Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 140965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 705(@200wpm)___ 564(@250wpm)___ 470(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 705(@200wpm)___ 564(@250wpm)___ 470(@300wpm)
“If they were anything like me, you’d be more than happy to pay someone to take them off your hands.” She giggled.
The sound sent his stomach on an emotional roller coaster. He could feel answering laughter welling up. “We’re having boys. A whole bunch of them.”
Deliberately she heaved a sigh. “Both then, and that’s the final offer.”
“You drive a hard bargain. A couple of girls and the rest boys.”
“ ‘The rest’ being how many?” Suspicion had crept into her voice and onto the expression of her upturned face.
He grinned at her. “Maybe seven.”
“I’d have to shoot you, Draden. All kidding aside, I think you need to remember I have very special skills. Weigh that very seriously before you give me another number.”
He forced himself to look sober. She was terrified, but willing to walk into fantasyland with him to keep from losing her mind. He was so in love with her he couldn’t think straight. Neither of them needed to worry about what was said. Like Shylah, he knew that even if their bodies tried to fight the infection, in the village, there had been a 100 percent kill rate. Their odds weren’t good.
“You have a very good point. I’ll go with three.”
“Since they’re mythical, I’ll agree to that.”
“You’ll go hunting and fishing with me.”
“I’m not certain how I feel about killing animals.” She frowned. “What does it involve? Besides pulling the trigger.”
“You skin the animal—”
“Whoa. Stop right there. There’s no skinning. I draw the line at skinning. I don’t want to skin and eat a poor animal after shooting it. I think that’s out.”
“You’re an assassin for God’s sake.”
She tilted her head again, giving him that little snippy look she had that was supposed to put him in his place but only made him want to kiss her.
“Nevertheless, there’s a huge difference between a nasty human being and a defenseless animal that’s just minding its own business.”
“You buy meat in a market.”
“I don’t. I’ve never been in a market. When I’m hunting a target, they don’t ordinarily go into a market.”
“Fine. I’ll do the hunting and fishing. With the boys. And our daughters.”
“You do that. I’ll read a book while you’re gone.” Her eyes lit up. “I’ve always wanted to garden. I can grow our vegetables. And I’ll cook.”
“We can share those chores. Cooking, dishes, that sort of thing.”
“Good you said that. Cooking I’m okay with, the rest of it, we do together.”
They were once again at the small clearing where the ranger’s house sat. He didn’t want to stop with their fantasy, but he needed to examine her and record his findings. He’d get that out of the way and then go alone to the remote lab and let Trap tell him whatever needed to be said. The absolute truth because he liked the idea of marrying her. Dying as her husband, as part of a couple who belonged together made sense. He wanted that, and he wanted to give her that. It had started out as a joke to take her mind from their reality, but once spoken, the idea appealed to him. More than appealed.
“You’re on,” he agreed and opened the door for her.
Shylah went ahead of him. He loved to watch her walk. She was tired. He could clearly see her fatigue in the way she carried her body, but she still had that erotic, feminine sway. She peeled off the wet shirt the moment she was inside. He turned her around and instantly saw the rash that spread across her stomach and breasts. It was red, raised bumps and angry looking. He used his phone to take pictures.
He kept all expression off his face as he examined the lymph nodes in her neck, under her mandible, on her arms and chest. Her lymph nodes were swollen, and it was all he could do not to cry. She held very still as he examined her, as if she were holding herself together by a thread. He took her temperature, wanting to get the examination over with as soon as possible. It was high, but just barely, as his was.
“Why don’t you take another shower and lie down for a few minutes. I’ll go have a mini-consultation with Trap, and when I come back, I’ll try my hand at cooking. After we eat, we’ll get some sleep.”
Shylah nodded. When he turned away from her, she caught his hand. “Thank you, Draden. You pulled me back from the edge.”
“You would have gotten there. I just got you there a little sooner.” He bent his head to hers, cupping her chin in his palm, looking into her dark eyes. “I think getting married to you is a really good idea. Let’s plan it and do it tomorrow, even if we can’t make it legal.”
Her tongue touched her upper lip, tracing the intriguing bow. The corners of her mouth turned up. She had a small indentation when she smiled, a little dimple that came and went but fascinated him.