Chapter 32
The moment the homestead came into view, she saw her parents and the others racing to the gate.
Only a few hours had passed since their departure, but Veronica knew how worried they had to have been during that time.
She hated to think of how different the outcome might have been had it not been for the Frederick brothers and their quick actions.
They had dismounted, and Veronica started to tell the others about what they had seen and what had occurred in the city.
She spared no details despite the horrified expression on her mother’s face.
It was exactly what Veronica had wanted.
They needed to understand just how present the danger truly was to all of them.
When her mother tried to make the younger leave the conversation, she immediately got backlash.
Veronica was unhappy. She and her mother had turned over a new leaf, but she could sense an argument coming already.
Though Bryson and Bella were both younger, they had to be prepared just the same as the rest of them.
Their age was no longer a factor. Now it was only a matter of survival.
“I knew it was a bad idea for you two to go into the city to begin with. Now look at this mess,” Mauve said.
“This isn’t the time to start pointing fingers and blaming each other. We certainly don’t have time to argue right now,” Conner said. “There are a lot of things we need to go over, and we need to warn the villagers as soon as possible. We can’t do that without you and Dad helping us.”
Luka sighed. “You go ahead and saddle up a couple of horses.”
“So, you’re going to go down and help us talk the villagers into listening to what we have to say? Veronica already tried to warn them when she got here, but they don’t seem to want to listen to her.”
“Dodger Run is a finicky place for people who have been here for so long. It’s going to take me or your mother to make them listen to what needs to be said. If there is trouble coming, then they need to know about it.”
“That’s good to hear. I don’t think Bella and Bryson should stay here by themselves with the possibility of people coming, but we don’t have enough horses for everyone to ride.”
“The two of them are just going to have to double up on one. I’d rather not leave anyone here alone, either. The sooner we get down there and warn the villagers what is coming, the sooner we can get back to preparing for it.”
Veronica agreed with her brother that the children couldn’t be left at the homestead alone. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Bella and Bryson, but she was incredibly worried about their safety. Granted, neither of them was going to be happy about it.
“Why do we need to go to the village?” Bella asked. “There is a ton of work to get done here. I was helping Bryson with the indoor greenhouse.”
“It’s not safe for the two of you here alone without an adult,” Veronica said. “We don’t know what kind of dangers are out there.”
“We can take care of ourselves, or have you forgotten the man on the road?” Bella asked.
“Of course, I haven’t forgotten. There is no reason to take an unneeded risk. Think of it as another adventure.”
Bella rolled her eyes. “Yeah, a super exciting adventure into the same town we saw yesterday. I can’t wait…”
Admittedly, Veronica wasn’t happy with Bella’s snarky attitude.
She wasn’t going to nitpick, though, just as long as the girl listened and followed directions.
There were dangers lurking all around that Bella and Bryson simply weren’t prepared for.
Though the young girl had taken a life on the road, it wasn’t something Veronica ever wanted her to have to do again.
She would shield her from that sort of bloodshed for as long as she possibly could.
It was one thing for Bryson and Bella to know how dangerous the world had become but another entirely for them to have to participate firsthand.
“My brother and I would be more than happy to stay behind if that makes room for the rest of you to go into town,” Darrell said. “We’d be glad to keep an eye on Bryson and Bella. I promise that neither one of us mind staying back.”
Veronica hesitated. “You know, I feel a lot more comfortable if I were able to keep an eye on Bella myself. After everything she’s been through, I hate to leave her behind with people she’s unaccustomed to.”
Mauve scoffed. “I don’t know why all of a sudden you don’t trust Darrell and Kevin. Neither one of them has ever given you a reason to doubt what they say.”
“I’m not saying I don’t trust them, but I would prefer she was close to me in case something happens.”
“Trust me, the two of them would be just fine with the pair of young men you brought back with you. There’s absolutely no reason to think they wouldn’t be.”
“I’m sure they would be, but knowing Bella is safe is going to take a load off of my mind. I’m in no way saying I don’t trust anyone here, but I think it would be better if we all stuck together in one way or another.”
“Darrell can keep watch on Bryson and Bella without you sticking your nose in the middle of it. I know you came here with her, but there is no need to feel like you are the only one who can protect her.”
“Are you people all deaf?” Bella snapped. “We don’t need a freaking babysitter. My God, it’s just like foster care all over again. No one trust the little runaway…”
Veronica cringed. “Bella, no one is saying you need a babysitter. Everyone here trusts you, and you know you aren’t a prisoner.”
It wasn’t Darrell or Kevin doing something she was worried about, but Bella was another story altogether.
If she wasn’t happy with being stuck on the farm with the brothers, there was no question in Veronica’s mind her ward would make a break for it.
Glancing around at the group, Veronica realized they were all waiting to answer before saddling up and heading out.
Instead, she grabbed Bella’s arm and quickly excused the pair away from the group.
There was no reason for them to talk in front of an audience.
“I hope you understand that in no way am I trying to keep you prisoner here,” Veronica said.
“You’re able to move around and leave whenever you would like.
The thing about that is if you’re going to stay here with us, then there are going to be a few rules that you’re going to need to follow. We all have rules we need to abide by.”
“I have absolutely no problem following any rules you want to put in place, but I’m not going to continue to sit back and let everyone treat me like a child. I’ve been taking care of myself for a while now, and I certainly don’t need someone treating me like a kid again.”
“No one here is trying to treat you that way. You’re not going to be babysat while we are gone. Darrell and Kevin are simply here to keep you safe, not make you feel like a prisoner.”
“As long as we’re on the same page with that, then I honestly don’t mind in the slightest. You need to promise me they aren’t here to keep an eye out for me and are simply going to be keeping us safe if something does go wrong.”
Veronica smiled. “I promise you, they are only going to be here to keep you and the homestead protected. I trust you more than I trust anyone else, Bella. Just knowing you’ve saved my life already puts you head and shoulders above the rest.”
Bella chuckled. “I was beginning to think you had forgotten about that.”
“I could never forget what you have already done for me. I trust you, and I trust that you will do what you need to do when the time comes. Just think of those two as bodyguards and nothing more.”
As the young girl’s eyes softened and she wrapped her arms around Veronica in a tight embrace, her heart started to race once again.
She genuinely loved the girl like a daughter and would never let anything bad happen to her.
Moments later, they were returning to the rest of the group with smiles on their faces.
Bella was going to stay behind with the brothers and Bryson.
Together, the four of them would watch over the land while the others warned the villagers.
It was time for them to work together as a group, to put their petty differences aside to ensure the group made it through the hard months to come.