In the Woods, Bears

Chapter 53 - The Nap

The light had begun to retreat across the floor by the time she woke up. With a great yawn, Kennedy sat up in the nest of hay she had pushed into the corner. She ran her tongue across her fuzzy teeth and blinked as her eyes adjusted to the dimming light. Her mouth tasted oddly floral. The vase on the nightstand was now empty and there were bits of green stems scattered amongst the hay. The sound of a chair creaking caught her attention, and she jerked the comforter from the bed to cover her bare breasts. Red sat watching her from outside the mother's room.

"No need to bother with that kind of modesty. I've seen them before." He sat in the shadows, tilted back in the lone chair. An open thermos sat on the floor next to him.

"How long have you been here?" She picked a piece of hay out of her hair.

"Long enough to watch you turn back, mid-nap. As a bear, you snore, and you kept waking yourself up." He took a sip from the thermos lid.

"Is that coffee?"

"Have you forgotten you are pregnant?"

She felt her cheeks heat and tucked the covers more snugly around herself. "No"

"I could get you some milk. The others are at the house, discussing the hole in the yard."

Kennedy remembered what Terry's mom had said. "So his mom wasn't joking?"

"If she told you she was going to spend half of the day being a grave robber, then yeah, she was dead serious." The insufferable man smirked at his own joke. "No one is sure where she went with the remains. She won't answer the Doc's texts." He swirled his cup and took another sip. "It's all rather gruesome."

"Where are Nan and Mom?"

"Last I checked, your Mom was eating edibles like skittles and your grandmother wouldn't come out of her room. Jeremiah and Terry are at the house. David is checking her place in town. From your mother's description, the scene this afternoon was grisly. Bones and rags." He tapped his chest. "I was given baby sitting duty, so I missed most of the drama. The women were afraid to leave the house to check on you. They called the shop."

"And you answered?"

"Jeremiah was in the middle of rebuilding a transmission." He wet his lower lip. "To be honest, I thought the call was a misunderstanding." He shook his head. "But Terry's Mom is hard as nails. She walked right past my truck, covered in dirt, dragging a burlap sack that smelled like mouldering death. It seemed prudent to wait for her to drive away before I checked the barn."

"So you hid in your car, not knowing if I was safe?"

"There are no promises between us." His jaw tightened. "Consider me a good samaritan."

"I'm in my skin and perfectly safe. I locked the door myself before I changed." She reached through the bars for her clothes. "You can go. I'll dress myself and return to the house."

"Suit yourself." Red brought the front legs of his chair down and leaned forward so a bit of the setting sun illuminated his unshaven face. There was a raw beauty to him. "A thank you would be polite."

"Would you get the hell out of here so I can get dressed?"

He rubbed his jaw with his fingers, opened his mouth, and then closed it. Red stood up, tall and lean.

"Are you my guard dog now?"

"I'd prefer the term, Fond Uncle."

Kennedy stared at him.

He shifted uncomfortably. "Uncle Red, if you'd like to be specific. My cousin isn't the only one I'm protecting." He snapped the cap back on the thermos. "Time for me to have a smoke." He paused at the barn door. "Are you hungry?"

"I'm not cooking for you."

"I'm the one who is going to cook, dumbass. Do you like hamburgers?"

She wanted to say no, or pick up her shoe and throw it at him, but her stomach rumbled loudly at the thought of food. "I do."

"Black Coffee? Or lots of bull shit in it?"

She narrowed her gaze. "But you said."

"Just tell me what you want."

"Lots of bull shit."

He nodded and turned away from her.

"And Red."

He paused, his lanky body framed by the fading light. "What?"

"Thank you."

"You are welcome."

*

The five of them around the table felt like a family.

"These bacon cheese burgers are delicious." Kennedy admitted. She'd talked her Nan into leaving her room and joining them for dinner after she swore they wouldn't talk about the day's adventure while eating.

Red pointed at Kennedy with a spear of pickle. "Just shows you how stupid you were. If you hadn't chickened out and run off with the Vet, you'd be eating good every day."

"I know what your cousin's cooking is like. He can burn water. Saying every day is an over promise."

Jeremiah threw his napkin at her. Terry ignored them and reached for another burger.

"Now boys." Nan said, "Don't ruin this lovely meal."

Red looked down at his plate and grumbled. "I can hunt and fish."

A look passed between Jeremiah and Terry. "Listen cousin, being an uncle is almost the same. Fresh fish would be welcome. You have every right to protect and provide for her and your niece. She is your kin now, same as she is mine."

"That's not what they say at the shop." Red tossed his fork onto the plate. "All of y'all are up here so cozy. They know we left the bar with her together. I almost punched Lamon the other day."

Jeremiah swallowed the bacon he was chewing. "Why? You don't usually care what people say about you."

Red raised his finger and then made it bend. "He was cracking jokes about me not being able to..." He looked at her grandmother and grimaced. "Be of use."

Her grandma picked up the pickle off her plate and placed it on Red's. "Don't you listen to them. You can come here any day you like."

Kennedy teased. "Even with fish? Last I knew, you didn't eat it."

Nan acted like Kennedy hadn't said a thing. "Now Red, what exactly did you put in these delicious burgers?"