Through the Darkness: Of Love and Loss Series Book One

22

Three days. Elyria groaned and shook her head. Everything that could go wrong had. She'd missed her first connecting train due to a delay on the tracks between Idaho and Chicago. Then, while waiting for the next train from Chicago to Pittsburgh, it was announced one of the passengers fell off the platform.

However, shocked and horrified whispers had suggested it hadn't been an accident and that the poor woman jumped right when the train pulled into the station. Others said someone pushed her. Once they removed the body, almost five hours had passed before Elyria's train finally departed for her next stop.

But, upon arriving in Pittsburgh, the misfortune plaguing her trip home didn't show signs of stopping. A pressure release valve exploded, scalding an engineer. People around her had claimed pieces of flesh hung from his face and hands like torn bits of cloth when they rushed him off.

Elyria gave herself a mental shake to get rid of the dreadful images. Forcing herself to concentrate on the sounds reverberating off the walls, she navigated her way through the station.

The last thing she needed was to walk into a wall or bench instead of turning the corner that should be up to her right.

"Care to go for a real short walk with me?" An achingly familiar voice asked. "I must warn you there's an excellent chance I may guide us into a wall."

Her feet suddenly became rooted to the spot, and she slowly replied, as if in a dream, "Never fear, Captain. I enjoy living dangerously."

He laughed and crossed the distance between them until he stood close enough behind her that his body heat seeped through her clothing. It made it difficult for her to think, let alone make coherent speech.

A breath caught in her throat, and goosebumps erupted on her skin. 'It's him,' her soul rejoiced. Captain Rattlesnake. She slowly turned to face him, wishing—and not for the first time concerning Captain Everett Monterose—that she wasn't blind. What she wouldn't give to see his face at that moment. Her heart raced so fast she feared she might faint.

Millions of butterflies took flight in her stomach, making every nerve in her body sing with excitement. His name formed on her tongue and escaped on a sigh, "Everett."

"Hello, Pegleg." The nickname sounded like an endearment, filling her with an overwhelming desire to launch herself into his arms.

She didn't, of course. The chance she'd miss him entirely and land face-first on the ground was far too high. And that was not how she wanted this reunion to begin.

However, she needn't have worried. Within the next instant, Everett hauled her in his arms and lifted her off her feet. His pleasing masculine scent enveloped her as he clasped her to his chest so tightly her ribs creaked.

"Red hair," Everett whispered, holding her for a delicious, breathtaking moment before setting her back on her feet and pulling away. He kept his hands at her waist and continued softly, "I always pictured you with brown or blonde for some reason."

"Oh!" She reached up a self-conscious hand to her cropped curls, "I guess I never thought to mention it. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, Pegleg." He touched a curl resting along the left side of her face. "It suits you."

"I met Marcus." Oh, why on earth had she blurted that out? She cringed. He must think her an absolute dolt.

Everett lowered his hand back to her waist, his voice quiet—almost reverent—when he said, "You did?"

"He told me you were on your way to getting married."

"Did he?"

Elyria nodded, her heart in her throat making it impossible to speak.

"Remind me not to share my secrets with him in the future," Everett murmured with a wry chuckle. He released his hold on her and took her bag in one hand, its rigid handle clanking softly against the wood of his cane, and then he grabbed her free hand in his. "I have a car outside... what do you say we get out of here?"

She smiled and gave a little nod. "Alright. I'd like that."

They walked in silence, Elyria's nervousness and anticipation escalating with each step. Upon leaving the station, he led her down the sidewalk before slowing to a stop and opening a car door. "Here we are, just a little step up."

She climbed inside, and he set her bag on the seat behind her before closing the door. A minute later, he had the car started and jumped in beside her. "Where to?" He asked, maneuvering the vehicle onto the road.

"Anywhere."

He fell quiet for a second and then murmured, "I think I know just the spot."

A heavy silence descended, growing more uncomfortable with every passing moment until she cleared her throat. "I didn't know if you'd be here—at the station, that is... I hoped."

There was a smile to his voice when he replied, "Where else would I be?"

Elyria smoothed a nervous hand against her skirts, her tone sarcastic when she said softly, "At home, perhaps, in Idaho?"

Everett chuckled, "Touché." He paused and murmured, "Daphne persuaded me to stay and wait."

"I'm glad."

He settled his hand atop hers, where it rested on her lap, and squeezed her fingers but remained quiet until he brought the car to a stop several minutes later.

His voice trembled when he turned to face her and whispered, "Pegleg—" he snapped his mouth shut and cleared his throat before continuing, "How about some fresh air?"

She nodded, flinching when he leaped from the vehicle and slammed his door shut. A moment later, he swung her door open and helped her out.

The sound of crickets, frogs, and insects filled the night around them, blending with the soft, familiar lapping of the Anacostia River.

He held her hand and walked with her away from the car. A gentle sway marked his walk that hadn't been there at the station, evidence that suggested an absence of his cane.

With each step, tall grasses caressed her calves, and her shoes sunk slightly into the soft soil. The crickets suddenly quieted when Everett pulled her to a stop and turned to face her.

Electrifying silence infused the air as his hands drifted up her arms and over her shoulders. A fiery trail of sensation seeped through her clothing and marked his path until he cupped her face in his palms. "Pegleg... I—"

"Yes?"

He didn't answer. His fingers traced the rise of her cheekbones, the bridge of her nose, and the arch of her brows.

Elyria's chest rose and fell with anxious breaths, her eyes slid closed, and she gave herself over to his feather-light touch.

When his thumbs brushed against the fullness of her lips, a soft gasp escaped her, and she feared her knees would buckle from the pleasure of it all.

Suddenly, he pulled her into a tight embrace that threatened to knock the breath out of her. "I've missed you. So very much."

Elyria froze for the briefest of seconds before wrapping her arms around his waist in return with a heartfelt sigh of relief. "I missed you too."