Free More than Survival: A Post-apocalyptic Love Story by Camryn Lynn

I stirred my stew around, digging for a potato. They were my favorite, and I needed something to focus on so I didn’t have to look him in the eye.
    “I did,” he said, drawing the words out.
    “How many?” I cringed when the words were out. There was no way to make that question casual.
    “Lucy, are you asking how many women I’ve had sex with?”
    I nodded, then sank down in my chair.
    “I think that’s a discussion for another day,” he said, but he didn’t sound mad. I looked up to find him smiling. “Let’s just get through the book first, okay?”
    “Okay.”
    I went back to my stew and even though I was embarrassed, the light mood stayed. Sawyer asked me about living with Seamus and what we’d done the last eleven years, acting impressed by pretty much everything I told him. Growing vegetables, canning them, making soap, catching the rabbits.
    He dug in his bowl and fished out a piece of meat, then popped it into his mouth. “So this is rabbit stew?”
    “Yeah, but not one of ours. I went hunting before the weather got too bad and killed one.”
    His eyebrows shot up, getting lost under the dark hair that hung over his forehead. “You went hunting?” I nodded. “With a bow?” I nodded again, and he smiled. “And you shot a rabbit?” When I nodded the third time, his smile grew so big that I swear it lit the cabin up.
    “Seamus likes to hunt, so sometimes we get other meat. But he’s always been afraid to leave me for too long.”
    “He sounds like a very smart man.”
    “He is. I’m lucky he was so prepared, but more than that I’m happy he cared about me enough to share all this knowledge. I know he may have dropped the ball on the sex stuff, but otherwise he’s worked really hard to prepare me for the world.”
    Sawyer nodded thoughtfully. “I guess it’s probably pretty difficult being a single dad to girl.”
    I let out a little laugh, remembering how Seamus had stumbled all over himself when I’d had my first menstrual cycle. “For an average man it would be difficult, for Seamus it was pretty much his worst nightmare.”
    “Worse than the world being wiped out?” Sawyer asked.
    “Are you serious? Seamus was a prepper, I’m pretty sure he’s been having a blast for the most part. I think his only regret is my mom’s death. If it wasn’t for that, he’d be in heaven.”
    “So he was your mom’s brother?”
    “Older by two years. They were really close growing up, which was good because they had pretty crappy parents. Always out partying from what Seamus told me. Druggies. I think that’s why Seamus ended up the way he did. He grew up expecting the worst and knowing he couldn’t trust anyone but my mom. It was natural for him to gather supplies and be ready for anything.”
    Sawyer nodded a few times like he was thinking the whole thing through, then he frowned. “I’m sorry I won’t get to meet him.”
    “Me too.” I let out a deep sigh and pushed my empty bowl away. “I keep hoping he’ll find his way home, but after four weeks, I don’t think it’s going to happen.”
    “You never know, Lucy. Don’t give up.”
    I nodded slowly and did my best to cling to the tiny shred of hope that still lived inside me, but it wasn’t easy. It seemed impossible that Seamus would come back now.
    Suddenly Sawyer stood, pushing his chair away from the table as he collected the bowls. “I’ll do the dishes if you want to get some reading done.”
    His words were casual, but I couldn’t help wondering if he was excited at the prospect. Men liked sex, didn’t they? I’d always gotten the impression from Seamus that they really enjoyed it, so Sawyer must be looking forward to it. Right?
    “Sounds good,” I said, my heart pounding so hard it drowned out the noise of the fire as I headed toward my bedroom.
    It took me a few minutes to locate the book Seamus had given me after I’d started my cycles. I’d thumbed through it once, almost too horrified to read more than a