Chapter Eighteen: One Big Happy Family
Tennessee
April 1887
Charlotte tossed the final sack of supplies into the back of the cart that she and Silas had been loading up that morning. Since deciding yesterday that they had to move on they had both been working extra hard to insure everything would be packed up and loaded just a couple hours after dawn and as Charlotte glanced up at the sky, she realized they had succeeded.
She blew out a long breath and laid her hand over her stomach which was once again flat beneath her dress. At least near starvation was good for one thing... losing the baby weight. Not that she had gained much weight in the first place. Jackson would have beaten her soundly for getting too fat and there hadn't been enough food around here in the last year or two to get fat on.
Charlotte heard Grace let out a squeal from the front of the cart and she smiled and walked around. She picked up the happy infant and held her close to her chest, breathing in her sweet scent. This world had gone to hell but Charlotte had managed to bring a tiny piece of heaven into it and she loved this precious baby. Grace had not been made in love but she was going to be raised with it, Charlotte was going to make sure of that. She would not let these flesh eating monsters nor the human monsters of this world destroy her baby.
"That's just about the prettiest sight I've ever seen in the sunrise, Miss Charlotte, ma'am." Charlotte smiled when she heard Silas coming up behind her and she turned to see his handsome face which was smiling right back at her.
And he was handsome. He was strong too. And kind. Sweet. Caring. He was so much different from everything Charlotte had ever had before and he was all she wanted in the whole world. She wanted a life with him and with Grace. She loved him.
"You don't have to call me ma'am, Silas." She assured him and his big, dark hand reached out caressing her cheek, his touch as light as a feather as his brown eyes looked into hers.
"It's just the way I was raised, Miss Charlotte." He replied honestly, his thumb stroking her jaw. Then with a long sigh he pulled his hand away and took a step back, his eyes going to the loaded cart.
"Are we ready?" he asked. Charlotte nodded.
"I believe we are. I only wish I had something to help me carry Grace....." Her voice trailed off when she remembered the papooses that the servants had worn when they'd had small babies. "Silas, can you hold Grace for a moment?" she asked as she placed the baby in his arms.
"Sure that ain't no trouble but where are you going?"
"I just remembered something." Charlotte replied and she dashed away toward the barn. Jackson had been a pack rat of sorts and Charlotte knew that he had kept many of the servant's old things in the back stall of the barn, just in case the need for them ever rose again. That particular habit had always driven Charlotte crazy but right now she was grateful for it.
Charlotte made her way to the back stall and sighed before diving into the pile of things her dead husband had insisted on keeping. It was junk mostly and before long sweat was trickling down her back and chest as she dug through it all. She crouched down and sank back on her heels, blowing out a breath to move a few strands of hair that had fallen out of her bonnet.
Defeat filled her as she realized that the papoose she was hoping to find probably wasn't here any longer. She supposed they may be able to find one in the first town they came to. Charlotte was about to push herself to her feet when she heard the footsteps behind her.
Fear gripped at her heart as she glanced around for a weapon. Her hand closed around a heavy iron spike covered in rust. As the footsteps grew closer, Charlotte rose to her feet and charged out of the stall with the spike held high.
"Whoa there!" Silas called as he twisted his body to shield Grace and held out one hand toward Charlotte. Charlotte skidded to a stop, her heart thundering against her ribs as her arms dropped. The iron spike suddenly felt as heavy as lead and it fell to the floor with a clatter.
"I am so sorry!" she exclaimed, guilt filling her when she realized she had nearly bashed Silas's head in like one of those monsters. Silas's full lips curved in a smile and his brown eyes sparkled with amusement.
"As much as I wish it didn't have to be this way, I'm proud that you nearly whacked me a good one. And it's my fault, next time I'll call out before sneaking up on you that way."
Charlotte found herself laughing lightly and then surprised them both when she stepped closer to him and threw her arms around his middle and buried her head against his chest, hugging him tightly. Silas free arm closed around her as well and Charlotte breathed him in and enjoyed just how broad and hard he felt against her. He was so strong and yet he was gentle as well as his lips pressed against her cream colored bonnet.
