Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 103665 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103665 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
“Sure.” She filled a clean glass from the tap and passed it to him.
“Thanks.” He drank half of it without stopping and plunked it back on the bar.
The door opened. She looked over, and warmth hit her straight in the chest. Dutch came in first, boots solid on the floor, coat open, his limp heavier than last time. Christian walked in behind him, taller, quieter, his gaze scanning the entire tavern and then returning to her.
Delight tickled through her. “Dutch,” she said, already coming out from behind the bar.
His grin revealed the gap in his teeth. “There’s the prettiest girl in the wilderness.”
She hugged him hard, arms around his wide frame, careful of his bad leg. “I didn’t know you were coming to town.” She stepped back and motioned toward the bar. “Come on up. We’ve still got some of the egg casserole left.”
“I’ll take it.” Dutch followed her to the bar. “And a seat.” He eased himself onto the stool next to Steve, set his hat down, and stretched out his leg with a quiet grunt. “Oh, and a Bloody Mary wouldn’t hurt. I’m off duty.”
Steve leaned forward, grinning. “Hey, pretty lady. How do I get a hug like that?”
The air cooled. Not the room. Not the temperature. Just the mood.
Steve glanced to his right and then took a small sip of water.
Amka followed his look. Christian stood just inside the door, not moving. His face gave nothing away, not even a twitch. Her heartbeat increased, fluttering against her ribs for some reason that didn’t make any sense. The guy had…presence. She held his green and black gaze for a second and then started making the drink for Dutch.
“Dutch’ll want the back table,” Christian said, giving Steve a look that didn’t linger but still carried weight. He turned, nodding once to Dutch, who slid rather gracefully off the stool. The two made their way to the back, and the slow, even sound of their boots crossing the floor was the only noise for several seconds.
Steve leaned slightly across the bar, voice dropping to a whisper. “Hey. That’s the guy from the fire and the video, right?”
Amka gave a small nod. “I heard about that but haven’t seen it.” She hadn’t had time to scroll through social media yet.
“Oh, man. You need to.” Steve pulled out his phone, thumbs moving fast until he found what he wanted. “That damn Nixi got it. She’s always in the right place at the right time. The chick is a witch, I’m telling you. Here.”
The video opened in full screen. Fire licked at the walls of a wooden structure already collapsing in the back. Smoke curled past the lens like a living thing. For a second, it was chaos—no clear subject, just burning timber and motion.
Then Christian came through the flames.
He moved fast, shoulders squared, arms locked tight around the person he carried. Her. Amka didn’t breathe as she watched. Her head had been tucked against his chest, arms folded tight, legs swinging as he stepped over debris and smoke. Her flannel was scorched on one side. His T-shirt was covered in soot, catching sparks, his expression hard and locked in place.
An epic swell of music rose under the footage, edited in, clearly, but timed perfectly to the moment Christian cleared the threshold.
“That’s you,” Steve said, looking up, his eyes widening. “I mean, you can’t see your face, but it’s you. And that’s him.”
Amka didn’t respond at first. The video looped again, showing the same heroic scene. “He would not like that video of him out there.”
Steve shook his head. “Yeah, that’s too bad. This guy’s a hero, and you wouldn’t believe some of the comments. I think there are at least three hundred, if not more, marriage proposals.”
Amka wrinkled her nose. Christian really wouldn’t like that. At least Nixi hadn’t included his name. “This will die down, right?”
Steve nodded. “Sure, but it also might bring a cache of available young women, or men, straight to your town. This is video gold.” He frowned, flicking the volume down. “I wish I’d caught that. I was across the road and didn’t even think to pull out my phone until it was over. Nixi could get millions of views on this.”
Amka hoped Nixi didn’t post their names.
Steve cleared his throat. “Are you sure I can’t interview you? I’d love to ask you about that moment.”
“Not a chance.” She looked toward the back of the bar. “I wouldn’t ask him, either.”
Steve chuckled and leaned back in his seat. “Oh, I got that. I got more than that from him.” He tapped the phone screen to pause the video.
She cocked her head. “I don’t know what that means.”
Steve tapped his fingers on his phone. “Seriously? That vibe? It was touch-her-and-die vibe. Are you his?”
The archaic language zinged through her faster than a shot of bourbon, sizzling sharp. “What? No. Of course not.”