Page 101 of Forever After All

He hadn’t gotten it either back then. He didn’t even entertain the thought of trust until Mr. Chambers picked him up at Deano’s that day. If the man hadn’t been so patient, Linc might still be screwing up lives every chance he got.

Jess yawned. “I think I’m past ready for bed.”

Linc stood and offered her a hand. The second her warm hand touched his, all of the turmoil in his chest settled, quieting to a sedated state.

He cleared his throat and dropped her hand before he did something stupid, like latch on and never let go. “I’ll put out the fire.”

Jess wrapped the blanket tighter around her neck. “Good night.”

“Good night.” Why was his voice so low? It was like his throat wanted to close, delaying the end of his time with her.

Linc watched her until she disappeared into the tent. He had at least three more days and nights alone with her, but no amount of days with Jess would ever be enough.

Chapter30

Jess

Jess sighed and tugged the blanket tight under her chin. Exhaustion sat heavy on her shoulders, but as much as she wanted to drift off into sleep, slumber was just out of reach.

After spending her life keeping people at a distance, somehow the people here had slipped their way past her barrier. Now, Jess couldn’t get Ava and the baby she hadn’t even laid eyes on out of her head.

How was it possible to care so much for someone who was only a few hours old? Jess didn’t have any relation or real ties to the kid. Every time the worry choked her, she tried to swallow it down.

Leaves rustled outside the tent, and she squeezed her eyes shut. Too bad the darkness couldn’t hide the flashback of that mountain lion pouncing at them.

She hadn’t actually seen the cat flying through the air. Linc had stepped in front of her, protecting her with his broad shoulders.

But she’d seen its eyes as it crouched to pounce. The predator locking in on its target would haunt her for a while.

Jess squirmed beneath the blanket and silently prayed.

Lord, help me find peace. Help me to rest. Help Ava and the baby. Please. Please.

After holding her breath for ten seconds, she let it out. She wasn’t going to be much help to Linc if she didn’t get to sleep soon.

Rolling onto her back and staring up at the tent ceiling, she sighed, hoping this was the position that would allow her to relax.

“Are you huffing to get my attention?” Linc asked from the tent beside hers.

“No. Just can’t sleep. Sorry.”

“They’re gonna be okay.”

Jess scoffed. “How do you know? It sounds serious. Sometimes, things happen, and we can’t stop them.”

There was a beat of silence before Linc whispered, “I know.”

Pinching her eyes closed, Jess tried to breathe evenly. “I hate feeling helpless. I hate…feeling.”

There was rustling in Linc’s tent, then soft footfalls outside. “Can I come in?”

Jess’s heart pounded. Everything inside her said she trusted Linc, and her chest expanded as she took her first full breath in hours. “Yeah.”

He unzipped the tent and crouched to dip inside. He carried a pillow and blanket under one arm and a lantern in the other. He set the light at her feet, casting shadows around them.

Linc tossed his pillow down beside her and spread out the blanket before lying next to her. Not one part of their bodies touched, but there was a humming warmth emanating from him as he settled beside her.

When he stopped rustling, he laid on his back just like her. After a few seconds, he turned his head toward her. The shadows distorted his features, but she could fill in the blanks. She knew his face better than she knew her own.

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