a stubborn fool for not tellin’ ya how I feel before now. I love you too.”

          Carol saw Allen lean down and kiss Betsy on the mouth and giggled. “I’ll be, I was wonderin’ when those two were finally gonna stop being so cranky and just give in to the feelings they were havin’,” she looked back at Gavin and Gus who were now turned and looking out the big plate glass window.

          Gus shook his head. “Wish everyone would hurry, it’s gettin’ late.”

          “The Baxter’s should be gettin’ here any time. They’ll have more guns and we could use the extra hands.”

          “Good thing they don’t have no little ones. I don’t think I could handle seeing another child be buried,” Carol said taking the coffee pot off of the wood burning stove that sat opposite the main counter.

          “No need to bring that up again, Carol. Wasn’t a thing anyone could have done.”

          “I ain’t talking about our child, Gavin and don’t go thinkin’ that I am. We weren’t the only ones. Had those families not taken out when they did…” she paused when Betsy and Allen walked in. “All I’m sayin’ is I’m glad there ain’t no more around here, is all.”

          “All but the Kenney kids. Not a one of them come up sick.” Gus slammed his knife down on the counter. “Where the hell is James? He was supposed to be back half an hour ago.”

          “He’ll be back,” Gavin said then took a drink of his coffee.

          “Here ya go, Carol.” Allen handed her the basket that Betsy had brought. “Saw James going into the barn south of town a few minutes ago.”

          Betsy took off her shawl and poured two more cups of coffee, handing one to Allen. She and Carol took a seat by the wood burning stove while the three men waited for the others by the counter, talking in low tones so they couldn’t hear. Betsy was taking the potatoes out of the basket and setting them on top of the stove when James came through the door with three lanterns and a can full of fuel.

          “I drained everything I could find, but all I could come up with was one can. It’ll be enough to fill these three lanterns to…” he paused looking over at the ladies. “To use by the creek.”

          “I’ll be back shortly. I’m gonna go meet the Baxter’s and make sure everything’s all right,” Allen said walking over to Betsy, gently laying his hand on her shoulder.

          “Be careful, Allen.” She reached up and squeezed his hand and smiled.

          No sooner than Allen walked out the door, a covered wagon turned in from the north of town. He could see two people on the front bench and could only hope the rest of the Baxter family was in the back. The Baxter’s had two grown sons and Mrs. Baxter’s sister’s son, who had just turned sixteen but could shoot as good as the best of them. Both of the younger children had died when the rest of the children became ill with a decease that no one could explain.

          Allen stepped up to the plate glass window and tapped on it. When the men looked his way, he waved at them to come out. He looked over and smiled at Betsy letting her know everything was okay. The wagon pulled to a stop as the men walked out. Bill Baxter nodded once and stepped down from the wagon. The first thing he did before helping his wife down was grab his shotgun.

          “Grab your guns, boys,” he called out and the sixteen year old and his oldest son climbed out of the back of the wagon. “Would have been here sooner but the other horse died this morning and this one isn’t too fond of pullin’.”

          “Want me to grab the meat, Paw?”

          “You got a place that Helen can cook it up?” Bill glanced over at James. “Couldn’t let the horse go to waste.”

          Helen took her husband’s hand and got down without looking at anyone. “Women folk are inside, Mrs. Baxter. There’s some hot coffee,” James raised his hand showing her the way to the door.

          “Thank you.” She walked past him and walked into the store.

          “Where’s Carl, did he stay back to watch the farm?” Gavin asked.

          Bill’s face contorted, his brows coming together as sorrow swamped his features. “At first we thought he took off to follow that Miller girl, but the Misses found his thing behind the chicken coop. His coat had what looked like blood on it, just don’t know?”

          “Why didn’t you tell us, Bill?” Gus asked.

          “Just found his stuff day before yesterday.”

          “How long has he been gone?” James asked.

          “Been a week tomorrow. Billy said he heard a ruckus out by the creek bout the time we thought Carl took off, now I ain’t so sure what happened to my boy.”

          “Well, if ya ask me, I would say the Kenney bunch happened to your boy, just like it happened to John and Sam. That’s why we can’t wait no longer,” Gus said with anger written all over his face.

          “I fear ya may be right on this one, Gus. I hate to agree with him, Bill, but what we saw was something to be worried about.”

          “Then I think you best be for tellin’ me about this plan and let’s do it. But I ain’t one for talkin’ in front of the lady folk.”

 

To be Continued…

 

Can’t wait to read more from the incredibly talented Robin Renee Ray? Then check out her new release,
Arrival of the Prophecy! 

Shape-shifters have lived in chaos...for centuries, fighting clan against clan and breed killing breed. All Were-beings knew of the prophecy that spoke of the ‘ones’ who would come and bring peace to those who lived among the humans in secrecy and to those who lived under the thumb of an overbearing ruler.

Werewolf and clan leader Anthony Michelle meets the beautiful Sky Delaney and quickly realizes that she carries the other half of his soul, his one true mate and the ‘one’ that can set the prophecy on its foretold path, only to find that she is a frail, pure...human.

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And be sure to watch at the end of the month for the release of

BLOODBREEDERS: SEEKING OTHERS,

the third book in the Bloodbreeders series by Robin Renee Ray

 

 

Read how it all began…

Not once in her life did farm girl Renee Crocker, imagine she would encounter a world found only in the minds of myth-seeking men. Although the things they sought were not always unheard of in the 1930’s in other parts of the world, life was just too harsh in the small Texas community, to pay mind to anything other than raising a healthy crop to ensure the survival of one’s family. But late one evening during supper, a stranger comes knocking on the door of the Crocker family farm house and is invited inside.

It doesn’t take long for Renee to discover a great number of things that people in her neck of the woods couldn’t even contemplate. The dark of night takes on a whole new meaning, and the once vulnerable young country woman finds herself struggling to survive in a world that demands she live forever in darkness.

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Renee thought she had gone through the worse nightmare that any being could possibly dream up; little did she know that her adventure had just begun. Her intentions were to go back to Cuba and fulfill a promise made to the two that helped her escape the unbelievable hell that had become her life from the days of loving care back on the farm.

What she finds changes her destiny and places her path on one that was only found in the mind and tales of the ancient profits. Of course, the question remains, will she be able to fulfill the needs that have taken hold of what little heart she had left? Can the faith of a country girl with the help of those who would follow her into hell itself be enough, or will they find themselves in a situation that they cannot get out of?Show more

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