Page 17 of A Rugged Beauty
He was right.
She knew he was right.
But some visceral need deep inside said not to leave the safety of what she knew. She knew this place now. Knew how to survive in the most basic sense, even if H had brought up that the fish, their source of food, might not be there forever.
"We'll go together," he said. "We can craft a torch, take the fire with us."
But they didn't even know where they were going.
She breathed in deeply as panic tried to swamp her. "I don't want to go," she admitted. "I'm afraid."
The words shook something loose inside her mind. A memory that flashed quickly. A woman’s—her mam’s?—face, a flash of a smile meant to reassure, but the worried eyes expressed everything.
"We must keep our chins up,” the memory Mam said. The arm she put around the little girl’s shoulder felt so real, as if she could feel it right now. "I've learned to make the best of every circumstance, and so must you."
The memory danced away, leaving the woman shaken by the feeling of familiar warmth, the scent of baking bread.
"What's the matter?" H asked. He'd shifted to his haunches and edged around the fire. He stopped within touching distance, hands on his knees. One hand had risen, as if he was reaching for her, but he hesitated.
The woman wiped one hand over her cheek, surprised when it came away dry after the bout of emotion in the memory. "I think I remembered something, too."
She didn't think about it, didn't pause, just reached out and grabbed his hand. His longer fingers closed over her smaller ones, warmth from his skin enveloping her. For a moment, she felt a swoop in her stomach, like swinging too high.
At certain moments, H seemed so familiar to her. He'd reached for her, and she'd done what had felt right. But something about this connection, the intimacy of holding hands, seemed completely new, foreign.
And yet, still right.
His gaze held hers. She felt as if she could read the same feelings in his eyes.
"What did you remember?” he prompted.
She shook her head, breaking their gaze and somehow thankful for the relief of it. "Nothing helpful. A moment with... I think, my mam. Telling me that I must learn to make the best of my circumstances." With her free hand, she rubbed the sudden ache in her forehead just above the bridge of her nose. "I can't even remember what happened to prompt the words."
His big hand squeezed hers gently. "Sound advice."
"But?"
He shook his head slightly. "We still can't stay here."
Everything he said made logical sense. She was the one out of step.
The knot of fear in her belly tightened. "What if we could help get ourselves found?"
His gaze questioned her.
"What if we took our fire out in the open," she suggested. Her words came faster as the thoughts tumbled into place. "And built it as big as we can—use every piece of wood we find."
"Create a tower of smoke," he finished. He let go of her hand to rub his hand at his jaw, considering.
Her heart flew around in her chest. If there were others looking for her and H, the smoke could signal their location.
"It's a brilliant idea, Sparrow."
She wrinkled her brows.
He looked slightly chagrined as he admitted, "Ever since I heard you humming this morning, I've been calling you that in my head."
Sparrow.
