Page 64 of Chasing Sunsets

How lucky she was to have this man in her life, how fortunate for her he never gave up on her.

Suddenly her mind cleared and she knew with every part of her being thathewas her way forward.

He continued toward her until he stood only a couple of feet away, then he got down on his hands and knees.

She didn’t care if the microphones were listening. “I’m so sorry, Zack.”

“Don’t be. We can still make it before sunset.”

“No. I mean for everything.”

He stilled. The expression in his gorgeous blue eyes softened with understanding. His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat.

“How I’ve acted has been unfair to you and hurtful. You didn’t deserve any of it. You did the right thing.”

“There was no right or wrong, baby.”

Tears trickled down her face, stinging when they reached her scratched cheek.

“After what we’ve lived through,” he said. “We can beat this crossover. I can pick you up and carry you off if you want.”

“If you do we’ll have to take a penalty,” she answered.

“I don’t care. All I care about is you.”

How could she have forgotten how much he loved her? “I’d rather try to move myself.”

“Okay. We’ll do this together. Don’t look anywhere else, only at me. Every time I move you move. Got it?”

She nodded. Slowly, very slowly, she lifted her upper body on her arms and inched her knees forward to hover on all fours. “I can’t stand up.”

“We’ll crawl. Just keep your eyes on me.” He crept backward.

Arms and legs trembling, she stared into his handsome face. She raised her right arm and knee, placing them an inch ahead.

“That’s it.” He smiled, and she wanted to kiss him and never stop. He patiently cheered her on when he had every right to be frustrated with her. Attention on him, her movements resembled a sloth as she moved when he did.

“I’m on the ground.” He stayed on his hands and knees waiting for her.

She crawled onto the grass and shakily got to her feet. They couldn’t touch while she was completing the task, but all she wanted to do was fall into his arms. “Thanks for coming for me.”

“Always,” Zack vowed.

Their eyes stayed on one another as workers unhooked their safety lines. Once free, without bothering to take off the harnesses, they took off at an all-out sprint. They passed a huge bolder, and the finish line loomed ahead, as did two mountains in the distance where the sun still barely shone through the opening between them. People cheered when they spotted them. She pumped her legs as fast as they would go.

“Hurry!” Kelly’s yell roared over the others.

“Our final team is in!” Gemini screamed as they streaked past her. She continued talking into the microphone, facing three cameras.

Sadie slowed, turned toward her husband, and threw her arms around his neck. They held each other as they caught their breath. She pulled slightly away and placed a hand over his heart. Unsure what to say first, she remembered the old couple they’d helped from the wreck. She admitted, “I committed my first strike.”

He wiped some blood from her cheek. “No. No strikes.”

She moved her arms to surround his trim torso and held him close. Together, they watched the last of the sun descend behind the mountains. Suddenly, the dark sky illuminated. A trailer off to the side had multiple spotlights situated on top shining down on the crowd.

“Sadie.” Gemini had moved to a makeshift elevated stage. She motioned for Sadie to join her. “Please tell us what happened. We saw Zack take off when Kelly mentioned you were stuck on the bridge.”

Reluctant to leave Zack’s arms, yet knowing they wouldn’t be filmed much longer, Sadie quickly kissed him and hurried over. Gemini held the microphone in front of Sadie.

---