Page 35 of The Lone Cyborg
The word reverberated through him as they climbed back up the tunnel and out into the coolness of the approaching night. The stark landscape was transformed by the light of the setting sun, the sky streaked with crimson and gold, the shadows of dusk falling across the desert like a velvet cloak. The horizon stretched out before them, clean and empty. He would have to report the incident and handle the repercussions, but the threat was gone and he and Mattie had each other.
Home, he thought again, looking down at her and smiling. She looked up, her eyes alight with an answering glow and his chest expanded as if it were suddenly full of helium, rising higher than any rocket as he basked in the pure joy of the moment.
They had each other—and that was all that mattered.
EPILOGUE
Three months later…
Mattie climbedout of the rover and waited impatiently for Jeb to dismount from Trojan. He’d insisted on riding separately so he could watch over her, and she hadn’t argued because she knew how important it was to him to protect her. But they were home now and she flung herself happily into his arms as soon as he reached the ground.
“I can’t believe it—we’re rich!”
He laughed, a laugh that came so much more easily these days, and swung her around in a circle until she was dizzy and breathless with laughter. Then he held her steady until the world stopped spinning, smiling down at her.
“As far as I’m concerned, we were already rich. I have everything I’ve ever wanted right here in my arms.”
His words filled with warmth but she shook her head.
“As much as I appreciate the sentiment, you know you like having a home as well.”
Fortunately the outlaw gang hadn’t caused any real damage and a thorough cleaning had removed all traces of them. Since then they had added on to the shelter twice, using some of Jeb’s accumulated savings. He’d had no previous use for the money and insisted he was happy to contribute to their partnership, despite her initial objections.
The first addition was a large dome that could be opened to let Trojan wander freely in and out but could also be closed and connected to their living area. The horse liked to stay close to them and, as Jeb had pointed out, he did take up rather a lot of room. Sylvester also approved of the arrangement and frequently chose to stay with Trojan rather than sharing the new bedroom that was the second addition.
Jeb had insisted that they needed a larger bed but while he took full—and delightfully creative—advantage of it during their frequent bouts of lovemaking, she always woke to find him wrapped around her, holding her as tightly as he had in the narrow bed alcove. But she enjoyed the extra room as well and had already made several updates to make the basic white dome feel more like part of their home.
“I like having a home,” he agreed, dark eyes warm and loving, “but wherever you are is my home.”
She rewarded his sincerity with a kiss that quickly turned passionate, but before he could lift her into his arms and carry her off to that big bed, a small yellow missile came flying towards them. Sylvester landed on her shoulder with a series of admonitory chirps.
“I know, sweetie,” she said soothingly. “I didn’t like leaving you either, but the market is a big place and you’re a very small bird.”
He gave a tiny huff, a clear imitation of the noise Trojan used so frequently, but he allowed her to stroke his head for a moment before flying off to scold the horse as well. She could swear the horse actually looked abashed before Sylvester finally settled into his favorite place perched on his back.
“Your bird has very poor timing,” Jeb grumbled, but she saw the glint of humor in his eyes.
“We’ll have plenty of time later,” she promised. “But why don’t we unload the rover first?”
Of course he insisted on doing most of the work, and she gave the heap of packages a guilty look as he added the last one to the pile.
“I may have gone a little overboard.”
“You deserve it—and as you were so eager to point out earlier—we can afford it.”
The sale of the lithium had been even more profitable than she had hoped. Following Jeb’s advice, she’d sold small amounts to several different dealers rather than one large sale, hoping to avoid attention. As far as she could tell it had worked, at least for now. Jeb had insisted on buying the materials he needed to expand the security system he had set up around their property with part of the profits, and he seemed as happy about that as she was with her less practical purchases.
She’d bought everything from fabric to baked goods and she gave a delighted sniff as she unwrapped a loaf of fresh bread.
“Doesn’t this smell heavenly? Bread is one of the few things I really miss from Earth.”
“Anything that makes you smile like that is all right with me,” he said softly and she smiled at him again.
“Maybe we should celebrate by having a picnic outside.”
He agreed and helped her gather up the bread as well as some of her other food purchases, including a rare and extremely expensive orange, and carried them out to the table they had set up on the ridge at the edge of the claim. They enjoyed the food and the warmth of the sun and made plans for the future before eventually falling silent. He pulled her onto his lap as they looked out across the desert.
“I wonder what’s happening in the cavern,” she said eventually, and he shrugged.
