Page 168 of Daddy’s Fortitude

“Not your fault,” they all said.

She sighed and nodded.

And then Kirsten reached into the back of her truck and pulled out the best thing she’d seen all day.

“Kevin,” she cried as she rushed over to him. He was in a little portable cage, and she was certain he let out a squeak of happiness when he saw her. Kirsten set the cage down and opened it.

Aimee reached in and grabbed Kevin. Setting him in her hand, she patted him lightly before putting him up into her hair where he belonged.

Okay, now things felt better in her world.

“Right, shall we head off?” Webb said as he set some packs out on the ground.

There were three large packs. Was she going to carry one as well?

She wasn’t quite sure she felt up to a walk, let alone a walk with a pack, but she was determined to pull her weight.

So she walked over to grab one. When she attempted to pick it up, Ammo grasped hold of her around the waist and lifted her up.

“What do you think you are doing?”

“Well, there’s three packs, so I figured it was one for you, one for Webb, and one for me,” she said.

“No way are you carrying a pack up there,” he told her.

Ammo handed Eli then Hank a pack each.

“We’re all coming up,” Kirsten said. “I have to show you the way. And just so you know, I said I would carry a pack but was overruled.” She sent Hank a look. It was clear who told her that she wasn’t going to be carrying a pack. “I’ll carry Kevin’s cage.”

Hank scowled but didn’t say anything.

“I really feel a lot better,” she told Ammo.

He just shot a look at her.

Wait, if he wasn’t carrying a pack . . . what was he carrying?

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Yep, it turned out the thing that he was carrying was her.

He had placed her on his back, piggyback style, with his arms behind him, supporting her thighs. He walked up the trail behind Kirsten who was in front with Hank next to her. Eli and Webb were behind them.

“I really can walk.”

“We’ve had this argument,” he told her. “Hush.”

“You can’t just decide you’ve had enough of an argument and end it by telling me to hush.”

“Pretty sure I just did.”

The man was so frustrating. If his face wasn’t so pretty, she’d be tempted to punch him in the nose.

“Did you just say that if Ammo’s face wasn’t so pretty, you’d be tempted to punch him in the nose?”

She glanced behind her at Webb, who was grinning.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about. I’d never punch anyone in the nose, let alone Ammo. I love his nose. It’s a cute nose.”