“If you come to Alaska, we’ll have to get together.” Sunny’s shy smile warmed his skin.
“I’d like that.”
Her smile widened. “I wouldn’t be opposed to keeping in touch once we are back in reality.”
He took a deep breath. “I’d like that, too.”
She bit her bottom lip, squeezed his arm, then released it to push Carter’s hair off his forehead. “We should probably get settled in the tent. This guy will be ready to go full force as soon as the sun is up.”
“Yeah.”
“Here, can you let these fireflies loose?” Sunny handed him the jar blinking with insects they’d helped Carter catch earlier. “I don’t want to accidentally suffocate them.”
He stared at the jar as her words took root. Davis’s hands trembled as he opened the lid. Sunny’s light was just like these fireflies. Could he really keep in contact with her? Keep the hope he had flickering in his chest like the bugs––hope for a future not always needing to look over his shoulder, a future full of sunshine instead of darkness? Or would he end up squashing that hope, squashing her, just like he’d ruined so much else in his life?
Davis trailed behind Sunny as she led the way to Chicken. It was miles away and would take them days to get to. At least the rain had let up, but not before the storm the night before had raged and beat against their shelter.
Their too cozy shelter.
Holding Sunny in his arms through the night had all kinds of crazy thoughts spinning through his head. Ones of home and hope. Elusive dreams of marriage and peace. The last one pushed a snort of laughter out of him. How could he be thinking of peace when they were being hunted down by madmen?
Sunny turned to him and raised her eyebrow. “You okay?”
“Yeah, just woolgathering.” Davis scanned the forest for signs of danger.
Thank goodness the downpour had washed away any trail he and Sunny had left. They might have a chance to get to safety and the authorities now. Hopefully, once Sunny’s camera recharged with her portable charger, they’d have the evidence needed to put the murderers behind bars.
His gaze dragged back to Sunny. He’d done that too many times in the hours they’d been hiking through the day. He needed to keep his focus on the surroundings, not the woman who made his heart race with possibilities.
“Woolgathering?” The laughter in her voice tempted him to smile. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone use that phrase before.” She peeked back at him as she stepped over a downed tree, an impish grin on her face. “At least, not anyone under sixty.”
“Funny.” He rolled his eyes and steadied her when her boot lace snagged on the black spruce branch.
He really hated trekking through this arctic forest. One was either fighting with the thick spindly spruce or bogging through muskeg. Neither was fun. Hopefully, they could find another dry area with bigger trees like they had the night before, when it came time to make camp.
“Thanks.” She huffed a sigh that smelled of the LemonHead candy she’d shared with him earlier, placed her hands on her head, and stretched. “Ugh. This is such slow going.”
“Yep.”
She unhooked her water bottle from her pack and took a drink. He grunted a thanks when she extended it to him and tried to ignore her stare. Taking his time to drink, he scanned behind them again.
“So… woolgathering, huh?” She grabbed the bottle from him, her fingers lingering on his longer than necessary.
“Yep.” He schooled his smile when she huffed in frustration.
“What has you using old lady phrases?”
Sunny adjusted her pack on her shoulders. Could he convince her to transfer more of her gear to his? He’d tried to take most of the heavier gear, but she’d growled adorably, claiming she didn’t need pampering. True. She was stronger than any other woman he’d ever met, and he’d served with some amazing women. Shoot, she could outperform most of the men he knew too. Didn’t mean his desire to make things easier on her didn’t scream at him every time she winced or rolled her neck.
“Nothing, just thinking,” he answered her question when she tipped her head at him.
He wanted to open his mouth and let all the thoughts churning in his head spew. She drew him to want the unattainable, to believe he could grasp a life full of joy instead of dread. He just wasn’t sure he could trust his intuition anymore. Last time he had, he’d gotten half his team killed.
Granted, Sunny wasn’t an enemy combatant posing as an attention-starved teenage boy.
More like Davis himself was the imposter, someone who couldn’t be trusted. Someone who would snap and destroy everything good and beautiful around him. Would he smother the light that burned Sunny brighter than others?
“That really clears it up.” Sunny stomped off. “No worries. I’m used to reticent men who grunt three-word sentences while pouring their tortured souls from their stormy gazes. I spent last winter stuck in a remote cabin with my brother Gunnar, remember?”