Page 31 of Heart of the Sun

“What do we owe you, doc?” Charlie asked as I unwrapped the bandage and removed the surgical tape.

Tuck gave Charlie that unimpressed, thin-lipped look again, obviously choosing to ignore the rhetorical question.

I quickly secured the bandage with two pieces of tape and then gingerly pulled my bottoms back up before Charlie and I followed Tuck to the tree where we were camping. I lay down next to Charlie and Tuck retook his position against the tree trunk. My wound felt better, but my inner turmoil increased. I scooted closer to Charlie, my brain buzzing with questions of what the next day would bring. And the day after that… The moon shimmered, the hoot of an owl sounded, wind whistled, and eventually, the soft sound of Tuck’s carving lulled me into a restless sleep.

Day Two

The morning dawned clear and crisp, a few snowflakes swirling in the air, but not sticking to the ground. Just like the evening before, Charlie and I trekked behind Tuck, holding our respective baggage.

Unlike the day before, however, we had a goal, a destination, and that gave me a renewed burst of energy. The smoke had been visible again this morning, which meant there was warmth ahead. And electricity. We would use their phone and call for help. I could be in a hotel room basking in a hot bath with a glass of wine in my hand…well,soon.It was going to be the best bath of my entire life.

The forest became dense, but I could still catch glimpses of the sunrise, the sky painted in shades of orange, from deep pumpkin to pale tangerine, all bleeding together. It was magnificent, even under the cover of trees, and made the woods around us glow with this ethereal light.

The woods grew ever thicker, and though the sun was still rising in the sky, the farther we walked into the forest, the dimmer it got. There was no way to track time now without either a working phone or the ability to see the position of the sun.The only measure that we’d walked for hours and hours was the pain of my muscles, and the number of blisters I could feel forming on my feet. And we could no longer see the smoke from this lower ground. “Are you sure we’re going in the right direction?” I whispered to Tuck, not exactly certain why I’d lowered my voice. He’d begun walking much more slowly since the visibility had decreased, so it was easier to keep up with him. I realized how right he’d been about waiting until we had at least a little light to travel through these woods.

“Yeah,” he said. “Pretty sure.”

Pretty sure.“What are you basing that on?” I asked. Because I was all turned around, and it definitely seemed like we’d passed that exact tree an hour before.

“Emily. If you want to head in a different direction, no one’s stopping you.”

Charlie swung his suitcase to his other hand, and it hit the side of my thigh for the ten millionth time, and I barely held back a hissed curse. He was going to treat me to the biggest and most expensive steak dinner to make up for what had to be a massive bruise as soon as we got back to civilization. Champagne too. And a flaming Baked Alaska for dessert. We’d laugh as we fed spoonfuls to each other. I’d try my best not to choke him with it.

“You should ditch those,” Tuck said, stepping over a rotting log.

I snapped back to reality. “Ditch what? Our suitcases?” Charlie and I exchanged a wide-eyed look.

“Yeah,” Tuck said. “Keep a few warm pieces of clothing around your neck and ditch the rest of it. I doubt there’s anything useful in there, even if we end up having to spend the night in the woods again.”

“My shoes are in here,” I sputtered. Did he have any clue how expensive a pair of Louboutins were? “And some jewelry too.I can’t just ditch it all in the woods.”

He was quiet a moment. “Put the jewelry in your pockets, then. Leave the rest.”

“You’re talking like we’re going to be walking for days. There’s help up ahead. We saw it,” I said, and even I heard the plea in my tone.

“It’s hard to say how far ahead that smoke was. But even if we make it there before the sun sets, what’s the point of struggling for a few pairs of shoes?”

“Maybe Tuck has a point,” Charlie said, surprising me. I whipped my head toward him as he set his suitcase down. “I can easily replace all of this,” Charlie said, nodding at his luggage. I didn’t miss the small glance he then aimed at Tuck’s worn duffel bag, the message clear:unlike him.“Why waste the effort over some clothes and shoes I can just buy again? Let’s leave this stuff here.”

“But…this is a Louis Vuitton suitcase,” I said, tightening my arms around the designer luggage I was carrying, the one that seemed to get heavier by the footstep. I realized how materialistic I sounded, but the suitcase was one of the first things I’d bought after signing my record deal. I’d been so proud to walk into that store on Rodeo Drive. The luggage purchase was a tangible sign of my hard work and success. Every time I looked at it, it reminded me that I’dmadeit. I’d already left several of my other hard-earned designer items behind, and now I was being asked to abandon the last of them in a cold forest where rodents would probably come to nest?

Charlie had opened his suitcase and was removing several items of clothes and draping them around his neck. “Babe, you know I can buy you another Louis,” Charlie said, kicking his suitcase aside and giving me a charming smile. “Heck, I’ll buy you the whole store. We’ll go on a shopping spree to celebrate this ordeal being over.We’ll sip Champagne and give my credit card a workout.”

“I’m suddenly glad I don’t have anything in my stomach,” Tuck said, beginning to turn.

Charlie’s head snapped up and he glared at Tuck. “Watch your tone when you talk to us.”

Tuck stopped, turning back, a muscle tightening in his jaw. “I’ll use any tone I damn well please,” he said, his voice low and even, locking eyes with Charlie.

My heart doubled in speed at the look on his face right before he turned again and began walking. That was a side of Tuck I hadn’t seen. That was thedon’t fuck with meTuck, maybe the one he’d developed while locked in a cage with other more dangerous men. And why it made me slightly breathless I didn’t know and didn’t want to think about. “Cut it out, guys,” I said, clutching my suitcase and moving past Charlie. “Let’s just find that house, or campground, or whatever and—”

“There it is,” Tuck said, stopping. “Right through the trees.”

Excitement made me want to run toward the house and the muted light it was casting through the thick wall of pines. Was that the sound of…chickens? Yes, I thought it was. If there were chickens, there were people who tended chickens. People who hadeggs.And hopefully some cheese too. Coffee would befantastic.

“Let’s go,” I whispered.

Tuck nodded but held his arm out. “We will,” he said. “But I want to check it out first. You stay here.”

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