Something was different about Riggs, but Carlise couldn’t put her finger on what it was. He was still his usual friendly and protective self, but she’d caught him staring at her more than usual. And after yesterday, that was saying something. It wasn’t alarming, not really, but she was aware that he was scrutinizing her even more than he had the day before.
She’d been a little reluctant to go for a walk, but once she was outside, she realized how much she’d needed to get out of the cabin. She loved it, but it was small, and she’d been stressing over her constant thoughts of Riggs. Now, being outside in the sun felt amazing.
Baxter obviously felt the same. At first, she’d been worried the dog would run off and get lost, but Riggs had reassured her that he wasn’t going to lose them, not when they were feeding him and he had a warm place to sleep on the cabin’s porch.
He was still skinny, too skinny, but amazingly, even after only a few days of full meals, he’d actually filled out a little. His hip bones and ribs didn’t stick out quite as much as they had before, and currently, the dog frolicked around them. That was the only word Carlise could think of to describe it. Baxter bounded through the snow like a jackrabbit. It even looked as if he was smiling as he played in the tall drifts. He wasn’t getting close enough to be petted, but he was very definitely keeping his eye on them both, not letting them get too far ahead or behind.
The air was cold, Carlise could see her breath as she exhaled, but it didn’t feel as cold as it had previously. The wind wasn’t nearly as strong now, but it was still making the trees sway above their heads.
As she slowly trudged through the deep snow, Riggs reached for her hand. It felt natural, as if they walked like this every day.
A small smile formed on Carlise’s face. She caught Riggs staring at her out of the corner of her eye—again—so she turned to look at him as they walked. “What?”
He shrugged. “You look content.”
“Truth?”
“Always.”
“I am,” Carlise told him. “I mean, I’m not exactly a nature girl. I’ve always lived in a city. But it’s so peaceful walking around out here, in the middle of nowhere. Being the first people to make tracks in the fresh snow. It makes my problems seem not quite so insurmountable.”
“I love it out here. When my friends and I were being held hostage, I was pretty sure I’d never get a chance to do something like this again. I try not to take it for granted.”
Carlise squeezed his hand. She hated to think about him being a POW. It seemed inconceivable. He was so strong, so capable.
After a long moment, she asked, “Are we going anywhere in particular?”
“Yup. I thought about heading to the road to see about your car but decided to go this way instead to show you something.”
“What?”
He grinned. “You’ll have to wait and see when we get there.”
“You’re mean,” Carlise pouted. “I hate surprises.”
“You’ll like this one,” he said mysteriously.
The truth was, Carlise used to love surprises, but for a long while now, she hadn’t gotten very many good ones, and she’d become wary.
They walked for a while, probably around thirty minutes or so, frequently stopping to admire the scenery or check on Baxter, before Riggs turned to her. The walking hadn’t been easy with all the snow, and Carlise felt a bead of sweat drip down the side of her face. She was bundled up, and at first, she’d been cold, but now she was feeling a little overly warm. The temperature was probably well below freezing, but she’d been exerting a lot of energy.
“You ready?” Riggs asked.
“Yup.”
“Okay, close your eyes.”
Without thought, Carlise did as he asked.
“Stay here. Keep your hand on this tree. And no peeking, no matter what you hear. Okay?”
She was getting more and more intrigued. They’d been walking through the woods, and everything around her looked the same. She wasn’t sure how Riggs knew where they were going, but he was obviously in his element out here. She had no doubt in his navigation skills.
“Okay,” she belatedly reassured him.
He left her side, and it was actually harder than she thought it would be to keep her eyes shut. The second he stepped away, it felt as if she was alone out here in the wilderness. She could hear his subtle sounds nearby, but it somehow wasn’t enough.
“Riggs?” she called out, hating that her voice wobbled.
She heard his footsteps as he came closer.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
The second his gloved hands touched her face, Carlise relaxed. And immediately felt stupid. “Sorry. It’s nothing.”
“Look at me,” he ordered.
She opened her eyes. He’d tilted her head up so when her lids lifted, all she saw was him.
“What’s wrong? What happened?”
“I just . . . got worried for a second.”
“About what?”
“That you’d leave me here. That you might think it was funny to play a joke or something.”
In response, Riggs’s jaw tightened as he inched closer. “I’d never do that. That wouldn’t be funny in the least.”
“I know,” she whispered.
“Why would you even think something like that?”
Now that her eyes were open and she saw how affected Riggs was by her thoughts, Carlise felt awful. “I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do,” he countered. “Talk to me, sweetheart.”
“My ex . . . he thought it was funny to scare me. He’d jump out from around corners and behind doors, just to hear me scream. Tell me he needed to grab something from another aisle in a store, then go outside and move the car, making me think he’d left me. He loved to prank me by calling late at night and not saying anything when I answered, just breathing heavily.” She shook her head, trying to dislodge all the thoughts of Tommy. “Leaving me standing here while he went and hid is something he would’ve gotten a huge kick out of. He always said I couldn’t take a joke.”
“None of that’s funny,” Riggs said tightly. “Scaring people isn’t something I do as a prank, and it’s not cool. I’d never do anything like that to you. Ever.”
Carlise’s muscles relaxed at his response, both his verbal one and the way his entire body seemed to go taut with anger. But it wasn’t aimed at her. “I’m sorry I doubted you.”
“Don’t be,” Riggs said with a shake of his head. “We’re still getting to know each other. And your past has taught you to be wary. But you can lower your shield around me, Carlise. I hope to show you in time that I can be your shield. I can protect you from the assholes in the world. From the crap life likes to throw at people from time to time.”
His words were everything. Carlise was used to no one standing up for her. Starting with her mom when she was a kid, unable to protect Carlise from her father. Riggs vowing to protect her didn’t automatically make the past go away, but looking into his serious gaze, she felt the wall around her heart crack a bit.
It took a moment, but eventually, Riggs relaxed. She felt his thumb caress the underside of her jaw. “You okay now?”
She nodded. “I think so.”
“Would it make you feel better to keep your eyes open, but to turn your back to me instead?”
More relief flowed through Carlise. “Yeah.”
“Okay.” He moved his hands so they were on her shoulders and physically turned her around. But he didn’t let go. Instead, Riggs leaned in and rested his chin on her shoulder. Their faces were a hairbreadth apart, and if she turned, their lips would touch.
One hand moved to her hip, and he held her against him for a moment. “Look at Baxter. He’s having a ball.”
Carlise immediately saw the black pit bull against the snowy wonderland of the woods. He was throwing a stick in the air, then pouncing on it when it landed, throwing snow up all around him as he played.
She grinned at the joy the dog was expressing.
“He knew you were upset, you know,” Riggs told her.
“What?” Carlise asked.