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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

“We’d better go,” he said a little gruffly, gripped Abby’s waist and swung her up on the horse. She hissed out a breath when her bottom connected with the saddle; then she grinned.

Gage felt that grin all the way from his heart to his groin. He was in serious trouble with this woman, he thought as he shoved a boot into the stirrup and swung up on the bay.

And though this wasn’t the time or place, sooner or later he was going to have her.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

THEY MADE CAMP EIGHT MILES IN, THE LOCATION OF KING’S FIRST GPS coordinates, a spot marked on the map. Kyle chose an open, level area on the high side of the trail, not far from where water collected in a shallow rock depression, enough to take care of the horses and mules.

Abby had heard Kyle tell Gage that tomorrow by late afternoon, they should reach the point where the old wagon road cut their trail, and they would change course. About three miles down the wagon road was as far as they could travel on horseback.

Smiley would head back to the ranch with the horses, packing their trash out with him, while the rest of them continued on foot, Gage, Mateo, or Kyle leading the mules.

Abby wasn’t sure if walking was good news or bad. She winced as an ache traveled up her thighs into her lower back. She still wasn’t used to riding. But she was in good shape, and she had prepared herself for the trip. Maybe walking would be easier.

She thought of the spiny cactus she had so far avoided and scoffed. Nothing out here was easy.

As soon as they dismounted, the men went to work setting up camp. In the middle of the open space, Kyle built a fire, while Smiley watered the horses and mules. Mateo collected a bucket of water, which he put on to boil for cooking. Later they would boil more to fill their water bottles.

Meanwhile, Gage spread a tarp off to one side of the camp and motioned for Abby to bring her sleeping bag over and join him.

“Don’t unzip it yet,” he said. “You don’t want any unwelcome visitors moving in. Same goes in the morning, roll up your bag as soon as you get up. And check your boots before you put them on.”

She fought a shiver at the implications. She didn’t want one of those scorpions she had seen joining her in bed or curling up in the toe of her hiking boot. She was grateful for all the things King had taught her, though camping in the pine forests of Colorado was far more hospitable than this hostile environment.