"I could stay like this right here all day and be a happy man." He stated as he gave her a squeeze and adjusted Grace in his other arm. "But we gotta get a move on, I'm afraid."
Charlotte was loath to move from his arms. While she and Jackson had been married for years, Charlotte had never known what it felt like to be truly held until Silas had held her. His strong arms wrapped around her so tenderly and she fit inside of them so perfectly that it was as if they were made to be together. She knew that while this world had gone to hell and monsters now roamed the earth, meeting Silas, having him in her life, would be the one good thing that came from the horror.
"Come on now, Miss Charlotte, we gotta get a move on." Silas sighed, though he didn't seem very happy as he moved himself out of her grasp. "What was you looking for so hard in here?"
Charlotte took a moment to collect herself and gather her thoughts. Being held so close to Silas's hard body and feeling his heart beating against her ear caused her to feel strange... Tingly... Hot... A million different sensations that she had never felt before.
"I.. I was searching for a papoose. The workers, back when my husband could afford them, had families and when their babies were little the mothers would carry them in a papoose so they could have their hands free..."
"I have seen those." Silas cut in with a smile. "But I don't see one here. I have an idea though." Charlotte followed Silas from the barn, squinting as they stepped into the sunlight. She noticed Silas's shoulders tense as he glanced around, clearly checking for rabid. She wondered if the day would ever come when they could simply relax and take a walk with Grace without worrying that a rabid was going to jump out of the woods and try to eat them.
They got to the cart and Silas laid Grace gently on the seat before grabbing a sheet and tying it around Charlotte's waist and neck like a sling. She frowned at him.
"What are you doing?"
"I was a slave for a while, Miss Charlotte, and when I lived on the plantation there were several mothers of young babes there. Our master was a cruel man and not the kind to help his slaves so the women would use sheets like these to hold their babes while they worked."
Silas gathered up Grace, kissed the baby's round cheek and then smiled as he lowered her into the make shift sling. Charlotte realized that it served as a sort of pouch. Grace was resting down inside, shielded from the sun and secure while Charlotte had the use of her hands.
Charlotte beamed up at Silas. "My hero." She teased and Silas chuckled as he pulled off his hat and rubbed the back of his neck.
"I'm no one's hero, Miss Charlotte." Charlotte nodded and laid her hand on his cheek, feeling her heartbeat begin to race.
"You're mine and you're Graces. We would have been lost without you, Silas."
Charlotte's breath caught in her throat when Silas stooped down and his lips caught hers tenderly. It was a feather light caress of lips on lips that had her groaning with disappointment when he pulled away. Then she cried out when Silas raised his shotgun and fired a shot so close to her head that pain shot through her ear drums and caused her to cover them and nearly fall to her knees. Silas caught her arm before she fell and he smiled apologetically.
"Sorry, Miss Charlotte." Charlotte's ears were ringing so loudly that she could hardly hear him but she glanced to the side and saw the rabid lying dead and bloody less than two yards away.
Charlotte was trembling as Silas helped her into the wagon. That kiss had rocked her to the core and then the rabid had shown up and reminded her just how dangerous life had become. Just how hopeless their situation was truly looking......
But she had never been the type to dwell on the negative. She and Silas were together now. They were alive now. One thing this new world was teaching Charlotte was that now was all that mattered.
Silas settled himself onto the seat beside her and after adjusting Grace and ensuring the infant was comfortable, she reached over and took Silas's hand. He glanced down at her and she saw the nervousness in his brown eyes.
"You're not angry at me, Miss Charlotte?"
"Why would I be angry?" Charlotte asked with confusion.
"For.. uh..." he cleared his throat as he flicked the reins with his free hand and the cart lurched forward.
