Page 22 of The Outpost (Jamison Valley 4)
It took a few minutes after we crested the ridge for my racing heart to settle. Beau parked, and once my panic had subsided, I took a look at the incredible view. From up here, I could see forever.
“Wow. I feel like I’m in Middle Earth.” The tall, snowcapped mountains in the distance stood like giants above the open, gold plains in between.
“I wouldn’t have taken you for a Lord of the Rings fan,” Beau said. “Movies or books?”
“As a rule, books, but those movies were incredible so they are an exception.”
Beau hummed in agreement before pulling out his cell phone. “Here.” He held it out. “There’s probably only one bar or two but go crazy. Use my profile and cyber stalk your family. You can check the news to see what’s up with the Federovs.”
I sat frozen for a second until his words registered. He’d brought me up here because there was cell service. Taking the phone, I beamed. “Thank you.”
I tapped the Facebook app but stopped before typing my mom’s name into the search bar. I looked up at Beau, tears pooling in my eyes. “What if the Federovs got to them?” I could barely choke out the words.
His eyes softened and he reached out a hand, placing it on the side of my neck. “They’re okay. Jess would have found us if something bad had happened.”
“You think?”
“I know.” His thumb rubbed the underside of my jaw and I couldn’t help but lean my weight further into his soothing grip.
“Okay.” I blinked away my tears. Then, diving right in, I Facebook-stalked my family.
My parents, brothers and entire extended family had been posting regular pleas, begging for information on my whereabouts. Their words were laced so heavily with concern that I couldn’t stop the tears from running down my cheeks. The video my dad had posted was heartbreaking. His skin was splotchy from crying and he looked wrecked with worry.
I felt unbearably guilty for making them suffer but at the same time incredibly relieved, because even worried, they were all safe and unharmed.
“Well?” Beau asked.
I held out the phone for him to see the post I’d opened. “I’m the contemporary girl on the milk carton.”
“That’s quite the hairdo.” We both chuckled at his joke. I was grateful for his humor to help me get my emotions under control.
“I was going through a big-hair phase.” Clearly, I needed to get some more recent photographs to my parents. The one they seemed to be circulating the most was from my college graduation. I’d had a huge bump teased into the top of my head.
Looking out across the beautiful distance, I made a silent promise. I would build a stronger relationship with my family. Once I was free to leave my Montana hideout, I was going to be a better daughter and sister.
Turning back to the phone, I started digging into recent news articles from my paper. Immense relief flowed through my veins when I read that the Federovs had been arrested and the FBI was conducting a major investigation into their ties to the Russian mafia. I let out an audible sigh, relieved my hard work had not been in vain.
An hour later, I was in a better mental state than I’d been in since Seattle.
“Thank you,” I told Beau. “So much.” I wouldn’t ever be able to explain how much this hour connected to the real world had meant.
“No problem.” His easy smile made my heart beat double time.
Curses. My attraction for Beau wasn’t fading, not in the slightest. The new-guy flutters were morphing into all-consuming desire. My heart would fall for this sweet and thoughtful man. It was inevitable. And it would be the forever kind of fall. A disastrous descent that would splatter my heart on the pavement and leave no possible hope for repair.
Because a future with Beau was impossible.
We’re from two different worlds.
His words rang in my ears and sounded even worse than they had a week ago.
I turned back to his phone as a dull ache settled into my heart. When this ordeal was over, I’d go back to my life and Beau would stay here in his. The sooner I accepted that fate the better.
“One more minute?” I asked.
“Take as long as you need.”
My fingers worked automatically, typing in a name for one last Facebook search. Again, I was met with my picture, this one much more recent, having been taken just four weeks ago. But unlike the photos my family had posted, in this picture I was not alone.
