Like a Fox on the Run, стр. 122
“You take off today?” he asked.
“I had some P.T.O. built up.” She shrugged, setting the carafe on the deck then leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. She let out a chuckle. “What better way to spend it than hiding fugitives.”
“Hey, what are friends for?” He took a sip of the spiked coffee and snuck a glance at her bare feet. Tiger had never been a fetish or kink kind of guy. He’d never been into handcuffs or leather or anything like that. Recent experiences aside, he’d pretty much been a meat and potatoes man. But when it came to Lulah, it had always been her feet. They’d been his kryptonite.
Lulah was a country girl, a true Southern girl. Anytime she didn’t need shoes, she was barefoot. It was not only sexy and sensuous, but it indicated a down-to-earth humility. Lulah had always been more comfortable in a pair of old faded jeans, threadbare pajamas or a broken-in pair of sneakers than she was in a business suit and high heels. He loved that about her.
Of course, he loved everything about her.
But … Grannie’s God, those feet! Lulah was tall, almost model height at 5’10, a farm girl, raised up on cornbread, turnip greens and fried chicken. As such, she didn’t have the dainty, little size sevens some guys preferred. She was a healthy size nine. Even so, Tiger had always marveled at how feminine they were, with high, graceful arches and well-defined balls and heels. Her mom had always called them “Barbie feet.”
But his favorite feature had always been those toes. Long and slender, almost fingerlike, they fascinated him. He could stare at them for hours. While the big toes were by no means stubby, they were markedly shorter than the other eight. However, while the four smaller toes on each foot were longer, they naturally curled downward. At the same time, the big toes were always rigid and straight, except for the slight upturn of the distal phalanx bones. It was as if they lacked a middle joint and were unable to bend anywhere but where it connected to the foot. However, it overcompensated there, as Lulah could turn them straight up at a ninety-degree angle.
It friggin’ drove Tiger crazy.
He looked up into her eyes again. They were unusually blue this morning, like the sky after a spring shower. He felt his resistance crumble. “I’m sorry about last night.” He took a nervous sip of his coffee. “You were right about everything and I am sorry for that.”
“I’m not trying to be right. I’m not trying to win.” She shook her head in agitation. “Why does someone always have to win?”
“I dunno,” he shrugged. “Just seems like that’s how it oughta be.”
“This isn’t a contest.” She put a hand on his arm, sending those same tiny electrical surges racing to every point of his body, the same as they had for two decades. “And we’re not two young lovers with forever ahead of us anymore.”
He uncrossed his legs and dropped his boots to the floor, reluctantly breaking contact. Leaning forward, he took a sip of coffee and peered out at the eastern horizon. It wouldn’t be long until the first rays of dawn would streak the sky a myriad of dazzling colors, heralding the sun’s first peek over Monte Sano. When he spoke again, his voice had a different tone, a tone of reluctance and regret. “I talked with Cutter last night after you left me.”
“Aren’t you taking a chance?” She looked immediately alarmed. “Won’t they be scanning for you?”
“Relax,” he put a hand out in a reassuring manner to grasp her leg. It wasn’t because she showed any sign of panic, or he thought she was in danger of such. It was purely for selfish reasons. He just wanted to touch her. “I used Jock’s. He has a jamming app.”
“Oh.” For some reason, that seemed to do little to lift her spirit.
“He told me Jock made it through surgery but he is still in bad shape. They got him in that suspended animation goop.”
“Nanobots. It’s the best treatment he can get.”
“He deserves it,” Tiger stated matter-of-factly.
“The cops will be wanting him to pull through if any way possible … to find out what the hell y’all got going on.”
“If he makes it, he can tell them anything he wants.” Tiger felt the guilt wash over him. “If it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t be here. And, more than likely, by the time he is able to talk, we’ll be far, far away.”
“How do you mean?”
“Cutter should have us a safe house within a few hours. Then we’ll be outta your hair. Then hopefully, I can get Jenny back and get off this infernal rock.”
She did her best to try to hide how devastating those words were. “Tiger … I didn’t mean what I said about that last ni—”
“It doesn’t matter.” He gave a soft smile, as he squeezed her leg. “What matters is that it was true. I had no right coming here. No right, whatsoever. I was wrong in so many ways.”
“Stop, please!” She grew animated. “Please, just stop saying you’re wrong!”
“What do you want me to say, Lu?” He turned to her, reaching out for her face. “Tell me!”
“Tiger.” She smiled as she placed her hand on his. “I know exactly what I want you to say. But I don’t want you to say it ‘til you’re ready to say it. I’ve always steeled myself to the fact you may never be ready to say it.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “Still … that don’t make it easier.”
“I’m so—” he stopped himself, then sighed.
She couldn’t help but smile back