"I enjoyed the kiss..." Charlotte whispered, her cheeks flaming red. Silas squeezed her hand, kissed her temple and then they both settled back onto the cart and headed toward whatever the future held, content with the knowledge that in this moment they had each other.
***
Colt was not happy with this plan. He wasn't happy with it at all. He watched Katherine making her way toward the road and the cart that was currently moving slowly down it, and his grip on the rifle in his hands tightened.
He hated J.B. Hated that man more than he'd ever hated another living person before. Sending a woman down to get the cart coming their way to stop? Sure they were more likely to stop to help a woman alone than a man but that did not mean Colt was happy about sending Katherine down there. What if the man and woman sitting on that cart just shot her and went on their way...... Gone were the days when anyone could trust anyone. It was survival of the fittest and surely those in that wagon had realized that as well.
But it was J.B.'s idea to stop this wagon and try to haggle for supplies. They were low on food, as in they hadn't eaten in two days, and they were getting low on ammunition as well. Colt had a feeling that J.B's idea of haggling was going to be to steal whatever they needed, which Colt was fine with. What he wouldn't be fine with was killing this man or woman and he would protect them if the need arose.
Colt tensed and focused on Katherine down in the road as the cart came to a stop. "Can we help you, ma'am?" the colored man seated on the wagon asked. His voice was kind but Colt noticed that his free hand was resting just a little more tensely on the shotgun in his lap.
"Yes." Katherine said as she limped forward and then tossed aside her skirt and pulled the .38 revolver from the holster around her thigh. "You can give me any food and ammunition that you two might have on you."
"Now there ain't no reason I can see to pull a gun on us, ma'am." The colored man said without fear. "If you need some supplies we'd be glad to share what little we do have...."
"Share, nigger?" J.B. asked with a chuckled as he stepped out of the woods with his rifle. Colt cursed under his breath and rushed to come out of hiding as well. "Who said a damn thing 'bout sharing?"
"Silas!" the woman gasped as she clung to the sheet wrapped around her. The colored man licked his lip and glanced around, his eyes passing over Colt and returning to J.B.
"You can have whatever it is you need. All I ask is that you don't harm the woman."
"Hurt the woman?" J.B. asked with a sneer. "Now what makes you think we're those types?" He stepped toward the wagon, his hand reaching out and brushing against the woman's skirt.
Colt tensed and saw Katherine gasp when the colored man, Silas, raised his shot gun and aimed it at J.B.'s head. "You'll take your hand off that woman." He warned.
Colt saw the look in J.B.'s eyes and knew that this man and woman were in danger. He quickly stepped forward.
"There's no reason why anybody needs to get hurt." Colt stated. "There aren't very many damn people left in the world and we don't need be to killing what few of us are left."
J.B. glared at Colt and then took several steps back as Colt advanced, taking over the situation. "Now if y'all have anything to spare it would be appreciated." Colt told the people on the cart.
Silas relaxed slightly and his eyes went to Colt. "We don't have much to offer..."
A whimper reached Colt's ears and his head whipped around to the woman and the sheet wrapped around her. He saw the sheet squirm and pain filled his heart. A baby. That was a baby.
Images of his Loralie filled his mind and Colt stepped back. "Come on, you two. They ain't got nothin' to spare." Colt just wanted to get away, leave, have nothing else to do with these people. A baby? Shit! He would not, could not, be around a baby.
"Colt, we need supplies." Katherine argued and Colt shook his head.
"They don't have what we need......" Colt stopped when he heard J.B.'s voice.
"I say we just kill us a nigger and take that woman and whatever they got... She can't be with that nigger cuz she wants to be. He probably kidnapped her from her husband."
"Don't speak that way about, Silas." The woman snapped. "We've already said we'll give you what supplies we have to spare."
"Woohoo!" J.B. exclaimed. "We got us a nigger loving woman! Maybe she needs to be shown what a real man is....."
Colt's fist slammed into J.B.'s face, silencing whatever else the cocky bastard had been about to say. Katherine gasped while Silas trained his gun on J.B.'s chest.
