“Really? Good!” It was a relief to know she wasn’t alone.
“Right,” he said dryly. “They’re southwest of Colorado Springs, in a valley on the outskirts of the San Isabel National Forest, just north of Cañon City,” he informed me.
“San Isabel National Forest…Cañon City—got it. I can’t believe you found her! I mean, I knew you could…but…thank you! You’re the best ever!” I squealed, unabashedly excited at the nearness of my reunion with Zoe. I gave MG a quick, enthusiastic hug and was surprised to find him looking decidedly forlorn when I pulled away. “Um…Are you okay?”
“What? Yeah, it’s nothing,” he said, brushing off my concern.
“If you say so. Do you know what time it is?”
“Almost six.”
Tapping my mouth with my pointer finger, I pondered sleeping another hour but thought better of it. “Would you mind waking me up?”
“Sure…see you later.” He sounded so despondent that I didn’t have the heart to tell him Jason wasn’t likely to extend the nullifying reprieve for another night.
“Right. Bye. And thanks!” I smiled as MG and the familiar surroundings of Grams’s kitchen faded around me.
“Oh!” I exclaimed, sitting up suddenly in the tent. “That was abrupt.”
“Mhhmff?” Jason asked incoherently.
“Wake up, Jason,” I said, poking his shoulder.
“Arrghhmph,” he groaned and rolled away from me. The sun had yet to crest the horizon, which meant Jason was nearly impossible to wake.
“I said, ‘Wake up’,” I sang softly as I curled my body around his backside. I kissed the side of his neck just under his jaw bone and repeated the command.
“Mmmm…,” Jason murmured as he turned over and slipped his hand under my t-shirt.
I giggled, thinking his reaction was so completely Jason, and tried to ignore the yearning ache elicited by just that small touch. Softly, I said, “I know where she is.”
The hand slowly moving up my side stilled, and Jason’s eyelids opened, revealing his stunning, if sleepy, gaze. “What?”
“I know where Zo is. It’s sort of far, but I think we can get to her in a few weeks.”
MARCH
49
ZOE
Gathering more firewood in preparation for what I hoped would be a long, fun-filled night of laughing, drinking, and catching up, I lugged it to the fire pit Jake and Harper had created in a clearing of trees. It was close enough to the barn that we never had to leave our “home” unattended—our supply of food, weapons, and booze was very important to us—but far enough to not disturb Sarah during her many naps.
Dropping the wood at my feet, I busied myself with the unnecessary task of sorting through it. I’d been antsy with anticipation and excitement for the past few days, every minute passing as fast as a two-legged turtle climbing up a hill…against the wind. According to the information I’d received from MG when he’d entered my dream a few weeks ago, Dani’s entire group should arrive any day now. I couldn’t stand still.
“Hey, Zoe,” Sarah chirped, making me jump. “You okay?”
“Yeah, the anticipation’s just killing me, that’s all,” I said with a quick laugh. “I can’t believe this might finally be happening, you know?”
Sarah smiled and nodded, but I could feel her eyes on me as I continued working. Forcing myself to stop, I looked up at her. “Are you okay?” I asked, although I already knew the answer—I could feel her anxiety every time she rubbed her swollen belly.
“Umm, yeah, I’m just worried about this little guy.” She pointed to her belly. “What if it’s a mutant or something? It’s huge.”
Noticing her belly had grown a bit larger, I suddenly felt scared for her. I moved closer and wrapped my arms around her, squeezing her the way a mother might. “I know it’s scary, but I just have a feeling everything’ll be okay.” At least, I hoped it would. “Maybe someone in Dani’s group can help us figure all this out.”
“Yeah, maybe,” she said with little conviction.
“We’re all here to help you, Sarah.” She nodded again, and even though I felt her body sag slightly with relief, I knew she wondered how things would change once Dani arrived. “And I’m not going anywhere,” I reassured her. Well, at least I don’t think I am.
She brightened at my words and offered to help me get dinner started. Jake was carefully cleaning the day’s catch at the makeshift fish cleaning station—a metal door resting on top of two saw horses. Harper and Biggs were hunched over the fire pit, arranging kindling into a teepee shape in an attempt to start the evening’s fire. Like clockwork, Sanchez was jotting notes as she sat on a hay bale beside the fire pit, cooling off from her final workout of the day.
