red hill - jamie mcguire

school.” Her eyes glistened. “He was very kind to me. They both were.”
“Both”
“Wes and Leah,” Scarlet said.
Ashley leaned against Cooper, thinking fondly of the two. “Leah was my dad’s girlfriend. She was
very sweet.”
“She was,” Cooper nodded.
Ashley shook her head slowly. “I can’t believe she’s gone. That they’re gone.” She looked to her
sister. “I hate this. I want to wake up and this all be a bad dream.” She began to rock back and forth a
bit, struggling with the new reality we all faced. “I don’t want this.”
“None of us do,” Miranda snapped. She sighed, realizing she was too harsh. “We’ve had a long
day. Bryce and I will take my room; Ashley and Coop have their own. Scarlet, I guess you’ve been
sleeping in dad’s room”
Scarlet nodded. “Yes, but the girl is in there. I’ll take the couch.”
“You sure” I said.
Scarlet offered a small smile, and then looked to Joey. “There is a couch downstairs in the
basement, but it might not be big enough for you. I can switch with you if you’d like.”
Joey shook his head. “The basement sounds good to me. I’ll make a pallet if I have to.”
“I’ll show you the linen closet,” Scarlet said, standing. That prompted everyone else to stand, and
Scarlet laughed once without humor. “I’m glad you all made it,” she said, her voice breaking. “I was
afraid I was the only one left.”
Scarlet could clearly take care of herself, and wasn’t the slightest bit fragile, but something about
the way her voice broke made me want to pull her into my arms and hold her. She and Joey walked
away, and the distance created lessened my urge to comfort her. I shook my head and silently scolded
myself. I’d just met her, and she probably didn’t need anyone to make her feel better, anyway, not that
there was any way for someone to feel better about being separated from their children in days like
these.
I went into the doctor’s bedroom and closed the French doors behind me, sliding quietly under the
covers beside Zoe. Even as I thought about the horrors of the last few days, warmth washed over me,
comforted by the knowledge that this was the safest place to raise my little girl. At least until
someone found a cure for the sickness that had taken so much from everyone under that roof. Knowing
we weren’t alone and that we were still waiting for others was the most comforting. That was a hope
I would help Scarlet hang on to.