Page 17 of Ace

He turned back to Rosamie. “Could you tell Gianna?”

She shook her head. “I did.”

“Is she ready to leave?”

“No. She said the same thing as you.”

He laughed. “She would.” He hummed. “Do you have boats?”

“We do. Some of the villagers use them for fishing.”

“I saw some earlier, pulled up on the sand?”

“Yes, those are the ones. They go way out to sea to catch fish and then come back.”

“Could they get us to a neighboring island?”

“Maybe, but what if they have the same problems there? You have a place to hide here and a family.” Her face was lined with worry.

“With any luck, we could go far enough out and get a pickup.”

“Then I’ll pack some supplies.”

“Thank you.”

Remarkable people. He could see why Gianna had stayed in places like this for so much of her life lately.

He worked faster, lashing and tying and attaching until he had only another five-foot section left. They would need a roof.

Gianna called out. “Careful now.”

He peered out through the slats and laughed out loud. Gianna led a group of men carrying two sections of grass roofing.

Chapter 7

Gianna’s mouth went dry after one look at Dex with his shirt off, sweating in the sun. The shelter was almost completed. He’d built the whole thing. “It’s ready. Get that roof up there.”

The villagers knew what to do.

Dex came down to stand beside her. “You ready?”

“No.” Her throat clenched. “How can I leave them?” She dropped their rucksacks on the ground beside him.

He shook his head. “I don’t know.” He reached for her hand. “You’re doing a great work here. They’re an amazing people. I think they’re going to be just fine. And besides, we left them with hope of a new food source and a new shelter.” He cleared his throat. “And my team is dropping food and supplies.

She squeezed his hand, not even caring that she was gripping what once was between them—years of friendship and then a young love that had felt like it would never end. All that was behind them, but his hand still felt comforting, and she clung to that. “I can only pray we’ve done enough. Rosamie said they’re searching for us. We’re becoming an international issue.” She looked up into his face, his eyes staring kindly back. The steadiness in his gaze gave her comfort. “We have to leave.”

“Agreed.”

The roof was on and secured. Dex held up a finger. “But first I have to do this last little section.”

“Let me help, then. It would be good to get out before dark, right?”

“Maybe. If they track us using GPS, it might be better in the dark.”

“Oh, right.”

They worked together, sitting side by side. And Gianna had never felt closer to Dex. They finished in no time just as the sun moved close to the horizon. Dex stood, swaying.

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