Nine Months Earlier
Day 17: Operation Fake Relationship for Lena’s Wedding
Davis watched Sunny’s fingers as they trailed through Carter’s hair. His mouth hung open, and soft snores were a contrast to his normal chattiness. The five-year-old had run them so hard all day, he’d finally fallen asleep with his head in Sunny’s lap while they watched fireflies in the backyard. The fire they’d roasted marshmallows in for s’mores burned low and was more coals than flames.
“Want me to put him in the tent?” Davis asked.
He marveled again at how good at this Sunny was. Her suggestion to go camping in the backyard had been a hit, just like all her other ideas to keep Carter entertained.
“Nah, I’ll hold him a little bit longer.” Sunny’s soft smile as she gazed lovingly at her nephew thickened Davis’s throat with longing.
Longing to be at peace in any situation like she was.
Maybe even longing to have a family of his own.
To have a future.
Davis, on the other hand, felt more confused than ever. In the week and a half since Lena and Marshall had left on their honeymoon, the stress of staying on guard had crawled along his skin. But then there were times like this one, when all the edginess and worry and anger disappeared.
“Just a few more days and it’s back to reality.” Sunny’s disappointed words rushed his PTSD back to the surface.
He didn’t want reality.
He hated it.
But he couldn’t also have this, not without getting his issues under control. He tore his gaze from her and stared into the fire.
“What’s next for you?” He knew she was a world-renowned mountaineer, but, aside from a few comments here and there, they hadn’t talked about life outside of Kentucky.
They’d existed in this bubble, the fake morphing until it felt real. He knew the alter-reality where happiness existed couldn’t last. He’d let himself escape into it more than he ever thought he could.
“Back to Alaska and preparing for winter.” She cringed. “I’m spending the season stuck in a cabin in Chicken with Gunnar, training for a dog sledding expedition to the North Pole we probably won’t even take.”
He’d heard of Chicken. His friend Justin gold mined north of there and wanted Davis to come help him the next summer. At first, going had felt like running away from his responsibilities to the team at Stryker and his family. Now, after this time with Sunny, he wondered if the Alaskan wilderness was what he needed to finally heal.
“Why won’t you go to the North Pole?”
“We’re just alternates for the expedition. So, the likelihood of us actually going is slim.” She shrugged. “But the organizer is paying us to mush dogs all winter in some of the most beautiful country in the world, so I can’t complain too much. As long as my cranky brother doesn’t drive me crazy, it’ll be like an extended vacation.”
“Not sure my sister would want to be stuck with me in a cabin all winter.” Davis shook his head. “She’d probably kill me.”
“Yeah. I’m a little worried about that myself.” Sunny laughed then penetrated him with her gaze. “What about you? Off to protect someone exciting?”
“No. I think—” He snapped his mouth shut against the words that wanted out.
He needed to just push them down like every other time they tried to give voice. He swallowed, but they stuck to his tongue, pushing against the seam of his lips.
“Davis?”
Sunny laid her hand on his arm, concern thick in his name. His eyes trailed from her hand to her face. Her eyebrows V’ed over her dark eyes, and the words broke past his resistance and tumbled free.
“I think I’m done at Stryker.” He took a deep breath, his chest finally free of the massive invisible weight the decision had on him. “That’s not what I want in life anymore.”
“Oh? What will you do?” There wasn’t any criticism on her face, just interest.
“I’m not sure––at least long term. My friend wants me to help him at his mine in Alaska. Being away from everything seems like a good idea.”
“If you come to Alaska, we’ll have to get together.” Sunny’s shy smile warmed his skin.
“I’d like that.”
Her smile widened. “I wouldn’t be opposed to keeping in touch once we are back in reality.”
He took a deep breath. “I’d like that, too.”
She bit her bottom lip, squeezed his arm, then released it to push Carter’s hair off his forehead. “We should probably get settled in the tent. This guy will be ready to go full force as soon as the sun is up.”
“Yeah.”
“Here, can you let these fireflies loose?” Sunny handed him the jar blinking with insects they’d helped Carter catch earlier. “I don’t want to accidentally suffocate them.”
He stared at the jar as her words took root. Davis’s hands trembled as he opened the lid. Sunny’s light was just like these fireflies. Could he really keep in contact with her? Keep the hope he had flickering in his chest like the bugs––hope for a future not always needing to look over his shoulder, a future full of sunshine instead of darkness? Or would he end up squashing that hope, squashing her, just like he’d ruined so much else in his life?
