

Amourisa Press and Kit Tunstall reserve all rights to UNRAVELING (formerly titled AT THE END). This work may not be shared or reproduced in any fashion without permission of the publisher and/or author. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is purely coincidental. All characters engaging in sexual activity are over the age of 18.

© Kit Tunstall, 2014

Third Edition

Cover images: Depositphoto

Cover design: Amourisa Designs

Edited by O.T.

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# Blurb

Until a frantic phone call from a friend with mysterious government ties, Lily thinks her biggest quandary is fixing the problems in her struggling marriage. After she learns the world as they know it is about to end, she has the difficult job of convincing her husband Ethan that it's really happening. As they scramble to survive the approaching solar event, and prepare for the aftereffects, their marriage remains on a shaky foundation. They face the daunting task of repairing their relationship while trying to live through the apocalypse.

This novelette is a prequel and the first in the "After The End" series.

# Chapter One

July 27, 2019

Lily had determined she would tell Ethan today. Putting it off for the past two weeks hadn't helped solve anything, and she couldn't keep waiting forever. He was bound to notice at some point, even though he hadn't been home much lately. His startup software company consumed most of his time. She understood that, but still felt neglected.

Maybe that's why they had been arguing much more frequently the past few months. He was stressed from his new venture, and she was overworked from trying to do the job of three in her editing department after the publisher downsized. All the little things that had seemed trivial before had mushroomed out of proportion lately.

Two weeks ago, getting a positive on her home pregnancy test had brought everything back into perspective. Who cared if she didn't put the cap on the toothpaste, or he didn't always put on a new roll of toilet paper, even though the stand with extra rolls was right beside him? None of that mattered. Even the arguing and the time they hadn't spent together weren't as important as the pregnancy.

It would be a freaking miracle, if she hadn't spent her life thinking she couldn't get pregnant due to treatments for cancer as a child, thus living a life completely incompatible with childrearing. It might be a blessing if she was married to a man who wanted children, not one who had expressed his profound relief upon learning of her sterility when they were dating, long before they'd gotten married nine years ago.

Still, the ringing phone provided a good excuse for her not to finish getting dressed just yet, so she could stop by Ethan's company on her way to work and have the heart-to-heart she'd hoped to have at home. That didn't seem likely now, so she'd settled for upsetting their marriage's equilibrium at his workplace, even having his assistant reserve her a meeting time.

"Hello?" Her stomach twisted in knots as she imagined Ethan on the other end, calling to demand why his own wife would need an appointment. Not that he'd probably even noticed yet.

"Lily?"

She sagged with relief at the sound of her older brother's best friend's voice on the other end of the line. Hearing him always brought back memories of Kenny, who'd died in Iraq five years ago. Lily and Damian shared the memories of Kenny and had a special relationship—which was why she had flatly refused to stop talking to him or writing to him when Ethan demanded it during one of their arguments last month.

"How are you, Damian? Where are you?" There was a good chance he wouldn't be able to tell her that. He and Kenny had both enlisted in the Air Force at the same time, but their career paths had diverged wildly within a couple of years. Her brother had done maintenance on cargo planes, and Damian's position was a mystery.

"I'm here in Seattle, Lily." There was a note of urgency in his voice. "I've only got two hours, so you have to come right away."

She frowned. "What? Come where?"

"Just trust me. Pack a bag and meet me at the coordinates I'm emailing you."

Lily shook her head, bewildered. "You have to tell me something more than that, Damian."

He sighed, long and hard. "Something bad is coming, Lily. In a matter of hours, you won't recognize the world around you. Everything will be changed, probably forever, or at least our lifetimes."

She sank down on the bed, shock making her tremble. There wasn't a bit of doubt that he was being truthful, if vague. "What is it?"

After a long hesitation, he said, "It's classified, and I can't tell you much, but it involves a coronal mass ejection, and some...other things. Government things. Covert black-ops things."

"How long?" Her lips felt numb, and she wasn't sure he could understand her.

"Less than a day, for sure." He sounded scared, which wasn't at all typical for the stalwart warrior. "I can keep you safe, but only if you come now."

"All right. I'll check my email and put the coordinates in my GPS."

He cursed. "Write them down on paper, Lily. Write down or back up anything important to you now, while you still can. Photos on your hard drive need to be printed. You need tangible documents, not your E-pass. Do you understand?"

She nodded, and then replied, "Yes." That wasn't entirely true, but she was getting a clue about how things were going to be in a few hours. "I can be ready to leave my apartment in twenty minutes. It'll take me another thirty to get to Ethan's office, and who knows how long to convince him, but we'll be there in less than two hours."

Silence lengthened before he responded. His tone was cool. "He's not invited, Lily."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"I've only got room for one, and you're my top priority. I have no other family to worry about. Just you."

Lily frowned. "I can't go without my husband."

The sounds of frustrated swearing filled the phone. "You have to, if you want to be sure you'll survive. I'll take care of you. You don't need him."

"I do. I love Ethan." Of that, she was absolutely certain, even with all their recent problems.

Damian sighed. "Don't you know by now how much I love you, Lily? If you'd just waited a bit longer, I could have told you, but I came back, and you were married to him." He spat out the last word, leaving no doubt his true feelings about her partner.

"You expect me to just leave my husband and become your...what, wife, girlfriend, lover? That's immoral." She was still in shock from his revelation, and the realization that Ethan had seen it. He'd insisted Damian wanted her, but she'd shrugged it off.

"None of that shit matters now, Lily. Labels, laws, legal ties. It's all going to hell. I practically guarantee you'll be a widow within a couple of months if it bothers you that much." His voice softened when she gasped. "I don't want to be cruel, but the reality is this: Come with me now, or you're going to die. I don't want that."

Lily put a hand on her stomach, briefly entertaining the thought of meeting up with Damian for the sake of her baby. Without knowing more of what was happening, how could she justify that, especially without talking to her husband first? What kind of life would she have without Ethan? "I can't, Damian. I need to be with Ethan."

Damian sounded defeated. "Fine, then consider this a heads up. Get as many supplies as you can that don't depend on power, head off somewhere, and hole up. It probably won't be enough, but it's all you can do." Sadness laced his tone. "Don't trust anyone, and get a gun."

"Ethan has a couple."

"Good. Make sure you both know how to use them, and don't hesitate to defend yourselves. When the shit hits, it's going to splatter on everyone." With a sigh, he added, "I won't be talking to you again. Goodbye, Lily."

"Goodbye, Damian. Thanks for the warning, and the...offer."

"You still have two hours to come to your senses before I leave for good. But come alone, or you won't get a spot."

"Don't wait for me."

His laugh was full of bitterness. "I've been waiting for you half my life. I can't stop now, Lily." Without another word, he disconnected.

Lily sat in stunned silence for a couple of minutes, trying to gather her thoughts. Eventually, she realized time was ticking away, and she still had several preparations to make before she even began the astronomical task of convincing Ethan they had to get out of the city.

