Page 180 of Dustwalker

The long, grueling roads he’d walked had led him to Lara. Every hardship, every trial, every single step, had brought him here.

And this was where he belonged—with her. Always.

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

“You were right,” Lara breathed, awed by the sight before her. “The pictures didn’t do it justice.”

The ocean was endless.

When they’d tried to escape Cheyenne two years ago, Ronin had told her the ocean was vast, but actually standing in front of it really put its size into perspective.

It all seems insignificant in the face of something so massive.

Lara certainly felt insignificant right now. Insignificant, but wonderstruck.

Reflected sunlight glittered on the rolling blue waves, which broke upon the shore into sheets of white foam. And the water just stretched on and on and on, as far as she could see…

The wind blew around Lara, making her hair flutter and spraying her skin with cool mist. She closed her eyes and breathed in the briny scent. The sound of waves crashing into the land and receding, back and forth, back and forth, was like the heartbeat of some impossibly large creature—the heartbeat of the world. Moving at its own pace, unbothered by the tiny things crawling around on its surface.

“It’s bluer than when I last saw it,” Ronin said.

Lara opened her eyes and looked at him standing beside her. “It changed?”

He scanned the horizon, a gentle smile lifting the corners of his mouth. “The world is always changing, always healing. Like Cheyenne.”

She gazed back out at the ocean. Cheyenne had changed so much after Warlord’s fall. Many of the people from the base had relocated to the town, and the bot district had become a place where humans and bots lived and worked together. They’d built new homes, planted more crops, and even established their own council to govern the settlement.

Everyone worked hard—and together—to ensure that every resident of Cheyenne had what they needed not just to survive, but to live happily and comfortably. Lara still wondered if she was lost in a coma, dreaming. And every day, Ronin proved to her that she wasn’t.

Like now.

On the second anniversary of the day he’d slipped the ring on Lara’s finger, the day he’d made his vow to her and become her husband, Ronin had told her he wanted to fulfill another promise he’d made. He’d said it would require a long, difficult journey, but he thought the destination would be worth it.

And it had been. Leaving Cheyenne the first time had been terrifying. This time, it had been an adventure, filled with excitement and anticipation…though Ronin had stressed there was still plenty of danger.

The risk hadn’t diminished her wonderment. They’d seen mountains and forests, rivers and streams, canyons and meadows. The landscape had changed so much during their month-long trek, which had taken them past the western edge of the Dust.

But this spot, their ultimate destination, was the pinnacle of it all. The land leading to the coast was so lush and green, so full of life, and the shore itself…

She once more breathed in the salt-kissed air. “It’s beautiful.”

“It is, but…”

Lara looked at him, brow arched. “But?”

“But it cannot compare to the sight I see every day.” Ronin caught her chin and tipped her face up toward his, grinning down at her. “Nothing can match the blue of your eyes, Lara Brooks.”

Warmth suffused her. He complimented her daily, but she never tired of his sweet words. They only showed her how much he wanted her. How much he loved her.

She ran her gaze over her him. The breadth of his shoulders in his coat, his wind tousled hair, and the rakish curl of his lips sent a rush of heat to her core. And his green eyes, so vibrant and alive…

Fuck, he’s gorgeous.

And he’s mine.

Smiling, she stepped close and slipped her arms around his neck, pressing her body to his. “Thank you. For bringing me here.”

Ronin settled his hands on her hips, holding her pelvis close. “Would you like to go in?”