Davis trailed behind Sunny as she led the way to Chicken. It was miles away and would take them days to get to. At least the rain had let up, but not before the storm the night before had raged and beat against their shelter.
Their too cozy shelter.
Holding Sunny in his arms through the night had all kinds of crazy thoughts spinning through his head. Ones of home and hope. Elusive dreams of marriage and peace. The last one pushed a snort of laughter out of him. How could he be thinking of peace when they were being hunted down by madmen?
Sunny turned to him and raised her eyebrow. “You okay?”
“Yeah, just woolgathering.” Davis scanned the forest for signs of danger.
Thank goodness the downpour had washed away any trail he and Sunny had left. They might have a chance to get to safety and the authorities now. Hopefully, once Sunny’s camera recharged with her portable charger, they’d have the evidence needed to put the murderers behind bars.
His gaze dragged back to Sunny. He’d done that too many times in the hours they’d been hiking through the day. He needed to keep his focus on the surroundings, not the woman who made his heart race with possibilities.
“Woolgathering?” The laughter in her voice tempted him to smile. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone use that phrase before.” She peeked back at him as she stepped over a downed tree, an impish grin on her face. “At least, not anyone under sixty.”
“Funny.” He rolled his eyes and steadied her when her boot lace snagged on the black spruce branch.
He really hated trekking through this arctic forest. One was either fighting with the thick spindly spruce or bogging through muskeg. Neither was fun. Hopefully, they could find another dry area with bigger trees like they had the night before, when it came time to make camp.
“Thanks.” She huffed a sigh that smelled of the LemonHead candy she’d shared with him earlier, placed her hands on her head, and stretched. “Ugh. This is such slow going.”
“Yep.”
She unhooked her water bottle from her pack and took a drink. He grunted a thanks when she extended it to him and tried to ignore her stare. Taking his time to drink, he scanned behind them again.
“So … woolgathering, huh?” She grabbed the bottle from him, her fingers lingering on his longer than necessary.
“Yep.” He schooled his smile when she huffed in frustration.
“What has you using old lady phrases?”
Sunny adjusted her pack on her shoulders. Could he convince her to transfer more of her gear to his? He’d tried to take most of the heavier gear, but she’d growled adorably, claiming she didn’t need pampering. True. She was stronger than any other woman he’d ever met, and he’d served with some amazing women. Shoot, she could outperform most of the men he knew too. Didn’t mean his desire to make things easier on her didn’t scream at him every time she winced or rolled her neck.
“Nothing, just thinking,” he answered her question when she tipped her head at him.
He wanted to open his mouth and let all the thoughts churning in his head spew. She drew him to want the unattainable, to believe he could grasp a life full of joy instead of dread. He just wasn’t sure he could trust his intuition anymore. Last time he had, he’d gotten half his team killed.
Granted, Sunny wasn’t an enemy combatant posing as an attention-starved teenage boy.
More like Davis himself was the imposter, someone who couldn’t be trusted. Someone who would snap and destroy everything good and beautiful around him. Would he smother the light that burned Sunny brighter than others?
“That really clears it up.” Sunny stomped off. “No worries. I’m used to reticent men who grunt three-word sentences while pouring their tortured souls from their stormy gazes. I spent last winter stuck in a remote cabin with my brother Gunnar, remember?”
Davis barked a laugh, though her comment twisted sharply in his chest. “My tortured soul is pouring from my gaze? What the heck does that even mean?”
She rounded and stalked back to him, stopping when their toes practically touched. His pulse hitched at her intensity.
“It means I can see the struggle you’re having, can feel conflict fairly pulsing from you.” She placed her palm over his heart, her words stripping his defenses and leaving him exposed. “You say I shouldn’t trust you, which tells me you’re waging a battle within that you can’t see the end to. But I’m telling you right now, Davis Fields, no matter your past, no matter who you think you are, I know a decent, honorable, and caring man when I see one.” She shrugged, a small smile lifting the corner of her mouth. “I grew up surrounded by examples of what a good man looks like, and you more than live up to them.”
