“Nothing. Nothing could possibly be more special than that.”
They found the flask and cups, poured out a shot each, and lifted their glasses.
“HEY!” Fen yelled, loud enough that even the frantically swimming kidnappers looked up. “WE’RE TOASTING YOUR DOWNFALL!”
One of the kidnappers gave an angry yelp. “That’s my flask! How’d you get my flask? I thought it fell off the boa—” His sentence was lost in a splutter as Norris flapped a fin, sending a wave of swamp water into his mouth.
Carter and Fen looked at each other. A spark of glee danced in his hazel eyes. He took out the compass Precious had brought him and held it up. “Anyone recognize this?”
“That’s my compass,” yelled a floundering kidnapper. “I thought I lost it in the swamp! How’d you—” Norris snapped at him, making him break off and swim away frantically.
In a lower voice, Carter said, “To Precious, the prettiest little thief.”
“To Precious.” They clinked their glasses and sipped.
Fen had known the whiskey would be good, but it was even better than she’d expected. “This is Jack Daniels Blue Label single malt. Good stuff. And worthy of my toast. To Sugar, the cutest thing to ever come out of a swamp.”
They clinked and drank again.
“To you,” said Carter softly. “The smartest, sexiest, bravest, funniest, all-around best person to be trapped in a swamp with. I’m so glad I got to know you.”
“To you,” said Fen. “The guy who’s terrified of bullfrogs but not bullets. The guy who’s too sexy for the swamp. The guy who makes me not care that I’m in a swamp. Here’s to you.”
“Here’s to us,” said Carter.
They clinked and drank. The warmth of the fine whiskey filled her belly, and the warmth of being with Carter and knowing they cared for each other filled her heart.
Was this love? If she counted days, it was far too soon. But it felt neither sudden nor shallow, but like something she was consciously realizing long after it had already begun. How could she not love a man who’d throw his body between her and danger, then join her in a toast to the downfall of their enemies?
She wondered if he felt the same way as her. Her heart said he did. Her heart said this kind of feeling had to be mutual. Her heart said she should tell him, and hear him say it back to her.
But another part of her was afraid. It was the part that whispered,Careless, lazy Fen Kim. Daydreamer Fen Kim with her head in the clouds.
What if she was imagining the whole thing? What if this was just a swamp interlude that would fall apart once they were out of the swamp?
If Carter loved her, wouldn’t he have said so already? He was so confident, he wouldn’t be held back by the kind of doubts she had.
“We should probably let them get out of the water,” said Carter, indicating the kidnappers. They were so exhausted that their heads were repeatedly slipping below the water.
Fen would have enjoyed that sight more if she hadn’t been hoping Carter was contemplating telling her he loved her rather than watching the kidnappers. Hurriedly, she said, “Yes. You do it.”
He got up, stretched in a leisurely fashion, and shouted, “Will you all give me your word you won’t attack us if we let you get on the island?”
The kidnappers all shouted their agreement, some of them swallowing water as they did so.
“And will you tell us everything you know about what this was about?” Fen added.
They agreed to that too, spluttering and choking.
Carter whispered, “Want to do the honors? Just don’t give away that he’s a shifter.”
Fen nodded. She strolled to the edge of the bank, pointed at Norris, and shouted, “Shoo!”
Immediately, he plunged back down into the water’s depths. The exhausted kidnappers thrashed their way to shore, where they all collapsed, panting and gasping and spitting out swamp water. An array of goggle-eyed bullfrogs that had been scared away by Norris popped up and watched the kidnappers in a mocking manner.
Fen and Carter stood over the miserable, gasping kidnappers.
“What’s all this about?” she demanded. “One lie, and I’ll call back the—er—”
