Page 65 of You Saw the Best In Me

I doubt he’ll stay away for more than a few days. His last move was bold, and as much as I hate to admit it, he’s not a complete idiot and he’ll most likely lay low for now. Hopefully, now that Karina has spoken out, he’ll be in custody where he belongs sooner rather than later.

The drive is a bit long, so I let Karina play DJ, and she surprises me by playing classic rock. I assumed I’d be in for a rough ride with her girly pop shit, but I nod to the music, keeping one hand on her thigh where we both feel the comfort in one touch.

“Where are we going, Mav?” she asks, getting impatient.

“You’ll see, we’re almost there,” I squeeze her leg to settle her, trying to keep her anxiousness from creeping in.

Ten minutes later, we pull down a dirt road that leads to an open field. The sign-out front indicates that Tony is available, and we park next to his cabin.

Old Man Tony is a doomsday planner, equipped with a bomb shelter and stocked with everything he’d need to survive the end of the world. He’s a short, stocky man with a long white beard and an old baseball cap.

He knew my mom, they grew up in this town together, and I spent a lot of time up here after she died, letting my anger out on his shooting range.

“Maverick Carter, that you?” he shouts from the porch as he tosses a cigarette aside.

“Yes, sir. How are you?” I smile as he reaches to shake my hand.

“Got a few more rifles in the cellar, fixin’ to come down and test ‘em out?” he asks, that southern drawl thick and hard to understand.

His glance shifts from me to Karina, and he takes his hat off before shaking her hand.

“Who’s this foxy lady?” he smiles, and I introduce them.

“Karina plans to learn today. Mind if we use the range for a few hours?” I ask, pointing behind his cabin.

“Of course. Maverick, how the hell did you land a pretty girl like this? It can’t be your good looks or charm,” he laughs at his joke, and Karina blushes.

“Not too long ago, I hated his guts,” she elbows me in the ribs, and Tony shoots me a smile.

“She’s a keeper, Maverick. I can tell,” he winks before leading the way to his shooting range.

It’s a large, open space with targets of all kinds, and he has an array of weapons lined up against a piece of plywood screwed onto his fence.

This is where I learned to shoot, and I owe Tony a lot for keeping an eye on me all those years ago.

“Alright, young lady, let’s get you some goggles and earplugs. I have the perfect fit for you,” he says as he pulls a small black piece off the wall dedicated to pistols.

It’s the perfect size for her and exactly what I had in mind when I told her I’d teach her.

“I’ve got it from here, thanks, Tony,” I pat him on the back, and he gives me a playful smile.

“I’ll be down the cellar if y'all need me,” he walks off, heading toward his bomb shelter.

I turn my attention back to Karina, who looks cute as hell with those goggles on. I kiss her nose and get my gear on.

“Tony’s nice,” she says, and I fill her in on our history while we walk to the spot I think will be good for her as a starting point.

“He’s a little strange with his end-of-the-world theories, but he’s a great guy,” I finish, and she takes my hand in hers while we follow the trail the rest of the way.

Finally, we get to a secluded area with a few trees for cover. Along the ledge, there are twenty beer cans lined up, and this is the first place I want Karina to practice.

“Ready?” I ask, and she nervously chews on her bottom lip.

I stand behind her, putting the weapon in her hands as I explain how to work the trigger and the safety.

“The recoil won’t be too harsh on this, so keep your hands steady and put your finger on the trigger when you’re ready to fire,” I say, stepping back and giving her space.

Her first few shots miss the cans, but finally, on the fourth shot, she knicks the side of one.