His throat ached with the power and conviction in her voice. He wanted her words to be true, to find his way back to who he always wanted to be. Maybe, with her help, the fight back wouldn’t be so daunting.
He slipped one hand over hers, still pressed against his chest, then cupped the other around the back of her neck. Her lips parted slightly as she inhaled a shallow breath, then held it. Could she feel his heart hammering against his ribs? He slid his thumb across her pulse point in her neck and found it thumping like hummingbird wings.
He inched forward, her lemony exhale brushing his skin a second before he captured her satin lips with his. She sighed and leaned into him. Her hand twisted in his, her fingers threading through his own. She clung to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling him closer. His hope thumped in his ears and soared higher than the clouds.
She pulled away a fraction of an inch, her lips brushing against his as she whispered, “Do you hear that?”
“All I hear is my pulse rushing in my ears.” He kissed her again.
Her smile against his lips made him want to stay right there forever.
She pushed away from him. “It sounds like a helicopter.”
He froze, all his senses zeroing in on what she heard. The thump-thump of a helicopter sounded in the distance. Sunny bounced on her toes, pulled him close, and pecked him on the mouth.
“Bjørn.” She stepped away, excitement filling her face. “I knew my parents would send in the cavalry when I didn’t contact them.” She pulled on Davis’s hand. “Come on. We have to find an open space.”
She rushed through the forest without waiting for a response. He took off after her, pulling his binoculars from the side pocket of his pack. If her brother Bjørn was there with his helicopter, searching for them, then Davis could get word to the authorities and take down the men responsible for Justin’s death. Davis would make sure that the entire operation paid.
They broke through the forest and stumbled to a stop at the clearing riddled with blown down trees.
“Microburst.” Sunny heaved out between breaths.
He’d heard of the tunnel of sinking air that could descend on an area during a thunderstorm. He’d just never seen the destruction it could create. There had to be at least a mile or two of trees jumbled like a giant game of pick-up sticks.
“Come on.” Sunny rushed into the clearing, running along the length of the first downed tree, before jumping to the next.
Davis followed and quickly wished for a field of swampy muskeg. Picking his way through the mess of limbs and trees frustrated him with the exertion required. The helicopter’s thumping grew louder.
“Sunny, wait.”
He clambered up beside her and peered through the binoculars. A flash of light reflecting in the distance pulled his attention to the side of the machine. Something about the helicopter didn’t seem right, but then again, Bjørn had gotten a new one since the last time Davis had talked to him. He adjusted the binoculars and handed them to her. Her chest heaved as she surveyed the helicopter for several seconds.
Her forehead creased and head shook. “That’s not Bjørn.”
She swallowed and looked at Davis. All the color drained from her face, leaving her bronzed skin chalky. If it wasn’t Bjørn, then who else could be out in the wilderness this far?
“Maybe Dad contacted one of his friends at 40-Mile Air?” Her voice shook, not truly confident in the statement.
Davis wasn’t waiting to find out. He scanned around them, angry that he’d let his guard down, and now they were stuck in a mess of logs. They wouldn’t be able to get to the cover of the forest before they were spotted. He wanted a better look at the helicopter but needed to get that glimpse from cover before they showed themselves.
A stack of torn up trees bigger than the rest sat twenty feet away. Maybe they could hide underneath.
“Go.” He pointed and pushed in the direction he indicated. “We need to hide.”
She took off, jumping over tree trunks and roots like a gazelle, all while keeping as much debris between her and the helicopter’s line of sight. He kept his gaze trained on the helicopter as he followed her. The longer he looked, the more convinced he was that it wasn’t a local’s helicopter used for guiding hunters. This bird was military-grade. He just wasn’t sure if it was friend or foe.
When they made it to the bigger stack, relief flooded him at the pocket of space deep beneath the logs. He peeked over the top tree as Sunny climbed in, his anxiety ratcheting up as the helicopter veered its course toward them. Had they been spotted? It wasn’t possible from that distance … unless—he shoved the binoculars into his pack and pushed it ahead into the space beside Sunny.
“Do you have any emergency blankets?” His question came out sharp and quick as he dug through his pack.
“Yes.” She didn’t ask anything else, just got to work finding it.
“I’ve got this feeling—” He shook his head, not sure if he should trust his gut or if he was overreacting.
“Whatever it is, go with it.” Sunny unfolded her emergency blanket, the silvery material crinkling in the small space. “I’m not about to second guess your intuition.”
