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“It’s the truth. I missed Aiden, too.” I let go of Tanner and looked around the kitchen. “Whereishe?”
Tanner busied himself with the food neatly laid out on the counter. “Aiden’s up at his camp. I was just making some sandwiches to take uptohim.”
“Turkey, his favorite.” I stole a slice, rolled it and gobbled it up, but it didn’t escape me that Tanner’s face was as neutral as a blank wall. “Something’s not right. IsAidenokay?”
“No worries.” Tanner wrapped the sandwiches in aluminum foil. “He’s been up there for a couple of days. I want to make sure he’s eatingfresh.”
“A couple of days?” I didn’t like the sound of that. I wondered what was going on. I had an urgent need to see him, to make sure he was okay. “He didn’t take any food upthere?”
Tanner shook his head, keeping his eyes avertedfromme.
“Tanner?”
“Okay, fine, he took a couple of twelvepacks.”
I understood what was happening now. I had a flashback of Daniel lying in his bed, clutching a bottle of gin in his room’s total darkness. The flashback hit me in the stomach. Aiden was on that ridge with only alcohol forcompany.
I had to push the words around the lump in my throat. “How about I go up insteadofyou?”
“I don’t think that’s such a hot idea.” Tanner fitted the plastic containers in his backpack. “I know how to dealwithhim.”
“And you can’t be sure how he’ll react to me.” I added what he didn’t wanttosay.
A wince fleeted on Tanner’s face, but he kept his eyes on thebackpack.
“Tanner, please, look at me.” I put my hands on his shoulders and met his gaze. “I get that you’re trying to protect me. I know you’re trying to protect Aiden, too. I promise, if he asks, I’ll leave. But I want to do this. Will you pleaseletme?”
“He won’t be happy with me,” Tanner muttered, zippering up his backpack, hesitating before he plunked it down on the counter and stared at the graniteveins.
I held mybreath.
“Come on,” he finally said. “I’ll walkyouup.”
* * *
Aiden
I tracked a party of one coming up the last part of the trail. It was probably Tanner again. He’d come yesterday, to check on me. I wish he’d stay the hell away. I wanted to be alone. I took a deep draft from my bottle and watched the sun hovering over the mountains. Fifteen minutes to sunset. Here came the night and with it, oldterrors.
I recognized the female grumble echoing in the mountain about three seconds before Nina crested the hill. She stood there for a moment and bent over her knees, gasping for air, cheeks flushed. Her gaze fell on me as her nostrils expanded and contracted with her raggedbreaths.
“My butt is too heavy for this shit,” shepuffedout.
“Nina?” I started togetup.
“No, don’t get up.” She straightened, stomped over and, dropping her pack on the ground, plopped down next to me, still heaving. “I can’t believe I had to drag my ass all the way up the freaking mountain in order to see you.” She slapped her hand over her heart and, sticking out her tongue, sprawled against me. “If I die from a heart attack, it’s on you, AidenBlack.”
“Oh, come on.” Her funny face made me break a smile. “You’re not sofargone.”
She pointed at her ass. “You try lugging this thingaround.”
The laughter felt rusty in my throat, but it also felt good. “I won’t allow you to dis one of my favorite parts of you.” I draped my arm over her shoulder and pulled her close to me. “Did you come up byyourself?”
“They wouldn’t let me,” she said with a hint of sullenness, “they” meaning Zar and Tanner. “They walked me almost tothetop.”
“As it should be,” I said. “What are youdoinghere?”
She lifted three fingers in the air. “It’s been this many days, Aiden. I haven’t seen you in over seventy-two hours. I miss you. I had to put an end to thatbullshit.”
