Page 49 of Hard Rain
“It’s a talent.”
“It’s witchcraft.”
Whip gave a snort laugh. The noise filled the little cabin in a way the storm outside couldn’t quite manage.
For a while, neither of them said much.
Axel nudged one of his boots closer to the hearth.
Water still dripped from the leather onto the floorboards.
Whip glanced at it.
“Winter Rim wasn’t the only time you lost a shoe,” he said.
Axel frowned, racking his memory. “Yeah, it was.”
“Nope. Last summer. You decided that Bobby Moss wasn’t getting away across the lake and jumped in.”
“I got him.” The lake had been freezing, too. He poked a lip.
“Yeah, and lost your radio, flashlight, and boot.” Whip ticked them off on his fingers.
“Boone’s report says differently.” Axel preened.
“Suspect apprehended?” Whip cackled. “No mention of a swim.”
“I got friends in high places.”
Axel leaned over and stole the half-warm coffee from Whip’s hand. He took a few swallows before Whip immediately took it back and turned to poke the fire.
The cabin was still cold enough to make his teeth hurt. When Whip pulled a survival blanket from his pack, he wasn’t surprised. Whip always had something extra buried in his gear.
Of course he did.
A minute later, half the blanket landed in his lap—like there’d ever been a question.
He took it without argument.
The floor near the fireplace wasn’t exactly spacious. He shifted closer to the heat and ended up shoulder-to-shoulder with Whip on the bedroll.
The blanket stretched across both their legs while the fire popped and cracked in front of them. Heat soaked through the fabric far slower than Axel would’ve liked.
When Whip dug a pack of trail mix from his bag and tore it open, Axel reached over and grabbed a handful.
Felt normal now.
Sharing food, coffee, motel rooms, and patrol cars didn’t seem strange anymore.
Axel took another bite of mix and pointed at Whip.
“You know when I figured out there was something wrong with your brain?” he said around a mouthful.
Whip squinted at him over the rim of the coffee mug.
“When.”
“In Burns.”
