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“Yes, I mean it. I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it with all my heart. I’ve never felt this way.”
He brushed the hair back from her forehead. “I love you, Carly.”
She choked back a gasp. “Really? I—Are you—?”
Justin chuckled. “Articulate as ever, sweetheart. Yes, I love you. Did you ever doubt it?”
He’d never said the words, but looking back, he didn’t need to. He’d said it with every one of his little acts of kindness, his thoughtfulness, and his care for her. It was in the sweet gestures he made, like the picnic in the library, the wildflower he’d picked the week before and inserted in her hair behind her ear. Tears trickled from her eyes as she drew him down for a soft, sweet kiss.
Chapter Seven
Carly was pissed. She stomped around the campsite and yanked things from the back of the wagon, glaring at Justin whenever he dared approach. He gave her a tentative smile, but all that earned him was a snarl. She yanked out a plastic box of meds and slammed it down on top of another, her lips pursed so tightly they were nothing but a small white line.
The day had started out well, but after breakfast Justin had said he felt much better and intended to bike back to the pileup where he’d been shot. Carly had argued he wasn’t healed enough for that, especially if he ran into trouble. Then she tried insisting she go with him, but he wouldn’t be budged on that either.
Justin picked up a case of water bottles and moved it to the ground, hiding a wince when the weight of the thing irritated his wound, but Carly was far too observant to let it go unnoticed. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot.
“Carly, honey, I’m fine. Just a little sore, okay?”
“You don’t know that! You could be pulling your wound open and bleeding inside or something.”
“This isn’t the first time I’ve been shot,” he said. “I know my limits. I won’t overdo it. I promise.”
Her eyes widened in horror, and he didn’t think she’d heard the latter part of his statement. No, it was the thought of him being shot before that horrified her.
“The scars,” she said, her voice faint.
He chuckled. “Well, not all of them.” He tugged her into his arms, and she laid her head over his heart. He could feel the tension fade away as she snuggled against him. “I’ll be back before you know it.”
“Please, please be careful.”
“I will.” Justin kissed her, and she clung to him for a long moment before releasing him. She pushed a lock of hair back behind her ear and gave him a wobbly smile. “I intend to be mad at you again when you get back.”
He laughed. “Thanks for the warning.”
“Take Sam with you,” she urged.
Justin shook his head. “I want him here, with you.”
She sighed. “You know, Justin, one of the most important parts of a relationship is compromise.”
“I’ll work on that,” he said and gave her lips another quick kiss. “As soon as I get back.”
“Hurry.”
“I will.”
She brought him one of the assault rifles—proof of how much anxiety his proposed journey gave her; he didn’t think she’d touched one of those rifles since they’d left Juneau.
He set off down the driveway, pulling the lightened wagon behind his bicycle. He was tired by the time he got to the road. His wound had made him weaker than he thought. He couldn’t tell Carly, though; she’d probably make him stay in bed for a week.
He chuckled ruefully. Carly had a bossy streak he hadn’t expected, but he found it adorable, knowing she did it from love. That stubborn refusal to give up had probably saved his life.
He’d been wrong. Carly was not dependent on him. She had shown she could rise to any challenge. His worst fear had nearly materialized: leaving Carly on her own to fend for herself, and she had proven she had the guts and strength of will it took to survive, even if she didn’t quite realize it yet.
It was comforting to know she would be able to make it on her own if something happened to him. As he pulled his bike up to the two wrecked cars, he reflected how it almost had.
The two bodies lay where they had fallen, and a pair of buzzards picking at the woman’s face gave him sullen looks before taking off to wait in a nearby tree. Justin found the body of the man at the side of the road just as Carly had said, one hole in his chest and another two in his head. He smiled slightly as he recalled the way he’d explained the need for a second shot to her.