Sarah and I were gathering lemon pepper, salt, and other seasonings for the food when Cooper suddenly growled. I jumped and glanced over at him; his posture was rigid and he was staring into the trees at the edge of the pasture. His tail drooped momentarily before picking up in a half-hearted wag.
Looking up from his freshly filleted fish, Jake peered out at the woods.
I grinned. “I think they’re here!”
A deep, relentless barking grew louder as a large German Shepherd emerged from the tree line. Jack! I stepped forward, following Cooper as he trotted toward the other excited dog.
“Wait,” Jake said, gently grabbing my arm. “What if—”
“It’s D’s dog,” I said, pulling out of his grasp to continue on toward the tree line. I couldn’t believe this was really happening. Dani and Jason were here. They were really here.
Jake and Sarah followed me, and I could hear the others coming up behind us. We watched the two dogs yip and sniff as they circled one another curiously.
Suddenly, Jake stopped short, and I turned to him. Confusion wrinkled his brow as his eyes darted around us. Unprovoked, he said, “Ummm, what?” He looked over at me, perplexed. “I think someone’s looking for you.”
From behind me, I heard Sanchez say coolly, “I’m definitely not Zoe.”
“Zo? Is that you?” Dani inquired…inside my head. Wait, what? Is she like Sanchez? Turning back toward the woods in excitement, I searched for her in the trees. Everyone watched me as I swiveled around, my smile so big I no doubt looked ludicrous.
A small herd of horses and goats broke through the dense pines beyond the dogs. My eyes instantly fixed on Dani’s bright, auburn hair as her Paint horse galloped closer, ahead of the rest.
“D!” I yelled, running to her. She was immediately accompanied by a large, dark-haired man sitting atop a chestnut horse much larger than Dani’s mount. Jason. He looks…different.
“ZO!” Dani called.
Momentarily forgetting about my group, I jumped up and down in uncontrollable excitement as the horses stopped mere feet from me. I watched Jason jump out of his saddle and reach for Dani just as she swung her leg over to dismount.
“No you don’t, Red.” Gripping Dani’s hips, my brother eased her descent. I could feel his concern diminish the moment her feet safely touched the ground. Wow, protective much? Jason dwarfed my petite friend, making her appear more fragile than I knew she was.
Dani slipped out of his grasp and ran to me, shrieking and giggling. “Zo!”
“D!” I screeched and grabbed her hands. Frantically, we hopped in a circle until she suddenly paused and flung herself into my arms. Feeling her body tremble and her mind fill with overwhelming happiness and relief, I hugged her as tightly as I could. When I heard her heaving sobs, I pulled away, unable to resist smiling as I soaked up her quintessentially Dani reaction. Losing control of my own emotions, I let tears slide down my cheeks.
“You’re making me cry!” I whined and tugged her closer again. “I’m so happy to see you,” I said. “I can’t believe you’re finally here.”
A quiet, unintelligible response squeaked out of her, and I suddenly realized everyone was watching our soggy reunion. The rest of Dani’s group had dismounted and were m
aking their way toward us.
My eyes fell on Jason, standing behind Dani. Shock blanketed his face as he stared at something behind me.
“Jason?” Sanchez’s voice was filled with awe.
Feeling Dani stiffen, I let go. Curious, we simultaneously turned to watch Sanchez approach. Her eyes were locked on my brother, narrowed in disbelief and showing a vulnerability I rarely saw in her. Moving quickly, she threw her arms around him, muttering words I couldn’t discern.
The dream of them at the bar…it was a memory!
Jason looked pleasantly surprised and returned the hug loosely. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Dani take a hesitant step toward them. When Jason looked at my best friend, his face blanked, and he gently pulled away from Sanchez.
I was confused, wondering what exactly was going on between Dani and my brother, but only for a moment. Dani’s memories invaded my mind, and I saw Jason heatedly gazing up at her while kissing her bare hip.
“Oh. Fuck.” I couldn’t stop the words from escaping.
