Page 70 of The Wayward Son

He stopped and let her catch up to him. “You feel better, right?”

“No. I just added burning lungs to frozen feet, hands, and face.”

He put his arms around her. “We’re almost there.”

“I hope so. But you were right about walking. Not a car in sight. We’d just be freezing to death in the truck.”

“Well, we could’ve run the heater.” She punched him in the shoulder, and he laughed. “I’m so numb I didn’t even feel that.”

When they saw the arch, they both stopped for a moment to wonder at the beauty of it.

“Man, I never thought I’d be so happy to see that.”

She took his hand. “Come on, we’re almost there.”

Chapter twenty-one

"We had a slight problem."

By the time Sawyer and Jade reached the porch, they were both too cold to even celebrate the moment. Sawyer opened the door, and they both stripped off their wet coats, hats, and boots and dropped them into a pile by the door. Then they headed for the living room and the fireplace.

Sawyer needed both hands to pick up a piece of firewood to toss into the red coals of the fire. He threw a second piece in, then turned his back to the fire and sat down. Jade sat next to him, then laid down and put her head on his thigh.

He stroked her wet hair. “We made it.”

“Did we? My mind is frozen. It’s not a dream, is it?”

“No. We’re here.”

When Sage came into the room, Jade stayed where she was, while Sawyer looked up at Sage.

She put her hands on her hips. “What the hell is going on? You look… What happened? Where’s Dad and Ember?”

Sawyer raised a hand. “One question at a time, please.”

“Are you guys okay?”

He shook his head. “Next question.”

“Dad and Ember?”

“Clinic. Labor. Baby.”

Sage sat in a chair. “She had the baby?”

“In the process.”

“Why do you look like a popsicle?”

“Coffee first, please.”

Sage nodded and got to her feet. She headed for the kitchen and Sawyer took a breath. His hands and feet were tingling now as they began to thaw out.

Sage came back into the room with two towels. She handed them to Sawyer, then took a blanket from the couch.

“The coffee is almost ready.” She tucked the blanket over Jade and on Sawyer’s lap.

“Thank you.” He soaked up some of the water in Jade’s hair, then rubbed his hair, before hanging the towel around his neck.

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