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Around nine o’clock, they stopped for a break. Belinda sassily told Hays that Jagger had tagged her with the laser gun last night and he might as well take her life today because as soon as they got back to the house, she was taking a nap and forgetting this ‘nightmarish experience.’ Then of course she quoted some scripture he’d never heard: “‘Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.’”
Jagger loved her sass. He even loved her quoting scripture. He wished he could hold her while she napped, comfort her about this ordeal, talk to her about so many things, have hope that ‘things which are before’ could come for them.
But wishing wouldn’t make it happen.
Hays shot the dirty shirt she’d stored in her backpack with the laser gun so thankfully Jagger didn’t have to. He shouldn’t have tagged her last night. This game would be over; she could go back to feeding and helping children and families in need and he could go back to rescuing them. He used to live for his SEAL assignments. Looking forward, even the most thrilling or demanding mission sounded lackluster if he couldn’t come home to Belinda.
Jagger kept hearing Belinda’s beautiful voice as two of the young men from the group chatted with her through mile after mile after mile. They wanted to know all about the reality show and then about her charity. She asked about them; they were both college students from Missouri, lacrosse players who’d just finished their season and their semester. She made them explain lacrosse, each of their positions, and then talk through their favorite games of their careers and their most ‘heroic and unselfish’ plays.
It went from chatting to flirting quick in his mind. He honestly didn’t know that he could claim Belinda was flirting. She was simply so naturally engaging, fun, caring, and appealing that the young men took it as a green flag. Everyone was drawn to his Bee. The young men had to be almost ten years younger than her, but they didn’t seem to care.
When the group reached Hanakapi’ai Beach, there was a decent crowd of day hikers. Jagger doubted the convict would dare come toward this busier spot. Some people they passed gave them interested looks. They did look pretty beat up. Especially him and Paul.
He noticed Belinda was limping as they ascended the steep incline to the view and the one mile remaining point.
“Pardon me,” he said to a few hikers as he went around them until he was right behind her.
“What do you want?” she demanded, glaring over her shoulder.
Sting like a bee. What did he expect?
He pointed down at her heel. “You’re limping.”
“I’m fine.” She turned back to her college buddies and kept climbing, but as her shoe moved with a step, Jagger saw blood staining the back of her sock.
“Bee,” he growled, then pushed between her and one of the boys and swept her off her feet and against his chest.
Paul glanced back at them and smiled.
Jagger stopped and let the rest of the group go around them. Belinda’s college boys looked disappointed but kept walking after Jagger’s warning look.
“What are you doing?” she demanded, but she wrapped her arms around his neck and cuddled into him.
“I’m going to carry you so you don’t hurt yourself worse. Then you can run away from me tomorrow.” He managed to force a smile.
Belinda glowered at him. “It’s just a blister. I’ll be fine.”
“I’m carrying you; don’t fight me on it.” To prove his point, he started moving, easily scaling the rest of the incline. Not pausing for the world-class view, he started down the decline and last mile.
“I always fight you,” she snipped at him, her breath warm and tingly on his neck. She looked up at him from beneath her thick lashes and Jagger almost tripped on a rock.
“True,” he said.
Neither of them said anything for a few minutes as he navigated the steep decline. It was always slightly muddy because of natural springs, but it was worse today after all the rain.
Hikers smiled at them as they passed. They looked like they were in love. If only. He loved Belinda, but he doubted she’d ever let down her guard again and love him back.
As if she could sense his thoughts, she stiffened in his arms. “Don’t think this means I’m forgiving or believing you.”
“I could never think that.” He rolled his eyes. Why couldn’t she listen to reason or realize her dad was a fraud?
“Good.” She relaxed into him again. “I’m not too heavy?”
He shook his head. “I wear backpacks heavier than you.”
“I’m not too small,” she said with all that Southern and Bee sass that he loved.
“No,” he admitted. “I love your size.”