Looking back at me, recognition registered on Dani’s face, and she instantly turned red. My head whipped to my womanizing brother. “Jason!”
“Zoe.” His face and voice were expressionless.
I pointed at him and then at Dani. “We’re talking about this later.”
“No, we’re not.”
Rolling my eyes in exasperation, I turned my back on him. Now I remember why I can’t stand him.
Almost everyone was carrying out the age-old tradition of greetings and introductions. An older man stood off to the side of the group, watching, but my attention locked on the blonde woman beside him. That must be Chris. A sense of gratitude overcame me as I approached her.
“Chris?” I asked.
“I am,” she said, smiling. She extended her hand in greeting. “And you’re Zoe. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you from our girl.”
I took a step closer, wrapping my arms around her strong shoulders. “Thank you for taking care of her,” I whispered.
She patted my back, and I gave her a squeeze before pulling away.
“It wasn’t easy, but I did my best,” she said with a smirk.
I noticed a young man standing behind her, and I could feel his discomfort as I approached him. “Hi,” I said, offering my hand. “I’m Zoe.”
He seemed hesitant as he accepted my greeting, but was also filled with curiosity. I had no idea who he was. “I’m Carlos,” he said, averting his gaze.
“Carlos joined us a few days after we left,” Chris added, putting her arm around him. “We had a little run in with a mind-controlled cult. I’ll let Dani tell you the whole story.”
“Miss Cartwright?” asked an older man.
Recognizing his sharp eyes as he drew closer, I realized it was Mr. Grayson. What the hell is he doing here? “Mr. G?” I pointed to his impressive mountain man beard. “I like the new look.” I leaned in to hug him, receiving an uncomfortable side hug in return.
“Oh, yes, well we haven’t had much time…traveling, you know,” he explained, moderately embarrassed.
“No really, I like it,” I said reassuringly.
An athletic-looking Asian man walked up behind Mr. Grayson, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. “Stop hogging all the ladies, Old Man.”
“Oh—” Mr. Grayson began, but the younger man interrupted.
Outstretching his hand, he introduced himself, “Ky.”
“Zoe,” I offered, trying not to blush at the desirous emotions dancing through his mind.
“Hey guys…whatcha talkin’ about?” Dani asked, suddenly appearing at my side. But before either of us could answer, Dani said, “Ky, why don’t you go meet that Sanchez chick?”
I couldn’t help but laugh at Dani’s jealousy and wondered how serious things were between her and Jason. Maybe I don’t want to know.
Surveying the group for Jake, I found him standing beside my brother, talking. My heart practically stopped. In my entire life, the only time my brother ever actually acted like a brother was when he turned unbelievably protective around any guy who showed any interest in me. This is going to be…interesting.
I looked at Dani in both anticipation and horror.
She grinned wickedly. “Who’s that? He’s yummy.”
I smiled, only half distracted by her comment. “That’s Jake, and I don’t know if I want him talking to Jason alone.” I grabbed her hand. “Let me introduce you,” I insisted.
Hustling over, we overheard their stilted conversation.
“So you’re the guy that saved my sister’s life,” Jason said.
“Yeah, I guess you could say that.”
As we reached them, I rested my hand on Jake’s arm to get his attention. I tried to ignore the excitement and curiosity building in Dani, and focused on the two men.
“Jake, this is Dani,” I said, introducing them. Glancing back at my friend, I could tell she was trying to control the avalanche of questions threatening to explode from her mouth. Leaving Jake to be ensnared in Dani’s bubbly, conversational pandemonium, I turned to my brother.
“I’m…glad you’re okay,” he said, surprising me with the honesty in his tone.
As I took in the sight of him and felt his relief, my own emotions flared up again. I could only nod as I tried to control the tears welling in my eyes. I hugged him, and he squeezed me tightly. Worried he’d vanish into thin air if I let go, I held on to him, barely able to control my sobs.
“I mean it, Zoe. We have to stick together now.”
At first, I reveled in his hold, not wanting to let go, but out of nowhere, an alarm rang in my head, and a burst of negativity shot through me. I pulled away from Jason. Scanning the group, my blurred vision fell upon Harper and Dani as they separated from an introductory hug. His masculine features were scrunched with worry.
