Millie’s bright blue eyes focused on him.
“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Jace said, trying to regain his composure.
Millie made no attempt to interact, and he wasn’t sure what to do or say, so he simply kept quiet.
“I’m sure Blade told you that he asked us to come check on you while he’s gone.”
Millie gave a small nod at that, allowing Jace to relax a little.
“I can’t leave my office every day, but Jonathan will be stopping by to make sure you’re all right. If there is anything you need, you can write it down, and we’ll take care of it.”
Millie started making hand gestures and then stopped, looking frustrated.
“Blade told me that the two of you made up your own sign language,” Dr. Masterson said. “But unfortunately, I don’t understand it. Maybe you can teach it to Jonathan so that the two of you can communicate easier.”
A strange look crossed Millie’s face as she focused her eyes on Jace again.
“Of course, you don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Dr. Masterson assured her. “We are here to help you, so do whatever you feel comfortable with.”
Millie nodded again and then took a few steps further into the garden. She bent down, examining the vegetables, and then plucked a couple of squashes. Standing up, she wiped them off and then walked a little closer. She held them out in front of her, keeping her arms straight.
Dr. Masterson slowly approached her, stopping just within reaching distance, and took the squashes from her.
“Thank you, Millie,” he said, “These look delicious.”
Millie retreated immediately and then turned her attention back to her garden. She proceeded to care for the vegetables, ignoring the two of them completely. Jace couldn’t say that he blamed her. It wasn’t like they could have a conversation, and the whole interaction had been awkward.
They didn’t stay long after that. Dr. Masterson thanked Millie again and then reminded her that Jace would be back the following day. Jace was both looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time. Millie had triggered something in him, a deeply rooted curiosity. He wanted to get to know her, but at the same time, he had no idea how to go about doing it.
Chapter 10
They traveled at an easy pace. They had far to go and didn’t want to overwork the horses on the first day. Both Africa and Riot were fit and healthy, but just like Blade and Dakota, they had never gone on such a big adventure before. The horses were going to be moving most of the day, unlike before, when they got to rest a lot, and Blade wanted to ease them into it. He did not doubt that they could handle it, though. Both horses were young, eager to please, and in the prime of their lives.
Their first target was located in Stanley, which was roughly two hundred and eighty miles from Silver City. How long it would take them to get there depended on a lot of factors, but Blade was hoping that it wouldn’t take much longer than a week.
“How are you holding up?” he asked, glancing at Dakota.
A smile formed on her lips. “Really good.”
She seemed happy, and that made Blade happy, but he wasn’t delusional. Their adventure wasn’t going to be all fun and games. It was going to be tainted with blood, and he honestly hoped that she wouldn’t regret her decision to come along later on. For now, he basked in her happiness. Dakota was so different from other girls. She was special and deserved to be happy, something which she seemed to be whenever she was around him. Blade was proud of that fact.
“I reckon we’ve got at least three more hours of sun left.” Blade pointed at some hills in the distance. “We’ll head that way, see what’s behind them.”
“Maybe somewhere to camp for the night?”
Blade nodded. “That’s what I was thinking.”
Talking to Dakota had always been easy. Being around her just felt natural. He didn’t have to impress her or pretend to be something he wasn’t. He could just be himself, and so could she. It was amazing to have a friend like that, somebody who knew everything there was to know about you and still loved and accepted you.
They didn’t speak as they headed to the hills, but just knowing she was there beside him made all the difference. Blade wasn’t afraid of going on his quest. In fact, he was looking forward to finally getting it done, but he also knew that it wasn’t going to be easy. He had never before been away from home for more than a couple of days, and he had nevertraveled out of Idaho. It was going to be a long journey, and not having to do it alone provided him with a sense of comfort.
“Didn’t take too long to get here,” Dakota pointed out as they made their way past the hills. “You want to keep going a little longer?”
The sun had started to set, but they still had light and could probably cover a few more miles. However, Blade didn’t want to push Dakota or the horses too hard on their first day. He looked from left to right, scanning their surroundings. If there were more hills not too far away, they could go there, but otherwise, it was best to find a spot to camp. In the distance, he could see the outline of a mountain range, but it was too far. It would be dark when they reached it, and they still had to set up camp.
“No, we should find a spot to camp for the night,” Blade replied as he pulled on Africa’s reins, slowing him to a walk.
Dakota and Riot slowed down too and fell in beside him. “We’re looking for a cave?”
