Beneath Dark Skies (Rolling Hills Ranch #1)

12. Adrian

TWELVE

ADRIAN

MEET THE HILLS

Day 394

As I push Kenji out of the room where Farron is treating Theo, I turn my head and shoot her a look, quickly mouthing sorry. The second we’re out, and the door is closed behind us, Kenji shakes my arm off his shoulder and turns on me.

“What the fuck, Adrian?” he growls.

“K, man… Come on,” I quietly plead. “She obviously couldn’t focus on Theo’s leg with all the pacing and muttering you were doing. It was clear we were distracting her. You want her focus to be completely on him so she doesn’t mess anything up, right?”

He huffs out a sigh and leans back against the wall in the hallway. “Yeah, okay. I get what you’re saying. I just don’t understand what we’re supposed to do now that she’s kicked us out.”

A squeak in the hardwood floor takes us by surprise, our heads snapping to the side. My eyes land on an older man standing in a doorway, arms crossed on his chest. Although he can’t be any younger than sixty, he’s almost as tall as I am and is clearly in great physical shape. His hair is fully white, appearing more blinding with how tan his skin is. He must spend a lot of time out in the sun. He has a serious expression on his face, his blue eyes hard as he stares us down.

“Why don’t you two boys come with me to the kitchen, and we’ll talk,” he states in a gruff voice before turning around and walking in the other direction.

Kenji and I exchange a glance but choose to follow him. I mean, I’m not sure we even have another choice.

He leads into a large open area before stopping. My breath catches in my throat, and my eyes move in reverence, taking in every detail of this kitchen. As we enter, my gaze is drawn upward by the sleek black light fixtures hanging from a tall ceiling adorned with sturdy wooden beams that run from one end to the other. Deep teal cabinets contrast elegantly against a white backsplash. An expansive island with matching teal wood paneling sits in the middle with a rustic wood slab countertop. Positioned directly across the room from me is a farmhouse sink framed by a large window that looks out towards the rest of the ranch, with nothing but beautiful green scenery as far as the eye can see.

My eyes quickly find an older woman, who must be the man’s wife, pulling a pie out of an electric oven. Oh, Jesus, that oven. What beautiful stainless steel appliances.

I’m snapped out of my mental drooling over what has to be my dream kitchen when the most incredible smell wafts over to me, and I remember the pie I just saw. My eyes make their way back to the woman, only to find her staring at me with a soft look in her eyes and a smile on her face. Her long gray hair is pulled back in a tight bun, highlighting her round and sun-kissed cheeks and familiar green eyes.

“It’s a beautiful kitchen, isn’t it?” she asks. I have no choice but to nod exuberantly.

“That feels like an understatement. This kitchen is absolutely incredible.”

“Thank you. I wish I could take credit, but it wasn’t me. This was all my daughter’s doing,” she says as her smile turns a little sad. “This is her vision brought to life, although Farron did pick the color for the cabinets.”

“Honey,” the older man interrupts, a smile on his face as he looks at his wife. “I’m going to get some coffee going. I think we could all use a cup to go with a slice of your delicious pie. Then we can get talking a bit to these fellas.”

“Of course,” she begins and then shakes her head, looking chagrined. “Oh, how rude of me. Where are my manners? I’m Nora Hill, and the grumpy bastard next to me is my husband, Henry Hill. I know you boys have already met our granddaughter, Farron.”

“It’s very nice to meet you,” I start with a smile on my face. “We did meet Farron, who was kind enough to bring us here to help our brother Theo with his leg injury. My name is Adrian, and the grumpy bastard next to me is Kenji. He’s also the reason we got kicked out by Farron.” I glance over at Kenji and then back at Ms. Hill, whispering conspiratorially. “It was all the pacing and muttering he was doing. I think it was driving Farron crazy.”

Mr. Hill releases a deep chuckle as he starts pouring the finished coffee into mugs. “Yeah, that sounds like our Farron, alright. She never had much patience with people. Animals, of course, are a different story.” He nods towards a small dog bed in the corner, where a small and scrappy-looking pup is sleeping.

