holding her tight. For a moment, he glimpsed the sunlight as it broke through the shadows. Then she dropped her arms and the light disappeared.
But it was enough. He stared at her in wonder. Is that what it was like to not be alone? He couldn’t ask her. Knew it wasn’t the time for such a question and she likely wouldn’t know as she lived in the sunlight and had no idea the world was cloaked in shadows like he did.
As he watched she went back to rummaging through her bag. She pulled out a chocolate bar in triumph. Then she stared at its size before shoving it back inside.
“You aren’t hungry?”
“I’m starved,” she confessed. “But everyone is, and I can’t break a bar that small to give everyone a piece.”
What? He studied her again. “You don’t have to share with everyone.”
“Have to, no I don’t. But I want to. So it will have to wait until later when there are less people around so everyone can have a taste.”
Not understanding her logic, he said, “We’re leaving in the other truck.” He watched as Swede started loading the back of their rig. “I need to get you over there now.”
“Is it big enough,” she asked in a low voice, mentally counting the men in the area. “Maybe I should wait here until later.”
“For what later?” he asked. “This is your ride. Now or never.”
She nodded. “Now then. If you have room for me.”
He sighed and swooped down and caught her up in his arms, startling a squeak out of her as he carried her and her backpack to the truck beside them. Swede seeing them coming, opened up the back passenger door. “Your ride, princess.”
She beamed at him. “Thanks, I appreciate it.”
“Well, it’s not a plane but we’ll get you home one way or another.”
Shadow helped her sit on the bench then watched as she scooted back so her leg was resting on the seat. She took up most of the back. That wouldn’t last long. “Rest. We’ll be leaving in just a few minutes.”
She leaned forward. “But there’s not enough room for everyone.”
“There will be,” he whispered back.
That she’d be riding on his lap was something he understood, but she had yet to figure out. He was looking forward to seeing her reaction when she finally did.
Chapter 12
S he gave him a flat stare when she finally understood that his picking her up and settling her on his lap wasn’t temporary. As in this was the way she’d be riding to the next town.
He grinned at her. She glared at him.
Swede, sitting in the front, chuckled. She wanted to smack him. Beside Shadow sat Cooper and then Hawk. Mason drove and Dane had been pinched into the middle in the front. Markus and Evan had stayed behind to help the Canadians out.
She turned her head toward Shadow. “I told you I wouldn’t fit.”
“And I told you, you would.”
She sighed. “You’re being difficult,” she announced.
“No, you are.”
“You can’t always tell me I’m wrong.” She gave him a curt nod for punctuation.
“If you are, I can,” he countered.
She gasped. “Are you saying I’m always wrong? That’s mean,” she cried.
Shadow rolled his eyes and stared out the window.
She caught sight of Hawk’s smirk. “He’s being mean, isn’t he?”
Immediately Hawk agreed.
Right. He knew what his role was. “You should tell him,” she said with a nod.
“Shadow, you’re being mean,” Hawk instantly said.
A low rumble of laughter rippled through the truck.
She crossed her arms. “It’s easy to see which of you have partners,” she snapped.
Cooper eyed her curiously. “How’s that?”
“All those men know better than to argue,” she replied, glaring at Shadow. “Then there are those who haven’t learned that lesson yet.”
And this time the men cracked up.
Cooper immediately started whistling a tune she vaguely recognized. “What’s that song?” she asked.
Straight–faced he opened his mouth to answer, but Shadow’s arm straightened and belted him across the
But it was enough. He stared at her in wonder. Is that what it was like to not be alone? He couldn’t ask her. Knew it wasn’t the time for such a question and she likely wouldn’t know as she lived in the sunlight and had no idea the world was cloaked in shadows like he did.
As he watched she went back to rummaging through her bag. She pulled out a chocolate bar in triumph. Then she stared at its size before shoving it back inside.
“You aren’t hungry?”
“I’m starved,” she confessed. “But everyone is, and I can’t break a bar that small to give everyone a piece.”
What? He studied her again. “You don’t have to share with everyone.”
“Have to, no I don’t. But I want to. So it will have to wait until later when there are less people around so everyone can have a taste.”
Not understanding her logic, he said, “We’re leaving in the other truck.” He watched as Swede started loading the back of their rig. “I need to get you over there now.”
“Is it big enough,” she asked in a low voice, mentally counting the men in the area. “Maybe I should wait here until later.”
“For what later?” he asked. “This is your ride. Now or never.”
She nodded. “Now then. If you have room for me.”
He sighed and swooped down and caught her up in his arms, startling a squeak out of her as he carried her and her backpack to the truck beside them. Swede seeing them coming, opened up the back passenger door. “Your ride, princess.”
She beamed at him. “Thanks, I appreciate it.”
“Well, it’s not a plane but we’ll get you home one way or another.”
Shadow helped her sit on the bench then watched as she scooted back so her leg was resting on the seat. She took up most of the back. That wouldn’t last long. “Rest. We’ll be leaving in just a few minutes.”
She leaned forward. “But there’s not enough room for everyone.”
“There will be,” he whispered back.
That she’d be riding on his lap was something he understood, but she had yet to figure out. He was looking forward to seeing her reaction when she finally did.
Chapter 12
S he gave him a flat stare when she finally understood that his picking her up and settling her on his lap wasn’t temporary. As in this was the way she’d be riding to the next town.
He grinned at her. She glared at him.
Swede, sitting in the front, chuckled. She wanted to smack him. Beside Shadow sat Cooper and then Hawk. Mason drove and Dane had been pinched into the middle in the front. Markus and Evan had stayed behind to help the Canadians out.
She turned her head toward Shadow. “I told you I wouldn’t fit.”
“And I told you, you would.”
She sighed. “You’re being difficult,” she announced.
“No, you are.”
“You can’t always tell me I’m wrong.” She gave him a curt nod for punctuation.
“If you are, I can,” he countered.
She gasped. “Are you saying I’m always wrong? That’s mean,” she cried.
Shadow rolled his eyes and stared out the window.
She caught sight of Hawk’s smirk. “He’s being mean, isn’t he?”
Immediately Hawk agreed.
Right. He knew what his role was. “You should tell him,” she said with a nod.
“Shadow, you’re being mean,” Hawk instantly said.
A low rumble of laughter rippled through the truck.
She crossed her arms. “It’s easy to see which of you have partners,” she snapped.
Cooper eyed her curiously. “How’s that?”
“All those men know better than to argue,” she replied, glaring at Shadow. “Then there are those who haven’t learned that lesson yet.”
And this time the men cracked up.
Cooper immediately started whistling a tune she vaguely recognized. “What’s that song?” she asked.
Straight–faced he opened his mouth to answer, but Shadow’s arm straightened and belted him across the
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