didn’t buckle it. Grabbing the diaper bag, Nelson saw Gavin hugging Michelle, and she was rubbing the back of his head. “Yep, first one that says they aren’t our baby gets thrown out. That should bring the others in line,” Nelson said, walking to the gun rack.
“I’m hungry. I’ll see you next door,” Nelson said, walking out.
Seeing the sky to the east getting light, Nelson smiled and looked down at Devin chewing on his fist. “Looks like a good day to show the trees I’m the tree warrior, and they will fall before me, right, soccer head?”
Stopping in his tracks, Nelson said, “Hey wait, I’m missing a kid.” He spun around and opened the door to see Michelle putting on her vest and Gavin waiting on her. “Where is my daughter?”
“You just now realized we are missing a child?” Michelle gasped but had a smile.
“I knew a fight was coming, so I had to prepare,” Nelson said. “Then soccer ball head here took a dump that burnt my nose hairs out, so yeah, but there are two of us for a reason.”
“Bernard came and got her after we went to the gym. Nellie didn’t want her to be alone.”
“Gavin was here,” Nelson said, pointing. “Then we have those two horses that people think are dogs.”
Picking up her AR, Michelle said, “Bernard left a note that they were in the bed with her again.”
“Well, she is the best protected one then,” Nelson said, turning around. “A damn poltergeist would run from those dogs.”
Chapter Two
As Nelson walked in the back door, Gerald charged him, holding out his hands and scaring the shit out of Nelson. “Give me my bubble warrior.”
Devin squealed, holding out his arms as Gerald took him. Setting Devin on his hip, Gerald walked around, talking to him. “I need to talk to Michelle about having more kids since everyone is taking mine,” Nelson mumbled.
Taking off his vest and hanging it and his rifle up, Nelson looked in the kitchen to see Nellie with a gaping mouth staring at Gerald holding Devin. Moving around the kitchen island, he didn’t see Olivia but did see Nancy playing with Mike at the table. “Nellie, where’s my kid?” Nelson asked, turning around, but Nellie was still staring at Gerald and Devin.
Giving up, he walked into the living room and found Olivia and Brittney in Bernard’s lap as he read a story from the Bible to them. “She doesn’t sit that still when I read the Bible to her,” Nelson mumbled. “I have to read about fairies, pigs, or Barbie dolls.”
Walking back in the kitchen, Nelson saw the stack of plates on the counter. He picked them up and started setting them out as Michelle and Gavin came in taking off vests and hanging up rifles. “Where are Matt and Ashley?” Nelson asked Nancy as he put a plate in front of her.
“Guess still in the cabin,” she said then continued playing with Mike. “I went and got Mike after I got dressed just to chap Gerald’s ass.”
Setting the last plate down and turning to Nancy, Nelson said, “I’m not following.”
“He wanted to go get Devin but was scared to ask. So I went and got Mike just to show him he was acting like a little sissy,” Nancy said as Gavin came around and sat down by his buddy. Gavin was soon playing with Mike.
“I’m emotionally confused now,” Nelson said, turning to the kitchen island and grabbing the silverware.
“You’re not the only one,” Michelle said, walking past him carrying glasses. “I had to check for a pulse on Nellie to convince myself she was okay. You find the child you lost?”
“I didn’t lose her; you did by not telling me where she was,” Nelson said as he started putting silverware out.
Knowing there wasn’t something right about that, Michelle thought about it but couldn’t decide exactly what. “So is she asleep?” was all she could come up with.
“Bernard’s reading stories from the Bible to her and Brittney,” Nelson said and finished the silverware then looked up at her as Matt and Ashley