Page 120 of Forever After All

“Everything okay?” Linc asked.

“The path is blocked near the base of the mountain,” Brett said. “Ridge is coming with chainsaws so we can get it cleared. It’s a full tree, so it might be later when we get to you.”

Linc glanced at Jess’s tent and back at the trail. “Just hurry. She has meds through the afternoon.”

“I’ll be there as fast as I can,” Brett said before ending the call.

Linc rubbed a hand through his hair and headed for the tent.

Chapter38

Jess

Jess squirmed, wrapping the blankets tighter around her. A groan escaped as she stretched a leg out.

“Jess?” Linc whispered beside her.

“Yeah.” She rested a hand against her head, willing the pounding to stop.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

Jess blinked and looked around. Darkness covered everything. She was in the tent.

And Linc was with her–lying beside her in the blankets she’d rumpled up.

That was…unexpected.

“How is it nighttime?” she asked, squinting into the darkness.

“You’ve been asleep for hours.” He leaned over her, reaching for something beside her. “You need to drink.”

She sat up, propping on her hands. “I have to go to the bathroom.”

Linc unzipped the tent and the shadow of his hand reached out to her. She took it, moving slower than dried tree sap as she crawled out of the tent.

Jess slid her feet into her boots. They had the equivalent of outhouses set up at all the campsites, and it was her least favorite part of camping.

Uh-oh. She’d gone all day without having to pee until now. That was probably a really bad sign.

“I’ll be right here,” Linc whispered as he planted his feet shoulder-width apart and crossed his arms over his chest.

She got a chance to look him up and down in the dark. She liked it when he was attentive and protective. He probably couldn’t see the grin spreading on her face, but why should she care anyway?

Linc was herboyfriend, and she would be doing a happy dance as soon as her head stopped swimming.

Having a boyfriend was going to be fun…as soon as she got up the nerve to tell anyone about their new relationship status.

All the mean girls in high school could have a good cry now while she pranced into the woods protected by the incredibly hot and broody Lincoln North.

Well, there wasn’t any prancing going on, but as soon as the stupid fever broke she would get right to it.

And apparently fevers made her woozy because she’d had dreams about calm waves brushing over her hair and face while Linc whispered sweet things to her.

Except, Linc didn’t seem like the kind to wax poetic or sit at someone’s bedside and nurse them back to health.

Fever dreams were weird.

Stumbling back to the tent, she spotted Linc pacing in the clearing.

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