Free The McClane Apocalypse Book Five by Kate Morris

himself.
    “Hey, sorry about that,” Reagan apologizes.
“I didn’t know that you…”
    “It’s fine,” Simon tells her. “That won’t
ever happen again. I’m gonna move into town, leave the farm.”
    Simon moves to squeeze past her, but
Reagan snatches his arm. Her small hand on his bicep is nothing
like what Sam had made him feel with her hand on his. Reagan is like his foul-mouthed, yet
intelligent older sister. He loves her like crazy, nearly as much
as he loves Paige. He loves all the McClane girls, but Reagan even
more because they’ve worked so closely over the years as she’d
patiently taught him medicine and anatomy and physiology and about
diseases. He can barely even look her in the eye. His guilt is at
an all-time high.
    “The hell you are,” she argues. “Don’t even
say shit like that, Simon. We need you on the farm. You know that.
You know better than to even suggest leaving.”
    “I can’t be around her,” he confesses. He
still feels like he might vomit. His face and neck and chest feel
flush and hot. He wishes Reagan would move out of his way.
    “Why not, Simon? You obviously care about
her.”
    “It’s wrong. It’s sick. I’m a disgusting
pig,” he says and looks at the doorframe.
    “What are you talking about? Why would
you say such a thing? I mean, I’m not good with relationship shit
and all, but that certainly doesn’t make any sense. You’re a really good person, Simon.”
    He shakes his head, “Please, don’t say
that.”
    “Why not? Hey, talk to me. What’s going on
here?”
    “Just don’t tell anybody you saw me doing
that. They’d all be so disappointed in me, especially your
grandfather. I don’t think I could bear it.”
    “Why would anybody be disappointed in you?
Sam’s eighteen. It’s not like you’re trying to sleep with a married
woman or molest a kid, Simon. Sam is an adult and so are you.”
    He flinches. Sometimes he wishes Reagan was
just a bit less blunt. Or crude.
    “Just don’t tell anyone. Please,” he
begs.
    “Sure, I won’t say anything. But I still
don’t understand,” she confides.
    “Sam… she… she’s a good girl, ya’ know?”
    “Duh, of course she is. So are you, idiot. You’re a good
man,” Reagan says impatiently.
    “You don’t understand, Reagan,” he returns
with a touch of frustration. “I have to take care of her, look out
for her.”
    “We all do, Simon,” she tells him. “It’s not
like that’s your job alone. We all look out for each other. That’s
how this works, dummy.”
    He grimaces at her insult but is more than
used to it.
    “I failed her before. I can’t ever do that
again. I have to keep her safe, even if that means keeping her safe
from me,” he answers, his hands shaking and notices the surprised
expression on Reagan’s face.
    Simon squeezes past her and rushes from
the clinic. He doesn’t know where Sam went, but he jogs down to the
wall building site. He knows that he owes her an explanation, but
he can’t face her just yet. It doesn’t take long to find Cory at
the build. Some hard work alongside his best friend should help to
quell his roller coaster emotions. Then he remembers that Sam
always calls him her best
friend. The vomit feeling comes back.

Chapter Five
    Cory
     

    A few days after his armory friends arrive in
town, Cory and the men spend a long day working on the farm
bringing in the final cutting of hay for the summer. He’s stacking
the last dozen bales for the horses up in the hay loft as the
others put away and clean the equipment.
    “Hey, Cory,” Sam says from the ladder, her
head poking up through the hole in the floor to the loft.
    “Hey, kid,” he calls over to her. “Watcha’ up
to?”
    She shrugs and climbs the rest of the way up
to stand near him. She’s carrying her sketchpad and a little pouch
full of pencils and erasers.
    She rushes over and attempts to lift a
heavy, oblong bale , “Here, I can
help!”
    Cory just smiles and takes her by the
elbow,