Page 46 of Huck Frasier
She didn’t hear me approach. Her hair was a mess of curls, her face flushed pink from stubbornness and summer heat, one hand on her lower back like she was seconds away from going into labor just to spite me.
I almost laughed. Almost.
“Need a hand, sweetheart?”
She jerked upright, nearly smashing her head on the hood. Then she turned, eyes blazing, mouth ready for war.
“You!” she shouted, storming toward me. “Do you haveanyidea—”
I caught her mid-tirade, scooping her up like she weighed nothing. She squealed and hit my shoulder twice before melting against me, burying her face in my neck. Her breath hitched. So did mine.
“I hate you,” she mumbled.
“No, you don’t.”
“I do. So much.”
I kissed the top of her head. “Yeah? Well, I love you enough for both of us.”
She pulled back, smacked my chest, then kissed me hard enough I forgot there were hostiles still hunting me through these damn woods. I was getting damn tired of baby sitting these two families. Hell, I didn’t know who even called us.
33
Fraiser
Itried to get her to wait in the truck. I really did.
“Marley, you’re staying here,” I growled, adjusting the rifle strap across my chest while keeping her pinned with my best Navy SEAL death glare.
She snorted. Actuallysnorted. “That’s adorable, Huck. Truly. But no.”
“Mar—”
“No.You vanish for two weeks, I track you through backwoods Arkansas, and now you want me to just sit here and do nothing? While you get shot at? Nope. Not happening. I’m coming.”
She swung the diaper bag over her shoulder like it was a tactical pack. Half the zipper was open and I caught a glimpse of granola bars, a can of ginger ale, and her bright pink pepper spray. God help me.
I ran a hand down my face. “You are the most infuriating—”
“Compliment accepted. Let’s move it, soldier.”
Thirty MinutesLater
Marley trudged behind me, huffing every few steps, grumbling about bugs and roots and the fact thatthiswas not how she pictured ‘tracking down her fiancé in the wild.’
“Do you want to rest?” I asked for the fifth time, scanning the tree line for movement.
“Doyouwant to deliver this baby in the bushes, Fraiser? Keep walking.”
I barked out a laugh before I could stop it. She shot me a glare that promised holy hell if I didn’t shut up.
Ten MinutesAfter That
We finally reached the old service trail leading to the exfil point. Cyclone’s signal flickered on my earpiece:“ETA five mikes. And tell your woman to quit yelling about bears. She’s gonna attract them.”
I turned and clamped a hand gently over Marley’s mouth. “Stop telling the Ozarks about your bear phobia.”
She yanked my hand away. “If a bear shows up, I’m throwing you at it and running for my life.”
