Page 37 of Still Afraid

“Thanks, Buck.” Gabe shook his friend’s hand.

“Of course. Chloe’s like a sister to me too. You bet we’ll find whoever did this.”

Josh also shook Buck’s hand before he left with admonitions to keep Chloe safe.

Josh would do anything in his power to keep his fiancée safe. And he trusted her brother felt the same.

Gabe turned to head back inside.

“Wait.”

He spun back to Josh.

“I don’t want her staying here by herself. I don’t trust that whoever did this won’t be back.”

“Agreed. But you two aren’t married yet.”

“Don’t I know it.”

Gabe laughed. “I have an idea I’m pretty sure Aliza would insist on. How ’bout I sleep on her couch? You know I’ll keep her safe.”

“That I know I can count on. Because it’s not even just me you’d have to answer to if you didn’t. She has two more brothers and a protective father to contend with.”

Gabe laughed again and held up his hands in a surrendering pose. “Fair enough.”

They quieted their chuckles before they entered the house. Now that the scene had been processed, they could put things back together.

Chloe was asleep at the counter, so Josh and Gabe worked to put to right as much as they could.

Half an hour later, Chloe wandered into the living room as Josh finished reassembling her pack while Gabe was in her bedroom.

“Hey, sleepyhead. You’re going to need to inventory this and repack it the way you want it, but it’s at least not all over the floor anymore.”

“Thanks, babe.”

He stood, and she slipped her arms around his waist.

“I appreciate you.”

He kissed the top of her head. “You know I love you.”

“Yep.”

“Gabe’s going to stay the night.”

She sighed. But Josh couldn’t quite tell which way the sigh went.

“Thirteen days.”

“Twelve and a half.”

A soft giggle shook her shoulders. “It’s still thirteen sleeps.”

“Fine. Then go to bed so we can mark another sleep off.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” She planted a kiss on his lips.

He drew her closer and leaned into the kiss.