The back door opened and Cody popped in, He checked a step at seeing Melly but addressed Tamsyn. “That was a great breakfast by the way. I’ll cook dinner tonight, okay?”
“Sure, I never say no to having a meal prepared for me by someone else.”
“It’s a deal.” He ducked out the door and was gone. He stuck his head back in for a second to add, “And the guys will do the dishes and cleanup.”
Melly found this byplay interesting. Was Cody developing an interest in their hostess? She decided she didn’t know Tamsyn well enough after one day to ask, so she turned her attention to the dishes. Eager as she was to get to the reports and examine all the details again, she couldn’t abandon Tamsyn to the mess. The reports would wait.
* * *
Evening found them gathered around the big table again, exclaiming over the pasta dish Cody had prepared, with a selection of side dishes and even dessert. Tamsyn had contributed loaves of fresh baked garlic bread.
“This is good,” Mike said to Cody, “But I wish we could have cooked the fish I caught today, up at the pond.”
“Tomorrow,” Tamsyn told him with a smile. “But we’ll have to supplement it with protein from the stasis keeper because pretty as your fish are, five of them aren’t going to satisfy these big appetites.”
Melly observed the glances Jeff and his men exchanged and her heart fell. Jeff cleared his throat and those at the table fell silent.
“About tomorrow,” he said. “We’ve determined APC2 is repairable but we need a specific part.”
“There’s a groundcar and truck supply store in Rosewater,” Tamsyn said. “If you’re willing to brave the infected swarm.”
Jeff’s response was kind but matter of fact. “I’m afraid the part we need will only be found in a military motor pool and the nearest one of those is going to be in New Damarkal, at the base there.”
“So we’re all going to the city in APC1?” Melly asked in dismay. It would be crowded and she wasn’t sure she was ready to leave the comfort and safety of Tamsyn’s ranch to go out into the perilous world of the infected.
“No, I don’t think that would be wise,” Jeff said, reaching out to give her hand a gentle squeeze. “I’m going to impose on our hostess’s kind nature and leave you and Mike and Buddy here, along with Zach and Trent as security.” He leveled a stern gaze at the two soldiers in question. “Not to do ranch chores.”
Zach fidgeted and Melly couldn’t help but laugh. He’d been so happy to dive into the work waiting here on the Double Comets ranch once they’d arrived. Given his background on an agri planet, he told them being at the ranch was like a vacation or a trip home. “No, sir. On my downtime maybe?”
“I don’t want to get you in trouble with your boss,” Tamsyn said hastily.
“Downtime only and don’t let it interfere with your duties,” Jeff said in a no nonsense tone. “Actually a trip to New Damarkal isn’t a bad thing. There are issues I want to follow up on from what we learned in the capital city and I’m hoping we can gather intel while we’re there. Cody’s an expert at hacking into old databases.”
“Happy to help, sir,” he said from his chair next to Tamsyn.
“I figure the ranch is remote enough from the infected in Rosewater to be relatively safe,” Jeff went on. “And you’ll have APC2 as your safe place. Nothing on this planet can get at you once you’re inside and buttoned up.”
“How long will you be gone?” Melly asked. The ranch felt safe but she’d had too many scary experiences with the infected since they’d landed on the planet, delivered by a robo shuttle with no warning of the disaster ahead. Melly was sure she’d never feel completely safe anywhere again. And she and Jeff and the others had been together the entire time since their arrival so being separated set her anxiety levels soaring.
By the look in his eyes she knew he understood. She supposed he was leaving two of his men behind principally to guard her which she appreciated. Later, in private, she’d probe whether he ought to take at least one of the soldiers with him in addition to Cody and Trent. She’d never question his military decisions in public but neither did she want to be the cause of his going on this mission shorthanded.
“One day to get there, one day to handle the motor pool issues and for Cody to do his hacking thing,” Jeff said. “Maybe two days if he’s having trouble or finding more than I expect and another day on the road back here. Four days max.” He glanced at Tamsyn. “Another day to repair APC2 and then we’ll be leaving to continue our journey to our own ranchlands.”
Tamsyn merely nodded to acknowledge the information. Melly saw Cody watching the ranch owner and when she caught his eye he quirked an eyebrow and shifted his focus to his plate. She made up her mind to try to talk Tamsyn into coming with them when they left for good. It hurt her heart to think of the woman here all by herself, trying to maintain a ranch on her own. No backup against the infected if they ever did swarm out this way, or against human predators either. Melly was convinced there was something sparking between Cody and Tamsyn which was even more reason to try convincing her to travel with them. She was sure Jeff would agree to add Tamsyn to their company. The rancher was levelheaded and competent and would be an asset.
And if Cody was catching feelings Melly couldn’t stand by and leave Tamsyn behind. This world was too uncertain right now to provide second chances or time for slowly building relationships over long distances.
Of course Tamsyn didn’t know he was a cyborg, part man, part machine. Would the fact make a difference? It wasn’t Melly’s secret to tell so she bit her lip and glanced at Cody again but the soldier was engrossed in a low-voiced conversation with Ryan.
She rose to take her dishes to the kitchen, reminding Mike he was on cleanup duty with the others tonight. Buddy would enjoy the leftovers but the plates needed a real cleaning. She’d count on whichever soldier was in charge of the tasks to make sure her brother did his share.
Chapter Two
In the bright morning sun as the APC rolled away from the ranch house, Cody watched Jeff stare at the rear vids, He checked the screens himself and saw Melly, Mike and Tamsyn still standing there on the steps, waving. “Hits differently now, doesn’t it?” he asked the captain.
Jeff transferred his gaze to Cody, one eyebrow lifted. “What does?”
“Heading off on a mission leaving everything that matters in the world behind. People who care about you.” He shut his mouth tight then, afraid he might say too much.