Her trust in him eased some of the doubt. Could he ever believe in himself with such confidence again? He shook off the question and focused on protecting Sunny.
“We need to stretch these out above us, but it can’t be up against our bodies.” He pulled his blanket open and poked a corner on a broken off tree branch.
“Okay.” She didn’t even ask why, just got to work.
His sister, Piper, would pepper him with questions. Not Sunny. She obviously understood the need to follow orders, probably because of her time on Denali and Everest. Could be from her family and their upbringing too. All the Rebels were more than equipped for trouble.
“The way the helicopter veered our way has me worried they might be equipped with heat-sensors.” He shook his head, praying he was wrong. “These will help reflect our heat … hopefully. Probably.”
“Wow. More than three words. I’m impressed.” She speared her last corner onto a branch and turned to him with a strained smile.
He could barely make her out as the sunlight filtered through the cracks, but the way the light reflected off their silver makeshift tent onto her determined expression blew him away. He motioned her to him.
“We need to stay beneath these.” He patted the dirt beside him.
“So, more cuddling?” She wagged her eyebrows at him.
“Sunny.” He chuckled, rolling his eyes.
How could she possibly be this calm, shining brightness even in this dark moment? She laid down beside him, curling into him. Her body trembled against his. So, she wasn’t as unaffected as she let on.
“It’s going to be okay.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’m probably overreacting. As soon as they fly by, I’ll sneak a peek and see if we can show ourselves.”
“What if it’s the bad guys?” She pulled back and glanced up at him.
“Then they’ll fly right over and never know we’re here.”
“Okay.” She closed her eyes and nodded, tucking herself back under his chin.
The helicopter drew closer, and for the first time in a long time, Davis prayed. Not for himself, but for Sunny’s safety. The thump-thump drowned out all other sounds. Sunny shivered, and he pulled her tighter against him.
“Shh,” he whispered against her hair, though he doubted she could hear him. “It’s going to be ok—”
The rapid pop-pop from a M60E3 machine gun riddled the air, exploding in the downed trees just beyond them. Sunny shrieked, but quickly stifled it. Without hesitating, Davis rolled Sunny under him and shielded her with his body. Not that it would stop a bullet from piercing them both.
Bullets impacted on the other side of them. He took the chance of being seen and snagged his pack from where he’d pushed it just outside of their reflective protection. He’d never taken out the bulletproof plate lining the fabric against his backpack. It wasn’t much protection, but it might slow a bullet down enough to not go through both of them.
“See anything on thermal?” A voice barely audible over the rotors shouted above them.
The pause lasted what seemed like forever. Sunny muttered prayers as her hands trembled where they clutched Davis’s shirt. He focused on the noises above them. If he had to, he could use her gun to buy them some time and space. It wouldn’t do much good against a machine gun, but he was a decent shot. If he could take out the shooter, then the tail rotor, the helicopter would go down.
“Yes, I’m sure … movement over here.” The voice shouted again, anger and frustration lacing his words.
Bullets peppered down. They exploded trees and debris, sending shards through the open space. Something hit his cheek, and he flinched, tucking his head and body more around Sunny to shield her. If the bullets hit any closer, their chances of living through the next minute plummeted. No one would ever know what happened to them or to Justin.
A bullet struck just to the left of him. Dirt kicked up, and Sunny trembled beneath him. The swatches of sunlight opened wider with each barrage. Soon, the shooter would be able to see the reflective material of the blanket. Davis was surprised the man hadn’t already.
Davis had to act, do something to give them at least a chance at surviving. He stretched his hand to Sunny’s pack, reaching in the concealed pouch for her gun. He would no longer cower like a groundhog, just waiting to get shot in the back.
Sunny’s head snapped out from under his chin. Her wide eyes stared up at him as she shook her head. “Don’t,” she mouthed. His gaze bounced from one of her deep brown eyes to the other, probably pouring tortured soul all over her, but he didn’t care. All that mattered was that he did everything he could to keep her safe.
“Stay here,” he said, bending down and kissing her on the lips.
She wrapped her fingers into his shirt. “Davis, no.”
He kissed her again, not wanting to leave. But if he didn’t do something quick, they’d both be dead. He pried her fingers from the fabric and moved toward the opening.