Beneath Dark Skies (Rolling Hills Ranch #1)

13. Kenji

THIRTEEN

KENJI

ROLLING HILLS RANCH - THE TOUR

Day 394

Adrian and I follow Mr. and Mrs. Hill out of the house, and I’m immediately greeted by the warm sun on my face, the gentle breeze flowing through the trees, and other greenery surrounding the ranch. The sprawling landscape, dotted with vibrant wildflowers, seems to stretch out before us. As we pass the house, Adrian and I notice a barn that stands proudly behind it, a few horses grazing lazily under the clear blue sky. In the distance, rolling hills and towering mountains can be seen, along with a small but gorgeous lake that mirrors the sky above.

Mr. Hill tells us about the barn as we walk. “Our horses are in there. We’ll make sure to get you introduced to them at some point since I’ve got a feeling you boys will be helping out with all sorts of things in the future. We’ve also got a pregnant Hereford named Nessie in there. Farron’s looking after her and the baby. She’s a little on edge right now, so just be a little wary of approaching her if you go in there.”

My mind sticks to what he said about Farron looking after the cow. He’s made a few comments about Farron and how she is with animals, and I can’t stop my mind from wondering about her and just what her deal is .

Mr. Hill tells us a bit about the structure of Rolling Hills, the way that everyone provides something and works to help each other. They function as a collective more than individual farms. He talks a little about the fence that goes around the perimeter of the whole community, chuckling when Adrian tells him we got well acquainted with the bells earlier today. He points out the solar panels on his home and mentions the other farms have the same, meaning they’re not hurting for electricity. He tells us his daughter was always looking for ways to be more sustainable, and her husband always indulged her ideas.

To the right of the ranch house is a quaint cottage, a small path of weathered stones leading the way to the front. The home's wooden planks look a little worn but are painted a welcoming hue of sage green. The color is accentuated by dark stones, which line the bottom third of the house, and the large wooden pillars that frame the front door. The cottage is nestled in a sea of wildflowers and other plants, a few vines climbing the walls, the tendrils almost reaching for the sky.

Mr. Hill must catch me looking because he stops moving and turns towards me. “That’s Farron’s cottage. It used to be where Nora and I stayed, but…” he trails off, bringing his wife to his side as he takes a deep breath. “Well, when Addie and Jackson left at the start of the outbreak and never made it back, Farron refused to stay in the main house. Being in it makes us feel closer to Addie, so… It was an easy switch.”

I feel as though I’m beginning to piece together the story of this family, but Adrian has never had a filter in his life, so he outright asks, “Addie was your daughter?”

“Yes,” Nora responds, sniffling. “She was an incredible woman. She brought light and laughter to everyone she touched, and we loved Jackson like he was our own son. ”

“I’m sorry for your loss, Nora.” Adrian’s voice is strained as he responds to her before he steps forward and pulls her into a hug. Mr. Hill gives Adrian a pat on the back before suggesting we continue to move forward.

The first farm we make it to is Mr. Abel’s, and we stop by to introduce ourselves properly and get our things. The farm is immediately to the right of the Hill ranch, and right next to it is a large cattle pen. Mr. Abel lives at the farm with only his grandson, and they’re both welcoming as we make introductions, although I’m sure it helps that Adrian has taken over and is doing most of the talking.

He usually does in more social situations. Adrian’s always been a social butterfly due to his extroverted nature and charismatic personality. He loves to be around people and knows all the right things to say. Theo is more shy by nature, and being Deaf tends to make it more difficult for him in social situations. Most people don’t know ASL, so speaking becomes virtually impossible for him.

People tend to be untrustworthy or a nuisance—sometimes both. My past has taught me that my trust should not be freely given, especially in times like these when the people you encounter always want something from you. I’d prefer to keep myself closed off and focus my energy on the people who matter to me: my brothers.

I’m brought back to the present when they begin explaining to us how the Abels and the Hills share cattle. Mr. Hill comments that I would be extremely useful in herding the cattle, maintaining the equipment, and mending the fences.

I nod, letting them know I would be happy to help. “Of course, I'm more than willing to do anything I can do to help out. Although I have to be honest and say that I have no experience with cattle.”

Mr. Abel’s grandson, Jimmy, laughs and shakes his head. His eyes crinkling at the corners with the motion, his blinding white teeth a stark contrast to his dark skin, which glows warmly under the sunlight. “Don’t worry about it, Kenji. I’ll show you the ropes, and you’ll get the hang of them in no time. Let’s start tomorrow?” When I nod, he tells me to meet him at the pen in the morning after breakfast. “By the way, please call me Jay. Only the old folks call me Jimmy,” he tells me with a roll of his eyes.

We finish the conversation, and Mr. Abel steps forward, holding all our things with his hands. “Your stuff,” he says as he hands it to Kenji and me. “We went through it just a little to check for weapons but tried to be respectful. Unfortunately, we will hold on to your weapons for now until we feel more comfortable and get to know you. Farron would have our heads if we didn’t. You boys, be careful not to make her too mad now. Trust me when I say that everyone here has learned their lesson about being on Farron’s bad side.” Jay snorts at the mention of Farron, shaking his head like he’s in on some sort of joke. He winks at us and slaps us both on the back.