Their lovely little vineyard was the only place she could think of where they might be safe, or at least safer than the city. Ethan had used his new software program to predict stock market trends, and they had made a killing the past couple of years. While most of it remained in savings or stocks, they had made a few splurge purchases, including the Yakima Valley vineyard.

How she wished they had prioritized its remodel and improvements over the past twelve months of owning the property. The grounds need major work to sustain grapes again, and the current two-bedroom house, while only about ten years old, required some repairs. Their plan had been to bulldoze the tiny domicile and build their dream home, where they would retire when they were ready. Thank goodness the cozy house still stood.

Lily packed a bag for herself and one for Ethan before taking a few minutes to print out important documents. She also chose four of her favorite pictures and printed them from the hard drive.

Interpreting Damian's clues had given her the impression that something would happen to the power grid. She spent a few minutes researching coronal mass ejections, leaving her computer with a sick feeling in her stomach. The worst in history, so far, had happened in 1859. If the world had been as technologically advanced then, everything that wasn't hardened or very primitive would have been destroyed from electromagnetic radiation.

Was something similar coming? Just a few minutes of reading had given her the information that most of the technology was vulnerable. Even the government hadn't hardened more than their most essential systems, due to costs and the low risk of threat. If she was guessing correctly, the United States, and probably other parts of the world, were about to be plunged into the Stone Age again. Well, the Bronze Age was a more apt description. Whichever, it meant life was going to be very different.

After stowing the luggage in the back of the SUV, Lily went to the kitchen and emptied the pantry of everything that didn't require refrigeration, putting it all into four sturdy boxes she'd taken from the garage. She selected a few items from the refrigerator that might keep for a few hours in a cooler and then transported it all back to the SUV.

Water. She'd almost forgotten that very essential thing. There were two cases in the garage, and a five-gallon bottle waiting to go in the water dispenser. Those all went in the back.

As she returned to the bedroom to throw on comfortable clothes instead of her usual office attire, she remembered a file on her computer. It was a survival manual she was due to evaluate for its publication potential. Hoping the author knew what he was talking about, she hurried to her laptop and started printing the file while she finished gathering things.

Twenty minutes later, she had the "book" in a manila envelope, paraphernalia for their dog Hutch, along with the chocolate lab seated politely in the backseat, Ethan's two handguns in the lockbox under the seat, and the other things that had seemed necessary. She took one last look at the house they had owned for the past eight years, allowing a moment to accept she would probably never see it again.

Traffic was no worse than usual, but it seemed like everyone was determined to go as slowly as possible while Lily made her way to Ethan's building. The hills seemed steeper, and even Elliott Bay seemed upset, with the choppy water despite the lack of wind. She drew up and parked in the nearest space. It was already a warm day, and she couldn't leave Hutch in the car with the sun starting to shine brightly through the windows.

Thankfully, he was a well behaved gentleman and walked beside her with his head held high as they went into the office. The sight of a small redhead leading a larger-than-average size chocolate lab into a software company still raised some eyebrows among the staff, but she ignored the sidelong glances.

Lily nodded to Reception, but didn't stop to chat. Instead, she made her way straight back to Ethan's office. Mrs. Pond smiled at her, not batting an eye at Hutch, as though he were a frequent visitor, when he'd never been there before today. "You're a bit late, Mrs. Cole, but I managed to keep your slot open."

"Thanks." She bit her lip, determining whether or not to warn the older woman about what was coming. First, she'd talk to Ethan.

Without knocking, she entered Ethan's office, locking the door behind her as she closed it. He looked up with the frown that seemed to grace his chiseled features more and more these days. His brown eyes held a hint of annoyance, especially when he saw the dog. "Now isn't a good time, Lily. I have an appointment due to arrive soon."

"That's me." Lily released Hutch's collar to go over to Ethan. "I had something important to discuss with you, but that will have to wait."

He sighed. "I can't cut back the hours right now. I thought you understood how much time I was going to have to pour into this endeavor for the first few years."

Lily held up her hand. "I didn't come here to renew the same old argument. Damian called this morning."

He sneered. "How is lover boy?"

"You were right," she said softly.

Ethan's eyes widened, and he raked brown hair off his forehead. "You finally realized he's a lot more than your friend?"

"He wants to be," she corrected. "He's only ever been my friend. As a friend, he called to give me a warning." Now didn't seem like the right time to tell her husband that Damian had tried to get her to leave him behind. Somehow, she figured that might predispose him to rejecting the information her friend had passed along.

"Did he offer to take care of you if you leave me?"

Lily blushed slightly, but didn't confirm his guess. "He told me something bad is going to happen, sometime today."

Ethan rolled his eyes. "Wow, no wonder you had to rush over here, with that solid intel."

Holding onto her temper—mainly because she didn't have the time or luxury of losing it right now—she said, "You know Damian works in some secret military capacity. He knows things before the rest of us. I believe him completely."

"Of course you do, Lily." He shoved away from his desk. "You have a blind spot a mile wide for that man."

Clenching her fists, she followed him when he got up to pace. "Listen to me. It's bad, okay? Like 'the end of the world' bad. I packed up everything at home, but I think we should stop by one of the sporting good stores to stock up on more survival things. And go by the bank."

He let out a long sigh. "I'm not going to waste time on this doomsday crap, Lily. I'll see you at home tonight, safe and sound."

His condescension set her teeth on edge. "No, you won't." Anger was gaining the upper hand, despite her best intentions. "Hutch and I will be on our way to the winery by then. Or maybe I'll just take Damian up on his offer of shelter if you can't listen to me long enough to understand that I'm afraid of what's coming, and I want us to have the best chance possible to survive it."

Ethan softened for just a minute. "I'm sorry he frightened you, but I'm sure there's no reason to worry." Then his mouth tightened. "Wait, what offer?"

She inclined her chin. "He offered me a spot on some kind of conveyance to a safe place. I told him I couldn't go without you."

His eyes narrowed. "Maybe you were too hasty, Lily."

Even knowing he was reacting that way because he was jealous did nothing to soothe her temper or lessen her anger at his refusal to listen. "You're the one being hasty. If the information had come from anyone else, like your buddy Tim with the NSA, would you have been so quick to dismiss it?"

She walked over to pick up Hutch's leash. "I'm going to stop by Cabela's and the bank, and then I'm gone. If you change your mind and decide I'm more important than your stupid jealousy or lines of code, you can catch up with me. Maybe." Letting him see the hurt and disappointment in her eyes, she stared at him for a long second before turning and walking out.

Pausing by Mrs. Pond's desk, she leaned down to whisper, "Ethan is a stubborn ass, but I hope you'll take me seriously. Go home, pack the essentials, get your family, and get out of Seattle in the next few hours." Without knowing if the other woman took her advice, she left the office and the building, not acquainted well enough with any of the others to even try to warn them. They wouldn't believe her. They wouldn't want to.