"What the hell was that?" J.B. demanded before spitting blood and gripping his rifle tighter.
"You had a bit of shit on your lip." Colt replied with a shrug. "I was just taking care of that for you... And while I'm at it, I'm gonna lay down some rules."
"Rules huh?" J.B. asked with a snort and Colt nodded.
"Yep. From here on out, I'm the boss. What I say goes. If you don't' like that then you're welcome to get the hell on out of here and head on. These folks here, are gonna be with me..." Colt pointed at the cart. While he wasn't too damn eager to tie himself down to a woman and a baby he knew he had to protect them. He had to do what he could.... He had been unable to save his own wife and daughter, he had failed them, but maybe if he helped this woman and child, if he kept them safe from J.B. and men like him, it would begin to make up for that. "..... Now this world has gone to shit in a real big hurry but I think we all stand a better chance if we band together instead of going at this alone."
"The woman and I weren't looking for protection.." Silas began but Colt silenced him with a glare.
"Colt, have you lost your mind? We don't need more mouths to feed..." Katherine began and Colt shook his head.
"I'm staying with them. I'd like for you to stick with me too, Katherine, but if you can't then I understand."
"And what about me?" J.B. demanded. Colt shrugged.
"You do whatever you feel is right, J.B. But if you make one move to wrong these folks then it's gonna get real tense between us in a real big hurry."
J.B. and Colt faced each other for several long tense moments but Colt wasn't worried that J.B. was going to buck up against him just yet. Colt was sure it would come eventually but it wasn't going to come today. J.B. wasn't stupid. He knew just as well as Colt did that survival was going to come from numbers in this new world. The more bodies were around to take the flesh eaters attention the less likely you yourself were to get eaten.
J.B. snorted and wiped a bit of blood from his lip before tossing up his arm in surrender. "Well I guess we'll just be one big nigger lovin' family then."
"Colt are you sure this is....." Colt met Katherine's eyes and she quit speaking. He nodded.
"I'm sure. It's time we all started banding together." Katherine nodded her acceptance of Colt's word. "Now you and J.B. go get the horses."
"Yes boss." J.B. sneered and he stormed off into the woods with Katherine behind him.
"Sir..." Silas began and Colt turned to him.
"My name is Colt and you can trust me."
"Why?" Silas questioned. "Why would you want to help us?"
"My reasons are my own." Colt replied. "But believe me when I say you are better off with me than you would be without me. Especially with men like J.B. running around."
Silas studied him a moment and then nodded as he jumped from the wagon. "The woman is Charlotte. She's mine." There was a warning tone in Silas's voice.
"I have no interest in taking your woman or the child." Colt replied as the baby, still hidden from his view, let out a cry. "I'll help you get wherever it is you're wanting to go and I'll help you get there alive."
"You seem a good man, Colt."
"Not really." Colt replied with a shrug. "Though I'm better than some." His eyes went to the woods where J.B. had disappeared and Silas nodded while the woman shifted in the seat.
"I don't feel comfortable riding with that other man." She stated and Silas smiled up at her. It was clear to Colt that these two were in love with one another. A black man and a white woman seemed a strange combination and Colt knew that in the old world it would have been a taboo and frowned upon union.... Maybe in the new world ignorant people would be too busy running for their lives to be worried about judging others.
"Miss Charlotte, I don't like him much myself but as a Christian man it's in my nature to give him the benefit of the doubt."
"He don't deserve that." Colt countered. "But it's better to keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Better him here under our noses than out there sneaking around behind our backs."
"Alright then, Colt. I'm not sure why you're helping us but you have my gratitude and we'll share what little we have with you." Silas said with a nod as he held out his hand. Colt shook it firmly and then the baby let out another cry.
"You should feed that youngin' ma'am. Sounds like it's hungry."
With that Colt walked ahead to wait on the horses and let Silas and Charlotte talk among themselves. For a man who had wanted to spend the rest of his life alone Colt sure was making a lot of new friends here lately.