Chapter 25 Lissa
Lissa gingerly rotated her left arm at the doctor’s request. After three weeks of recovery, her injured shoulder seemed more stiff than painful, and the entry wound had healed.
They’d operated to remove a bullet lodged in her upper arm, and she’d always have a scar, but considering how serious a gunshot wound could be, she’d been lucky.
The rough scar was dark pink and angry-looking, like a brand on her otherwise smooth skin.
While ugly, at least she hadn’t been killed.
“Your wound is healing well.” The doctor wrote something on her chart and looked up with a kind smile. “You were fortunate it wasn’t worse. You’ll need to be careful and do your exercises, but you’re cleared. In time, you should have full function of your arm.”
Lissa released the pent-up breath she’d been holding, her chest loosening.
Deep down, she’d worried about a low-grade infection, nerve damage, or another complication that might keep her at xTerra.
While she enjoyed spending time with Cam and enjoyed getting to know Robin, it was time to go home.
She missed the forest, her cats, and even her daily chores that gave her life purpose.
Here, she’d had nothing to do except read and hang out, which was fine for recovery mode, but boring as hell.
Cam squeezed Lissa’s hand at the positive news.
He’d accompanied her to her three-week follow-up appointment, taking a break from packing.
For the last several days, he’d boxed up his important belongings from his bunker to prepare for their move.
To repay Lissa for her assistance, the Council had said that he and Lissa could take additional supplies from community storage.
He agreed they required little, but they selected a couple of cases of ammunition for his rifle and her shotgun, so they’d be better equipped for hunting season.
He’d also scooped a couple of thick rolls of clear plastic for a mystery project and an assortment of building supplies.
She’d also chosen new clothes, including jeans that fit and additional warm socks from the community store.
At the last minute, she chose a small selection of seeds for her garden.
She could use more variety than she’d found six years ago in the basement.
By the time she returned home tomorrow, Lissa would’ve been gone for almost a month.
She hoped her garden had sprouted and that her cats were thriving.
The only nagging worry was about how the family at Fort Robinson was doing and whether they would cause problems once she returned.
She also hoped the Slains’ workers hadn’t arrived on site yet.
Their presence would cause complications.
***
Cam stopped the 4x4 SUV at the bottom of Lissa’s steep driveway.
Her heart fluttered, excited to be so near home.
They would hike this last section as the driveway was impassable for a vehicle, even with four-wheel-drive—too many young trees had sprouted over the last eight years of neglect.
Plus, over the years, she’d also carried or rolled several boulders onto the bottom of the old gravel to disguise the roadway and to keep it from being accessible.
She stared at the overgrown track and smiled.
She’d been successful. If she hadn’t known this was the driveway, it would have been difficult to locate.
They couldn’t leave the SUV out in the open, especially not while it was stacked with Cam’s boxes and suitcases. He hadn’t brought a lot, but it would take them several trips to get everything up the hill to the house. She inhaled, letting the fresh scent of pine trees and blossoms fill her lungs.
Lissa hopped out of the SUV, following on foot while Cam drove beside the bottom section of the former driveway, avoiding jagged rocks and saplings as he lurched uphill an extra hundred yards.
Once around the corner and out of sight of the road, he parked near the base of a cluster of fir and spruce to hide the vehicle.
At least for now. He planned to build a shed down here to house the vehicle for emergency use and to add solar panels to the house to charge the battery.
Since her departure, emerald leaves had sprouted on the deciduous trees, and the greenery on the forest floor had thickened.
In the open, beside the former roadway, which had become a thin trail, blue flax bloomed beside small pink and yellow flowers.
Small flat white and yellow flowers of wild strawberries peeked between them.
She made a note so she could come back in a few weeks to pick berries, then took a moment to enjoy the sight of spring in full bloom. These strawberries would grow in the open where it was sunny, making the tiny fruit sweet and bursting with flavor.
While Lissa’s arm wasn’t healed enough to carry heavy boxes, she strapped on her refilled backpack for the first trip upward.
She traded a grin with Cam as he clipped on his backpack before grabbing the first of his four boxes.