*****

It might have been her imagination, but Cabela's seemed busier than the few times she'd been in before. In particular, there was a long line in the gun department, and she felt fortunate to be able to purchase a couple of rifles, spare magazines, and several boxes of ammunition before they ran out of stock. The department for camping and dehydrated foods also seemed extremely busy.

As she loaded several large cans into her cart, she heard a couple nearby whispering to each other.

"Get the MREs. They'll last longer," said the husband.

The wife was shaking her head. "We want to get some, but the kids won't eat them well. We also need to get the foods they're familiar with."

"There's no room, Sharon, and no time. If the website is correct, we only have a few hours to get to the cabin."

She pointed at the cans near Lily, accidentally catching her eye. "We have room for both. You can't expect them to start eating something they've never tried before."

After a moment, her husband nodded, moving over beside Lily to start loading cans into his cart. He glanced at hers before nodding at the boxes his wife was loading. "You should get some cases of MREs too. They'll last a long time, and one meal provides all the calories you need for a day, if it comes to that."

Without questioning him, Lily took several boxes of the MREs, not entirely sure what they were. Pausing for just a second, she asked the couple, "What website?"

They shared a look, clearly distrustful.

She licked her lips. "Does it have something to do with a solar superstorm?"

The man's eyes widened, and Sharon nodded. "There's a prepper blog we follow, and the guy who owns it has been warning about a solar event for a few weeks. I don't know his sources, but today, he got very specific and listed the areas that were most at risk. North America, particularly the north and into Canada, are going to be hit the hardest, but he says the whole world will be affected, and it's all going down today."

In a low tone, looking as though he was prepared to be dismissed as a kook, he added, "According to the blogger, the government is going to make sure this is a worldwide phenomenon. According to his source, some shadowy government commander named Celia Archer is in charge of a project that can cripple any government with an EMP weapon."

Lily squeezed her eyes shut, trying to absorb it all. When she opened them a second later, the couple had resumed filling their cart farther down the aisle, concentrating on water purification. She followed them, slipping in beside Sharon. "Listen, I don't know the details, but a friend called me to give me a very similar warning this morning. I believe him, and I believe something awful will happen. Get your kids and get somewhere safe."

"You too," said the husband, nodding to Hutch, who had been her patient shadow during the shopping trip, his leash clipped to the cart. "And I hope that guy bites. Hard."

Despite the gravity of the situation, she almost giggled at imagining Hutch attacking anyone. He was a furry fluff ball who ran from squirrels. "Good luck," she told them as they parted ways. A few minutes later, she had everything she could think of and had room for, so she checked out. She'd never spent that much in one store in her life and was grateful again that Ethan's software had been so successful for predicting stock trends.

At the bank, Lily loitered in the parking lot for a bit, hoping to see Ethan's sporty little coupe zip in, but she conceded defeat after ten minutes. With reluctance, she left Hutch in the car with the air conditioner running and ran inside the local branch. In ten minutes, she had emptied all the funds in the checking account and some of the savings, maxing out the daily withdrawal limit.

She clutched the backpack full of money tighter as she exited the bank, hitting the remote she had unclipped from the keychain to let herself in. Stowing the money under the seat seemed like not enough precaution, but what else could she do? At the last minute, she opened the lockbox and stuck one of the handguns inside the bag. She had fired it a few times, and knew the basics, but hoped it wouldn't come down to her having to defend herself against another human being.

With nothing else to do, and no more excuse to linger, Lily got on the road. She had almost reached the exit when she pulled off in a parking lot to impulsively text her route to Ethan. She didn't think he would follow her, at least not right away. If things went to hell in the next few hours, it would take his sports car with it, and he'd have to travel on foot. Feeling defeated, she started driving again, wondering if she would ever see her husband again, and if he would ever know about their child.

# Chapter Two

Ethan was trying to focus on his marketing VP when the chime of his cell phone distracted him. Admittedly, his attention hadn't been on Veronica. Instead, he'd been dwelling on Lily's visit to his office. When he opened the message to find her route, his stomach twisted in knots.

"I'm sorry, Veronica, but I need to cut short this meeting." Grasping his phone, he pushed away from his desk, taking only a moment to pack up his laptop and secure it in the bag before leaving the office. The VP hadn't even left the room yet.

He paused by Mrs. Pond's desk, looking for the other woman. His eyebrows drew together when he saw a note she had left, excusing herself for the rest of the day based on Mrs. Cole's advice.

The phone started ringing as he turned to leave, but he ignored it. It could be a potential investor or client, but he didn't care. Right then, his wife was his first priority, and he cursed the way he'd handled it earlier.

As he got in his car, heading for the freeway to try to catch up to the SUV, he shook his head at his own behavior. He didn't for one minute believe the world was about to end. In his opinion, it had been some maneuver on Damian's part to drive a wedge between them and send her scurrying to his arms for safety.

Even so, he shouldn't have been so dismissive or angry about her attempts to get him to leave the city. If he couldn't talk her out of the silliness, he should have reassured her and gone along with her. At worst, they would have spent the weekend in the cozy vineyard house, making love and reconnecting with each other. They could have laughed about it later, and Damian would have lost some of his status in Lily's eyes.

He supposed he should be grateful she was heading to Yakima Valley instead of going to whatever mystery rendezvous her "friend" had offered. It indicated she hadn't completely given up on their marriage, despite their problems.

The silence was nerve racking, so he flipped on the radio, scanning stations randomly in search of talk radio. Music was not his thing. The satellite system soon tuned to a talk show in progress, featuring someone named Alec Johns.

"Now, if SurvivoMan's blog is accurate, all this will be gone in hours. I hope you've been listening to this show and the others who've been warning about this. Now, I know, folks, that I didn't warn you about a solar event specifically, but I've been telling you stuff will hit the fan sooner or later. If you didn't get prepared, it's on you, folks. Now, it's probably too late. Now, you've wasted your opportunity to be ahead in the survival game. Now, you'll have to survive on your wits. I say humanity is doomed, based on the witless among us. Now, get your family and bug out. Now is the time to act. You're down to the last few hours—"

With disgust, Ethan switched the station. People like that fear-mongering fool irritated him. They were as bad as the fire-and-brimstone preachers, always spreading fear of the end of the world, along with a solution that would only cost you a little bit of money... "Shysters."

The soothing sounds of a stock report filled the car, and he relaxed, though the tiniest seed of doubt had sprouted in his mind. What if Damian had been telling Lily the truth? How could he protect his wife in some kind of crazy new world without safety and familiarity? His four-year stint in the Army seemed about a million miles away from his current life, and he knew he wasn't prepared. That thought made him almost as anxious as the miles separating him from his family.

*****

Lily's bladder was screaming for a break after little more than an hour on the road. She was still almost two hours from her destination, but she couldn't wait. There was a freeway exit for a tiny little town called Haven, so she pulled off to the only gas station. Lily took a moment to text Ethan about her unplanned stop before getting out. Hutch poked his head forward hopefully.

