Page 110 of Turn the Tide
If he remembered right—please, God—the abandoned hunting cabin should be less than a mile from here. He stood, shifted her weight slightly as he looked around, then headed in that direction.
“You don’t have to carry me—” she started, and he silenced her with a look.
“You planning to jog on that leg?” He raised his eyebrows. “You can be mad at me later. Right now, I need you to hold on.” Then he gentled his tone. “I know it won’t be fun. I’ll try to get us there quick.”
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Old moonshiners’ hideout.” He marched steadily through the rain with Sarah tucked against him, her arms around his neck, the helmet shielding her head from the rain. He tried to keep from jostling her leg, but it wasn’t easy. Especially when his hands started sliding on her wet poncho and he had to reposition her in his arms to keep from losing his grip. Her harsh breathing tore another strip off his heart.
Despite the pain, she didn’t complain, and his admiration for her grew with every step. The beautiful girl he’d known had turned into one tough lady.
Time blurred as he tried to keep his focus on their destination. He couldn’t get lost, couldn’t afford to miss the cabin.
The farther they went, the quieter she got, and he realized she was dozing. He hoped it was due to the meds, not the pain, but either way, he picked up his pace a little more, desperate to get her there sooner.
Finally, as the muscles in his arms screamed and his steps started slowing from exhaustion, he glimpsed the cabin through the pouring rain.
Careful not to drop her, he eased up onto the porch, hoping he didn’t fall through a rotted floorboard. “Sarah, we’re here. Wake up.”
He watched her face as the seconds ticked by and she didn’t rouse. He firmed his tone. “Come on, Princess. No sleeping now. Wake up.”
She sucked in a breath as her eyes opened. “Stop calling me Princess.”
He grinned with relief. “Works, doesn’t it?” Then he sobered. “I have to put you down to get this door open, okay?”
“It hurts, but it’s not fatal, Marco. Quit babying me. I’m fine.”
The strain around her eyes said otherwise, but she didn’t make a sound as he lowered her to the floor. He turned her so she could lean against the wall, then used his booted foot to kick the door open.
