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Back The Last Mile Save as PDF
Chapters (49)
  1. Also by
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Epigraph
  5. CHAPTER ONE
  6. CHAPTER TWO
  7. CHAPTER THREE
  8. CHAPTER FOUR
  9. CHAPTER FIVE
  10. CHAPTER SIX
  11. CHAPTER SEVEN
  12. CHAPTER EIGHT
  13. CHAPTER NINE
  14. CHAPTER TEN
  15. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  16. CHAPTER TWELVE
  17. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  18. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  19. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  20. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  21. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  22. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  23. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  24. CHAPTER TWENTY
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  34. CHAPTER THIRTY
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  44. CHAPTER FORTY
  45. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  46. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  48. EPILOGUE
  49. Teaser chapter

“There’s a bigger place we rent to families,” Walt said, “but these others here are all alike. Each has a bedroom and bath, a little seating area in front of the wood-burning stove. Still cold enough at night—there’s some logs there if you feel like building a fire. Got a sink, and there’s a coffee maker next to it on the counter, one of them little fridges underneath.”

“It’s nice.” Gage had expected only the basics, but the cabin was surprisingly homey, with a love seat and chair in front of the stove and a patchwork quilt on the queen-sized bed. He tried not to let his thoughts stray in that direction, but for an instant, he imagined Abby lying naked in the middle of the bed in welcome, her glorious flame-colored hair spread over the pillow.

He shut down the image and turned back to his host.

“Supper’s at six,” Walt said. “You’ll meet my wife, Mae. She’s a durn good cook.”

Gage smiled. “Good food’s always appreciated.” He left to move the car, parked it in a spot in front of the cabin, then started unloading their gear. He was back inside when he looked up to see Abby standing in the open doorway.

“Come on in,” he said.

She walked inside and looked around. “Mine’s the same except for my quilt is red and yours is blue. I wonder if his wife made them.”

Gage tried not to glance at the bed, to keep the image he’d seen earlier from reappearing in his head. “Walt says Mae is—and I’m quoting—‘a durn good cook.’ ”

Abby laughed. “I’m hungry, so that’s great news.”

Gage clamped down a shot of lust. He was hungry, but at the moment, it wasn’t for food.

He glanced behind Abby toward the door. “Where’s your newfound friend? Last I saw, he was carrying your suitcase, following you around like a puppy.”

Her eyes shot to his. “I thought Kyle was nice.”

“I’m sure he is. Long as he keeps his mind on business, we’ll be fine.”

“Keeps his mind on business? As opposed to what?”

“Your sweet little ass.” The look on her face was priceless. He checked his watch. “It’s almost time for supper. Let’s go for a walk, check out the stock, then go get something to eat.”

Abby said nothing, just flicked him a disapproving glance, and walked past him out the door.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

ABBY WALKED WITH GAGE AROUND THE COMPOUND. SHE WENT TO get her camera, then paused to snap a photo here and there. There was a pasture next to the corral where a long-eared mule lipped the sparse grass coming up through the sandy soil. Several other mules grazed on a pile of hay near the fence.

“The mules look healthy,” Abby said.