"Not yet, baby. Let Mommy pee, and then I'll take you for a walk." She left the engine running for the A/C and took the backpack and remote, locking the SUV. The bathroom was around the side, and not too filthy, though she didn't actually sit on the seat. When she was finished, she washed her hands and left, returning to the SUV to retrieve Hutch for the promised walk.

The dog bounded out eagerly, and she took him for a walk around the perimeter of the parking lot. He finished quickly, and she turned back to the SUV. To her surprise, two men stood behind her car, peering in at her things without even a hint of subtlety.

Lily hung back for a moment, deciding if she had reason to fear them. They were both big men, dressed in denim and flannel, despite the heat, with a menacing air. The handgun in the backpack was suddenly too far away as their appraising gaze fell on her.

"Hello, little lady," said the smaller one, though that wasn't saying much. He was probably still at least six foot and three hundred pounds. "We was just admirin' your stash."

She didn't get any closer. "You never know what you'll need for a camping trip."

"And it's just you on the trip, ma'am?" asked the bigger one, who was probably three inches taller and another twenty-five pounds heavier than his companion.

She didn't answer. "Excuse me, but I need to get back on the road."

"Maybe you could give us a lift," asked Smaller.

Lily looked at the truck sitting at the pumps that hadn't been there when she arrived. "What's wrong with yours?"

"Nothin'. That truck is ready for anything, but we're light on supplies for the C-M-E." Larger said it so casually, as though anyone would know what he meant. Lily just happened to be one who did. "We're thinking you look pretty set, at least for a while." His appraising look turned her breasts. "About the only thing you're missing is male companionship." Smirking, he added, "I guess we'd be giving you a ride. You can squeeze in between us." They both snickered in juvenile fashion.

"My husband isn't far behind me." How she hoped that was true.

Smaller chortled. "Sure he is, darlin'." They traded a nasty look. "You aren't going to give us any trouble, are you?"

She scowled. "You can't just take someone. There are still laws."

"For a bit," acknowledged Larger, "But you know that's gonna go to shit when the storm hits."

Lily didn't agree or disagree. Instead, she opened her mouth and shouted for help as they came closer.

"Go on, darlin'. Let's see that pretty mouth," said Smaller. "No one's going to help you. We took care of the old man running the store when he didn't want to give us all his water."

She took several steps back as they eased forward. Hutch was pressed against her leg, shivering, and she wished she had a moment to soothe him. She also wished she had put the handgun in her waistband or something, and vowed it wouldn't leave her body again if she got out of this mess.

As she unzipped the backpack with clumsy fingers, Hutch emitted a sound she had never heard before. It was a low, lethal growl. She looked down in surprise to find his fur standing on end and his teeth displayed prominently. His posture was a clear warning to the men who meant her harm, and they were smart enough to hang back for a second.

That gave her time to get the gun out of the backpack. Fumbling, Lily pointed it at them, knowing she was forgetting something. They stared at each other for a tense minute, each assessing the other side.

Larger let out a loud laugh. "Know what I think, brother?" The smaller one shook his head. "I think she's all bluster, and so is the mutt. The pair of them look like they've lived a comfy city life. She isn't going to shoot us, and that dog won't bite." He gave Hutch a dark look. "If he does, we'll add him to the supplies. Might get desperate enough to eat a lab before it's over."

Smaller licked his lips. "Might get desperate enough to eat you, little lady. In more ways than one." He guffawed at his own dirty joke.

She thumbed the safety, realizing that was what she had forgotten. The handgun clicked when she readied it to fire. "Back off, or I will shoot you. Hutch will chomp your asses. It wouldn't be the first time for either of us." The words were complete crap, but empowering nonetheless. When they still didn't move, she took careful aim for a spot near Smaller's foot, intent on firing a warning shot.

The gun had more kick than she'd remembered, and her wrist jerked while pain seared up her arm when she fired. Smaller let out a low cry, and she stifled her own cry of dismay to see blood blossoming through his jeans, midway down his calf.

Larger lunged toward her, and Hutch acted completely against his typical personality. He launched himself at the other man, hitting his chest with a solid thunk of flesh against flesh. Her dog snarled viciously and ripped into Larger's shoulder, making him scream in agony as he tried to pry him off.

He hit her baby with his fist right on top of the head, making Hutch whimper, but he still kept his teeth firmly lodged in the nasty flesh. Motherly instincts stirred, and she stomped over to the fallen man, calling Hutch off with a sharp command. Standing over him, she held the gun even with his crotch. "You're going to die today if you even think about moving before we get in the SUV and get out of here."

The crunch of gravel made her look away for a quick second, and her heart soared at the sight of Ethan's sports car pulling into the lot. Hutch's growl quickly returned her attention to the man on the ground, who had lifted his hand during her distraction. "Do you think I'm kidding?"

He shook his head, looking nervous—and in pain, just like his brother, who had curled up into a ball of misery nearby, cradling his wounded leg. "No, ma'am."

Ethan was running when he reached her. "What the hell happened?" He reached for the handgun, and she gladly relinquished it.

"These two scumbags either hurt or killed the storeowner and had decided they would highjack our supplies, along with taking me prisoner." Lily glared at them. "I disagreed."

"Look, it was just a misunderstanding."

"When I go check on the old man in the store, am I going to misunderstand what I find?" asked Lily, drawing on her inner Ripley. She wasn't really badass, but they didn't know it. And she had a glimmer of the future, where she could be badass...where she'd have to be in order to survive and to keep her family safe.

He looked away.

"Lily, go check on the man and grab some rope to tie them up."

She ran into the store, hating to leave him alone with them, but reassured by Hutch still at his side, looking as fierce as ever. Who knew her baby had it in him? She was proud of both of them. She had been a badass mother too.

Her self-congratulating ended when she saw the old man slumped over the counter. It was pointless to check his pulse, but she did anyway, despite the large bullet hole in his temple. Blood had spread on the counter, and she slapped her hand over her mouth, the gruesome sight fueling the first round of nausea she'd experienced since discovering her pregnancy.

After a minute, she turned to get the rope Ethan had asked for. A quick search yielded a surprising array of mishmash on the shelves. When she saw three bottles of prenatal vitamins, she stuffed them in the backpack, along with all the analgesics and the bandages. The only rope she could find was for clotheslines, but she took it, along with zip ties, and ran back to the parking lot.

Ethan handed her the gun and went to tie up the two men, zipping their hands and feet individually before twisting the rope between the plastic makeshift cuffs, and then winding the cord around them to bind them together. He moved with quick efficiency and confidence, giving her the first peek she'd ever seen of the solider he'd been.

"Do you have a cell phone?" he asked Larger after securing him. When the big man refused to answer, he shrugged. "I don't have to call the cops. It doesn't matter to me if you want to be out in the blazing sun with both of you bleeding. Someone will eventually come along."