We move onward, with Henry pointing out the other four farms that are a part of Rolling Hills and explaining who lives in each. The next farm is near the part of the fence we came over, and I immediately recognize the tool. And by tool, I mean Trevor, not that rake he threatened us with. Although, as I squint my eyes, I can see he has that in his hands even now. Trevor stares in our direction angrily as we make our way closer.

“That’s the Davis farm,” Mr. Hill starts. “They cultivate and grow a few different vegetables and fruits, which they provide to the whole community. It’s just Trevor, who you’ve had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting already, and his older brother Todd, who works the farm. Their grandmother, Mabel, is still with us, but she’s the oldest person here and can’t do too much. ”

We make it to Trevor just as Mr. Hill finishes speaking, and before anyone can say anything, another man walks over to us. He looks like an older version of Trevor but a bit shorter and more muscular, like he’s been working hard on a farm his whole life. His hair is a darker hue of red, and unlike his younger counterpart, he has a smile on his face as he greets us.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Todd,” he says, extending his arm to shake Adrian’s hand first.

“Nice to meet you, Todd,” I say as I shake his hand. “I’m Kenji, and this is Adrian.”

“This is my younger brother, Trevor, next to me,” Todd says, nodding his head toward Trevor, who is still looking at us with murder in his eyes. Jesus, what is his problem? From the interaction earlier, it didn’t seem like Farron was very interested in him. That makes his weird attempt at alpha posturing even more embarrassing and strange.

“We’ve met,” Adrian says, a smirk on his face. “Although Trevor here was not too fond of us going off with Farron.”

“Yeah, he’s always had a bit of a crush on her,” Todd says, reaching up to ruffle Trevor’s hair. Trevor pushes his arm away and huffs out a breath.

“Well, I can’t exactly trust random strangers with a young woman, now can I?” he grinds out.

“Your rake wouldn’t have been much protection, Trevor dear,” Mrs. Hill says, letting out a tinkling laugh. “But don’t worry, the boys are perfect gentlemen, and Farron is fine. We just wanted to make our way around the community and introduce them to everyone since they’ll be staying here a while.”

“Staying here?” Trevor questions. “Where exactly are they going to be staying? ”

“With us, of course,” Mrs. Hill responds. “Their brother is injured and won’t be able to move around for a while, so it makes sense they stay in our home with him.”

“But–” Trevor is quickly cut off by Mr. Hill.

“There’s not much to discuss, son. They’ll be staying with us and helping with the cattle and a few other things. We just wanted you and your brother to meet them.” He turns to Todd and pats him on the shoulder. “You let Mabel know we said hello, and make sure you come to us if she needs anything, got it?”

Todd nods and shakes Mr. Hill’s hand before we turn and continue the tour. We make our way through the remaining farms, meeting everyone as we go and getting a feel for what they do in the collective.

I try to mention to everyone that we have a third member who’s injured, and I throw in that he’s Deaf, so they shouldn’t be offended if he doesn’t respond to them should they call out to him. Not a single person responds with negativity. Instead, we get a few people who question if they can have us interpret in sign language, which we gladly agree to.

Farm three is the Jameson farm, comprised of a family of five: a couple, Rick and Janie, and their three children. Before the outbreak, the family was known for their fresh bread, homemade jams, and local honey. They continue to provide these for the community now, and Janie also cares for all the kids and acts as the teacher for all children. They’re a sweet family, and I feel a churning in my gut knowing I’ll never experience something like this.

Farm four is the Clark farm, and it’s the smallest of all the farms we’ve made our way over to - not that any were particularly large. The Hills have the most acreage and are well respected in the community. The Clark farm is made up of an older married couple, Lucy and Bill. Their farm is small, and they don’t have much in terms of cultivation or cattle. But they have a large chicken coop, and Mr. Hill tells us that they provide most of the eggs for everyone, along with the occasional chicken meat when one of the birds passes. Mrs. Clark kisses Adrian on the cheek when we leave and sends a wink my way, telling us to take care of their girl, Farron.

It seems like everyone here has nothing but nice things to say about the princess, which isn’t necessarily shocking but does provide me with a different image of her in my mind other than just a stubborn and fiery minx.

Our fifth and final farm comes up and looks to be pretty large, maybe the largest after Hill and Abel. A few people are tending to a small field of corn directly behind the home, and as we meet everyone, I can’t help but notice how different everyone looks. I remind myself that sometimes family is about more than just what you’re born into. If anyone should know that, it’s me. My family is incredible, and there’s no blood relation between Theo, Adrian, and me.

We’re introduced to six people, including a pregnant couple, Daisy and Eric, a mother and teenage son duo, Nancy and Dave, and two other middle-aged men, Peter and Jasper. They are all just as welcoming as everyone else has been today, and I feel relieved. Mr. Hill points out the big barn to the side, noting that it’s the communal barn used for community meetings and monthly potlucks.

As we’re walking away from the farm, I turn to Mr. Hill to ask him the question that’s been nagging me the last few minutes. “Is that not a family farm like the rest of them?”

“Oh,” Mrs. Hill answers, her tone a bit solemn. “That was the Alden farm. A lovely family lived there, but they had left a few weeks before everything happened on a vacation. They never made it back.”

“That farm is now like a community farm. Everyone there is an outsider. A few are from the closest town; the rest are stragglers we brought back during a supply run, like the pregnant couple. They’re all good people, and their contribution to this place with the corn they grow and the supply runs they help with is invaluable.”

I nod, feeling a wave of respect for how everyone here seems to care for each other genuinely and what they’ve built together.