Bloody Sunset by Gwendolyn Harper (classic books for 11 year olds TXT) 📗

Not that there weren’t bright spots too.

Caitlin got to witness Matilda walk on her own for the first time, tapping David on the shoulder and pointing so he didn’t miss his own daughter’s milestone.

He and Max beamed for the rest of the day, pride seeping out of every pore.

And Desi… Well, she fit right in like a puzzle piece they hadn’t realized was missing.

Sharp as a tack and wittier than any of them, she thrived on the materials Nicole and Scott taught her, never seeming to get enough. Scott finally had to break out a few of the senior level chemistry textbooks, which were a little dense, but still gave Desi the knowledge she craved.

Slowly, they learned a little bit about her.

Her father had been from the Dominican Republic, her mother from New Mexico, and they’d all moved to Chicago when she was three.

Her mother got sick first, coming down with a fever that sent her to the hospital in less than a few hours. It wasn’t long after that.

She wouldn’t say what happened to her father… Only that he got her to an Ark and that was the last time she saw him.

Desi turned ten in that camp, alone and scared, surrounded by men with guns joking about using orphans as target practice.

The night they found out, Booker had the worst nightmare Caitlin had seen him have in a long time.

He awoke bellowing in anger, swinging out at an unseen enemy.

Caitlin barely had time to react—scrambling to roll off their mat so he didn’t knock into her.

Barely collecting himself, Booker quickly got dressed, muttering about how he was going for a walk.

It was a long, sleepless wait for daybreak after that for Caitlin.

At breakfast, she looked for him, but to no avail.

Not that she was surprised.

“Morning,” Scott said from behind her. “You’re up early.”

Caitlin tried to smile. “Yeah, well, it was kind of a long night.”

Immediately he looked worried.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, everything’s fine.”

Scott arched an eyebrow, and in that moment, she remembered Nicole wasn’t the only one who had known her for years.

“Talk to me,” Scott said, lowering his voice.

Scooping more fruit cocktail onto her oatmeal, Caitlin chewed her bottom lip.

“Booker had another nightmare last night,” she said. “They come and go, but usually they’re worse if there’s a lot of talk about Ark camps.”

“Does he have them on the road when you’re helping break people out?”

Caitlin shook her head. “No. If anything he’s better when we have a job to do. Like he can funnel what he’s feeling into doing something. But the waiting…”

Scott ducked his head in understanding. “A lot of Vets have a hard time coming home. My uncle never fully adjusted back to civilian life.”

She looked up at him. “I didn’t know your uncle was in the service.”

“Army,” he said. “Enlisted so they’d pay for school. He was a good man, but my dad said he was never really the same after.”

Pausing while Scott poured himself something like looked like watered down juice, she frowned.

“I didn’t know Booker before,” she admitted. “So, I don’t know if this is new or…” She swallowed. “Honestly, it doesn’t matter. I just want him to be okay. He’s good about managing his panic attacks, but his nightmares really get to him.”

Glancing around to make sure they had relative privacy, Scott leaned closer.

“Caitlin, has he ever hurt you during these night terrors?”

“No,” she said quickly. “Well, once. But it was an accident. He just held me too tight and left a bruise. But he’s never hit me or attacked me, thinking I was part of his dream.”

Scott nodded. “Would you tell me if he had?”

Her hackles started to rise, the urge to protect Booker overwhelming. She didn’t want Scott thinking Booker was violent—she’d never met a man with a better hold on his anger.

Inhaling, she held Scott’s stare. “Yes. I would.”

Seemingly content with that, Scott offered her a mug of coffee.

“You know, we’ve got a pretty good selection of anti-anxiety meds from the last run you went on,” he said. “Maybe Booker could benefit from starting a low dose. Just to help him through this rough patch.”

“Well, if I can find him, I’ll try to convince him to come see you…”

As she turned, scanning the room once more, she spotted familiar broad shoulders and chocolate brown hair.

“Oh wait, there he is,” she said, relief coloring her words.

It was only then she realized who Booker was talking to and she frowned.

She watched as Booker and Nathaniel finished their discussion and shook hands, Nathaniel offering a sympathetic pat to Booker’s shoulder before the two men split off.

Caitlin whistled, and Booker’s head jerked to the side, gaze finding hers instantly.

He smiled but the shadows under his eyes betrayed his exhaustion, and her heart ached for him.

“Mornin’, doc,” he greeted Scott as he approached. Leaning down, Booker kissed her chastely. “Mornin’ to you too.”

“Oh, there’s Alonzo,” Scott said. “I need to talk to him about something. See you in a bit.”

Filling a mug for Booker, Caitlin asked, “What were you and Nathaniel talking about?”

He faltered. “Oh, ya know, just shootin’ the shit.”

“Shooting the shit with my ex-boyfriend?”

“Y’all are friends,” he countered, taking his coffee from her.

“We’re… friend-ish. And stop dodging the question.”

Booker lifted a dark brow while he sipped from his mug.

“What were you talking about?” She repeated pointedly.

Eyeing the growing group around the breakfast foods, he tilted his head, signaling her to follow him.

Tucking themselves against the wall of the cafeteria, Booker leaned his shoulder into the cement blocks and stared into his cup.

“I asked Nate for a favor,” he said quietly.

Caitlin’s stomach wobbled in anticipation.

“Until I can… get myself