Free Deep Shadows by Vannetta Chapman Page A

using, and injected it into his stomach. Though he barely felt the prick anymore, today the vial of insulin irritated him. It wasn’t enough that he had some dread disease. Now he had it in a world that was coming undone.
    The phone weighed heavy in his back pocket. As he walked to his room and looked around for a clean work shirt, he realized that his cell phone was about as useful as a rock. All the same, he’d keep it with him. Maybe today something would change for the better.

T WELVE
    S helby watched as Max pushed down a plunger and poured her a cup of coffee.
    â€œWhat is that thing?” She sniffed the coffee suspiciously.
    â€œA French press. It comes in handy when you’re camping.”
    Grimacing, she tentatively took a sip, followed quickly by another. The familiar rich taste of coffee immediately brightened her day. The world might be ending, but at least she would be properly caffeinated for it.
    Raising her eyes to Max, she said, “Marry me.”
    â€œRight now? Right here?”
    â€œSure, Berkman. But let me finish my coffee first.”
    That earned her a smile. Good thing he knew she was kidding, as they were not exactly prime dating material. They had been when they were teenagers, but this wasn’t high school anymore. Shelby had learned to be quite happy on her own—or if not always happy, then content. As for Max, what she’d once felt for him was gone. At least mostly gone. On the rare occasions when her feelings for him reared their stubborn little head, she only had to pull out her high school yearbook to remember how he’d broken her heart. It was a wonder they were friends once again, but life was full of such little miracles.
    She’d entertained the idea of dating once Carter went off to college. Maybe she could find someone completely different from Max. Someone safe. Someone more her type. She had no idea what her type was, and it seemed now she’d probably never find out.
    Social media—gone.
    Dating sites—gone.
    Anonymous emails from creepy guys she didn’t know—gone.
    Possibly there would be advantages to being catapulted back to the Stone Age.
    â€œAre you worried about Carter?” Max asked, pouring himself a cup of coffee. “It makes sense for him to be angry.”
    â€œAngry? Surly is a better word, and it’s his go-to morning mood.”
    â€œPossibly. Don’t you remember graduating from high school, though? No more boring classes in subjects that didn’t interest you, knowing the people you didn’t like wouldn’t be following you to college…”
    â€œThis coming from the high school football star.”
    â€œThe best was around the corner. College and freedom.”
    â€œYou were going to Baylor. Carter’s going to Angelo State. Huge difference.”
    â€œNo more being under your parent’s thumb—”
    â€œHey!”
    Max smiled at her and wiggled his eyebrows. “What I’m trying to say is that the future as he imagined it has changed.”
    â€œThat’s true for all of us.”
    â€œBut we’re adults. We’re supposed to be able to handle a crisis.”
    â€œEven the end of the world?”
    â€œI doubt it’s the end, but things have certainly changed.”
    Her tone softened. “Tell me what else you learned at the mayor’s meeting this morning.”
    â€œEugene Stone wants to invade our neighboring towns, especially Croghan.”
    Coffee spewed from her mouth. She nearly dropped the cup, but Max caught it.
    â€œWhy would he want to do that?”
    â€œHe says they have resources we need, and…” Max held up two fingers on both hands, making virtual quotation marks. “We’d be doing them a favor.”
    â€œEugene Stone said that?”
    â€œHeard it myself. Apparently, he saw this coming.”
    â€œOh, he did?”
    â€œUnfortunately, no one ever listens to him, which is how we