against their will. You done the world a favor, take’n him out. You wanna borrow my knife so’s you can notch the handle of your pistol?”
“No!” After shooting Hunter, Channie’d been so afraid that she’d misinterpreted the stranger’s lustful energy. He came at her so fast she barely had time to grab her gun out of her holster, much less analyze his motives. She was relieved to know she’d been right about the man, but she wasn’t proud of shooting him. She couldn’t believe Hunter wanted to notch her gun to commemorate the kill.
“You could notch it twice. If Josh hadn’t of healed me so quick, I’d have been a goner. That was definitely a kill shot.”
Guilt pressed in all around her, crushing the air out of her lungs.
Hunter reached towards her face, but before he could brush away the tears flowing down her cheeks, Channie jerked her head to the side. “All I saw was a man on a horse. I thought you were another tracker. I didn’t know it was you until … until after I’d already shot you.”
“Hey, it’s okay.”
“No. It’s not.”
“Come on, girl. Don’t cry. No harm done. I’m alive and everything still works. See?” He rolled his shoulder and swung his arm around, demonstrating a full range of motion. “And like you said, girls like guys with battle scars.”
Josh yawned then said, “Wanna see my new scar?”
“You’re hurt?” Channie scampered out from under him and laid his head on the ground then ran her hands over his chest and belly. “Where?” She’d assumed the blood splattered all over him was Hunter’s. “How bad is it? Can you heal yourself?” After the amount of energy he spent healing Hunter, he shouldn’t even be awake yet.
Josh sat up and grabbed her shoulders. “I’m fine. I cut my leg, but I healed it before I even got on my bike.” He spread the tear in his jeans apart with his fingers and said, “See? Nothing but a scar.”
Channie wanted to smack him for scaring her like that, but she was so relieved he was okay, all she could do was cling to his blood-soaked shirt and cry. Great heaving sobs racked her body making it hard to breathe.
Josh pulled her onto his lap and rocked her like a baby. “Shh, Channie, it’s okay.”
“No, it’s not!” She spoke between gasps, not caring if she made sense. She just needed to get it out before she had a mental breakdown. “Nothing is okay … I shot and killed a man … blew his freakin’ head off … and … and I … nearly killed Hunter … and … I thought you’d left me for good this morning. And then … just now—”
A powerful wave of calm washed over Channie. She took a deep breath then sighed and closed her eyes. “Hunter, you shouldn’t have done that. You need to save your strength for recovery.”
“I didn’t cast the be-calm spell. Josh did.”
Channie blinked her eyes open then lifted her chin and gazed at Josh. “You did?”
Josh grinned and shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe. I don’t know. I just wanted you to calm down … and then you did.”
“What did it feel like? Inside your power-well?”
“Nothing. The magic came out of my chest.”
Hunter said, “Heart-magic? He’s using heart-magic?”
Channie smiled as a warm glow of pride radiated from her own heart. She wove her fingers through Josh’s hair and pulled his face down to hers. She said, “I’m not surprised one bit. You are the most amazing man I’ve ever met,” then kissed him.
Hunter said, “All right you two, we ain’t got time for that. Uncle Rider is still sitting in the ravine with a broken back. What are we going to do about him?”
Josh broke the kiss, scooted Channie off his lap then stood up, bringing her with him. She bit back a gasp of pain when her ankle throbbed and shifted all her weight to her left foot.
Josh frowned and said, “Why are you limping?”
“I twisted my ankle, but I’m fine.”
“Let me heal it.”
“Not until you’re fully recovered from healing
“No!” After shooting Hunter, Channie’d been so afraid that she’d misinterpreted the stranger’s lustful energy. He came at her so fast she barely had time to grab her gun out of her holster, much less analyze his motives. She was relieved to know she’d been right about the man, but she wasn’t proud of shooting him. She couldn’t believe Hunter wanted to notch her gun to commemorate the kill.
“You could notch it twice. If Josh hadn’t of healed me so quick, I’d have been a goner. That was definitely a kill shot.”
Guilt pressed in all around her, crushing the air out of her lungs.
Hunter reached towards her face, but before he could brush away the tears flowing down her cheeks, Channie jerked her head to the side. “All I saw was a man on a horse. I thought you were another tracker. I didn’t know it was you until … until after I’d already shot you.”
“Hey, it’s okay.”
“No. It’s not.”
“Come on, girl. Don’t cry. No harm done. I’m alive and everything still works. See?” He rolled his shoulder and swung his arm around, demonstrating a full range of motion. “And like you said, girls like guys with battle scars.”
Josh yawned then said, “Wanna see my new scar?”
“You’re hurt?” Channie scampered out from under him and laid his head on the ground then ran her hands over his chest and belly. “Where?” She’d assumed the blood splattered all over him was Hunter’s. “How bad is it? Can you heal yourself?” After the amount of energy he spent healing Hunter, he shouldn’t even be awake yet.
Josh sat up and grabbed her shoulders. “I’m fine. I cut my leg, but I healed it before I even got on my bike.” He spread the tear in his jeans apart with his fingers and said, “See? Nothing but a scar.”
Channie wanted to smack him for scaring her like that, but she was so relieved he was okay, all she could do was cling to his blood-soaked shirt and cry. Great heaving sobs racked her body making it hard to breathe.
Josh pulled her onto his lap and rocked her like a baby. “Shh, Channie, it’s okay.”
“No, it’s not!” She spoke between gasps, not caring if she made sense. She just needed to get it out before she had a mental breakdown. “Nothing is okay … I shot and killed a man … blew his freakin’ head off … and … and I … nearly killed Hunter … and … I thought you’d left me for good this morning. And then … just now—”
A powerful wave of calm washed over Channie. She took a deep breath then sighed and closed her eyes. “Hunter, you shouldn’t have done that. You need to save your strength for recovery.”
“I didn’t cast the be-calm spell. Josh did.”
Channie blinked her eyes open then lifted her chin and gazed at Josh. “You did?”
Josh grinned and shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe. I don’t know. I just wanted you to calm down … and then you did.”
“What did it feel like? Inside your power-well?”
“Nothing. The magic came out of my chest.”
Hunter said, “Heart-magic? He’s using heart-magic?”
Channie smiled as a warm glow of pride radiated from her own heart. She wove her fingers through Josh’s hair and pulled his face down to hers. She said, “I’m not surprised one bit. You are the most amazing man I’ve ever met,” then kissed him.
Hunter said, “All right you two, we ain’t got time for that. Uncle Rider is still sitting in the ravine with a broken back. What are we going to do about him?”
Josh broke the kiss, scooted Channie off his lap then stood up, bringing her with him. She bit back a gasp of pain when her ankle throbbed and shifted all her weight to her left foot.
Josh frowned and said, “Why are you limping?”
“I twisted my ankle, but I’m fine.”
“Let me heal it.”
“Not until you’re fully recovered from healing
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