Snow & Ash: Endless Winter by Theresa Shaver Read Free Book Online

the man’s heart.
    Belle’s practically gushing at the guy before he even makes it around the front of the truck.
    “Oh thank God! Thank you so much for stopping! We were just about to start walking towards town.”
    The man looks Belle, Sasha and I over before stepping closer and glancing into the stroller before nodding.
    “Right, get in quick and I’ll put the stroller in the back. We have to hurry! I’ll explain what’s going on once we’re on the way.”
    We all just stand there and stare at him until he barks out at us.
    “If you want a ride to town then get in! We don’t have much time until the radiation gets here!”
    At the word “radiation”, Belle’s face goes completely white and she practically throws Sasha towards the truck before snatching Matty from the stroller. The man grabs the suitcase and tosses it in the bed of the truck and tries to figure out how to collapse the stroller for a few seconds before giving up and heaves it into the back on its side. I still stand in the road with my scowl not trusting the guy until he looks my way. His lips are pressed grimly together and with a quick nod at the truck he says,
    “I’m sorry but I came back for you, now get in!”
    I opened my mouth to say something scathing to him when a very distinctive sound comes from behind me. I slowly turn around and look at the long trailer hooked to his truck before asking in disbelief, “Is that a cow?”

Chapter Three-Skylar
    Mom was doubled over and groaning in pain as I stood like an idiot and watched the area rug absorb the puddle that had formed under her feet. I didn’t realize I was shaking my head in denial until she tugged on my crushed and throbbing hand.
    “Sky, I need you to help me! Go get some towels from the bathroom and see if you can find some plastic garbage bags in the kitchen.”
    I just stood staring at her with my mouth wide open until she groaned again and gasped out, “NOW SKY!”
    I ran for the bathroom and gathered up all the towels I could carry. My brain was on a chanting loop that went, “NOT HAPPENNING, NOT HAPPENING, NEED DAD, NEED DAD” over and over again. There was no way I could help Mom deliver the baby so I just prayed that Dad would be back in time to help her.
    I dumped the towels on the couch and raced to the kitchen where I started throwing open cupboard doors in my search for garbage bags. I think I opened every door before I finally thought to look under the sink, where of course there was a box and sitting right beside it was a large first aid kit, so I grabbed it too. A groan of pain from Mom sent me back to the living room leaving the kitchen looking like a tornado had gone through it.
    Mom was still bent over clutching her huge belly with one hand as she tried to spread out towels on the floor with the other. I dropped the bags and kit and tried to guide her to the couch but she pulled away and shook her head with heavy pants.
    “No, on the floor. Put the plastic down first and then towels on top of it. I’ll need the hard support of the floor when I start to push.”
    I started to nod and grabbed a few plastic bags to spread when what she said penetrated my panicked thoughts, making me freeze and gape at her.
    “Wait, what, push? No, no Mom, no pushing, you can’t push! You have to wait for Dad to come back!”
    Her teeth were clenched against the pain so her smile and chuckle came out slightly demented which didn’t help reassure me at all.
    “Babies don’t wait when they’re ready, honey and this one is definitely ready to come out! The shock and stress must have triggered my labour. I’m guessing it started in the truck on the way here. I just thought it was stress.”
    Her shoulders came down and the strain on her face cleared as she took a deep breath and let it out with a whoosh as the contraction ended.
    I was still standing with my mouth wide open and my face white with shock holding out the garbage bags when she focused on me. Her expression