Page 37 of Hard Pursuit
When it came to snooping for Christmas presents, curiosity had always gotten the best of her. But she knew better than to interrupt whatever was going on in that room.
She settled cross-legged on the floor to wait for someone to hear the case she was determined to plead.
She tucked one leg under her and pulled the other in closer, the book on photography open in her lap. Though she turned the pages, she barely saw the artistic photographs.
She darted another look at the closed door she sat outside of and tried to pick out words, but she couldn’t.
The base also insulated her from the sounds of the storm the guys claimed was still raging outside. She didn’t think they’d keep her here if it wasn’t true—but if they could fly out, she could as well.
She flipped a page, briefly glancing at the image of a rainforest, lush and green and completely opposite of her current world. She never had adventures, but this disaster made her wonder if she ever wanted another.
Losing her parents unexpectedly at a young age made her overly cautious. Worrying herself sick over how one unequipped teenager was going to keep three kids alive made her theoppositeof adventurous.
Which was why her siblings gave her the adventure fund. Jake worked overtime to scrounge up extra money for her. Tanner picked up trash at the sports arena after games. And Lara worked nights and weekends at her crappy retail job, not saving for college like she claimed—but so Jolie could have fun.
Tears filled her eyes as they always did whenever she thought about her family. Tragedy had brought them all closer, and made them love harder. Which was why it was killing her that she couldn’t contact them.
She didn’t belong here, and her siblings would be losing their minds by now.
Jolie should be there with them, reassuring them she was fine, that she’d taken some great photos before getting snowed in. She’d had her adventure.
With a very hot military man.
She dropped her head back against the wall and stared at the ceiling for a moment, drowning in memories of Archer’s kisses… and his touch. It layered on top of the frustration and fear over her situation.
She blew out a breath and forced her attention back to the page, but no pretty pictures could stop her from thinking about Archer.
Long minutes passed, and she’d flipped through a dozen more pages, when suddenly the voices beyond the door paused.
As a grating noise of chairs scraping concrete filtered out to Jolie, she slammed the book shut and leaped to her feet just as the door flew open.
She tucked the book under her arm and wiped her palms on her jeans. “Are you done with your little meeting?” she asked.
The man they called O arched a brow. “Our little meeting? That’s the war room.”
“Sorry. Are you done with your little meeting in the war room?”
Several more men filed out. O stuck out his elbow to stop one. “You hear that, Townie?”
The man with a permanent—and hot—crease between his brows eyed her. “It’s not like we were singing Kumbaya.”
A man stopped behind him in the doorway and she just knew it was Archer. She didn’t meet his eyes for fear that she couldn’t control the look on her face when it did.
He stepped out, and even the walls stretched to accommodate him.
Cannon’s gaze landed on her. “Can I help you?”
Jolie cradled the book against her chest, more to hold herself together than anything else. “Yes. I was just wondering when I can make a call.”
Cannon gave her a single nod. “We’re going to try to get you out tonight.”
The words struck with a rush of relief that made her sag. Finally! Tonight she could call her siblings and hear their voices.
On the heels of her relief came a sharp pang. Leaving meant that whatever strange, intense, not-quite-real bubble she and Archer were in was about to burst.
Without meaning to, she met his stare, and her chest burned. Even though she’d known they were temporary, she wasn’t prepared for it to feel complicated and messy.
Under different circumstances…she and Archer could have been something more.
