“Ha! I’m not paying you a dime.” Dakota pointed at the door. “The door, what’s left of it, is that way. You can either stay here and wash your hands for dinner, or you can head for the hills.” She glanced out the single filthy, cracked window. “Looks like rain. You’ll want to try to find shelter soon.”
“You’re not going to try to stop us?” Sarah asked suspiciously.
Dakota shook her head. “Nope, I’m too tired to chase anyone, and I’m hungry. I’m going to sit here and enjoy this delicious meal.”
“And I don’t even like kids,” Macy informed them. “I’m just waiting for you to leave so I can eat all your food.”
The younger kids sniffed at the air again and exchanged mournful looks.
Sarah frowned in thought. “If we stay here with you, can we go anywhere we want, whenever we want?”
“No again,” Dakota said firmly. “This is a wild, undeveloped territory, and it’s not safe for you to be running around on your own. If you stay here, you stay with me at all times. Furthermore, you will help me cook our meals and help me wash the dishes, and you will go to school and do your homework every night.”
“What kind of monster are you?” Sarah cried, scandalized.
“I am the stuff of nightmares,” Dakota said, smiling pleasantly. “Look at me, wanting to keep you clean, safe and well-educated. I’m the devil in wolf form.”
“I’ll say,” Sarah muttered. “I’ve heard of some crazy things in my day, but this is just ridiculous.”
“There’s always the running away option,” Macy suggested. “Really. We’re all way too tired to catch you.”
“Macy!” Naomi said indignantly.
Macy’s eyes went wide and innocent. “I’m telling the truth. It’s important to set a good example by telling the truth.”
John pulled on Sarah’s shirt. “I’m hungry,” he whined. “I don’t want to run away until after dinner.”
Macy grabbed Dakota and led her into the shack’s only bedroom. “So, we are letting them go, right?” she said.
Dakota shook her head and answered in a low voice. “I’m just letting them think that staying is their decision. I was raised by someone who did everything by brute force. He’d have dragged the kids to the table, tied them down, scrubbed their faces raw, and forced food down their throats. Where does that kind of treatment get you?”
“The kids would run away the next day?” Macy said hopefully.
“Exactly. And that’s what we don’t want.”
“We don’t? I mean, of course not, that would be terrible.” Macy rolled her eyes.
They went back into the living room-kitchen, and found the kids lining up at the sink to wash their hands.
Dakota flashed a triumphant look at Macy, who stuck her tongue out at her.
The children ate and ate and ate. After dinner, under Dakota and Naomi’s prodding, they helped her to clear the table and wash the dishes. Dakota heard Mary whispering to John, “I’m pretty tired now. Let’s not go tonight. It’s started to rain anyway. We’ll run away tomorrow.”
“Maybe after breakfast,” John suggested.
“Yeah, after breakfast.” Mary nodded and yawned again.
“Or lunch.” John’s voice was wistful. “Too bad we can’t stay here. Naomi’s a good cook.”
“Since you helped clear the dishes, you all get dessert,” Naomi called out. “I made apple crumble.”
“Dessert?” Sailor cried happily. Then she whispered to John, “Definitely after lunch tomorrow. We can wait until after lunch.”
After dinner, one of the bartenders from the Watering Hole came to pick up Macy so she could work her first shift.
He introduced himself as David, and he looked at Macy as if she were the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
“Hmm,” Macy murmured to Dakota as David went to wait outside for her. “He’s very pretty. Seems like a nice guy. I don’t usually go for the nice guys.”
“And how has that worked out for you so far?” Dakota asked her.
“You have a point. I guess I could try a little sample of nice and see if I like the taste of it.” Macy winked at her. “I may end up sleeping in town tonight after my shift, but I’ll find you in the morning.”
When it was time to sleep, Dakota and Naomi curled up on the rug in the living room, while the children slept in the shack’s one bedroom.
It was many hours later that Dakota sat bolt upright, a feeling of uneasiness rushing through her.
She listened carefully. What was wrong? She couldn’t put her finger on it. Naomi lay curled up on her side, snoring.