I feel Theo’s attention on me as well, both of their eyes running over me, and I nod. “Yeah. You guys?”
They both nod, and I pat Puddles’s head, making sure she’s okay as well. She gives my palm a slurp.
I look out of the cracked windows, but I can’t see Madix anywhere, and my stomach clenches. “I need to see Coon,” I say, feeling tears well up into my eyes. If she’s hurt…
“Remi, wait,” Brant implores, but I don’t.
I scramble to the front seat where Madix left the door ajar, and go outside on shaky legs. I look around, trying to spot Madix or Coon on the ground. “Coon!” I call.
“Remington.”
I whirl around on my heels and find Madix walking forward with Coon in his arms. My hand flies to my mouth at her prone form...right before her head pops up, and she clicks her tongue at me.
I drop my hand to my chest and let out a relieved breath. “Thank goodness,” I say, rushing forward.
Before picking her up, I run my eyes over her. “Is she okay?”
Madix nods, looking a little impressed. “I checked her over. Didn’t feel any broken bones or anything, and she seems to be moving around just fine. She was about a hundred yards back, walking around. Resilient little rodent.”
“Marsupial,” I correct automatically.
A hint of a smile passes over his face as he hands over my opossum into my arms. “Marsupial,” he amends.
I cradle her in my arms, and she nips at my fingers. “She wants to see her babies,” I tell him, and I feel Theo and Brant coming up behind us. Theo has the rat cage in hand, and the damn things are still sleeping. Coon wriggles until I let her down alongside the cage, and Theo opens it so she can get inside. She cuddles up to the rats immediately.
Puddles is sticking close to Brant, her brindle body right up against his leg. “Aww, you okay, honey?” I ask, kneeling down to rub her head.
“She pissed on me,” Brant announces, and sure enough, there’s a little wet spot on the knee of his pants. He looks at Puddles, apology bleeding out of his gaze for what she just went through, and it’s touching how much she means to him and him to her.
“There’s nothing wrong with having a weak bladder,” I reassure Puddles, and Theo gives an amused snort. I give him the eye. “Don’t make her self-conscious.”
He smirks and buries his hands into his pockets. “Apologies.”
Madix sighs, drawing our attention, and we all follow his line of sight at the wrecked and ruined car that is still puffing with steam. “That’s not gonna run again,” he announces.
All four of us seem to realize the implication of his words at once.
“How many miles are we from Endstone?” I ask.
“We’re just over two-thirds of the way there,” Theo replies.
I blink, because I know that Endstone is exactly 519.3 miles from my cabin. “Shit,” I curse. “That leaves us with, what, maybe a hundred and sixty miles to go—give or take maybe fifteen?”
“Yep,” Theo chirps back, as he pats Madix on the back. “Well, let’s unpack the car and carry what we can. We’ll have to ditch the rest. Looks like we’re walking the rest of the way.”
The guys grumble and groan, but a slow smile spreads across my face. When Madix sees, he’s caught off guard, and starts eyeing me warily. “Why are you smiling? It’s going to take us probably a week to walk down this mountain and get to Endstone.”
“Because, this,” I throw my arms out, motioning to the wilderness around me, “Is what I do! I have exactly four favorite hobbies.” I lift up my fingers and tick them off one by one. “Fishing, hunting, and camping,” I say, my smile confident and excited.
“That’s only three things. You said you hadfourfavorite hobbies,” Madix retorts.
“Well, fucking is right up there too, but I don’t think you boys are ready for this jelly.” I raise my eyebrows at him in challenge and then turn to practically skip my way toward the car to join Theo.
“Perfect. Just what we need on this mission from hell, a jazzed up Girl Scout,” Madix grumbles at my back.
I snort. “Do I look like a cookie-toting Girl Scout? Hell no. My dad knew I’d be useless at that. No, I was a patched-up Boy Scout, mothersucker,” I toss over my shoulder. “Camping is my jam, and I’m about to show you big bad Rangers a thing or two.”
13
