Page 308 of Track of Courage

And standing with Caspian, of course—Dawson.

He looked good. The kind of good that made her stop short, catch her breath. He wore a leather jacket, jeans, a brace on his knee, but he’d shaved, his dark hair short, almost windblown, but this was Alaska, so...

“Hey,” he said quietly.

“Hey.” Her voice emerged barely a whisper.

He looked at the little girl. Back to her. “Is this—”

“Yes.”

He crouched then and held out his hand. “Hi. My name is Dawson.”

Zoey gripped her panda around the neck, shied back. He just smiled at her.

After a moment, she met his grip.

“I’m a friend of your—”

“Friend,” Keely said, making sure. They hadn’t crossed over into the Mom terminology yet.

He looked at her, nodded. “Your friend Keely.”

He got up. “We were just coming in ... I mean, I saw you were in concert, so ... and...” He blew out a breath. “How’s the voice?”

“How’s the knee?”

He looked at his brace. “Getting better.”

“Me too.”

She looked at him, and he met her eyes. Then, he swallowed and—

“I’m—”

“Sorry—”

He smiled then, so much warmth in his eyes, it blew through her like a storm. Wow, she missed him. He was the calm to her torrid world and the voice that said she’d be safe. He was protection and so much more than a friend.

“I missed you,” she said, wrapping her arms around herself. “And I shouldn’t have said what I said. I ... I didn’t mean it.”

“I know.” He stepped closer. Oh, he smelled good. Aftershave, cedarwood with hints of birch and musk.

And now her eyes blurred. Oh no—She looked away, blinking. Not before a performance!

“Keely.”

She turned back to him.

He’d taken another step toward her. And he wore such longing in his eyes—or maybe she just thought he did, but it was ... intoxicating. Hypnotizing and—

She kissed him. Just stepped up, her hands cupping his face, and planted a kiss right on his lips, the kind that she should have given him back at the cabin after he’d rescued her,again. The kind of kiss that saidhelloandthank youandnever leaveandI’m yours... especiallyI’m yours.

And he made the most glorious hum in the back of his throat, wrapped one arm around her, and kissed her back. Sweetly, maybe because her daughter was watching, but lingering, as if saying the same thing.

Hello. Thank you. Never leave. I’myours.

He tasted salty, as if he’d had pizza, and maybe even a little like desperation, but she was right there with him. Desperate that this couldn’t be the end.