What did he see? I wondered, knowing he’d probably just had a vision and that it couldn’t be good.
“Zoe,” Sarah said meekly, just as Dani frolicked toward me, shouting, “Zo!”
Taking a step back, I continued wiping the moisture from my cheeks.
“Have you two met yet?” I asked, and Sarah shook her head bashfully. “Sarah, this is Dani,” I offered. “Dani, Sarah.”
“So, wow…you’re pregnant!” Dani noted and then brought her hand up to her mouth. “Oh! Sorry, that was rude.”
“It’s okay,” Sarah replied, her hand instinctively going to her belly.
“Er…congrats?” Dani offered with a crooked grin.
Awkwardness settled over us as Dani and Sarah stared at one another. I was instantly thankful to see Harper and Sanchez helping Jason and Carlos unsaddle the horses. I gestured in their direction. “We should probably help them unpack.”
The three of us started to join them, but Dani caught my wrist, stopping me mid-step. “Wait, Zo. There’s some stuff I need to tell you…”
50
DANI
I snuggled closer to Jason, staring into the fire and wondering if it was the best night of my life. We’d found Zoe. She was safe. We were together—all of us. I sighed. I would have been completely content if the news I’d delivered regarding Zoe’s dad wasn’t the reason for her puffy eyes and frequent remote looks.
Standing, Zoe called out over the roar of the far-too-large bonfire, “Who’s ready for another?” She was tending an impromptu bar she’d set up on a long, table-like boulder a dozen feet from the flames, and seemed to find comfort in the task. The volume and variety of alcoholic beverages her crew had gathered were astounding, including a cornucopia of wines, liquors, and beers.
“I’ll take one,” Jason and Jake called out in synch and then exchanged uncomfortable glances.
Meeting Zoe’s eyes, I stifled a giggle and patted Jason’s knee. Watching Jason and Jake interact throughout the evening had been absolutely hilarious and predictably awkward. Once Jason had realized his sister and Jake were involved, he’d taken on the usual p
rotective, disapproving brother role.
I studied Jake, who was sitting beside Zoe’s vacant spot on a tarp-covered hay bale. He was rugged and reserved, which was surprising. Zoe usually went for clean-cut, sporty, generally douchey guys. But Jake, though definitely athletically built, was none of those things.
“So, Zo,” I said, intruding on her thoughts while she fiddled behind the rock bar. “Jake sure is something. I’m…surprised.”
Zoe looked up and grinned, then masked it with a false glare. She’d accepted my telepathy without fuss, though she did seem to be having a hard time with some of the finer details. “Well what’d you expect?”
“OMG shut up! You don’t have to speak out loud! Hello…secret conversation here!” I screeched in her head. Jake and Jason were already staring at her for the random statement, as were a few of the others.
I watched as Harper, lean and muscular with a really great derriere beneath his fatigues, approached Zoe and asked for a top-off. He was drinking the same Scotch as Mr. Grayson, something from a simple and very old-looking bottle. Cocking my head, I appreciated how appealing he looked leaning his elbows on the boulder, swirling his plastic cup.
Zoe laughed at something he’d quietly said, and I smiled at seeing her entire face light up. She had a habit of shielding her emotions around almost everyone, but Harper had definitely weaseled his way into her heart. Admittedly, I felt a pang of jealousy. For years, I’d been the only one she would really open up to—or so I’d thought before I found out about the stupid box—but I truly was happy she’d expanded her circle of trusted confidantes. Just so long as I was always first, of course.
“So, he’s also kind of amazing to look at. What are you, like, a hot guy black hole or something?” I asked.
“That’s definitely not true. And what about you? Ky’s easy on the eyes. Not to mention that the sexy, ominous voice belonging to a certain mystery man in my dreams a few weeks ago was nice too…”
“Oh, right. Pot and kettle, eh?” I said and grimaced. “But, back to your men—you and Jake, have you two…you know…knocked boots…made the beast with two backs…gotten jiggy with it…?” I wiggled my eyebrows.
The Ending Series: The Complete Series Page 48