A Heart's Desire

Chapter 12

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Kellan squeezed himself into the small trunk with a grunt and a moan of pain, tucking the shot gun into the crook of his arm as he closed the trunk behind him. Dark suddenly got a lot darker. The smooth rumble of the car rolled vibrations in waves over him as he settled down, trying to find a position that didn't strain either his leg or his shoulder. He finally gave up. He felt the car start to move and he laid his head down with a sigh.

Time to see if Eva Wilde could deliver him one more miracle. He really owed her everything at this point. The little woman's willingness to help him baffled his brain but for the moment he had no choice but to accept her help blindly.

In the front, Eva's hands gripped the steering wheel so tight her knuckles were white. She made her way out of the gated neighborhood, thinking about the fastest way to get out of town. Her car had half a tank of gas in it so they would have to stop sooner rather than later. Her heart pounded so loud in her chest she felt like the whole car was shaking. She composed herself wondering how Kellan was doing in the trunk. She hoped he didn't tear out his stitches. That would be a nightmare she was not prepared for. There was no room for mistakes. She knew that. From having seen the look of agony on Kellan's face, getting shot was no picnic. Definitely not an experience she wanted to round her week out again. If she did not want to end up like him, she could not make a single mistake.

As she made her way onto the battered highway surrounding the busy city, she made sure to stay within the speed limit. Last thing they needed was for her to get pulled over for speeding.

The minutes passed and so did the miles. Kellan barely noticed that he had dozed off until he woke up with a jerk. The car had stopped. With a grunt, he braced himself against the back wall of the trunk and leveled the shotgun at the opening just in case. Within seconds, his sweet little Eva stood smiling at him, one hand on her hip, and the other on the lid of the trunk.

"Hey," she exclaimed, "Put that away. Friend here."

He blinked blearily up at her and once again she was struck with the honesty in his eyes. They glinted in the sunlight. He poked his head outside the trunk and saw miles of empty road surrounding them. The sun bounced off of the asphalt and back into his eyes making him squint. Miles of cotton fields lined the road disappearing into a haze of blue sky and white bolls. He yawned and asked, "What is going on?"

"Got to stop for gas," she said, "Figured it might be best if you got in the front seat instead of me popping you out of the trunk like a blonde jack-in-the-box."

He shook his head. "Can't risk it," he answered, "I'll stay in the trunk."

He shuffled forward though anyway and Eva grabbed his arm to help him out, propping the shot gun against the back of her car. With a sigh, he stretched his arms up to the sky once he stood on his feet, wincing when his arm twinged. "Easy," murmured Eva.

Kellan glanced down at her and once again was struck silent. Comparing her to himself, he felt like a giant. She was tiny. Not just in her height, but all over. The woman was so petite. And pretty as a picture. "Got to take a leak," he winked, watching amusedly as she wrinkled her nose.

"I'll just be up front then," she answered, leaning inside the car.

Kellan relieved himself hearing the pop of a lid and then the rustle of a sandwich bag. Eva felt beads of sweat starting to roll down her forehead as she leaned inside the car and grabbed two bottles of water and two sandwiches out of the ice-chest. When she turned back around, Kellan was zipping his pants, leaning against the rear fender of her car. The sun shining on his hair made it look like a halo of gold surrounding him, but when he fixed those green eyes on her, she felt her heart stop. He was too pretty. Too pretty with too much hidden sadness and pain hiding behind that alluring stare. She wanted to take a picture of him.

He started to reach for the sandwich bag.

"Ew, no," she exclaimed.

He looked confused, an adorable furrow forming between his brows. "What?" he asked.

"Hold on."

Eva set the sandwiches on top of the car and grabbed the hand sanitizer out of the door where she kept it. "Clean your hands," she instructed, "You just had them all over your junk."

He looked at her incredulously, and then a slow smile crept over his face. He bit his lip, rubbing the hand sanitizer over his hands, and ducked his head, trying to hide his amusement. When he looked back up, she was staring at him, an unreadable expression on her face. To break the silence, he grunted. "There. Germs rearranged," he said softly.

She shook her head, seemingly coming out of her trance and handed over his sandwich. They ate in relative silence, just enjoying the peace. Kellan had a foreboding feeling that the few minutes of peace and solace he was experiencing were short-lived. Bitterly, he reflected that nothing good ever lasted long in his life. He glanced at Eva. She was the definition of good. She was pure, wholesome, smart, and a little too naïve. But he liked that about her. She hadn't been tainted by the world yet. She didn't know how terrible it could actually be. And he was thankful for that. It made him crave to protect the trusting look in her eyes that was there whenever she looked at him. How it was there he could not fathom, but somehow it was. He glanced down as she leaned against the car next to him, her arm barely brushing his. That innocent touch sent goose-bumps down his spine. Inwardly, he ordered himself to get his head out of the clouds. Wishing for something that could never be was going to kill him, he just knew it.

He jostled her gently and joked, "Not quite the vacation I'm sure you're used to taking."

She laughed and glanced up at him a bit shyly. "If I say 'no it isn't,' are you going to think I'm spoiled?" she joked back.

"Only a little bit," he answered, smiling lightly.

His brain was misfiring, the neurons completely bamboozled by one smile from her. He didn't do 'light'. He didn't joke. What was happening?

"My favorite way to travel is actually by car though," she admitted, "There's so many different things to see. I could stare out the window for hours, just lost in my thoughts. What about you?"

He shrugged, balling the empty sandwich bag up into a ball with his hands. "Never had the opportunity much," he answered, then turned the conversation back to her, "Where's your favorite place to go?"

She didn't even hesitate.

"Alaska."

He cocked his head at her intrigued. "Why Alaska?" he asked.

She shrugged then, her eyes shining. "Just something about it," she answered, "The scenery takes my breath away. It's so wild and untamable. Savage in a way."

"Yet we try to tame it," murmured Kellan, almost to himself.

Eva faced him, chin raised, eyes glinting with life. "Maybe," she said softly, "Maybe we like the challenge."

And Kellan had the uncanny feeling they weren't talking about Alaska anymore. Was she going to try and tame him? Hell, she was already halfway there, he mused.

..........

Welcome back, Wildies! I am so so sorry for the long time between updates! I feel like I say that every time I update, but it's true! Life has been crazy for me as I'm sure it has been for all of you.

I am an art student in college trying to balance, life, art, writing, and a normal big-person/adult job. I feel woefully underprepared but we are mugging through as best we can!

Hope this finds everyone well and in good spirits. Thank you for the continued support of this book and the lovely feedback you all give me!

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Sincerely,
Scarlett McLeod