“Steak,” Cal adds dryly.
“Exactly. We’ve got to work on that. I’ve been wanting to take a road trip toward the middle of the country. See what’s there. See how developed they’ve actually gotten. Maybe they’ve got cows there we could trade for.” Mack pauses. “If I go, y’all want to come with me?”
I glance over at Cal and read the answer in his eyes. “Sure. We’d love to. Were you thinking of a big group?”
“Nah. Smaller groups will be better able to stay off the radar. We don’t know what we’re facing out that way, so don’t want to look like a threat. But I want to go with folks who know what they’re doing, so you two would be my first choice. Anna said, if I make the trip, she wants to come too, so it would probably just be the four of us.”
“That sounds great. Count us in for whenever you go.” I’m smiling when I hear a friendly voice coming from across the garage.
“Hey! You’re back! I didn’t want you to leave before we gave you this!” It’s Olivia. Tall, blond, startlingly beautiful, and visibly pregnant. She’s carrying a basket of what looks like melons.
Catching up with her is a scowling, blue-eyed Grant. “Why the hell are you trying to carry that heavy thing?” he grumbles, taking the basket from her and juggling it with the bag he’s carrying.
She laughs and makes a face at him, rubbing at her rounded belly. “If he had his way, he wouldn’t let me carry anything heavier than a pillow. Anyway, they’re really growing well in our hydroponic garden downstairs this year, so I thought you might want some.”
I hug myself with excitement over the sight of the basket of small watermelons and cantaloupes and the bag of fresh tomatoes. “They look amazing! Thank you!”
Cal takes the produce from Grant. We chat for a few more minutes and then head for our pickup.
An hour and a half later, we’re turning onto our gravel driveway.
Home.
“You okay?” I ask, turning to look at Cal. He’s been unusually quiet on the whole trip back, but it’s especially noticeable now when it’s just the two of us. He’s never a big talker with other people, but he’s not usually so quiet with me.
When he reaches the cabin, he puts the truck into park. Turns to smile at me. “I’m good.”
I believe him. His eyes are soft, fond, open. “You’ve just been quiet.”
“Yeah. Got a couple of things on my mind.”
“Like what?”
He gets out of the truck and grabs the produce from the back while I get our travel bag.
“Like what, Cal?” I ask, frowning as I follow him inside.
He puts down the melons and tomatoes on the kitchen counter and turns toward me. Takes a weird shuddering breath.
“Cal, you’re scaring me.” My heartbeat has accelerated. I step over to grab handfuls of his shirt in a futile attempt to pull him closer to me. He’s always been way too big to move. “What’s going on?”
“It’s nothin’ bad.” He stuffs a hand into the pocket of his jeans. “Just got somethin’ for you.”
“Really?” My brief flare of anxiety has already settled, and I’m feeling a different sort of rush. Fond excitement. He’s always finding me little presents, and I love every one of them. “Is this why you and Mack disappeared for a couple of hours yesterday?”
“Yeah.” He opens his hand. Reveals a gold ring with a square-cut diamond solitaire.
I gasp loudly, raising a hand to cover my mouth.
He clears his throat. “You wanna?”
I burst out with a strangled giggle.
“That a yes?” He slants me a quick, warm look.
“Yes!” I grab for the ring and try to put it on, but he takes it from me and slides it on my finger. It fits.
Then I throw myself at him in a hug. He hugs me back, swinging me up off my feet and around a couple of times.
We’ve come so far since that night he came down the mountain to rescue me and Derrick in a world that was nothing but smoking embers.
The world is more than that now, and we’ve come all the way home.
* * *
