this milling saw we had. Pop cut his own lumber, shaped and formed it. I was never much at woodworking, but I loved the forest and I could track down a good fall like nobody’s business.”
“That doesn’t explain how you’re so quiet in the woods?” His voice was rough when he finally spoke.
“We were pretty broke, so most of our food came from the forest. Pop was a felon, grand theft auto as a kid. Just some joy ride that crossed four state lines before he totaled the car. Law says felon equals no guns. We did bow hunting: deer, elk, got a bear once. Rabbit, even duck. I learned how to be silent there,” that silence was something they shared.
And Krista loved the forest, could never get out in it enough. Didn’t matter if they’d just spent a week or a month on a fire, she was always happiest walking beneath the trees.
“Where did you learn to be so damn quiet?” she asked him.
“Fort Bragg, North Carolina,” his voice was still dull. Monotone. “And three consecutive tours overseas, long ones.”
“Knew you were military, didn’t know you drew that card.”
“Volunteered. Special Forces. Green Beret.”
Krista didn’t know what to say. A number of boys from her high school had gone military to get out of Concrete. They’d all come back. A few in a box, most of the others just…changed and not all of those in a good way.
She inspected Evan’s profile, but there was no clue there.
He continued to stare steadfastedly straight ahead.
“Well, at least that explains why you’re so damn good at what you do. You’ve definitely got the skills.”
“Even if I don’t have a name.” There was a small spark of humor; the first she’d heard since the Mt. Rainier fire. She’d take that as a good sign.
“Haven’t pinned you down yet, Rook.”
His smile was perfunctory, his nod small, his gaze distant.
“But that’s not what’s eating at you. So what is?”
He just shook his head.
She hit him. She bunched her fist and drove it into his arm. Krista had leveled assholes in a bar with that blow, had taught the auto shop teacher exactly what you didn’t do to high school girls. Taught him so well he’d left Concrete that night and never come back.
Evan had kissed her then avoided her. Fine. But he didn’t get to ignore her when she was sitting right here.
Even as she fired off the blow, Evan snapped out a hand so fast that she couldn’t see the move though she was looking right at him.
One moment she was millimeters from punching him hard enough to send him tumbling off the log.
The next, his massive hand was wrapped around her wrist. He didn’t knock her blow aside, he simply absorbed the full force of it with that grab. Then he didn’t lever her wrist to take her down, though she could feel just how effortlessly he could do that. She was strong, but he was in a whole other category.
“Sorry, reflexes.” He held her wrist a second, maybe two, then let go.
“You’ve got a problem, Rook.” She massaged her wrist, not that he’d hurt it, but rather to feel the impossible power and speed Evan had exhibited. She’d never seen anything like it. Of course she’d never met a six-year Special Forces vet before either.
“I got problems?” He nodded. “Yeah, I knew that much.”
“If Akbar’s right, the problem is me.”
That got his attention.
He spun to look at her for the first time. His dark eyes had often tracked her from a distance. She could feel the heat of his look even when she was close against a fire. Now it was high noon and despite them sitting a hundred yards into thickly shadowed woods, his dark eyes were clear and bright as crystal. A shade of brown as beautiful as a hundred-year oak.
“Not you. God, Krista, not you. That’s what I’m sorry for. The problem is all me.”
Krista cricked her neck. Not her? Some part of her had known it was the too-tall, too-broad, too-strong girl. And a part of her that she’d thought had accepted that truth back in high
“That doesn’t explain how you’re so quiet in the woods?” His voice was rough when he finally spoke.
“We were pretty broke, so most of our food came from the forest. Pop was a felon, grand theft auto as a kid. Just some joy ride that crossed four state lines before he totaled the car. Law says felon equals no guns. We did bow hunting: deer, elk, got a bear once. Rabbit, even duck. I learned how to be silent there,” that silence was something they shared.
And Krista loved the forest, could never get out in it enough. Didn’t matter if they’d just spent a week or a month on a fire, she was always happiest walking beneath the trees.
“Where did you learn to be so damn quiet?” she asked him.
“Fort Bragg, North Carolina,” his voice was still dull. Monotone. “And three consecutive tours overseas, long ones.”
“Knew you were military, didn’t know you drew that card.”
“Volunteered. Special Forces. Green Beret.”
Krista didn’t know what to say. A number of boys from her high school had gone military to get out of Concrete. They’d all come back. A few in a box, most of the others just…changed and not all of those in a good way.
She inspected Evan’s profile, but there was no clue there.
He continued to stare steadfastedly straight ahead.
“Well, at least that explains why you’re so damn good at what you do. You’ve definitely got the skills.”
“Even if I don’t have a name.” There was a small spark of humor; the first she’d heard since the Mt. Rainier fire. She’d take that as a good sign.
“Haven’t pinned you down yet, Rook.”
His smile was perfunctory, his nod small, his gaze distant.
“But that’s not what’s eating at you. So what is?”
He just shook his head.
She hit him. She bunched her fist and drove it into his arm. Krista had leveled assholes in a bar with that blow, had taught the auto shop teacher exactly what you didn’t do to high school girls. Taught him so well he’d left Concrete that night and never come back.
Evan had kissed her then avoided her. Fine. But he didn’t get to ignore her when she was sitting right here.
Even as she fired off the blow, Evan snapped out a hand so fast that she couldn’t see the move though she was looking right at him.
One moment she was millimeters from punching him hard enough to send him tumbling off the log.
The next, his massive hand was wrapped around her wrist. He didn’t knock her blow aside, he simply absorbed the full force of it with that grab. Then he didn’t lever her wrist to take her down, though she could feel just how effortlessly he could do that. She was strong, but he was in a whole other category.
“Sorry, reflexes.” He held her wrist a second, maybe two, then let go.
“You’ve got a problem, Rook.” She massaged her wrist, not that he’d hurt it, but rather to feel the impossible power and speed Evan had exhibited. She’d never seen anything like it. Of course she’d never met a six-year Special Forces vet before either.
“I got problems?” He nodded. “Yeah, I knew that much.”
“If Akbar’s right, the problem is me.”
That got his attention.
He spun to look at her for the first time. His dark eyes had often tracked her from a distance. She could feel the heat of his look even when she was close against a fire. Now it was high noon and despite them sitting a hundred yards into thickly shadowed woods, his dark eyes were clear and bright as crystal. A shade of brown as beautiful as a hundred-year oak.
“Not you. God, Krista, not you. That’s what I’m sorry for. The problem is all me.”
Krista cricked her neck. Not her? Some part of her had known it was the too-tall, too-broad, too-strong girl. And a part of her that she’d thought had accepted that truth back in high
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