Thicker Than Blood (Thicker Than Blood #1)(122)

His gaze swept the area behind me. “Is it just you?” he asked. “What happened to…” He paused, his eyes again finding mine. A moment passed and his expression shifted, suddenly filled with understanding and compassion.

I shook my head, momentarily averting my eyes. “It’s just me now,” I said quietly.

Reaching up, he placed his hand on the back of his neck and sighed heavily, his eyes taking on a faraway look. “Lonely life, isn’t it? Lonely f*cking life.” Refocusing on me, he said, “You sure you don’t mind company? I’ll understand if you don’t. Can never be too careful these days. Only need myself some food and a good night’s sleep, and I can be on my way.”

Fumbling for the right words, struggling to corral my thoughts, I shook my head again. “No,” I said hurriedly. “No, it’s okay, you can stay as long as you need to. I have a can of creamed corn on hand if you want it.”

“Creamed corn?” He wrinkled his nose and gave me a small smile. “Guess beggars can’t be choosers, huh?”

I smiled back. “I’m a horrible shot, so hunting has been out of the question.”

His eyes widened slightly, and again he did a visual sweep of the area. “Game good around here?”

Nodding in answer, I let out a soft snort. “Not that it matters when you can’t shoot it.”

Still smiling, he lifted his shoulder and shrugged. “I could teach you. Aiming isn’t hard. It’s all about your breathing.” Suddenly, he held out his hand. “So we got a deal, then? You give me place to stay, and I’ll make you the next best gunslinger in the West?”

I didn’t know him from a hole in the wall, didn’t even know his name, but something innate told me that maybe I could trust him. Perhaps it was the same inkling that told him he could trust us when we came across his cabin in the woods on that awful day.

Stepping forward, I held out my hand. “Deal,” I said.

His filthy hand grasped mine, his fingers clasping firmly but gently, and gave me a quick and hearty shake.

“Name’s Joshua,” he said. “And it’s damn good to see a friendly face.”

“Leisel,” I replied, smiling again. “My name is Leisel.”





Epilogue


Evelyn

“Grab me some coffee, babe?” Shawn tore his eyes away from Thomas and their heated discussion over the latest upset regarding their favorite sports team, and quirked a brow at me.

“Who needs coffee when we’ve got lemonade?” I said as I slipped out of the partially open screen door and onto the porch. Leisel and Thomas’s six-month-old black Labrador retriever ran circles around me, nearly tripping me as I attempted tottering over the uneven ground in my three-inch heels.

Wearing my favorite summer dress, long and silky, the shade of the golden sun, my strawberry-blonde curls piled high on top of my head, I was carrying a tray loaded with glasses and a pitcher of lemonade. Setting it down on the table, I pursed my lips together in a sly grin and winked at my husband.

“I spiked it,” I said, shrugging my shoulders matter-of-factly.

“Of course you did,” Thomas said, laughing as he reached for a glass. “You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t.”

“Thanks, gorgeous,” Shawn said, pulling me onto his lap.

Winding my arms around his neck, purposefully letting my hands slip up into his messy brown hair, together we shared a long kiss. I could never get enough of him, and it was the same for him, our passion for each other only increasing with every passing day. Shawn’s breath washed over my face as we pulled out of the kiss and I stared into his eyes, smiling softly as I wiped a smudge of my bright red lipstick from his mouth.

“Why do I always get hit when I do that?” I heard Thomas say aloud.

Grinning, I glanced away from my husband, looking across the table at Thomas, who was smiling widely, showcasing the pair of dimples that Leisel adored. His light blue eyes glinting with humor, his ruddy hair glinting golden in the sun, he glanced at the empty seat beside him. “She never lets me kiss her in public.”

“But does she let you kiss her when you’re alone?” Shawn asked. “Because that’s all that matters.”

Thomas’s grin grew even wider, and a tad bit devilish.

“Well, I guess that answers that,” I said, smirking. “Speaking of which…where is Lei? It’s not like her to be late.”

Thomas shrugged. “She had a few things to do, she can’t make it.”

Thinking of the chocolate cake I’d made especially for her, I frowned.

“Don’t worry, babe,” Shawn said, running his hand up my back. “You’ll see her again, and then you can ply her with as much of your awful cake as you like.”

“Hey!” I shouted, my tone tinged with laughter. “It isn’t that bad!”

“It is,” Thomas said, nodding gravely. “It really, really is.”

Pressing my lips together, trying to stifle my laughter, I shook my head at them both. “You’re awful, you know that?” Feigning anger, I folded my arms across my chest and glanced up at the sky.

“Hey,” I said, squinting. “Is that an eagle?”

“Looks like it,” Shawn said. “Weird, huh? When have we ever seen an eagle around here?”