Page 81 of Blackwood

Spring had hit Blackwood like a knockout punch in a prize fight. But instead of falling into darkness, light infused the air, the trees, and the plants. Wildflowers grew in the clearings, and the thickets bloomed with huckleberry blossoms and white honeysuckle. I skirted the dig and hooked my shovel onto the makeshift tool shed we’d built.

About a dozen students dug, scraped, and brushed dirt away from the remnants of a small Choctaw village about fifty feet from the spot where Garrett and I had dug the day we’d been shot. Green tarps shaded the excavations as eager students honed their skills and discovered secrets of a lost civilization.

I was in charge of the entire dig. Dr. Stallings stayed as far away from me as possible, and he was more than happy to give me carte blanche where Blackwood was concerned.

The breeze picked up, bringing a taste of wisteria in bloom. Cicadas hummed in the trees, their endless song foretelling another hot day in the Delta.

Arms snaked around my waist, and a familiar beard tickled the side of my neck. “Lunch?”

“Yes.” I smiled as Garrett pressed his lips to my skin, creating a storm of goose bumps shooting down my arms.

“I made something special.”

I craned my head to the side and peered up at him. “Like what?”

He kissed my forehead. “I can’t claim it all. Ty stopped by the house to help. It’s his signature country fried steak.”

My mouth dropped open as my stomach rumbled. “Are you kidding? I missed himagain?”

“He’s a private guy.” Garrett shrugged and squeezed me.

“I’ve already put him in the same category as Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.”

“Yes,Virginia, there is a Ty.” He released me and took my hand. “Come on. Let’s get you washed up. Your fingernails are blacker than mine. Then we can eat.”

I followed him to the small trough we’d set up with fresh water diverted from the nearby stream. After washing, we strolled hand in hand to the small picnic area where a few students ate their lunches and talked about what they’d found on the dig.

Pride must have been written all over my face, because Garrett smacked me on the ass and said, “You got this.”

I leaned up on my tiptoes and kissed him. “I’ve got you. That’s what matters.”

“I can handle the rest.” Garrett took the last dish from me and dried it with a faded dish towel. “You go on up to bed.”

I yawned and stretched. His eyes went to my chest where my nipples were hard and tingling.

He gripped my ass and raised me onto the counter. “Do you do these things just to turn me on?”

“What?” I bit my lip and stared up at him. “I just wanted to stretch.”

He smirked and planted his hands on either side of me, then leaned forward until our bodies were pressed together and his lips were only a breath away from mine. “Liar.”

His kiss heated my blood, my soul, warmed everything in me until I became an inferno that raged only for him. When he pulled away and traced his lips across my throat, I worked up another yawn.

He shook his head. “Go on to bed. I’ll be up in a minute.”

“Okay.” I let my eyes droop a bit as he slid me off the counter. “See you upstairs.”

“Naked.” He popped me in the ass with the dish towel as I strode out of the kitchen.

“Mmhmm.” Once I hit the hallway, I practically sprinted to the foyer on quiet feet. I pulled on my shoes and laced them tight. This time, I was going to let go, to give us a night we’d never forget. The past two times when we tried to play this game, I’d called black before even getting to the woods. Garrett had caught up and carried me back to the house, cradling me in his arms and comforting me. His love healed me more than digging ever could.

And now that I’d seen the Lodge dismantled, the building literally bulldozed, and justice for the victims, I felt ready. I could give myself over to the fantasy—fear and love and lust all wrapped in a fucked up and beautiful package.

I pulled the red pea coat from the peg next to the door and slid it over my arms. The familiar flick of the kitchen light switch turned up my adrenaline. Footsteps, soft and even, made the wood boards creak as Garrett approached.

My hand on the doorknob, I looked over my shoulder.

He came into view and stopped, his body going tense. “Red, we don’t have to—”

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