Page 97 of Everlasting Love

I smile at Violet and let Jasmine lead me toward the track. The little girl that’s stolen my heart is clearly familiar with the way. As we walk, the sound of trickling water grows louder and we eventually stop at a grassy area beside a stream. Butterflies flutter all around and birds chirp above us. The day is mild and perfect for spending the afternoon in the girls’ happy place.

Tugging the little angel to a stop beside me, I crouch down and she grins at me. “Do you like it, Daddy?”

I gaze around, taking in the beauty of the spot. “I love it. I can’t wait for you to show me all of your favorite places.”

Vi lays out a blanket and places the picnic basket next to it. “Come on, let’s eat first and then we can explore.”

The three of us sit and I help Vi remove all of the containers from the basket, spreading them in the middle of the blanket so we can all reach the food. Vi and Jas talk excitedly about the butterflies and birds they can see and then talk turns a little somber when they discuss the low water levels of the stream but they explain it’s always low like this at this time of the year.

Once we’ve all eaten our fill, Vi drags out her camera and starts taking photos of me with Jas as she leads me down to the stream. The water is barely flowing, but we still manage to have some leaf races. Jas throws her arms up. “I win … again!” she shouts with glee. I had no idea how competitive my angel could be and I’m enjoying seeing this side of her.

I point at her playfully. “You cheated.” I look at Vi. “She cheated. Did you see how she dropped her leaf onto the water before I did?”

Vi laughs and snaps another photo of me appearing to be upset by Jas’s cheating ways. It really is the perfect afternoon with my girls and it makes me want to spend more afternoonslike this with them. While Vi practices taking photos of the stream with an open shutter, Jas and I explore the area around the picnic site and a little beyond.

“Daddy, come and look at this flower,” Jas calls as she crouches down.

I hear a distinctive rattle sound coming from beneath the bush behind her and instinctively step between her and the bush snatching her up by one arm in an instant. My heart pounds and sweat coats the back of my neck when I realize what could have happened to the angel in my arms. I hold her tight to me, needing to keep her safe.

Feeling a brief sting on the back of my calf, I lean down to swipe the area, noticing the juvenile snake coiled tightly. When I bring my hand away from the spot, there are specks of blood on my fingers and I wipe them on the back of my shorts, careful not to touch Jas. I quickly step away and look back down at the dark-colored snake that’s moved further back under the bush and realize the damn thing tried to bite me. I must have frightened it when I moved quickly to grab Jas and it retaliated to protect itself.

Slight pain radiates from the site and I carry Jas back to Violet, who’s packing up the picnic. “Uh, we should probably head home,” I suggest.

“There was a rattlesnake, Mommy.”

Vi’s eyes widen. “You didn’t get close, did you?”

“No, Mommy. Daddy picked me up before it could bite me.” She tightens her hold around my neck and squeezes me.

Vi’s worried gaze moves to me and her features relax. “Thank you. A rattlesnake bite is no joke.” Her eyes go back to Jas. “You always need to look where you’re walking, okay?”

“I will.”

“All right, well, let’s get this stuff loaded in the car. It’s my turn to cook dinner tonight.”

I shift Jas so she’s sitting on my shoulders, grab the picnic basket from Violet, and grip her hand in my free one. The pain in my leg begins to intensify but it’s not so bad that I can’t handle it—I’ve had worse. By the time we make it back to the car, my leg is aching like a bitch and once I have Jas secured in her booster seat, I take a look at the area. Shit, the area’s swelling quickly and blisters are forming.

Violet closes the back of the car and comes around to her door, noticing me looking at my leg. “Shit!” Her head snaps up to mine. “You were bitten, and you didn’t say a word.” She bends down and takes a closer look.

“I thought it had just broken the skin. It didn’t hurt at first. Now it’s hurting like a bitch,” I grit, holding onto the side of the car for balance.

“Do you have a first aid kit in your car?”

“Yeah, in the trunk.”

She rushes back to the trunk and comes back holding a bandage. She helps me sit in the passenger seat and carefully wraps the bandage over the bite and up my calf toward my knee. I feel like a failure that she’s having to take care of me when it should always be the other way around.

“We need to get you to the hospital, Shane. This could be bad.”

I nod because at the rate the pain is spreading and the amount of swelling, I’m inclined to believe her. She works in this environment and is familiar with the wildlife so I trust her judgment. If she thinks I need to go to the hospital, I’m not going to argue with her.

Vi quickly climbs into the driver’s seat and holds out her hand. “Keys, please.”

Lifting my ass, I suck in a sharp breath at the pain in my leg, then pull the keys out of my pocket to hand them to her and she tears out of the parking lot and onto the road before I can putmy seatbelt on. I lean my head back against the seat and try to relax my body but the pain is becoming overwhelming. Gritting my teeth, I buckle in quickly.

Vi looks across at me with eyes full of worry. “If it had bitten Jas, she wouldn’t make it. She’s too small and the venom works too quickly.” Tears trickle down her cheeks, and she swipes them away, turning her eyes back to the road. “You saved her life today, Shane,” she murmurs. “I’ll be forever grateful.”

Thank God it was me and not her, I couldn’t bear it if I had let another person down—a person who means the world to me and so many other people. I reach across and take her hand in mine as sweat coats my body. My tongue feels too big in my mouth but I do my best to reassure her. “You girls are all that are important to me.” I swallow past the excess saliva forming. “You girls are everything right in my world.” Nausea begins taking hold, and I wind the window down to get some fresh air blowing on my face.

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