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Waylon’s expression changed, not to concern so much as understanding. “Truck by Kyle’s SUV. Cooler in the back.”
“Thanks.” Mac glanced toward the next trailer waiting in line. “Ben can take that one?”
“Already is.”
Good.
Nobody looked at him like he’d broken. Funny how much easier that was when he actually opened his mouth.
He headed toward the cooler. Across the staging area, Harold stood with his radio pressed to his ear while Dana directed another group toward the loading alley. Jodie remained at the table, writing almost continuously now, stopping only when someone brought her a change.
Harold lowered his radio and walked over to Dana.
“You’ve got the holding site,” he told her. “I’m going to check the south access and make sure we haven’t got anyone still beyond it.”
Dana nodded. “I’ll keep movement coming through here.”
“I’ll radio if anything changes.”
Mac watched Harold climb into the BLM truck and pull away.
Good.
One more person checking roads was one less person they’d have to send later.
Across the yard, Dana crossed to Jodie’s table and said something Mac couldn’t hear. Jodie nodded and wrote it down.
He kept walking. The cooler sat open in the bed of Kyle’s SUV. He found an electrolyte bottle under a layer of melting ice, twisted the cap off and drank half of it before his body could negotiate.
“Hey.”
He looked up. Jodie stood a few feet away.
“When did you get here?”
“About thirty seconds ago.” She looked at the bottle in his hand, then at him. “You okay?”
“Yep. Taking ten.”
Her gaze stayed on his face. He knew that look now.
“Before I need ten,” he added as he handed her a water bottle.
“Good.” Some of the tension left her shoulders. She pulled her bandana down and twisted the cap off the bottle.
“How are you?”
“I’m excellent.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“I’m furious, scared, exhausted, my eyes burn, and I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve rewritten the same board. But otherwise, excellent.”
“That sounds healthy.”
“It’s a gift.”
He smiled and reached for her hand. She caught his fingers for a second, squeezed hard, then let go.
