Page 57 of A Shot at Love
Gemma’s smirk grew into a self-satisfied grin.
“But they were all stationary targets. Really adept shooters practice with moving targets, so I really can’t gauge how well you’ll do with that. But for now, you’ll do.”
The squinty-eyed glare she aimed at him would have made a lesser man run for the hills.
“Trust me.” She dropped the empty cartridge case from the weapon into her free hand. “I can shoot those as well.”
He handed her another clip and watched as she loaded it.
“Let’s hope you never have to prove it to me.”
Gemma slapped the cartridge in place. Ky handed her a holster and waited until she fastened it around her waist.
After tightening it, she secured the gun in place, dropped her hands on her hips and asked, “Can we go now?”
She looked like a warrior armed for battle. Strong, self-possessed, and so bad-assed sexy standing in front of him, her bangs blowing back from the slight breeze surrounding them, her perfect chin tilted up defiantly. He could imagine her leading an army into a crusade against evil, each soldier following her blindly, minions pledged to fight for her, perhaps die for her without hesitation.
And he’d be one of them.
“Sure. Get your camera. I’ll secure the house.”
*
“I think we should head back,” Ky said.
They’d been walking for hours. The woods surrounding the cabin had, just as she’d hoped, provided her with an overabundance of perfect beauty to film.
They’d started out as soon as she’d secured her camera around her neck and checked the availability of the memory card for space. With the Glock on her hip, and Ky’s own gun in his hand, they’d ventured out from the back of the cabin, into the thick, lush woods surrounding it.
After a few moments the house was no longer visible. A mild sweep of alarm brushed through her, but when Ky looked down at a compass he’d pulled from his pants pocket, it dissipated.
“Were you a boy scout or something?” she asked, pointing to the compass in his hand.
His response had been a tiny lifting of his lips and an, “or something,” in reply.
He’d led her in every direction she’d asked to go, following the sunlight from above them.
She took hundreds of photos. The break in the canopy when the midday sun had peeked through, slitting light through the trees, giving the illusion the leaves were wet and shimmering like glass mirrors; the raging brook they’d happened upon, the water barreling over lichen-covered rocks, tiny white bubbles bursting around them as they came in contact.
A trio of foraging deer munching on several bushes had frozen in place when Gemma aimed her camera at them. Just as she’d captured three shots in succession, they’d bolted, their white tailes bouncing away from the noise. A monarch butterfly had decided to follow them at one point. When it settled on a leaf, Gemma played with all the stops on her camera, photographing the insect on zoom, in black and white, even out of focus. She couldn’t wait to transfer them to a computer and play with the composition.
In all, it was just the break she needed. She’d let her mind clear of the events of the past few days and simply enjoyed the beauty, the quiet, and the natural splendor surrounding them.
But she’d never for a moment forgotten the man walking with her, ever vigilant, his eyes darting and surveying every inch of ground they covered. Positioned a few steps in front of her at all times, guiding her way, alert to any noise and movement before she saw or heard it, Gemma knew even in this secluded, apparently safe environment, Ky was still protecting her from any and all potential threats.
He’d been patient and agreeable the numerous times she’d asked to stop to capture something with her camera. He hadn’t been chatty, peppering her with questions or making comments on her shots. Instead, he’d allowed her the pleasure to walk quietly, lost in her own thoughts, and simply be.
When was the last time she’d felt so comfortable with a man—with anyone other than her family, really—and didn’t need to keep up a conversation? Didn’t need to engage in small, inane talk to quell the nervous anxiety seeping through her? Didn’t need to explain why she was taking this shot, not another?
