Page 132 of Counter Attack

You rejected him.

Had to. Didn’t want to go through the pain of losing him. She would be all alone then.

You are never alone.

Never?

I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Peace enveloped Alex. Rough hands lifted her head above water.

“Her lips are blue. She’s going into shock!”

The voices sounded so far away. She didn’t want to leave where she was, but then someone cradled her in his arms. Nathan. Alex relaxed into his embrace.I’m sorry. I should have told you that I love you.

“Hang on,” Nathan whispered in her ear. “An ambulance is on the way.”

72

A week later

Alex leaned back in Nathan’s pickup as he closed her door then jogged around to the driver’s side.

He slid across the seat and pressed the start button. “Thanks for coming with me today. Is your headache better?”

Alex nodded. Jared’s bullet had creased her skull, and she’d used the residual headache to keep from seeing Nathan. Not because she didn’t want to, but because fear immobilized her. But she’d made up her mind to end the fear today.

“It’s a beautiful day. How about a drive up on Walden Ridge?”

Itwasa beautiful day with the sky so blue it almost hurt her eyes to look at it. “Sounds good.”

Her mind whirled in the silence as Nathan drove.Tell him. Not while he’s driving ...

“Jared will be released from the hospital today.”

She jumped as he broke the silence. “I guess that means Russell County jail will be his next stop,” she said, glad to talk about normal things. She still couldn’t believe Jared and her chief of staff had hatched a plan to get rid of her. Harvey survived his heart attack long enough to confess the plan.

“Too bad about Harvey,” Nathan said.

“Yeah.” His funeral had been two days ago.

“Maybe now things will be tamer than the past two weeks with both Jared and Kayla in jail. The Hamilton County District Attorney wants to try her first, but our DA is digging in his heels—he wants first shot at her.”

Soon, he pulled into a turnout and parked. Nathan helped her from the truck, and they walked to a picnic table where they had a view of the valley below and the mountains to the east. Even this late in the season, there were splotches of color, mostly yellow. Nathan took her hand and they stood letting the sun warm their faces.

“It’s so peaceful here,” she murmured.

“Yeah,” he said softly.

Her heart thudded as he turned her to face him.Now.But before she could say anything,he withdrew a small box.

He held it out to her. “It’s not much, moneywise...”

She carefully unwrapped the box and lifted the top. A necklace with a delicate chain and a gold heart lay nestled in the satin. She touched the writing on the heart.I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Alex lifted her hand to her mouth as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. The very words God had spoken to her heart when she was in the water. “I—I need t-to tell you something.”

“Not yet.” Nathan pulled her to her feet. “Let me fasten this around your neck.” Once it was fastened, he turned her around to face him again. “I love you, and I hope one day you’ll be able to return that love.”

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