Page 93 of Come Back to Me

In the rearview mirror, I see Calder salute me before they turn the horses around. That comes as a surprise, but I take it as a win since this next part will happen without witnesses.

When I see Cody sitting on the shore, relief hits me.

A part of me feared he might have started walking off, maybe gotten lost amid the wilderness (though admittedly, it’s not a jungle) and that something might have eaten him.

But he’s there.

Safe.

That’s that damn elite pilot training coming in handy. (Damnthat training!)My taxes—my mom and dad’s—helped keep the jerkface alive!

He’s resting his arms on his knees, appearing the epitome of relaxed with nary a coyote in sight.

I’m both mollified and annoyed.

He doesn’t look back when I brake behind him.

I wasn’t going to run him over or anything, but he could have at least shrieked.

“Note to self, don’t leave the keys in the ignition whenever I’m around you.”

Narrowing my eyes at him, I bite out, “You’re lucky you’re a cop.”

“Why? You already stole my truck and left me in the middle of nowhere,” he says softly as I stomp over to him, trying to hide from that something something in his expression which has me squirming.

No, that isn’t wonder, is it?

It’s relief.

Yeah. Relief.

But still, his calm tells me he knew I’d come back.

Damn him.

“I’d kick you if you were a regular Joe,” I snipe.

His tongue prods his cheek. “I’d deserve it.”

“Yes, you would. YOU ASSHOLE. How could you do this to me? How could you cut and run?” I yell. “Then, how could you have kept it a secret that we knew one another?! We had a connection. I know we did. I wasn’t making that up. I was waiting for you. I knew you’d come home, and I was so sure that we’d hit it off in real life, and we fucking did and you never said anything! You bastard!”

“Technically, I did.”

“After you got me off.”

He digs his thumb and finger into his eyes. “I didn’t mean to take advantage of you.”

“Well, you did, and fuck if I didn’t like it.” I stomp ten feet away from him and plunk myself down. Because my eyes prick with tears, I close them as I fall backward onto the lakeshore. “You are the worst.”

“I know.”

“You suck.”

“I do.”

“You...” My bottom lip quivers. “You broke my fucking heart.”

“I...” He releases a breath. “I’m sorry.”

---