Page 20 of After the End
Reaching over, he caught her hand and gave it a squeeze, tenderness filling him. After everything that had happened to her, she was crying because someone else was hurting. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” She gave him a luminous, although slightly damp, smile.
“I don’t think we should give him a puppy.” After kissing her knuckles gently, he released her hand and put the truck in gear. Backing up, he carefully turned the pickup around, avoiding the debris from the accident. “When he’s ready, he’ll get another partner. Besides”—he gave her a small grin—“as cute as Lemon’s puppies are, I don’t think they’d excel at K9 work.”
Lifting a hand in thanks to Theo, who moved the cones so they could ease by the other squad car, he slowly accelerated.
“What?” Daisy said in mock-offense as she lifted one of the puppies to eye level. “How can you say that? She’d be a ferocious patrol dog.” As if on cue, the pup gave a high-pitched bark, and Daisy and Chris both laughed.
“You’re doing great today, Dais,” he said proudly.
“I am, aren’t I?” When he raised his eyebrows teasingly, she snorted a laugh, returning the puppy to her lap. “That came out wrong. Everything that’s happened, even the scary and the sad stuff, distracted me. I forgot I was supposed to be afraid of this.” She waved a hand, encompassing all of the outdoors in one movement.
He smiled at her before turning his attention back to the road. “You’re the best and bravest person I know, Daisy.”
It was her turn to reach over and link their fingers together. “Right back at you, Chris.”
As they drove through the small town of Monroe, Chris glanced over at Daisy. Although scraped and dirt-streaked, she looked more relaxed than he’d ever seen her—and she wasoutside. He marveled again at how far she’d come in such a short time. Not even two years ago, he’d wondered if she’d ever be able to leave her house. Just today, they’d driven out of Simpson, survived a rockslideanda car accident, and she was holding it together better than he was. Amazed and happy, he turned back to the road, grinning. With the puppies playing in her lap and dirt flying out of the bed of the truck, Chris was certain of one thing.
Their life together would be an adventure—a wonderful one.