Although their journey was one of revenge, Blade still took the time to enjoy the in-between parts. It wasn’t every day that a person got to travel around the country, and there was so much to see. They had reached Nebraska, and he couldn’t deny that it was a beautiful place. There were great plains everywhere, rolling hills, and striking rock formations. Dakota seemed awed by its beauty, too, and if they were there under different circumstances, Blade would have suggested that they stay a while.
Their destination was North Platte, with the next person on their list being Mason Lee. Deciding that it was best to look for Mason as early as possible so that they could make a daylight escape again, they set up camp for the night on a hill overlooking the town. From there, they could see the outline of buildings, and when night fell and darkness surrounded them, small lights shone in the distance. It was common for folks to leave lanterns or candles burning in their windows, and it seemed like the whole of North Platte did just that.
Margaret never left a light on in the window, but his parents always had. The memory brought a smile to his face. If Blade separated all the memories of his family before the massacre from the actual event, he could think of them without getting angry. It was rare, but sometimes he managed to get it right.
“It looks so peaceful from here,” Dakota said from beside him. “It’s almost a shame that people like Mason Lee live there.”
“It’s a shame that people like him exist,” Blade replied. “But let’s not think about him tonight.”
“What do you want to think about then?” Dakota asked, raising a brow.
Blade shrugged. “I don’t know. I feel strangely relaxed, so happy things?”
“Happy things,” Dakota replied with a laugh.
“What’s so funny about that?”
Dakota continued to laugh as she shook her head. “You’re not exactly Mister Happy.”
It was true. Blade had been consumed by the idea of revenge for the last seven years. “I like to be happy,” he pointed out. “I just haven’t had many opportunities.”
Dakota’s expression changed as she shifted her position so that she was looking at him and not the town. “That’s actually really sad, but I get it. It’s been rough.”
“Don’t,” Blade warned her playfully. “No being sad or serious tonight.”
“Well, okay.” Dakota held her hands up in mock exaggeration. She was rather dramatic when she wanted to be. “If you are so insistent on talking about happy things, why don’t you start?”
Blade had to really think about it. He didn’t have all that many happy memories. He had some from before he lost his family, but he was so young, and over time, those memories had faded, no matter how hard he had tried to hang on to them.
He could only think of three things that really made him happy. The first one was seeing Millie happy. It didn’t happen often, but seeing her smile or laugh silently warmed his heart. The second thing that gave him some sort of joy was catching criminals. It was a different kind of happiness, but it always left him feeling somewhat at ease. He was aware that he could never catch all the evil people in the world, but knowing that there was one less bandit on the streets helped.
The third thing that made him happy was Dakota. Regardless of the situation, he always felt most like himself when he was with her, and most of his happiest memoriesincluded her. Blade stared into the dancing fire, trying to come up with something to say.
“Climbing the pear trees on the ranch,” Blade blurted out as the memory popped into his mind. It was something he and Dakota had always done.
Dakota’s face lit up. “Oh, that is fun,” she agreed.
“Target practicing,” Blade added after a moment. “And going for long rides in the mountains.”
Dakota’s eyes found his. “Seems like we have the same idea of things that make us happy.”
Blade’s heart sped up, and he took a deep breath to calm himself.
“I know I’ve asked you this before and you said you didn’t know, but you must have thought about it,” she continued, looking down at her hands. “What are your plans for when this is over? Are you really going to be a deputy, or is there something else you’re considering?”
Blade wasn’t sure how to answer. Of course, he had thought about it, but he still didn’t know. He shook his head. “I’m not sure. I mean, I’ve always been so focused on revenge that I didn’t really care much about what came after.”
“I understand what you mean,” Dakota said, turning to look at the town again. “I think this mission has been the focus of our lives for what feels like forever. It is strange to think about what will happen when it’s over.”
“It is,” Blade agreed. “I’ve always had this mission to keep me focused. I spent my life training for it and looking forward to it.” Blade shook his head, trying to come up with the right words. “I’m actually worried that I might get restless once it is over. I think I’ll have to find something to focus on, a project of sorts.”
“That might work, but you also have to figure out a way to be happy without something to keep you occupied.”
Blade frowned playfully. “How exactly will I do that?”
“I have no idea,” Dakota said with a shrug. “We’re both going to have to figure it out.”
“We’ll do it together, just like we’ve always done everything else.”