With a glower, Larger nodded toward their old truck. Lily went over to it, opening the cab and quickly finding a cell phone on the dashboard. Glancing in the back, she saw several spare engine parts. Intrigued, she took the phone back to her husband and walked a bit closer to the men. "Earlier, you said your truck was ready for anything. What did you mean?" When they didn't answer, she asked, "Is it hardened?"

"Stupid bitch," growled Smaller. "It's too old to be affected, and we got spare parts if the C-M-E screws with the system." He glared at her SUV. "You're going to be sitting in the water with that pretty piece of expensive shit, and we're going to be right behind you. When we catch up with you, you're going to be sorry you were ever born."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Give me the key." Ethan walked over to stand behind her. "Give it." She kicked Smaller in the injured calf, making him squeal in agony. Drawing back her foot, she said, "Give me the key."

Larger grunted. "Can't give it to you, bitch. You tied us up."

"Actually my husband did. Which one of you has it on you?" She grimaced at Larger. "You seem like the controlling type, so I'll bet you always drive." Turning to look at Ethan, she said, "Please keep the gun on him while I go looking for his keys." Her husband looked skeptical, but didn't argue when she knelt to gingerly poke his pockets. The bulge of keys in the left pocket was a bit too close to his own bulge for her comfort, but she made herself slip in a finger to dig them out. "This is as close as you're going to be to getting lucky for the rest of your miserable life." Standing up, she clutched the keys.

"Now what?" asked Smaller. "Did you call for help?"

"Yeah, though it's going to be a while. The cops from Ellensburg will be here to arrest your asses as soon as they can." Ethan tossed their cell phone on the dirt near them, leaving it open. "They can track the signal, at least until the solar flare." He rolled his eyes with the sarcastic comment.

Lily frowned at him, annoyed that he still didn't believe anything could happen. Even his decision to follow her was to appease her, or maybe even to gently point out she'd been wrong. Still, at least he was here now. "Help me transfer the stuff from the SUV to their GMC."

Ethan blinked. "Huh?"

"Their vehicle might withstand an EMP. Mine definitely won't." Lily didn't wait for a response as she strode over to their truck to climb inside. It fired up right away, and she was pleased they seemed to have taken better care of their vehicle than their bodies. When she brought it to the SUV, Ethan was still staring where she'd left him, mouth agape. With a sigh, she opened the SUV and began shifting things into the back of the truck.

"What are you doing, Lily?" He came over, taking one of the boxes she'd just loaded and putting it back in her SUV. "You can't just take their truck."

"Ethan, you don't get it. None of that stuff is going to matter in the near future. Within several hours, the police will be too busy with real crimes to worry about someone who stole a shit-heap GMC truck."

He sounded exasperated. "I'm willing to indulge this nonsense, to a point, but I draw the line at grand theft auto."

"I love that game," said Smaller.

Lily actually grinned at his contribution. "I've never played it," she said before turning back to Ethan. "Okay, you can follow behind in your sports car, until it dies. Maybe we'll make it to...our location...before the superstorm, but if we don't, I'd like to have a backup that doesn't require walking for days." She continued loading. "Come with me or don't, but I'm taking the truck." Looking at the men, she said, "You don't mind trading, do you?"

Larger glowered, but Smaller shook his head, his gaze on the gun Ethan still held. "No, ma'am."

"Didn't think so," she said with a sunny smile, though inside she was a little appalled at how well she was pulling off this end-of-the-world persona, taking it all in stride. She had a feeling she'd be collapsed in a heap and recovering from shock for at least a week after the adrenaline wore off.

After a moment, he surprised her by helping to move the last of the things to the truck. Hutch came over to press against her leg, and she bent down to look him over. His eyes looked the same size, and he seemed alert, but they'd have to keep an eye on him to make sure Larger hadn't hurt him badly with that fist to the head.

"You aren't going to insist we be good little citizens and wait for the cops?" she asked as he returned from his car, having retrieved his laptop bag. It would be a top-of-the-line paperweight in a few hours, but she didn't remind him of that.

He shrugged. "What's the point, if you're right?"

"You can't just leave us out here like this," whined Smaller.

"Consider yourself lucky." Lily glared at him. "You could be lying dead like that poor old man in the store." She climbed into the driver's seat, not offering Ethan the option of driving, and spent a moment studying it. Though it had been years since Kenny taught her how to drive a stick, it all came back soon enough. They were on the road in no time.

# Chapter Three

They reached the vineyard late in the afternoon. Lily took advantage of the power still being on to run some laundry and turn on the air conditioner so low that Hutch shivered whenever he went by a vent. It was cold in the house, but they'd appreciate that extra coolness in a couple of days, when there was no power. She wished there was some way to make it last more than a day or so.

"I still think this is all nonsense," said Ethan as he sorted through the things she had selected. "We're going to end up with a lot of useless junk we won't eat or use." He made a face at the case he had opened. "I haven't had these wretched things since the Army. Honestly, what would we do with ninety-six MREs, Lily?"

"Eat them when the other food runs out." She had sat at the table and was now flipping through the manuscript she'd printed at the house. "According to this, we'll want to buy or barter for some animals too. He suggests rabbits and goats to meet most needs, along with some chickens and a rooster for eggs. Not that you need a rooster for eggs, but you do to ensure future generations." She chewed on her lip. "We're going to have to fortify the house and the surrounding property, plus take turns standing guard. Once the infrastructure collapses, everything will be chaos."

Ethan sighed loudly. "Madness, babe. You can't really believe all this will happen?"

She shrugged. "I trust Damian, and I've heard enough other things today, and seen enough other people acting on the suspicion of what's coming, that I can't just dismiss it without even trying to prepare." Taking a deep breath, she said, "It's not just us now, Ethan."

He arched his brow as he stacked the last of the cans into the pantry. "According to you, we'll be all alone when the sun destroys all the electronics we depend upon for our very survival."

The trace of mockery in his tone made her bristle. "Laugh it up, buttercup." Now wasn't the time to tell him about the baby either, not when she wanted to throttle him for being so obstinate and close-minded. She continued reading as he found more places to store the stockpiles she had arranged.

"Good choices." He pumped one of the rifles. "These are both efficient and easy to use." Ethan took a magazine from the gun to start the process of loading it with cartridges. "These are simple to reload too."

She smiled slightly at the praise, but had to be honest. "There were two factors in choosing that model, hon. The salesperson helped me find uncomplicated and low-maintenance, and those were the only ones left that met the criteria."

He frowned. "There was seriously a run on guns today?" Shaking his head, he kept loading the magazine, along with the spares. "I still think this is all crazy."

She shrugged. "It seems crazier not to prepare, just in case."

They settled into a somewhat companionable silence, he loading the magazines and she reading the survival manual. Her stomach rumbled about the time he finished with the guns before storing them in the linen closet for now, until they rigged up a safer storage method. She wished she had thought of a gun safe, to protect the baby when it was older, but then realized she wouldn't have been able to fit it in the SUV without leaving half their supplies.

