Read Online Only Love Survives (Love and Zombies) by Renee Charles - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Renee Charles
Tags: Contemporary, Paranormal
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Would she run to him or go the other way? Traveling alone was easier, less factors to compromise the situation.
He’d done fine on his own. He always did fine on his own. He’d built the business on his own. Turned that business into a publicly traded commodity worth more than he could have ever imagined, all on his own. Raised his sister on his own. There was strength in being on his own.
Women, champagne, which he never really cared for, caviar, which turned out he loved…it all came so naturally.
Why did “on his own” sound so damn pathetic now?
Then everything was stripped away, and he retreated to the cabin to play mountain man, still in complete control of the situation. Lord knew he had enough supplies to last ‘til the end of the world three times over. But when his sister didn’t show up, he felt his control over the universe slip away. And with each passing day, he lost sight of that universe more and more.
Sam watched Megan brush back a strand of hair carried across her face by a breeze. When she looked up at the child that stood in front of her, Megan’s generous smile mesmerized him even from that distance.
“This wood isn’t going to chop itself.” Argyle shook his head while he stacked his armload on the pile behind them. “What did you do before the end of civilization?” He made conversation while gathering another load of what Sam had already chopped.
Turned out these people were kind, honest folks banded together to survive best they could under the circumstances. They welcomed Sam and Megan, and were willing to trade. Since Sam didn’t have much to offer, they were willing to trade a few days’ worth of chores for the gas he needed. The chopping and stacking of firewood was an ever present need, one which Sam filled willingly, while Megan sliced her apples and passed them out to the children.
“I ran a company in Seattle, how about you?” Sam swung the axe.
“I retired five years ago. Spent my days fishing until one of those walking corpses ate my dog. This is not how I planned to spend my retirement.”
Sam smiled inwardly. He’d never planned on retiring. Too busy planning his next meeting, hostile takeover, or maybe even how to get out of an evening’s social event gracefully, but never retirement. Who had the time? Now he had all the time in the world, no company to run and he still couldn’t manage to see beyond the end of the day, week…meal. He laughed.
Argyle eyed him.
“Guess none of it means anything anymore.” All Sam wanted now was to find his sister and get Megan safely to Vegas.
“Is that what you think?” Argyle shook his head.
Sam stopped swinging the axe and met his direct gaze.
“If things don’t mean anything anymore, it’s because they don’t mean anything to us anymore. What matters is what we carry with us.” The crusty, old man picked up another stack of wood complaining about young people as he turned his back on Sam and muttered all the way to the woodpile.
Truth was Sam didn’t know what mattered anymore. His sister and now Megan were all he cared about. The rest of the world could get bent. Sam took his frustration out on the log in front of him. Swinging his axe over his head, he brought it down as hard as he could. The smell of wood pulp filled his nostrils and he took a deep breath.
The physical distraction felt good. It reminded him of working out in the small gym he’d had built next to his office. Sam finished chopping the rest of the wood then helped Argyle stack it. By the time the chore was finished, Sam’s clothes dripped in sweat, but he’d accomplished something meaningful, not just fed himself, killed a zombie or made it out of a nest alive. Funny how his new life echoed his old one. Back then, his major concerns were feeding himself, killing off a dying business and getting out of the next red carpet event alive. But, today he’d participated in building something that would be of use to others.
It felt damned
He’d done fine on his own. He always did fine on his own. He’d built the business on his own. Turned that business into a publicly traded commodity worth more than he could have ever imagined, all on his own. Raised his sister on his own. There was strength in being on his own.
Women, champagne, which he never really cared for, caviar, which turned out he loved…it all came so naturally.
Why did “on his own” sound so damn pathetic now?
Then everything was stripped away, and he retreated to the cabin to play mountain man, still in complete control of the situation. Lord knew he had enough supplies to last ‘til the end of the world three times over. But when his sister didn’t show up, he felt his control over the universe slip away. And with each passing day, he lost sight of that universe more and more.
Sam watched Megan brush back a strand of hair carried across her face by a breeze. When she looked up at the child that stood in front of her, Megan’s generous smile mesmerized him even from that distance.
“This wood isn’t going to chop itself.” Argyle shook his head while he stacked his armload on the pile behind them. “What did you do before the end of civilization?” He made conversation while gathering another load of what Sam had already chopped.
Turned out these people were kind, honest folks banded together to survive best they could under the circumstances. They welcomed Sam and Megan, and were willing to trade. Since Sam didn’t have much to offer, they were willing to trade a few days’ worth of chores for the gas he needed. The chopping and stacking of firewood was an ever present need, one which Sam filled willingly, while Megan sliced her apples and passed them out to the children.
“I ran a company in Seattle, how about you?” Sam swung the axe.
“I retired five years ago. Spent my days fishing until one of those walking corpses ate my dog. This is not how I planned to spend my retirement.”
Sam smiled inwardly. He’d never planned on retiring. Too busy planning his next meeting, hostile takeover, or maybe even how to get out of an evening’s social event gracefully, but never retirement. Who had the time? Now he had all the time in the world, no company to run and he still couldn’t manage to see beyond the end of the day, week…meal. He laughed.
Argyle eyed him.
“Guess none of it means anything anymore.” All Sam wanted now was to find his sister and get Megan safely to Vegas.
“Is that what you think?” Argyle shook his head.
Sam stopped swinging the axe and met his direct gaze.
“If things don’t mean anything anymore, it’s because they don’t mean anything to us anymore. What matters is what we carry with us.” The crusty, old man picked up another stack of wood complaining about young people as he turned his back on Sam and muttered all the way to the woodpile.
Truth was Sam didn’t know what mattered anymore. His sister and now Megan were all he cared about. The rest of the world could get bent. Sam took his frustration out on the log in front of him. Swinging his axe over his head, he brought it down as hard as he could. The smell of wood pulp filled his nostrils and he took a deep breath.
The physical distraction felt good. It reminded him of working out in the small gym he’d had built next to his office. Sam finished chopping the rest of the wood then helped Argyle stack it. By the time the chore was finished, Sam’s clothes dripped in sweat, but he’d accomplished something meaningful, not just fed himself, killed a zombie or made it out of a nest alive. Funny how his new life echoed his old one. Back then, his major concerns were feeding himself, killing off a dying business and getting out of the next red carpet event alive. But, today he’d participated in building something that would be of use to others.
It felt damned
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