putting his hand on her cheek.
Carly’s stomach churned as she felt the depth of his worry, his emotion. Her heart sank as she thought about how she had hurt him all those years ago as a teenager, and she had done it again tonight. Without thinking, she had ripped his heart apart yet again. She didn’t deserve him. He didn’t deserve the way she was treating him.
“Stemmons?” he called on the radio as he stood up and walked a few feet away from her. “I found her. We are at the bottom of this huge ravine. Can you check the maps and see the quickest way out of here?”
Carly slowly got to her feet. Her head was pounding, and her hands felt like they were on fire. Rips were scattered across her jeans, and her sweatshirt was covered in dirt and leaves.
“Aidan,” she called out. He was off the radio and standing just about ten feet away. The clouds had passed, and the moonlight was streaming through the trees. She could see his silhouette as he stared out at the forest in front of him.
“You probably shouldn’t be standing, Carly. You hit your head pretty hard,” he said softly as she walked up beside him.
“You can’t trust me, can you?” she asked looking up at him.
Aidan looked down at her for a moment before smiling at her. “You know, you always were dramatic and spontaneous, but tonight really takes the cake,” he said. “I just don’t know what to do with you.”
“You knew what to do with me earlier,” she said with a wink.
“You are such a strong-willed woman. Are you ever going to be able to let me into your heart, Carly?”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“You ran from the feelings between us in high school. Then you married a man that I think, deep down, you knew was trouble waiting to happen. Now, at the first sign of danger, you don’t even trust me as an FBI agent to protect you. How can I take care of you as a man if you won’t let me?” His words were full of pain and angst, as if he was trying to make sense out of nonsense.
Carly had never thought of it that way. Ever since her Dad had left the family, and probably even before that, she had focused on being independent. She didn’t want to count on anyone because she had found that she couldn’t for so long. Now, that independence could cost her.
Chapter 12
Before Carly could answer Aidan, Agent Stemmons radioed him to give him instructions for getting out of the mountain. Ironically, a main road that led down from the mountain was only a quarter of a mile away. Carly insisted, of course, that she could walk it.
“Tell me if anything starts to hurt, and I will carry you,” Aidan said as they started out.
“I can walk,” Carly responded.
“Yes, I know, Queen Independent. You could probably skip out of here or hop on one foot.” Aidan was half joking and half serious.
They walked in silence the rest of the way. Carly wasn’t sure where her actions left them. Did they have a relationship? Or was it just a one night stand with an old friend? Was he just trying to relive old fantasies of the two of them being together? She was still married, and that came with a lot of baggage, including an upcoming criminal trial.
When they came to the road, there were two FBI vans waiting for them.
“Mrs. Caine, I am glad you are okay,” Agent Stemmons said without cracking a smile.
“Call me Carly, please.”
“We are ready to take you to the hospital,” he said ushering her into the van. “Aidan, we need you to ride with Agent Evans to give your account of the shooting.”
Aidan looked at Carly before climbing into his van. He stared at her for a moment before turning his head and shutting the door. He wasn’t even coming to the hospital with her? When would she see him again?
***
“Carly? Did you hear me?” Detective Cloud asked.
“What? No, sorry,” she said. Here she was, head stitched and
Carly’s stomach churned as she felt the depth of his worry, his emotion. Her heart sank as she thought about how she had hurt him all those years ago as a teenager, and she had done it again tonight. Without thinking, she had ripped his heart apart yet again. She didn’t deserve him. He didn’t deserve the way she was treating him.
“Stemmons?” he called on the radio as he stood up and walked a few feet away from her. “I found her. We are at the bottom of this huge ravine. Can you check the maps and see the quickest way out of here?”
Carly slowly got to her feet. Her head was pounding, and her hands felt like they were on fire. Rips were scattered across her jeans, and her sweatshirt was covered in dirt and leaves.
“Aidan,” she called out. He was off the radio and standing just about ten feet away. The clouds had passed, and the moonlight was streaming through the trees. She could see his silhouette as he stared out at the forest in front of him.
“You probably shouldn’t be standing, Carly. You hit your head pretty hard,” he said softly as she walked up beside him.
“You can’t trust me, can you?” she asked looking up at him.
Aidan looked down at her for a moment before smiling at her. “You know, you always were dramatic and spontaneous, but tonight really takes the cake,” he said. “I just don’t know what to do with you.”
“You knew what to do with me earlier,” she said with a wink.
“You are such a strong-willed woman. Are you ever going to be able to let me into your heart, Carly?”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“You ran from the feelings between us in high school. Then you married a man that I think, deep down, you knew was trouble waiting to happen. Now, at the first sign of danger, you don’t even trust me as an FBI agent to protect you. How can I take care of you as a man if you won’t let me?” His words were full of pain and angst, as if he was trying to make sense out of nonsense.
Carly had never thought of it that way. Ever since her Dad had left the family, and probably even before that, she had focused on being independent. She didn’t want to count on anyone because she had found that she couldn’t for so long. Now, that independence could cost her.
Chapter 12
Before Carly could answer Aidan, Agent Stemmons radioed him to give him instructions for getting out of the mountain. Ironically, a main road that led down from the mountain was only a quarter of a mile away. Carly insisted, of course, that she could walk it.
“Tell me if anything starts to hurt, and I will carry you,” Aidan said as they started out.
“I can walk,” Carly responded.
“Yes, I know, Queen Independent. You could probably skip out of here or hop on one foot.” Aidan was half joking and half serious.
They walked in silence the rest of the way. Carly wasn’t sure where her actions left them. Did they have a relationship? Or was it just a one night stand with an old friend? Was he just trying to relive old fantasies of the two of them being together? She was still married, and that came with a lot of baggage, including an upcoming criminal trial.
When they came to the road, there were two FBI vans waiting for them.
“Mrs. Caine, I am glad you are okay,” Agent Stemmons said without cracking a smile.
“Call me Carly, please.”
“We are ready to take you to the hospital,” he said ushering her into the van. “Aidan, we need you to ride with Agent Evans to give your account of the shooting.”
Aidan looked at Carly before climbing into his van. He stared at her for a moment before turning his head and shutting the door. He wasn’t even coming to the hospital with her? When would she see him again?
***
“Carly? Did you hear me?” Detective Cloud asked.
“What? No, sorry,” she said. Here she was, head stitched and
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