As she opened the fridge to use the perishable items for dinner, Ethan reached for the backpack, clearly having finished putting away everything else. He whistled through his teeth. "Wow, babe, did you empty the vault?"

She lifted a shoulder as she turned to the stove. It wasn't a nice glass-top like the one she had in Seattle, but it ran on gas and could be converted to propane. Of course, they'd eventually have to find a better option, like a woodstove, for long-term survival. "Who knows if it will be worth anything when this is over, but if it is, I wanted as much as possible."

"We're losing a chunk of interest having it out of the bank like this."

Lily rolled her eyes, but didn't respond as he dumped the contents of the backpack on the table and started sorting the money from the other items she'd gotten at the convenience store. Her hand stilled in the process of slicing chicken breasts as she recalled just what she had picked up. Would he even notice? Perhaps he wouldn't read the labels. She didn't plan to hide it from him, but having it discover it like that also wasn't the way she'd wanted to break the news.

"That is a lot of cash," he said before returning it to the bag. "Do you want the med stuff back in the pack?"

She shook her head. "You can just leave it on the table. I'll find somewhere for it."

"No, it's okay. I'm going to go hide this backpack full of money, so I can put them somewhere for you." The bottles rattled as he gathered them up with one arm.

"On the nightstand in the master bedroom then." She returned to cutting and cooking, while trying to pretend that her stomach wasn't lodged in her throat. His footfall sounded ominous when he returned, and she knew he knew before he reentered the kitchen. The sound of a plastic bottle slamming against the wood table made her jump, and she forced herself to turn around, wooden spoon in hand.

"Why do you need prenatal vitamins, Lily?" He looked concerned, but also something else, verging on angry.

She was so nervous, which was crazy, since she stood in front of her husband. "I'm pregnant, Ethan. I think about eight weeks, but I'm not entirely sure, since my cycles can be irregular."

He collapsed into a chair. "We agreed on no kids."

She glared. "Well, I didn't do it on purpose, and I sure didn't get this way alone."

Ethan's stare was full of accusations. "You told me you couldn't have children."

Lily's mouth dropped open. "Are you seriously accusing me of lying about that? You know I had cancer when I was ten. My own parents have confirmed, in front of you, that the doctors said I would be sterile from the treatments. The odds of this happening were astronomical."

He snorted. "About as unlikely as your solar storm." Suddenly, he hit his hand against the table. "I can't believe this. Why the hell are we here in this place instead of in the city, doing something about this?"

She flinched. "Like what? An abortion?" He didn't quite meet her gaze. "I thought about it, believe me, but I can't do that. I've always thought I couldn't have children, so I accepted it and didn't dwell on my loss. But now that I know I can have a baby, that he or she is inside me, there's no way I could cut short that miracle, Ethan. You have to understand."

He shook his head. "I understand that you should have told me whenever you first suspected or found out. You don't get to make these kinds of decisions by yourself."

Lily's heart seemed to weigh a thousand pounds in her chest. "Actually, I do. I get to decide whether to have my baby or not. What you get to decide is if you want any part in raising it."

He blinked. "Dammit, Lily. I just don't want children."

"Why not? You've never said. Your father seems to be a wonderful man, from what I know of him, but did he beat you or something? Did he make you feel like you will fail as a father?"

Ethan rolled his eyes. "He was a fine dad, Lily. I just don't like brats. They're messy and expensive, and they suck all your energy. We'll go from being husband and wife to mother and father. I don't want to lose my relationship with you over a kid."

Lily turned off the stove when she realized the tenders were about to burn. "Look, Ethan, we haven't had much of a relationship recently anyway. I know we've both been busy, but when did we last make each other a priority?"

"I followed you today."

She nodded. "I do appreciate it, especially since you think this is all for nothing, but is it enough? I'm not asking for blood oaths. I just want to know if you still love me and want me as your wife." Her voice cracked, and she sniffed. "Lately, I haven't felt particularly loved or cherished, even when you are home."

He frowned. "I do love you. I'll always love you, but I need some time to think." Standing up, he shoved the chair out of his way and strode from the kitchen without looking back. She listened for the sound of the old truck starting, but heard nothing. She took a tiny measure of relief from knowing he was taking a walk, not driving away. At some point, he would have to come back to her—though she didn't know if he would want to stay, with or without a catastrophic solar event.

# Chapter Four

Ethan walked through the ravaged fields, finding the withered vines were an apt visual analogy for how he felt inside. How could this be happening? He'd always known he wouldn't have children. He'd been an only child for several years, before his parents accidentally got pregnant with his brother. At eleven, he'd been able to see how the kid drove them apart, putting distance between his parents. He assumed his birth had caused the same issues, but unlike after he was born, they hadn't been able to repair the problems that go-round. They'd divorced by the time Steven was eighteen-months-old.

He'd watched his mother make the same mistake with her next marriage, ending up devoting all her time to her new daughter and forgetting her husband. It had been no surprise when his stepfather had left her after less than four years, and she'd had no one except her children to love. His dad had been more sensible, choosing to remarry a woman who didn't have children, and they'd never produced any. That had been a decision that resonated with Ethan.

He'd learned the lesson well. If you want your wife to be your wife, don't have a child. It had been a thrill to discover that would never be an issue with Lily. There had been just a couple of times over the past years that he'd wavered, even once thinking about suggesting fostering or adoption to his wife, but ultimately, he'd decided he wanted to be the center of her world as much as she was his.

With all that in mind, he wondered at what point his startup had become his primary focus. When had Lily stopped being his first priority? It didn't even make sense to him. They'd made so much money from using the software privately that he had no need to launch a company. Or he could have hired developers and managers to take the software public and used some of their amassed wealth to just enjoy each other without pressures from his company or her job.

It seemed so clear in retrospect the course they should have taken. Only now they couldn't. He didn't believe any solar flare would be stopping them, but the baby she'd unexpectedly conceived would put a halt to everything.

Ethan knew he was being selfish. He'd been selfish with his time since starting his company, and now he was being selfish with hers. Knowing it and stopping it were two separate things. He wanted Lily to love him as much as she always had, not have her loyalties divided. It was already clear there would be no contest. She'd chosen to keep it without so much as a discussion with him.

He sighed, acknowledging he couldn't blame her. She'd never confessed that she'd wanted a baby, so he hadn't realized how much not being able to had bothered her, even if only vaguely. It would be incredibly selfish of him to deny her the chance that most women had, whether or not they exercised the option. Her body had given her a miracle, and here he was outside, sulking like an ass.

Firming his mouth, he turned to go back to her, having decided he'd just make the best of the situation. As an adult, he'd have to make sure to keep their marriage strong and their focus on each other. They would meet the kid's needs, of course, but he couldn't let her get completely lost in motherhood to the cost of their marriage.

