“Nerit won’t steer you wrong. Trust her. And with that bit of advice, I’m gonna get.”
Surprising him, Emma hugged Rune. He clung to her for a second, sniffled, then pulled back. His blue eyes were rimmed with red.
“You sure do remind me of Lainey.”
Emma found it a little hard to speak. “I accept your compliment. She was lucky to have you as a dad.”
“Take care, Emma. I’ll see you when I see you.”
She hadn’t had a father and her grandfather was long gone. She hadn’t known Rune that long at all, but he was already starting to feel like family. It grieved her that he was leaving. When the bike roared to life, she stepped back and tucked her hands into the pockets of her denim jacket. Watching Rune ride to the gate, she sighed heavily and kicked at the cold spot.
“Stupid asshole ghost,” she muttered.
Emma waited until the gate opened for Rune and waved when he turned back one last time. Then the medium was gone and she was alone.
16
Dawn of the Possible Dead
Dawn crept over the horizon, pushing away the darkness to fill the world with pale gray light. Mist floated over the ground where Emma waited near the old newspaper building. Up early, she’d been one of the first people to arrive at breakfast in the hotel dining room. When she hadn’t seen any of the other people who were supposed to be on the team, she’d departed for the garage clutching her breakfast tacos and coffee hoping she wasn’t late. The only people in the garage were the mechanics checking out a heavily modified short bus. Realizing she was the first one of the volunteer team to arrive, she found a stool to perch on near the door that opened to the interior of the newspaper building and ate in silence.
After her talk with Rune, Emma had been up for hours carefully sorting out her feelings about the Fort, her new life, the successful rescue of Macy, and her attraction to Juan. She found peace with her chosen role at the Fort, but she was uncomfortable about Juan. He hadn’t done anything to upset her. She liked him quite a bit and wanted to get to know him better. Yet at the same time, it was as if there was an invisible cord connecting her to him. When she’d first arrived, he’d acted like he felt it too. There had been an unspoken familiarity in their initial interaction. It had been both comforting and unsettling.
Now it was just unsettling.
Finishing her breakfast tacos, she tossed the foil into a nearby trash bin and sipped her hot coffee from a disposable cup. She didn’t want to think too much about it, but the reason her instant camaraderie with Juan was so troubling was because it felt so natural. Emma didn’t believe in fate. She believed that the future was shaped by her choices. The choice to have her son had set her on a path that was difficult and often soul-crushing. Billy had brought joy to her life, but she’d also slid deeper into poverty while trying to support him. Though Stan strutted around like he’d won, she’d done her best to limit his influence over her life. That included kicking him out of her bed and taking charge. Sending Stan on his way had been an important milestone in her life and a valuable lesson learned. She had to keep that in mind. She needed to remain focused on finding her niche in the Fort and not on the hot Latino.
As though on cue, Juan exited the garage office door clutching a steaming cup of coffee. He was bleary-eyed, but handsome in jeans, a blue t-shirt, and a leather jacket. He smelled good, like soap and shampoo. Beneath the brim of his cowboy hat, his freshly washed curls clung to his brow and neck.
“Hey, Em,” he said, leaning against the worktable next to her.
“Morning.”
“The rest of the team ain’t here yet, I take it.”
“Just you and me.”
“Early riser, or couldn’t sleep?
Not wanting to give anything away about her state of mind, she opted to change the subject. “Nerit decided to let you join us, huh?”
“Actually, no.” Juan gave her a charming smile. “But she can’t make me stay here.”
Emma lifted a skeptical eyebrow. “You sure about that?”
“Maybe she could, but I gotta see what’s on that hill. I couldn’t sleep all night. I kept tossing and turning. If Belinda and the others are up there, I gotta have a part in saving them.”
His words were yet another reminder why Emma shouldn’t even entertain any delightful ideas about Juan. “Belinda means a lot to you, doesn’t she?”
“We’ve known each other since we were in diapers. She’s my childhood sweetheart. I gotta save her if I can. I promised to always be there for her and I intend to be. I always looked out for her when we were growing up. I can’t stop now.”
Though his words made sense, they took unpleasant bites out of her resolve not to be drawn to him. It was damn attractive that he was determined to save someone he cared about.
“I’m sure she’d appreciate that, Juan. If she’s on that hill, I know we’ll save her.”
The sun finally made its appearance known, pushing up over the horizon. The fiery glow turned the morning sky a bright orange and pink above the hills. It was officially sunrise.
Right on time, Katarina strolled into the garage. Dressed similarly to Juan, she had her hair braided tight to her head. It was the best way to keep long hair out of the reach of zombies. Emma’s own hair was in braids under her cowboy hat.