She couldn’t believe he’d packed so little, and yet it might be all he needed.
If they had to leave, his stuff wouldn’t be onerous to repack.
“I’m going to use the sleds for hauling the rest on the next trip,” he said.
“They slide well on grass,” said Lissa, with a shrug. “I’ve done it before.” The toboggans had been instrumental in outfitting her house after she’d scavenged food and dozens of useful items from Crawford, including her extensive supply of yarn, bedding, and books.
After a twenty-minute hike, they arrived at the house. Though uphill, without deep snow it was a simple trip. She bypassed the top section of the driveway, which circled to the right, instead cutting across to the stairs Cam had used when he’d found her house with his fractured ankle.
She glanced at him again, a grin tugging at her mouth. Finding a partner like him made her truly happy. They’d gotten lucky.
He met her smile with one of his own. “I’m excited to be back too. I missed this place. You were right. It’s stunning in the spring.” His words gave her hope that they might stay, no matter what they found at the fort.
At the top of the stairs, she unlocked the narrow gate, and they passed through, into the wild section around the house that once would have been lawn and flower gardens.
Now it was a tangle of rosebushes, spindly grass, and weeds.
The house wore its usual veil of neglect, but to her it was beautiful, as it represented safety.
Her pace picked up as they approached the back door.
Here too, the house appeared undisturbed.
Lissa unlocked the door and swung it open.
From inside rushed the faint musty smell of stale air.
A light scattering of dust covered the counters, while cobwebs already decorated the corners by the ceiling.
She’d left in such a hurry, she hadn’t been able to recall if she’d put everything away, but everything was stowed.
She scraped open a window to air out the kitchen.
She dropped her pack and tugged down blankets that aided her winter insulation off the walls.
“We won’t need the extra insulation this time of year.
” Cam joined her, stripping the last of the wall coverings and helping to fold the quilts.
She stuffed the blankets into an empty cupboard for next fall.
With Cam’s help, they completed the task in a few minutes.
Once in her main room, Lissa checked for signs of her cats.
A couple of dried bits from inside a mouse stuck to the floor behind the door, as well as a scattering of feathers.
One pile looked fresh, only a day or two old.
While she didn’t love the mess, it meant the cats had continued to access the house despite her absence.
She unclipped her pack and lowered it to the ground, leaning it against the leg of the table. “Welcome home.”
Cam wrapped his arms around her. “I’m looking forward to settling in, including sleeping in the bed instead of the couch.” He claimed her lips. His kiss tasted of peppermint and promises.
While they’d slept together for the duration of her stay at xTerra, she’d have to convince him she wasn’t fragile.
They’d been very careful, but after her last appointment her arm was well on its way to better.
Tonight, she hoped for a repeat of their first lovemaking.
His commanding manner and creative control had surprised her in the most wonderful way.
It was a measure of the trust between them that this type of intimacy didn’t make her fearful. Cam would take care of her.
Her cheeks flamed. “I’d help with the rest of your boxes, but I shouldn’t overextend my arm. I’m saving my energy for other things.”
“Hold that thought,” said Cam, pulling her back for another kiss, this one leaving her trembling. He’d interpreted her blush correctly and left her anticipating their evening.
“I’ll run a toboggan down and bring another load right away. You can look for Mira and Luna and check your garden.” He shot her a slow smile, his eyes almost predatory. “We’ll pick this up later.”
“I’ll fill the water jugs while I’m in the garden.” Her voice had a breathless quality. “I left a few empty ones in my rush.” She stepped back, allowing her anticipation to simmer once more.
Cam turned to leave, then circled back. He gathered Lissa in his arms again and kissed her, his lips soft this time. When she met his gaze, he said, “Being here feels like coming home. I can’t wait to build us a greenhouse.”
That solved the mystery of the rolls of plastic.
She loved that he’d put thought into living here and ways to improve their home.
With two of them, the workload would be lighter, but it was much more than that.
She loved having a special person, someone to look out for and someone who wanted to be with her. He was her safety, her home.