Page 50 of Critical Strike
“Mm-hmm.”
“Which bed was yours?”
He jerked a thumb toward the top bunk just behind him and Claire nodded. “I want that one.”
“You’re serious?”
“I am. What?” she asked when he chuckled. “I want to sleep in the bed you slept in. Is that funny?”
Funny? No. In fact, it was sort of sexy in a weird way. He kept that thought to himself in favor of sliding his arms around her waist. “Not much room for more than one person in these beds.”
“Good thing I’m too wiped out to think about anything but sleep right now.” But she was smiling, and for a moment, it was almost possible to forget there was anything more important happening in their lives than an unforeseen meeting with his parents.
“I’m glad you got to meet them, even if this wasn’t what I had planned.” He pressed a kiss against her forehead while her arms linked around his neck.
“They’re wonderful people.”
“They are. I had no doubt you’d get along with them.”
“And they love you. That much is obvious.” She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him softly, almost playfully. “I mean, not that I blame them or anything. You’re pretty wonderful, too.”
“Mom’s superpower is loving,” he murmured, careful to keep his voice low, the way they used to when they were kids pretending to be asleep. “They’re perfect for each other, those two. They are both very special people.”
Claire changed into pajamas and climbed into her bunk while Khan took the bottom bunk across from her. Watchful, but comfortable in his own right. “Keep an eye on her,” Luke whispered to the cat once Claire was sound asleep.
THECABINWASDARK, quiet, though Luke knew better than to accept things at face value. His father would want to talk. They’d only exchanged a single long look before retiring to their respective bedrooms, but that look had carried a lot of weight.
He was waiting on the small porch overlooking the lake. The water was still and smooth under a cloudless sky, giving the illusion of there being two moons thanks to a motionless reflection. “Beautiful,” Luke whispered. There was nothing like being out here, away from the rest of the world.
Clinton nodded, staring off in the same direction. “I recognize your friend from TV.”
“It’s not what you think.”
“I figured as much.”
“We only need to lie low for a few days. It’ll give us time to regroup and come up with a plan. The people after her are dangerous and connected enough to use law enforcement as a personal tool to catch her.”
“Your brothers are helping?”
“As much as they can.”
“Who is this girl that she’s important enough for you to go to all this trouble?”
“I knew her back at Skyline Park. She was important to me then. She still is.”
Clinton sighed, finally turning his face toward his son. “You know your mom won’t want to leave now, not with another baby bird to take care of. But I can’t put her in a situation where she might be in danger, either. Not with her blood pressure.”
“I wouldn’t want to put her in danger, believe me.”
“That being said, if you think it’s okay, we’ll stay tomorrow. Give her a chance to mother you both for a while. It’ll do her good.”
“I think it’ll do Claire good, too.” He didn’t bother mentioning himself, as his needs were fairly far down on the priority list. But he suspected it would do him good, just the same.
They fell into an easy silence while nature’s sounds filled the air. Even at night, there was never real, true quiet. An owl’s cry pierced the air. Leaves rustled. There were sounds of scurrying as some small animal foraged for its supper.
At least they had a natural alarm system all around them. If intruders decided to approach, the animals would sound an alert.
Luke’s heart swelled when he looked over at his dad, whose profile stood out against the moonlit sky. They didn’t share blood, but Clinton had taught him everything he knew about being a man and about what mattered in life. He’d set Luke’s feet on the path they currently trod.