“When Farron arrived back at the ranch last year after the outbreak had started, that thing was bundled up in her arms, one of his tiny legs in a splint. He rarely leaves her side most days. Name’s Magnum.” At the sound of his name, the tiny dog’s ears perk up, and his eyes slowly open. He releases a little yip and jumps up, making his way over to the two newcomers invading his territory. Now that he’s up and moving, it’s easier to see him in all his scrappy glory. He’s a tiny little thing and looks like some sort of terrier. His tan, wiry coat is sticking up at all ends, making him look even more scruffy. He sniffs at my feet, tail wagging when I squat down to give him a pet, and then he speeds over to Kenji.

“Magnum…” he says, eyeing the dog with a funny face. “That’s a weird name for a rat.”

“Don’t let Farron hear you say anything like that about him,” Mrs. Hill says, laughing, as she cuts up the pie and places slices onto four plates. “We’re pretty convinced there’s not a thing Farron wouldn’t do for that dog.”

“If you can even call it a dog…” Kenji mutters. I lean over and elbow him in the ribs. These people are being very welcoming, so now is not the time for Kenji’s trademark attitude to make an appearance.

Mrs. Hill places a slice of pie on the kitchen island in front of each of us, and then Mr. Hill does the same with the mugs of coffee before they both take a seat at the island.

“Cream or sugar?” Mrs. Hill asks us.

“I’ll take some cream, thanks.” I smile at her while Kenji mutters out a quiet “ no thanks .” After mixing some cream into my coffee, I grab the pie. “Mrs. Hill, this smells absolutely delicious. Is this peach?”

“Oh, please, call me Nora,” she says with a wave of her hand. “And yes, it is peach – Farron’s favorite. She always makes sure to stay on the lookout for more canned peaches whenever she’s part of a supply run, and I think the whole community’s in on it, too, now. I figured she could use this today, what with her mind being on Holden…Anyway, after I heard about you boys getting here and everything that was going on, I knew I had to make it.”

I groan as I eat a bite of pie, my eyes momentarily rolling back before I feel Kenji’s hand come up and hit me on the back of the head. Ouch. “Nora, I don’t think I’ve ever had anything as good as this in my life. In fact, this pie is almost as sweet as you are,” I say with a grin on my face, shooting her a wink.

“Oh hush, now, Adrian. No need for flattery with an old lady such as myself…” she says, cheeks tinged pink. “Though I won’t stop you.”

“That’s enough flirting with my wife, boy,” Mr. Hill starts. But his gruff voice is betrayed by the grin on his face. “Unfortunately for you, this incredible woman is taken. Has been for the last forty-seven years.” He grabs his wife’s hand and places a kiss on the back of it before turning back to Kenji and me.

“Now, word spreads fast in our community, so I’ve got the gist of what went down this morning, mainly from Trevor, who would not shut his mouth about how there were three large men who went off with Farron and how worried he was about her. Luckily for you, I know to take anything Trevor says with a very large grain of salt…” he trails off with a shake of his head.

“But that doesn’t change the fact that you boys have shown up out of the blue, claiming that you were headed to Rolling Hills from the start. So I’m going to need you boys to answer some questions for me if you would.”

I see Kenji straighten in his stool from the corner of my eye before hearing him answer back, “Yes, sir. Of course.”

“What business do you have coming up here? We’re not exactly easy to find, so I can’t help wondering how you even knew about us.”

“That’s on me, really,” I begin. “The three of us have been looking for my family–my mom and my sisters–for months now. We’ve been working through a few communities trying to see if we can find them, but we’ve had no luck… We were told about you at the last place we encountered by a middle-aged man named Ray, and so we headed this way.”

“We were only a few miles away when Theo stepped into a bear trap,” Kenji continues on. “We grabbed him and tried to get here as soon as possible when we couldn’t get the trap off immediately.”

“Well, you’re very lucky you made it here before your friend Theo was worse off,” Mr. Hill says. “Farron is a great doctor, as best as you can get in a time like this. She’ll get him doing better in no time.” His eyes shift to me. “As far as your family goes, son, I’m not convinced they’re here. We don’t have too many people, and very few of them are outsiders that showed up after the outbreak.”

I swallow and nod my head, my gaze landing on the island in front of me. I blink a few times to try and get the burn behind my eyes to subside, not wanting to let myself fall apart at all, let alone in front of people who I’ve just met. I knew the chances of my family being here were low, but you just can’t help but feel hopeful. You can’t help wishing for the best, no matter how discouraged you already feel.

