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No one questioned or argued, the only bright spot in the whole miserable day. Oakley left wondering what she was going to do. She didn’t want to be a mother. At least not yet. And certainly not alone.
But she couldn’t abort the child. The baby was hers.
So, she returned to duty, hoping she’d figure out what to do before she started to show. It didn’t turn out that way. She miscarried while deployed, and her boyfriend blamed her, accused her of deliberately killing their child. Even though they hadn’t exchanged a word since the day she knocked him out, he tried to play the grieving father and tried to sue her, claiming she deliberately put herself and their child in harm’s way.
He lost, and Oakley never saw or spoke to him again the day she won in court. But she didn’t consider herself a winner. She lost a child, felt the pain and warm blood that flowed out of her, a small life winking out before it’d had time to fully spark to life.
She’d failed to do the one thing a mother should do. Protect her child.
Oakley vowed never to make that mistake again. She’d never have children, never marry, never be the cause of innocent blood spilling.
That’s when she became the love’em and leave’em player. It was all she had to offer. All she wanted to give. Until she met Gunner. He changed her in many ways, some of which she was just beginning to realize.
She found herself asking “what would Gunner say?” or “what would Gunner do?” and not just now and then, but regularly. She talked to him in her head and dreamed of him. And right now, was going to take a page from his book.
Oakley was going to be the friend she should be to Charli. “I’ll be okay. And baby comes first, so don’t feel bad. Besides, Gunner promised he’ll join me as soon as he’s clear.
“Y’all have gone that far?”
“I love him.”
Charli accepted that simple answer. “Okay then enough said. Get a burner. Today. I’ll do the same and call when I have it set up. You need someone you can contact. I can get word to Gunner or whatever you want. I can pass along your location to Gunner until he can join you.
”We’d already worked out a plan, but I can’t use it if I’m going to Gunner’s friend’s place. Maybe you can let him know that I called Matt and will be heading for Yellowstone from there.”
“You’re taking the wolves into the national park?”
“Well, the wolves saved it once. It’s time for the park to return the favor and welcome two of its children home.”
“Amen girl, okay, get going. I’ll be in touch as soon as I have things set up on my end.”
“Okay and thanks, Charli. I mean it. Just promise you’ll put yourself and that baby first. You have to protect it. Just like me and the wolves. They need us.”
“And that’s what they’ll get. Talk soon, my friend. Be safe.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Oakley put off telling Grace and Clay about the situation. She needed to speak with Gunner’s friend, Matt Brickman, first. She didn’t know why she was just standing there, stalling. After the conversation with Charli, she should be on red alert, slinging stuff into her truck, ready to head for parts unknown.
The truth was, she would have been if Gunner were with her. For a woman who’d spent most of her life in combat or commanding others, she sure had come to depend on Gunner’s input and perceptions.
She trusted him. Not only that, but she also felt her chances of success were improved if he were with her. He wasn’t just smart, but one of the military’s elites, strong and lethal.
But he wasn’t here, and she needed to set her plan into motion before Samir decided to come after her. With a jet, he could be in the area in a matter of hours. She needed to be gone before he made that decision.
So, she placed the call. It rang a half dozen times, then went to voicemail. “Hey, it’s Matt. Leave a message.”
His greeting brought a ghost of a smile to her face. He didn’t waste words. “Hi. This is Major Oakley Rising Wolf. Sorry. Retired. Gunner Hale said I could call you. If you could give me a call back, it’d be greatly appreciated. Thank you.”
“Okay,” she glanced at the wolves as she pocketed her phone. “Let’s get our gear together.”
Considering that all she could take with her into the park was what she could carry on her back, she had tochoose wisely. They could find fresh water, but would be forced to hunt for food. Which meant she’d need to cook it. A campfire and a spit. The spit was easy enough. She asked Clay if she could snag a piece of metal from the supply barn.
A backpack water container might be wise if their trek took them away from water sources for a day. She had one in her gear. Aside from that, she packed a pair of socks, underwear, and a spare t-shirt, along with a wool blanket she could roll and affix to her pack. She looked around, trying to decide what else to take.
Weapons. She needed weapons, and for that she’d have to ask Jud. Oakley wasted no time searching for him. As luck would have it, she found him at the main house. Oakley knocked on the back porch door and heard Grace.
“Girl, I told you, there’s no need to knock.”
