The girl’s thick curls were tamed into two puffy pom-poms.
Lauren waited for Cadence to finish, her heart warmed by the scene. She’d always wanted a sister. Her mother hadn’t fussed with her hair much. But Lauren had been a tomboy, more interested in playing sports than dressing up.
“I wanted my hair out of the way,” Penny said, fingering the braids.
“In case the baby comes,” Cadence added.
“Are you having contractions?” Lauren asked, concerned.
“No. Just lower-back pain.”
Lauren checked her vital signs and palpated her abdomen. “Is it a boy or a girl?”
“I don’t know. I wanted it to be a surprise.”
“You’ve had medical care throughout the pregnancy?”
“Yes. I’ve been taking my prenatal vitamins and going to the doctor every few weeks.”
“No complications?”
She shook her head.
“Any complaints?”
“I have to pee every five minutes.”
Lauren smiled, removing her stethoscope. “The baby’s head is putting pressure on your bladder,” she explained. “That’s normal. It’s the right position for delivery. We don’t want the baby to come out feet first.”
Cadence seemed excited by the idea of a new addition to their group. Penny appeared sick with worry, which was understandable. Going into labor under these circumstances could be disastrous.
“Drink plenty of water, even though it makes you pee. You’ll lose a lot of fluids when the baby is born.”
Lauren didn’t want to take Penny away from Cadence, or the safety of the RV, but she needed her help with the radio. If she didn’t join Garrett on the search for supplies, he’d go alone and possibly endanger himself.
She didn’t know what to think of him. Sometimes she caught him staring at her in a caged-animal sort of way. Hungry, but unable to hunt. He also seemed tense and distant, as if her presence set his nerves on edge.
Maybe she was imagining things. They were all stressed out.
“We found a CB radio,” she said to Penny. “We haven’t had any luck with responses, but we need to keep trying. If you’re feeling up to it, I’d like for you to send out a message in Spanish.”
“Sure,” Penny said, rising to her feet. The huge belly didn’t hamper her movements as much as Lauren expected. She was young and spry and eager to leave the claustrophobic confines of the RV.
Cadence stood also. “What can I do?”
Lauren squeezed her shoulder. “Stay inside for now. Garrett and I are going to search the cars some more. We’ll come back for lunch.”
She didn’t like being cooped up any more than Penny. Eyes watering, she curled up on the bed and hugged a pillow to her chest.
When they were outside the RV, Penny said, “She misses her mom. They were talking on the phone when the earthquake hit.”
Lauren thought of her own mother and felt a stab of guilt. Their relationship had been strained since her father’s death, but she knew her mother loved her. Right now, she was probably worried out of her mind.
“I hope the rest of my family is okay,” Penny said.
“Do they live nearby?”
Penny shook her head. “L.A.”
“Maybe that’s best. Farther from the epicenter.”
They passed Don, who was helping Garrett make an SOS flag, and climbed into the truck. Lauren showed her how the radio worked. Penny voiced a tremulous message into the receiver. Although Lauren didn’t understand Spanish perfectly, she admired Penny’s delivery. The teen sounded sweet and innocent and distressed.
If Lauren could telegraph a picture of her fine features and luminous skin, men from all over the country might come running.
Unfortunately, the only response they heard was static.
Lauren demonstrated the SOS signal that Garrett had taught her. Penny picked it up easily. She seemed to have a quick mind and a nice personality. Lauren assumed that her pregnancy was unplanned, and wondered if Penny would keep the baby. Being a young mother was always a struggle.
“I wanted to talk to you about the other men,” Lauren said, tackling an even more difficult subject.
Penny brought her attention back to Lauren. “The convicts?”
“Did Don tell you what happened?”
“He just said they were dangerous, and that they attacked you and Garrett.”
She nodded, swallowing hard. “The heavy one, Mickey, woke me up last night. He tore my shirt and held his hand over my mouth. When I started struggling, he tried to slam my head into the concrete.”
Her mouth thinned. “What did Garrett do?”
“He hit him with a flashlight and broke his nose.”
“Good.”
“But Jeb threatened to shoot, so Garrett let him go.”
“You think they’ll try again?”
“Maybe not,” Lauren replied. “But I wanted you to know...what they’re capable of.”
“I already knew what they were capable of.”
“How?”
“They’re men.”
Lauren wasn’t sure how to respond to this logic. Extreme caution seemed appropriate in a survival situation. Maybe Lauren had been too reckless. She shouldn’t have been sleeping out in the open, where she was vulnerable.
“I’m glad you warned me, though. I’ll talk to Cadence.” Penny paused, studying her. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, of course.” Tears sprang into her eyes, but she blinked them away. “Garrett hurt his knuckles.”
“I hope Mickey’s face hurts more.”
Lauren took a deep breath, pushing aside the disturbing memories. “If they do come back, be careful. I wouldn’t put it past them to attack you. You’re a beautiful girl. I could tell that Owen noticed.”
“Owen?”
“The blond guy with the bruises.”
She squinted out the driver’s-side window, surveying the space where Owen had stood. “I’ll throw rocks at him if he comes back.”
Antagonizing