I feel Kenji grip my hand resting on my leg, and I look up to see him with an expression that must mirror my own—one of sorrow and acceptance. His eyes are slightly glassy, reflecting the same heartache I feel. At that moment, we communicate volumes without speaking a single word.

Kenji’s hand tightens around mine, a silent promise that we’ll face this together, just as we have faced every challenge since we were kids. His presence is a comfort, a reminder of the permanence of our bond–the bond that he, Theo, and I will always share. He squeezes my hands three times before letting go.

Mr. Hill continues speaking, drawing me out of my thoughts and bringing my focus back to him. “As far as Theo goes, getting caught in a beartrap will take quite a bit of time to heal, even if all Farron had to do was stitch him up. So, I imagine you’ll be here for a while. You boys can stay here, in our house, given all the empty rooms we have…”

He stops and looks at us before he lets out a sigh. “We want to believe in good people, but we don’t know you fellas. In times like these, even the best people can turn awful. So we’ll do the right thing, and we’ll give you a chance, but I want to make it clear that I have no problem kicking you all out, even with your injured friend. And with Farron these days, you boys would be lucky if getting kicked out is all that’ll happen. So you get one chance, and only one–got it?”

We nod at him to show we understand what he’s saying, even if I am a little distracted for a moment, picturing my Sunburst holding a gun at Kenji again before he continues. “Everyone here chips in with what they can, so you’ll also need to help out a bit around the community…”

Kenji nods before Mr. Hill finishes speaking. “That’s not an issue, sir. We would be more than happy to help out while we’re here, whatever we can do. Adrian and I both served as firefighters, so we’re comfortable with physical work and early hours.”

Mr. Hill appraises him with his eyes before nodding and continuing. “Yes, well, you two look like you’re in good shape. You can help with perimeter runs, and you can probably help with some of the farming and building we’ve got happening. I’ve got some ideas of how to pair you off.”

“Of course, sir.” Kenji nods towards me before he says, “And this one’s not going to say anything for himself, so I will. He’s a great cook, always has been. If there’s any need around the community for that, he would be a good choice.”

“Oh, that’s just perfect!” Nora exclaims. “I will definitely be grabbing you to help me out in a few weeks, Adrian. We’ll be having our monthly community potluck.”

“I can’t wait,” I respond, shooting her a grin. “Our brother, Theo, can help with physical work when his leg is doing better, too. But until then, he has a vast knowledge of plants. He used to be a horticulturist. Maybe he can help there. ”

Mr. Hill nods, seeming to think about what we’ve told him, while Nora seems giddy. “Oh, that’s just amazing. Isn’t that amazing, Henry? Adrian here can help me cook, Kenji can help you with the farm, and Theo can help Farron with the plants and animals for the time being.”

I feel a little twinge of jealousy thinking about Theo getting to spend time with Farron, but that’s quickly wiped away when I think about getting to use this kitchen with Nora on a regular basis. I can’t even remember the last time I got to truly cook in a kitchen, and I miss it. My mind wants to travel down a path of memories in the kitchen with my mom, but I force a stop before I get carried away.

Mr. Hill gets up from his stool and gives his wife a kiss on the temple. “Alright, boys. If the two of you are done with your pie and your coffee, then let’s head out. I’ll show you around the community a bit, and we’ll talk a bit more about what your responsibilities will be. Last I heard, all your things were with Mr. Abel, so we’ll need to stop by to pick everything up.”

“Oh, I’m coming with you,” Nora says as she places our mugs and plates in the sink. “I need to stretch my legs for a bit. And it wouldn’t hurt to be privy to the gossip as you two handsome men walk through Rolling Hills.”

We get up to follow the Hills out the door and through our new home for the next few weeks. Magnum makes his way back to his little dog bed and walks in a circle a few times before he plops down, clearly ready to sleep again. I start making my way out of the kitchen when I turn to check on Kenji. He tries to move quickly, but it’s not quick enough for me not to see him crouched down for a second, giving Magnum some pets .

“You pet all the rats you come across like that?” I ask, unable to stifle my laughter as my hand comes up towards my face, completing the sign for ‘rat.’ He whacks me across the head before going after the Hills.