Page 87 of Love for a Lifetime

“Thank you. For understanding,” she whispered.

“I wish you’d told me sooner. We could have pressed the play button on us a long time ago.”

Olivia shook her head. “I don’t think we were ready. I’m hoping we are now.”

“Oh, I’m definitely ready,” Dawson said.

She laughed and playfully shoved his arm. “On a more immediate note, how are we going to let our friends know we’re okay? Won’t they come looking for us?”

Dawson rubbed his jaw. “I hope not. I should have grabbed the sat phone before we came out here. I bet Lucas will come looking for us.”

Olivia held her phone in the air and moved it around slowly, watching the screen like a hawk. “Mine isn’t in emergency mode. Maybe I can get a signal.”

“That doesn’t mean they’ll get it,” Dawson reminded her.

“I don’t need your negativity right now.” She brought her phone down and typed up a message. “I’m at least going to try to send it.”

“If nothing else, we’ll sleep here and venture back out in the morning.”

Olivia rounded on him, pinning him with a stare. “So we can see the wolves coming? No, thank you. I don’t plan to meet death before I’ve brushed my teeth.”

Okay, she sounded ridiculous, but she wasn’t too keen about going back out there knowing what was waiting for them.

Dawson lifted his hoodie and pulled his gun out of its holster. He opened the console and stashed the weapon inside. “I’m always prepared, and I can certainly try to take care of the problem tonight, but–”

“Nope. I don’t think I can handle that,” Olivia interjected.

“And I don’t like shooting into the dark. If one of our friends did come looking for us, they might be out there.”

“But they’ll be unprotected!”

“Nope. I left my shotgun at the cabin, but I know Lucas has one too.” Dawson rubbed the back of his neck, carefully avoiding eye-contact with her. “I always have my pistol on me, but I was a little distracted when we left camp or I would have brought the shotgun.”

Olivia propped her elbows on her knees. “I was distracted too. Not that I would have been thinking about arming myself.”

“Are you saying I’m eye candy?” Dawson asked.

Olivia threw her head back and groaned. “Stop it. You know you’re hot stuff.”

“Hot stuff. I’m putting that on my resume.”

A laugh bubbled out of Olivia’s chest, but it was quickly followed by a yawn. “I am exhausted. What time is it?”

“Dark-thirty,” Dawson said without missing a beat.

Olivia yawned again. She was used to staying busy, but her bedtime was closer to nine than midnight. Add in the extra hiking she’d done in the afternoon, and sleep was calling her name.

Dawson nudged her arm. “Scoot over.”

She did as she was told, and Dawson bent his tall frame as best he could to see under the back seat. A few seconds later, he pulled out a bulging plastic bag. “Blanket.”

“Are you serious?” She’d worn an undershirt, a sweater, and a coat, but the night chill was starting to settle inside the truck.

“Best to be prepared.”

“Look at that Boy Scout training paying off,” Olivia jested.

“Eagle Scout. I’m an Eagle Scout, and that is on my resume.”

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