Isolation | Book 4 | Holding On Jones, Nathan (best smutty novels txt) 📖

or are we going to get some food?” Ricky demanded, grabbing Hal's head to point his face in the direction of the square. “Come on, let's goooo!” The other kids all voiced their fervent agreement, complaining about how hungry they were.

Sharing a chuckle, Ellie and Hal led way down the street towards the square, which was already packed with people around dozens of mismatched tables weighed down with food. Somewhere music was playing, either a band or a loudspeaker system, and out in the park in the center of the square people were dancing on the grass.

That looked fun; she'd have to see if she could get Hal out there after they'd eaten. She hadn't really had a chance to see his moves on the dance floor yet, not that she was a particularly good dancer herself.

As they walked Nick, now holding Gen's hand instead of Tallie's, fell into step beside her. “What are your thoughts about Gorstrom's idea to relocate and join the rebuilding efforts?” he asked.

Ellie shook her head. “It's a good idea, bringing all the survivors together to make best use of the infrastructure. Less costly on resources, and they can make sure the people with in-demand knowledge and skills are able to help the most people possible.”

Her ex-husband knew how her mind worked. “But?”

She gave him a wry smile. “But we've got something good going here. Sure, we'll be missing utilities and other amenities for a while, unless we want to try to handle it ourselves on a small scale. But here's where our family and friends are. Our community.” She shrugged. “I'm fine with staying here.”

It looked as if he couldn't argue that point, although obviously he had a different idea about things. “What if everyone wanted to go?” he asked. “It seems like a good deal, and Gorstrom did paint a rousing picture of being part of something grand in rebuilding the country.”

“She did.” Ellie snorted. “But I have enough experience with bureaucracies to be skeptical. I seriously doubt rebuilding by committee is going to go as well as she claims.” She gestured at the town around them. “Put me with a group of good people working together to prosper their own community over that any day of the week, whatever the challenges we may face.”

“So you intend to stay?” Gen asked. From her expression she seemed to lean more towards Nick's perspective.

Ellie hesitated. “Unless everyone else wants to go, like you said. But we should talk it through with the group, have a serious conversation. Maybe when we get back after the party.”

“Yeah, we'll have to talk about it,” Nick agreed, seeming content to let the matter drop for now.

She gave him a closer look. “What about you? Do you want to go?”

After a brief pause he gave her a rueful smile. “I'm a computer programmer, Ells. You might've been able to dive seamlessly into overseeing quarantine camps and contributing to town leadership decisions, but this life of digging in the dirt doesn't exactly play to my strengths. If somewhere out there people are trying to fast track the world back to where it was, I'm kind of tempted to join them.”

Gen nodded. “It would be better for the kids, wouldn't it? Schools, and proper medical care, and everything.”

That was reasonable enough, although Ellie felt her heart sinking a bit. Even though she'd done her best to keep an open mind about Gorstrom's offer, it seemed as if deep down she didn't want to leave this place after all.

“I'd say you've discovered you're capable of more than you thought since the pandemic,” she told Nick gently. “Maybe this life plays exactly to the new strengths you've developed.”

“Maybe.” He snorted. “It's a moot point, since I'll probably stick with the group whatever we decide. Unless you and Hal want to split off from them, too, that is.”

Ellie didn't answer, since she doubted it would be what he wanted to hear. She didn't want to pressure him into following her, but practically speaking they had to stick together; obviously neither of them was going to leave the kids, especially since arranging equal visitation over long distances probably wasn't going to be possible for a while.

It meant one of them would have to compromise, probably whichever of them was more content to go along to make things work. In the past that had usually been Nick, since he could do most of his work from anywhere as long as he had cell phone service and internet.

Of course that wasn't the situation here, since he'd be hard pressed to find programming work in Stanberry. If he was to have any hope of doing the job he knew and was trained for, it would be where people were gathering to rebuild.

Even so, Ellie found herself hoping her ex-husband would compromise one more time.

She felt a bit bad about that, in spite of the fact that she thought it would be best for all of them. Maybe it was why she'd gone into her line of work in the first place, but she always wanted to make sure everyone not only came to reasonable compromises, but were happy with what had been decided.

She wanted Nick to be happy with staying here, because here was where their lives had settled. Where they belonged. Flattering as Gorstrom's offer for Ellie to come and take a managing role in the rebuilding effort was, and tempting as it was to be out there helping the important work go as well as possible, she was tired of being in the thick of things.

She just wanted to focus on her family, on working towards their survival and hopefully eventual prosperity. And, if it was in the cards, maybe even have another child or two with Hal.

At this point she'd be happy to stay here in this peaceful little town, “digging in the dirt” as Nick had put it, while the last vestiges of the pandemic and its aftermath passed them by.

They deposited their food with