When he reentered the house, he found her sitting at the kitchen table, pushing the food she'd made around her plate. Feeling sheepish, he sat down at the spot she'd set for him, reaching for her hand. He half-expected her to shrug him off, but she squeezed his fingers. "I'm sorry."

She nodded. "It was a shock, I know." Looking up to meet his gaze, she said, "I'd planned to tell you this morning. I've known two weeks, and it took me that long to summon the courage to break the news."

He flinched. "You weren't afraid of me, were you?"

She smiled softly. "Of course not, but I figured your reaction would be about what it was. This is a shock for both of us. I knew you didn't want kids, but I didn't realize how opposed you were to the idea. I truly didn't think it would ever be an issue between us, since I was sterile. Supposedly."

"Having kids split up my parents. My mom lost herself in motherhood, and my father got left out in the cold. When she remarried, she did the same after Lynn was born. Her second husband left her, and she died several years later all alone."

"Whereas Jim and Patty are still happily married and still together." Her eyes widened with horror. "Oh, no. I didn't even think about warning them." Looking sick, she said, "It just didn't occur to me to call your family."

Ethan patted her hand. "I understand." She'd lost her parents in an accident three years ago, and Kenny had been her only sibling. "They wouldn't be your first thought, since they don't visit very often." Ethan frowned at himself, realizing he felt just a little cheated that his dad didn't make more of an effort to include him in his life. Of course, he had a solid marriage with Patty, to whom he was devoted, so it was reasonable that he wouldn't worry too much about his grown son. Right?

"What about Lynn and Steven?" She looked at the clock. "You could probably still get hold of them."

He hid his disdain pretty well, he hoped. "What's the point now, babe? If something does happen, it should be soon. They wouldn't have any time to prepare."

She shook her head. "What if you never get to talk to them again?"

He lifted a shoulder. "I don't think it'll come to that."

Lily grimaced. "Lynn is in Paris, and Steven lives in Albuquerque. If power goes, you'll never see them again, Ethan. I don't want you to waste your last chance to at least talk."

Feeling the need to humor her, though he had no intention of mentioning the mad ravings of her friend and the crazy nutjobs who really thought the sun was going to wipe them out, he excused himself to make short calls to his siblings.

When he came back, she had cleared the table and sat with her hand on her stomach, looking a mile away. He returned to his seat, once again taking her hand. "The truth is, I never wanted a baby. I still don't, even with one growing inside you, babe, but it's happened. We'll make the best of it. I won't lose you over this. Okay?"

She seemed a little sad, but nodded. "I don't want to lose you either, but I don't want our baby to feel unwanted." Nibbling her lip, she said softly, "I want it a lot, and I already love it. As soon as I accepted I was having the baby, it felt right. I don't expect that to happen to you right away, but it has to when he or she arrives. You have to bond."

She left the "or else" unspoken, but he could infer what she meant. Ethan swallowed the lump in his throat, hating that he might lose his wife over this. "I promise to do my best." He meant it too. It wasn't what he wanted, but he could adapt. For Lily, he could do anything.

# Chapter Five

The power died at eight-seventeen that night. The lights went out, the appliances got quiet, and everything fell silent. It was exactly like a power outage, but so much worse, because Lily knew it would be a long time before anyone managed to get everything up and running again. In fact, it seemed unlikely that the world would ever quite be the same, at least not for the next couple of centuries. She wished she'd had more time to learn about the aftereffects of a coronal mass ejection—not to mention whatever shady government weapon that might be in play.

"What the hell?"

Ethan sounded cranky, and she confirmed that from his expression when she started lighting the candles she'd prepared. There were flashlights somewhere, but she didn't know if they would work after the pulse. "Come outside with me."

He didn't argue, and she took that as a sign that perhaps he was finally starting to accept that Damian's information had been solid, even if his motives had been shaky. She clasped his hand as they stepped off the porch, looking up at the night sky. The stars seemed incredibly bright, brighter than she'd ever seen before, and she wondered if that was because of the sudden absence of illumination around the world.

Streaks of multicolored lights decorated the sky, and she heard him gasp. "I think it's the interaction of the solar wind and the Earth's magnetic field causing the auroras." She scrunched her nose. "I didn't have time to do much reading, but I think that's what Space-dot-com said."

He cursed. "This can't be happening."

She wrapped her arms around him. "It is, hon. Take some time to process it. I imagine we'll both need to do that over the coming days." As her husband pulled her closer, his shock just beginning, she experienced an odd sense of calmness. Life had changed irreparably, and nothing would be easy anymore, but she was confident they could get through it. They would pull together and do what they had to in order to make sure their family survived.

It was the end of the world as they knew it, but the start of a new point in their lives and their relationship.

# Epilogue

The first time Ethan held his newborn daughter, delivered by his own hands due to a lack of medical assistance following The End, he realized he'd been a complete idiot. Looking into that tiny face, such a perfect blend of his features and Lily's, he fell completely in love with Emma. As she gripped his finger, it was like her little hand had wrapped around his heart.

His love for his wife didn't change, and hers remained strong for him. They just discovered a new kind of love for the tiny human they had created. It was such a joyful experience that they ended up repeating it four times with four strapping sons. Apparently, Lily's body had healed whatever problems the cancer treatment had caused, and in spades.

Life was hard, but it was easier for their sons and daughter to adapt, since they hadn't known anything about before. Ethan and Lily did what they had to for their family's survival, eventually finding a way to thrive and even enjoy parts of their new lives. As long as they were together, they had everything they needed.

********

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# Bonus Excerpt

Continue reading for an excerpt of "Unyielding." Please note all books can be read as standalone novels.

UNYIELDING (After The End #2)

Thirteen months after a solar event and government sabotage crippled most of the world's electronics, Mina and her family endure on their farm. At first, the return of her brother-in-law and the remaining members of his Army platoon is cause for celebration, but it doesn't take Mina long to discover he has brought a dangerous man into their midst. Determined to claim Mina for his own, Shane's pursuit is relentless. She finds solace in Cooper, but knows she can't act on her attraction if she wants to keep everyone safe from Shane. When Coop discovers Shane's true nature, a violent confrontation ensues that splits the group and brings more danger to the farm, leaving the group fighting not just to survive, but to keep their haven intact.

August 2020, 13 months after The End

A commotion woke Mina Marsden from a sound sleep—or as soundly as anyone could sleep these days. Over the past thirteen months, it had become second nature to reach for the shotgun by her bed as soon as she woke up, but especially when the rumble of engines had shattered the quiet of the farm, followed by the bang of car doors and several voices.

Her stomach tightened with anxiety as she hurriedly lit the lamp and slid on her clothes. She knew of only a handful of people in the area who had running cars since The End had crippled most electronic devices, including vehicles, thirteen months ago. None of them were likely to be out visiting after midnight, especially with the new reality of up with the light and in bed shortly after dark.

