Jesus. “I’m glad you made it.”
“Don’t jinx it. I haven’t made it yet.”
“Ah,” he said, hoping to lighten the mood. “You’re superstitious.”
“I mean, rationally, no,” she said. “But also, a little bit.”
“I get it.”
“Really?” Her gaze met his. “What are you superstitious about?”
Damn. He’d walked into that one, hadn’t he? “I always throw spilled salt over my shoulder.”
Her eyes dropped in disappointment. Sure, he’d punted, but he barely knew this woman. Not even his best friend Jason knew Todd’s deepest fears.
“Do you always carry a gun?”
“Yep. I’ve been packing for so long, I’d feel naked without it.” He left the trail and trudged through the tall grass and scrub toward the depression he’d seen in the rock.
“I’ve never even touched one.”
“That’s probably good. Despite being from Oklahoma, and learning how to shoot at an early age, I don’t think most people should have them.” Pete, for one. “The risk of being shot with your own weapon, or accidentally killing someone else, is pretty high.”
“I have no interest in ever owning a firearm, but after today I feel like I should know the basics of how to handle them.”
“Couldn’t hurt.” They moved into the shade of the mountain and the temperature dropped several degrees. The change felt good to him, but he was working extra hard now, his already tired arm muscles aching with the effort of holding her close.
“Is the gun related to your job?” she asked, shivering.
“Yeah. I’m a security specialist in DC.”
“Like a security guard?”
Sure, on steroids. “More like a short-term bodyguard for C-suite corporate types and wealthy families. But we also run audits on companies or individuals to find the weak spots in their physical and network security.”
“Huh, okay.” She sat with that for several minutes, her hip chafing his stomach with every step. “Why didn’t you keep the guys’ guns or radios?”
“There was no way to know if those weapons have been involved in anything illegal. I’d rather not possess one without knowing its provenance.”
“Ah,” she said. “Makes sense.”
“As for the radios, the cops don’t usually monitor short-wave frequencies, so we couldn’t call for help anyway. And I didn’t want those two to be able to call anyone to come after us.”
“I never would have thought of that.”
“I wish no one ever had to.” Todd set her gently on her feet before the cave that had turned out to be nothing more than a shallow depression. “Well, shit.”
CHAPTER THREE
TODD GAVE LINDSEY a sheepish grin. “So, not a cave.”
The warm imprint of his arms across her back and legs had already dissipated now that the sun eased toward the horizon and the wind had picked up. She shivered. “Back on the trail?” she asked, trying to fake an enthusiasm she didn’t feel.
Her muscles had begun to stiffen, and pretty much everything throbbed. Sleep tugged at her, an inescapable anchor.
He glanced around, maybe picking up on her distress. “We could make a spot here between the rock and the pine trees. It’ll provide concealment and give us some shelter from the wind.” He dropped his pack and rummaged around before producing a zippered fleece. “Here. This’ll keep you warm until I can get the tent set up.”
“Thank you.” She slid her arms into the jacket, letting the heat soak into her bones, and sank onto a log. “Do you need help?” Her words slurred a little.
