Page 85 of Wandering in Darkness
I really want to stroke it, just touch it a little, but instead, I hastily lock it down so I’m not tempted.
“I… am at a loss for words. Thank you, but I really can’t accept this, Grayson.”
“Well, I can’t return it.”
“I’m sure you can.”
“Nope. They were like, ‘Today only, any guns purchased cannot be returned.’”
“You could sell this in seconds.”
“Nah. I’m either giving it to you or tossing it in the trash.”
“Don’t even joke about my baby like that,” I say as I gather the case in my arms before remembering that I was trying to make sure he’s well aware I can’t accept this. “Really, Grayson, I can’t. Thank you, but I can’t.”
He sets a hand against my face and tips it toward him, so I stop longingly staring at the case and look at him. “I knew how much it was when I ordered it. If I wasn’t comfortable spending that much, I wouldn’t have gotten it. But I really wanted to get it for you. The moment I saw it, I knew I had to buy it. If it makes you feel better, we’ll consider it an early birthday present.”
“This is like… birthday and Christmas for the next ten years.”
“Sure, we’ll pretend that,” he says. “My plan was to give it to you before dark so you could shoot it… but I was selfish and really enjoyed sitting up there with you.”
“After I get back from tomorrow’s assignment, I want to try it out. Will you come with me?”
“Of course. I want to be blown away by your skills.”
“Grayson, I really don’t know if I can accept this.”
“As you hold it like it’s your baby.”
“Yes, I already love him, but I really can’t accept him.”
He grins as he kisses my forehead. “We’ll pretend you’re not accepting it, alright? So do you think you can babysit ‘him’ for me?”
“Gladly,” I say with a grin, which makes him laugh.
I wouldn’t say that I had the best sleep of my life. I was too busy grinning and looking up things we could do when I visit him, interspersed with staring at my new rifle. So when Tate picks me up the following morning, I feel like I could take a nap.
“You look half dead.”
“As long as I’m half alive, your ass will be safe,” I assure him.
“Will it? You’ll like sneeze and pull the trigger and be all, ‘Whoopsies.’”
“I’m going to be real honest, I probably won’t say that. I’ll say something like, ‘Oh my god, there must be another sniper! Did you guys see that?’”
He laughs as he drives us to the airport. When another yawn hits me, I decide that the moment I get on that plane, I’m going to be sleeping.
We’re flying commercial, but at least we’re seated in business class. When we arrive, Audrey and Devon are there, but Eddie’s not.
“Any of you heard from Eddie?” Devon asks.
“No, he didn’t make it last night either,” I answer.
“You act like being late isn’t one of Eddie’s character traits,” Audrey says. “That man was probably late to his own birth.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Tate says. “Sorry I had to back out last night as well; did just you and Grayson do something, then?”
“Yeah, we went for a hike.”
