Page 25 of Draco's Fire

"Looks great," he said.

Then they went out to the barn. Tyson made sure to find Shayla the calmest, most obedient horse he could. He didn't know how much experience she had, but he didn't want to give her an ornery animal that might try to throw her.

The ride was peaceful, and it was nice to just experience the beauty of the place with her. It wasn't like there were major landmarks to see on their ride, just trees and fields, sun and sky. They arrived at the lake a little bit after midday. After securing the horses, so they didn't wander off, he guided her down to the edge of the lake, and she gasped.

"The water is so clear," she said as she marveled at the water's transparency.

"With the lake still, it might as well be a pane of glass. You can see straight down to the bottom." He smiled.

"It's beautiful."

He turned and looked at her. "Sure is."

They laid out a blanket and ate their lunch mostly in serine silence. He'd packed cured meats and hard cheeses, grapes, olives, bread, and a few other things that could stand to sit in a saddlebag for a while with minimal cooling.

It was pleasantly domestic. There was a calm to it that he hadn't found with anyone else before. It made sense. He just hadn't realized you could feel at peace with someone your heart burned so passionately for.

Tyson admired the landscape and the wide-open skies. He could see why Gil had chosen this place for one of his houses. It was spectacular. Tyson was just glad he got to share it with Shayla.

He understood that there was still a danger out there. But it felt very "out there," like something distant he didn't need to worry about. They were together, and that was all that mattered.

When they returned to the ranch house, it was late, and he was already hungry. They'd spent most of the day on horseback or eating. But there was a difference between sitting and sitting on a horse.

"I will make dinner," Shayla said like she read his mind. "Though, I will need your help finding things. I can cook just fine but working in someone else's kitchen is always a little bit of a challenge."

Tyson dug around in the cabinets and drawers for the dishes and utensils she needed. Afterward, it was difficult for Tyson to sit back and watch as Shayla cooked. He wanted to get up and help. But she'd insisted. So, he sat back and let her work.

Once she got a feel for how Gil organized his kitchen, it wasn't long before she wasn't asking for help. He watched as she cooked, not really understanding the steps she was taking since he didn't know what the end result was supposed to be. He did know one thing.

"Smells good. What are you making?"

"Chicken piccata. It is easy, and we had all the stuff for it."

He tried it, much the same way she'd tasted the French toast that morning.

"This is very good."

After dinner, Tyson got a fire going in the fireplace, and they sat on the couch, watching the flames dance. But the fire was nothing compared to the heat where their skin touched. She turned to him and leaned in, her lips parting for a kiss. But then her expression changed as she looked at his chest and yelled, "Get down!"

As she tried to pull him to the floor, he followed her eye line to the spot where a bright green dot was on his chest.

Sixteen

Shayla

It took a moment for the significance of the green dot to sink in.Shit!

“Get down!” she hissed, pushing Tyson over. The glass of the window shattered, and a bloom of red appeared on his shoulder. He grunted in pain. She vaulted over the back of the couch, tugging at him to follow and pulling the couch over for cover. She whipped out her radio. “Backup! We need backup. We have a shooter.”

Another window shattered behind them. She spun around, whipping her gun out, and realized the glass had exploded outward, indicating it was another shot from the same direction, rather than a new shooter behind them, thankfully. She turned back to the front.

The radio crackled for a moment. “On our way, boss, we just left the burger joint, ETA fifteen minutes.”

Fuck, I forgot they went to dinner!She looked over at Tyson. “Shit, shit, shit! You’re hit!”

“Yes, I’d noticed,” he said through clenched teeth. “It’s just the shoulder, I’ll be fine.”

She looked around frantically for something to put on the wound. “Do you have a first aid kit?”

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