Though she knew it was pumped and ready, Mina still double-checked her shotgun before sliding on shoes and creeping out of her room. She could hear laughter from the yard, and it lessened her anxiety a bit, though she didn't drop her guard. As she drew closer, she recognized her oldest sister's happy chatter and excited squeals. She shifted the way she'd held the weapon, but didn't completely let it rest against her side as she stepped out onto the wraparound porch of the big house her grandfather had built with the help of her father and uncles.

The scene that met her eyes was pure chaos. At first, her fingers tightened on the gun when she saw two camouflage-painted Humvees sitting in the yard. The sight of the soldiers standing around filled her with fear, especially when she saw their guns, considering how bad looting had gotten within months and often included former military or other positions of power. At second glance, she realized none of the soldiers were holding their guns at the ready. All were slung over their back, and the men and women looked relaxed.

Then her gaze fell on Lia, who held her husband in a tight embrace. Mina set her gun on the porch swing and ran down the stairs to greet her brother-in-law. Her other two sisters, her parents, and her brother were all waiting to do the same. She paused by her mom, asking softly, "Where's the baby?"

"Ty's sleeping, and we thought he'd be safer there while we checked out what was going on."

She nodded, hoping she would be able to see the first meeting between Tony and the baby he'd never met. Ty had been born eight months after Tony's deployment, which had happened one month before the solar storm that had taken the power. Lia had been frantic for the past thirteen months, having no contact with her husband and no idea where he'd been.

Mina had started to believe they would never see Tony again, so it was a bit of a shock to see him standing in their front yard, along with several other soldiers. He continued holding and kissing his wife until her father cleared his throat a bit loudly.

Lia and Tony both looked a tad embarrassed when they moved slightly apart, though still touching. "Sorry." Tony pushed back his overgrown black hair, which had been cropped short to his head when he'd left more than a year ago. "I've just missed you so much, Lia." He looked away from his wife and briefly at the rest of them. "I've missed you all, of course."

Her father stepped forward, holding out his hand. "It's good to see you, Tony."

"You too, Winn." Tony shook the hand before pulling her gruff father in for a big hug.

Mina couldn't hold in a small giggle at her father's flummoxed expression that quickly faded to one of warmth as he hugged him back. Her father wasn't the most demonstrative man, and he'd always been disapproving of Tony's military career taking him away from Lia on a regular basis, but apparently he had eased up during the time his son-in-law's fate had been unknown.

After an awkward moment, Winn extricated himself. "Who have you brought with you, Tony?"

Her brother-in-law turned to face the soldiers surrounding him, while keeping Lia plastered to his side. "This is what's left of my platoon, sir. We were in Germany, preparing to ship out to Afghanistan, when the Pulse hit."

"The Pulse?" asked her brother, Finn, who was an inquisitive fifteen-year-old. "Folks around here it mostly call it The End...as in, the end of everything."

Tony nodded. "That's a good name too. We've heard it called the Pulse in Europe, though some are calling it America's Parting Gift." He must have interpreted his brother-in-law's confusion correctly. "There is some suggestion that our government took an active role in making sure the rest of the world was completely crippled in the same manner as us."

Mina gasped, accidentally catching eyes with a handsome brown-haired soldier standing nearby. He didn't seem surprised by the revelation, so she figured it must be common knowledge, or at least speculation, in military circles. Looking away from his green eyes, she returned her attention to Tony and Finn.

"How'd you get home?" asked Lia, clutching his jacket as though she couldn't bear to let go ever again.

"Ingenuity," answered a dark-haired man standing behind Tony. He stepped forward to nod at Winn before giving Lia a smile that seemed too friendly. "Hello, Lia."

Mina frowned when her sister paled, not liking how she swayed. Perhaps shock and reaction were catching up to her. "Lieutenant West," said Lia very formally, with a nod, before turning back to her husband. "How'd you get across the ocean?"

Tony looked a little pained. "The truth is, baby, we had to do some questionable things. There are still some governments, and even some individuals, with hardened equipment, including planes and boats. We stole a plane, and Shane flew us home."

"Too bad I crashed us in the Gulf of Mexico," said Lieutenant West with a humble chuckle. "It took a while to get to shore, and even longer to make our way here. Tony offered us all shelter if we helped him get home, but of course, that's up to you, Mr. Marsden."

Winn frowned. "And Mrs. Marsden. Janie, what do you think?"

Mina's mom smiled. "Of course you're welcome. More hands make lighter burdens for everyone." She gave Shane's gun an appraising look. "And better defense."

"Yes, ma'am." Shane grinned.

"It's late, but y'all can bed down in the barn tonight, and we'll figure out more permanent lodgings tomorrow," said Winn. He nodded to the two women who were part of the military group. "You ladies are welcome to the guestroom."

Both of the women looked at Shane, who shrugged. "Like I told you weeks ago, I'm not your commanding officer anymore. You make your own decisions."

"I'd be thrilled to have a real bed again," said the girl with the dark skin and kinky black hair.

"It seems a bit sexist though," said the freckled redhead, who then shot a look at Mina's dad. "Not to imply you're a chauvinist, sir. I just don't feel right leaving the rest of the unit to the hay while I have a bed, just because I'm a woman."

Winn shrugged. "Suit yourself, miss. I imagine one of the guys would like a bed, if the other girl doesn't mind."

"Don't be an idiot, Dana," said the soldier with whom Mina had briefly locked eyes before. "Take the bed while you have a chance. One of these bastar—bums will steal it out from under you if you leave it unclaimed for too long."

"Yes, Staff Sergeant Tidwell."

"Coop," Shane corrected. "He's not in charge of you any longer either, Dana."

Mina yawned, quickly losing interest in the discussion of who would sleep where. The excitement was fading, and exhaustion was catching up. She knew she wouldn't have a chance to privately greet Tony that night, so she slipped inside, going to Lia's room to check on Ty. She thought about taking him in her own bed for a while, to let her sister have privacy with her husband after their separation, but figured Tony would want to see his little boy, even if he was asleep for the first meeting.

She left him sleeping soundly and returned to her room. Mina undressed to her undies and slipped back into bed, returning the shotgun to its resting place on the nightstand. They had all been working hard to keep the place going, having to revert to manual labor for so many of the tasks they'd once considered easy, or no more than inconvenient. Her muscles always seemed to burn after the day's exertions, and she looked forward to every bit of sleep she could get. As she drifted back to sleep, she wondered how the new additions would change the family's routine. For some reason, the sparkling green eyes of that soldier—Coop?—stayed with her until she slipped into dreams.

*****

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# A Note About the Series

This idea started with a futuristic romance written under my Aurelia Skye/Kit Tunstall pen name. I decided to publish this under Kit Tunstall, with a slightly different series name, because this is more action and postapocalyptic than romantic—plus it's set a century sooner, which could be confusing—but has too much romance to go under my T.K. Reilley pen name, which focuses more on action and survival fiction without any/very little romance.

If you're curious about the "other side" of this series, set more than a century after this series, please see "Reluctant Companion"—and be aware it has more romance and a much steamier heat level.

