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“No joke,” Julian, who worked for the police department in Denver, said. “Last year my partner and I were waiting in our uniforms to get coffee when this idiot pushes us out of the way to get to the front of line. He then proceeds to pull out a fake gun to rob the place. We arrested him, obviously.”
“No way. Who would be that silly?” I responded through some labored breathing.
My side was hurting too. The strap around my waist wasn’t doing me any favors. I noticed when we stopped for lunch, the skin on my right side was getting red and irritated, so I tried making adjustments. The guy at the store said it was the most comfortable pack he sold for women. I wasn’t so sure. I decided to try and breathe through the pain.
Julian flashed me a sideways grin. “The way you say silly is absolutely charming.”
“I have a silly tale for you then, Miss Shelby,” Jaime jumped in, ready to one-up Julian.
“Do tell.” I needed anything to distract me from the raw pain I was feeling. The next two hours couldn’t go quickly enough.
“When I was flying home from Paraguay last year, two of the flight attendants, who were obviously lovers, got into a huge argument right before we were going to takeoff. The male attendant was so furious, he opened the emergency door and activated the emergency slide and slid down it. His girlfriend followed him, but she bounced off the slide and hit the tarmac.”
“Oh my goodness. Was she okay?”
Jaime grinned. “She seemed to be, but they were both arrested.”
“Yikes.”
“That was also the flight I woke up to my shoes being completely stuck to the floor because the woman next to me had a jar of honey on the floor, and while she slept it spilled out.”
“You’re teasing me.”
He held up his hand. “Scout’s honor, I’m not. I loved those shoes, but I had to lose them because I would have missed my connecting flight. That honey was some sticky stuff. I arrived home barefoot.”
I giggled while I adjusted the belt around my waist again and tried to stuff my long-sleeve shirt between the belt and my T-shirt.
“Well—” Julian started.
“Shelby.” Ryder gently grabbed my arm, startling me.
We all stopped and looked at him, but he only paid me any attention.
“What’s wrong with your side?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” I lied, confused as to how he knew about it.
“You’re not fine. I’ve been watching you fidget and grab your side for the last hour, and I just heard you whimper” He scowled at Jaime and Julian like they should have noticed.
I was quickly becoming the center of attention as most of the fifteen people in the group had now stopped, wondering what the hold-up was.
“Are you hurt?” Jaime asked concerned.
“Really, it’s just some irritation. You know, new backpack and all,” I tried to play it off.
“Let me see.” Ryder started unbuckling my waist strap without warning.
“You want me to lift up my shirt for you?” I teased bordering on flirting.
He smirked.
I had missed that smirk. It felt like old times.
When the waist strap came undone, a loud breath of relief escaped me. Ryder proceeded to remove my pack completely off me.
“This is unnecessary, and we are causing a scene,” I said under my breath.
He gave me a pressed-lipped smile. “All right.” He pulled me and my pack to the side, making me feel all sorts of wonderful. I missed his touch like I missed sweet tea and nights under the Georgia stars with him.
“Why don’t y’all go on,” Ryder suggested to the group, “while I see to Miss Shelby.”
Jaime and Julian protested, Jaime being the loudest. “I should be the one to stay with her since I’m liable for the group.”
“I think the rest of these good folks would like to get to their destination,” Ryder countered.
Several people in the group nodded. We were all tired.
Jaime debated while looking between me and the rest of the weary travelers and decided it was best to keep on moving.
“I have medical training,” Julian offered.
Ryder grinned crookedly. “Shelby has a master’s degree in nursing, so I think we will fare just fine.”
Julian looked at me as if to ask if I was okay being left alone with a man who I had admitted was no longer my friend.
“I’ll catch up soon,” I promised Julian.
Ryder made a sweeping motion with his hand. “I got this. Shelby, here, is modest, and I know you wouldn’t want her to feel uncomfortable.” He was such a liar.
Julian scurried away. That left Macey, who suddenly became very sympathetic toward me. “Shelby, are you okay? I’ll stay with you.” She batted her piercing blue eyes at Ryder.
I stayed silent, not sure what to say. If he wanted Macey, how could I begrudge him?
Ryder cleared his throat. “Darlin’, I won’t be long.”
