Page 66 of Severed Heart

“Which you never told me of.” He cocks his head curiously as if disbelieving of my interest. “I wish to see it.”

He furrows his brows. “Youlikefishing?”

“You don’t know your opponent very well,” I scold in jest.

“Because honestly, it’s kind of shocking.” He considers me. “You truly want to go?”

“Do you have poles and bait?”

“Hell yeah, I do.” He stands from the table, the severity of his posture visibly relaxing by a fraction.

“Then I wish to go,” I tell him, rising from my chair.

“It’s an apple orchard, to be more specific,” he relays.

“Is there privacy?”

“Two hundred acres enough?”

My eyes bulge. “You say your family is mostly military?”

“Most of them.” He nods. “Why?”

“Then bring guns and ammunition too.” I stand as he gawks at me.

“Seriously, you want tofishandshoot guns?”

“You truly don’t know much of your opponent, private. It’s disappointing.”

“Not for lack of trying,Fort Knox,” he jokes. “You’re not planning onshooting the fish, are you? Because that’s not how we do it around here.”

“So funny. Ha-ha.” I roll my eyes. “I’m going to change.”

Once dressed, he follows me out of the front door, holding the screen as I lock it. The twist of the key has me recalling the night I first took notice of Ezekiel’s compulsion—a nervous compulsion that started not long after Celine and Beau were killed. Three times. Always three times.

“Hey, where did you go?” Tyler asks, preventing me from getting lost in the sting the memory causes. An act he practices often and effectively, which only stokes my intent to return the favor.

“Is this okay?” I point to the tank shirt, overall shorts, and brown boots I found in my closet before I quickly braided my hair.

He scratches his head, the motion seeming unnatural as he scans my dress and nods. “You’re perfect,” he utters, the words coming out strained. “So, if we’re taking a field trip,” he adds quickly, does this mean I’ve advanced to private first class?”

“Not by afraction.”

“Jesus, General,” he sighs, “your army is fuckingbrutal.”

“As it should be.” I shrug. “No soldier advances in my army without justcation.”

“Justification,” he corrects.

“Right.” I nod.

At the top of the porch steps, Tyler animates, reporting that he doesn’t fish as much anymore because his previous ‘fishin’ buddy,’ and cousin, Barrett, has become ‘distracted by the ladies.’ It’s then I know his mind has drifted back from the place he was lost in, and his heart now beats lighter. As if reading my thoughts, he pauses his footing at the bottom step and turns to look up at me. Gripping my arm lightly, his sincere whisper and rich brown eyes cover me in their warmth. “Thank you.”

“You deserve a day of RR,private.” I extend my car keys. “Today, you are the boss,” I declare.

“Good with that.” He takes the offering and rounds the car, forced to adjust it to accommodate his height before he can get into the driver’s seat. “Jeez, you’re a half-pint.”

“Five foot five is not that short,” I defend.