Page 136 of One Last Shot
He looked a little tired today, wore a bit ofscruff on his face. “We still have Mike’s gear from when we picked him up. Reynolds wants to come by and get it. He’s stopping by to pick it up later today. Can you grab it from the gear room for him?”
And again Oaken walked into her head, sat down. Maybe she’d never escape him.
“On it, boss.”
Moose grinned. “I know you’re itching to get back out there, Boo. Give it time.”
“Yep.” She turned to walk out when?—
“Have you heard from Oaken?”
She stopped at the door. Glanced back at him. “Nope.”
“Even with the song?—”
“I swear, if you break out into singing?—"
He held up his hands. “Sorry. It’s just... he was pretty upset when you left. And then London played me that song and, well, I was hoping you two had figured it out.”
“Figured what out?”
He gave her a look.
“Listen.” And then her chest tightened, her throat burning. “I... we... it was just for the show.”
“No, it wasn’t, Boo.”
“Yeah, well, you don’t see him gearing up for any rescues with Air One, do you?”
He closed his mouth, and she turned and walked out, trying not to limp. Maybe that wasn’t fair, but...
No, it wasn’t fair at all. Oaken had a life. A big life. She didn’t expect him to give it up for her. So whathadshe expected?
He’d even stuck up for her on national television.
She probably needed to forgive him.
And maybe it was hearing London’s voice emerging from the locker room where the team gathered, but her words from long ago swept through her.“You can’t let Blake and your anger for him get inside your heart. It’ll do all sorts of destructivethings, like make you afraid and controlling and bitter... Anger is the root of so much tyranny in our lives.”
Maybe.
Boo grabbed a fresh cup of coffee in her mug and headed back to the gear room.
Oy. Ropes lay on the floor, some of them wound tight, others loosely bound. Carabiners hung on numerous webbing loops, clearly clipped on with no regard to type and count, along with descenders and rope clamps and pulleys and figure eights, as well as harnesses, a few tangled even as they hung from hooks.
She propped up the rescue dummy and set the coffee in front of him. “I guess it’s just you and me, pal.”
Rescue Ronny.
And there was Oaken, laughing, teasing as she clipped him into his harness.
Shoot.
She picked up a backpack and recognized it as the one Oaken had used to rescue Hannah. Heard his words, deep inside.“I’ll be back.”
And then her own.“I believe you.”
Shehadbelieved him. Had trusted him. And then promptly hadn’t given him the benefit of the doubt the moment... well, the moment she simply overheard something.