19. Chapter 19 - Ash

CHAPTER 19 - ASH

THE SAFE HOUSE, HIDDEN IN NASSAU COUNTY, FLORIDA - MAY 20, 2025

L ochie’s face swam into view.

“I hate it. I hate it so much, I do not like it. At. All.”

Lochie said, “I ken, Ash, I ken, tis terrible.”

“But look, you’re up, you’re sitting there, like it’s easy!”

“Nae, I am sittin’ here as if tis dangerous. I had tae get up, I daena hae any choice.”

I looked around and moaned because turning my head, using my eyes, effort, hurt. “What danger? Is there danger?”

“I daena want tae talk about all the danger, because I daena want tae scare ye, but I can think of thirteen dangerous things that might hae happened tae us during that jump.”

I said, “Oh, yeah, maybe don’t tell me, it’s hard enough to do that without knowing how it could go wrong. How could it go wrong? Wait, don’t tell me. Let’s just call it a dragon attack. You got up early in case of a dragon attack.”

“Aye, tis because of dragons. I was up so I could fight them off, while ye slept I fought two, valiantly, ye dinna see me?”

“No, I missed it.”

“Och, ye slept through it, but I kept ye safe, that is the important thing. Tis just as well ye dinna see me fight them, I stabbed one, the other I rode in a big loop through the air afore I slit his throat.”

I sat up. “And where are these dragon bodies?”

“Och, when dragons die they disappear, everyone kens. And I am glad ye dinna see me as I prefer tae be more humble on m’wins.”

We both laughed.

He put out a hand to heave me up.

“This is your job now, to heave me to my feet? I wonder if you’re going to regret taking on the responsibility of me.”

He grinned as he hoisted our bags to his shoulders. “First, I canna ever go back tae afore I met ye, I hae only gotten tae taste yer pie once. Och nae, how could I regret ye when I am dreamin’ on ye constantly?”

I laughed. “And the second reason?”

“Even if I had tasted yer pie many times and I had grown used tae yer pie?—”

“Lochie, don’t say it, you would grow used to my pie? Like bored? ”

“I canna imagine it, Ash, but even if , how could I go back tae only helpin’ m’self stand? For one twould be lonely, but also tae go through life only lookin’ out for yerself is too easy. I need more tae do, I want the hard things. When I heave m’self up after a jump, tis simple, I want tae say, is Ash well? Does she need help? Then I want tae say, is m’son up? Is m’daughter up? Is my...? And I will go down the list helpin’ everyone up.”

“You want more responsibility and complications?”

“Aye, of course I do, that is true happiness. I will be there all day heavin’ people tae their feet, grinnin’ like a fool.”

I joked, “It’s statements like that that prove you deserve another slice of pie, but alas, you haven’t married me yet.”

“Och nae, daena remind me, I am goin’ as fast as I can.”

He unlocked the door of the house. “I am bankin’ all the good feelings ye hae, and when tis our wedding night, I will hae ye serve me all the pie. Do ye ken the recipe? Or do we need tae get it from here?”

I stopped on the entryway. “Lochie, are we talking about real pie?”

He laughed. “I canna remember. We dinna start with real pie, yet here we are, I am hungry for pie in all its forms.”

“I can remember the recipe, but I would like to go by my place.”

The safe house was a small ranch-style residence on a lot of land. They had a gassed-up truck and some ATVs in the garage, a gun vault, a ‘money and valuable paperwork’ safe, and toiletries in the bathrooms for showers. There were changes of clothes in assorted sizes in the closets.

Lochie walked me through to the master bedroom and stood at the door. “Ye can go through the drawers for clothes, anything ye want tae wear...”

“Good, and I can take a shower? I haven’t had one in weeks.”

“Aye, take a shower. I will take one in the other bathroom, unless...” He put out a hand.

I took it. “Unless what?”

“I daena ken... I wonder if ye need me tae shew ye how tae turn on the water. Dost ye need m’help tae get ye undressed?”

I looked down at my sling, “Oh... Maybe, but I also think this might be a trick.”

His brow went up. “Ye think I might be trickin’ ye tae see ye unclothed?”

I raised my brow. “Definitely.”

His head jerked back a little. “But ye need m’help... aye?”

I nodded.

“Turn around. I will help, I winna take any liberties.”

I turned around and he undid the sling at my shoulder. Then he stood quietly with his eyes averted while I loosened the laces in the front of my bodice. I said, “How do women back in the day get undressed without help?”

“They travel with other women and nae alone with a man they haena married.”

“Oh, I guess you’re right. This is shameful.”

“I married ye in m’heart, I daena think tis shameful, I think ye need m’help undressing ye.”

I said, “Okay, you can look, I need help with the laces at the bottom.”

He stood in front of me and quietly concentrated on pulling the rest of the laces free.

I watched his face, but it was too close and intimate, he was so hot. I turned my head and looked away.

I sensed that he was glancing at my face as he worked.

He finally had the bodice free and pulled it off down my injured arm.

I grabbed a towel from a stack in the bathroom and wrapped it around me under my chemise. Then turned around, “Can you pull my chemise off? But don’t look, you're not allowed to look.”

He pulled the hem up and off my arms one at a time, until it was free. My back was exposed but I was mostly hidden. “You didn’t look?”

“Nae, I promise.”

I turned with the towel wrapped around me.

He stood there for a moment, emitting a deep exhale, holding the bundle of my chemise in his hands, stilled, staring at my shoulders.

I said, “I’m going to take a shower now.”

“Aye.”

“I’m sorry you’re not invited.”

He shook his head and put my chemise on the bed. “Aye, nae, I ken why, I will go out and get m’self cleaned as well.”

I asked, “Are you okay, Lochie?”

“Nae, I canna think, m’mind went all foggy.”

“By my shoulders?”

“And ye daena hae any clothes on under the cloth, Ash, tis mesmerizin’ and causin’ me dismay. It has taken all m’courage tae maintain m’composure.”

I looked down. “That is a lot of power.”

“Yer skin is so close, I could just reach out and all would be well.” He lifted his hand but then dropped it again. “How long until we are married?”

I smiled. “I think it’s like centuries.”

“Och nae, I am the most courageous man who ever lived.” He left the room and went down the hall.

I found a dresser in the main bedroom that held women’s shirts, a pair of joggers, and a clean pair of socks.

I took a luxurious but quick shower, trying to really deeply experience it, because having warm water rolling down my face was amazing. There was shampoo and conditioner — I scrubbed and rinsed. Then I got dressed. I tried to fit into a pair of tennis shoes in the closet but they were way too big. So I would have to wear my boots again... still.

I looked down at them, my favorite boots. They looked beaten up and muddy. I sighed. It went against my nature to not have my boots in good condition, but I was so grateful I had been wearing good boots. What if I had been kidnapped wearing flip-flops? Ugh. I reminded myself why I liked a good pair of boots — you never know when you will need to run from a zombie attack. And at least now I was wearing clean socks.

When I emerged from the bedroom Lochinvar had dressed in jeans and a light blue button up shirt. He was bent over the gun box, and passed me a belly band holster with a handgun that I strapped on under the waistband.

I held out my arms. “Can you tell?”

“Nae, canna, can ye see mine?” He put out his arms.

I said, “Nope, is it there on your side?”

“Aye, and there is a knife here and here. Quentin says ‘If ye’re close enough tae stick yer blade in someone you dinna use yer gun effectively.’ But I feel naked without a blade.”

I said, “Words to live by.”

And we went to the garage to get in the truck to drive into town.