Chapter Seventeen
Like she promised, Natalie had all their stuff returned to the backpacks, and had even cleaned up as best she could, when Ren arrived back a little over thirty minutes later.
He strode through the door and walked right up to her, lifting her in a one-armed hug with his uninjured limb.
“What?” she said as he kissed her, ignoring the pain from her hurt back. There was a desperation to him she’d never seen before.
“We have to leave right now.”
“Oh.” She’d known that was coming but had hoped he would come back and say they had more time. She liked it here. Just the two of them and her painting.
He closed his eyes for a moment, almost like he was fortifying himself before reopening them. “I ran into some hunters. They gave me a snowmobile to use to get us into town. But we’ve got to go right now. My family got word of the accident and they’ve been frantic. I need to get in touch with them right away.”
She felt terrible. Of course they needed to go. “Sure. I’m ready.”
“Peaches. I...” He stepped away from her, eyes tortured. “When we get there, everything will change.”
“I know.” She’d always known that. “The real world. It’s okay.”
He looked at the phone in his hand. “Damn it, we’ve got to go right now.” He rushed over to the door and ushered her out. “Just, once we get to Westwater, stay near me, okay? I promise I will explain everything as soon as I can.”
Westwater? That was the nearby town? Natalie forced herself to breathe down the panic. She’d known they were somewhere in or near Colorado, but had no idea they were so close to Grand Junction where she’d lived with Damien.
It didn’t matter. She would get out of here as soon as she could. Maybe she wouldn’t be able to go to Montana with Ren right away, but she could meet him there later. There was so much they needed to talk about.
Ren got her situated on the snowmobile, before sitting behind her, surrounding her with his warmth.
“We’ll need to talk,” he said. “I ran out of time, and that’s on me, but just promise me we’ll talk when we get there. That you’ll give me a chance.”
She turned to look at him over her shoulder and smiled. “Of course.” There was nothing she wanted more.
He didn’t smile back, that tortured look still in his eyes as he put the only helmet over her head, started the machine and soon had them flying.
The faster they sped, the more worried Natalie became. Something must be pretty desperately wrong for him to move them at such a reckless pace.
Less than twenty minutes later he stopped them. She could see the lights of the town a few hundred yards away, but he didn’t drive the snowmobile all the way in, even though it probably wouldn’t even be that uncommon.
He stood and helped her take off her helmet.
“Why did we stop? A lot of Colorado towns allow the use of snowmobiles on the street.”
He began walking, holding her hand. “We have to walk the rest of the way and there are things you need to know before we make it into town.”
Her gut tightened, but she kept up her steps with him. “Okay.”
“Natalie, I haven’t been completely honest with you.”
“About what?” She almost stumbled over a root sticking up on the uneven ground but he held on to her arm, righting her.
He grimaced, continuing to propel them forward. “About a lot. I need your help. It’s important. Bigger than you or me. Or even us. A lot of lives are at stake.”
“Ren, what’s going on?” she whispered.
He stopped and ran his hand through his brown hair. They were just on the outskirts of town. “God, Peaches... Natalie... I never meant...”
“McClement!” A woman rushed into the woods. “Thank God. You guys have got to move right now. We’re going to miss our window to hit the evening news if you don’t.”
Natalie just watched as Ren turned to the woman, not correcting her at the wrong name.
