"Just imagine the look on Colonel Dawson's face when we tell him" She lowered her voice, puffed out her chest. "Sir, we managed to work together on one thing."
Tanner's frown faded into skepticism, shifting to amazement before that dimple tucked in again. "Well, damn. We blew up the car."
A low rumble rolled from his chest, echoing out over the lonely desert. He hooked a forearm on his knee, shook his head and laughed harder.
He'd always had the most infectious laugh.
She let the laughs have their way with her. Who cared if each one carried a slightly hysterical edge? It was safer than crying all over Tanner's broad chest.
One last rogue giggle tripped into a snort. Kathleen pushed a hand to her aching head. "I imagine it's too much to hope for that you have your cell phone in your pocket."
He jerked a thumb toward the smoking car. "It was hooked up to the trickle charger in the lighter. And yours?"
"In my purse. We should have had some of your Lucky Charms for breakfast."
Tanner clasped his hands between his knees, massaging the scratch on his palm, eyes scanning the horizon. "I'm not so sure all this has anything to do with lousy luck."
She tried to sort through his cryptic statement, but couldn't think through the foggy ache. She needed to be checked out by a doctor. "Do you think we're closer to base? Or town?"
"Base, but we're still talking about a helluva haul. We might shave a few miles off if we made a direct path. All the same, I'd rather stick to the road. Maybe someone saw the explosion and has already called for help. If we stay with the roads, we may luck into a car before dark, or at least find one of those old missions we passed heading out. Either way, we've got to walk."
"I figured as much."
He feathered a blunt fingertip over her forehead. "Are you up to it?"
She willed her eyes not to drift shut at that skimming caress. "No choice is there? And don't even offer to carry me."
"Hey, plenty of soldiers carry wounded comrades off the battlefield. No shame in that. You're a hell of a lot lighter than Lance or Cutter." He smiled, but couldn't quite hide the sudden tension between them, a quiet intensity flickering like the lingering flames reflected in his eyes.
He could joke all he wanted, but he had to know she needed a trip to the E.R. Given his need for control, this would be a tough one for him to swallow. She needed to play it straight, because he would recognize a lie. "If I have a concussion, it's better for me to walk. It will keep me alert."
He stared into her eyes as if weighing her words or perhaps checking her pupils again. He must have been reassured by what he saw because he stood, extending a hand to help her.
She gripped his wrist. "Uh, is your back okay?"
"O'Connell…" he growled, his hold twitching around her wrist.
"It better be, because there's not a chance I can carry you out of here, hotshot." She gave him a gentle squeeze and stood.
"I'm fine." His eyes burned with a battlefield determination. "I'm going to get you out of here and to a hospital, Kathleen."
Her smile pulled tight. "How about we do it together?"
"Right." He grunted, dropping her hand. "May as well get started."
Her skin tingled as if she'd singed her palm in the fire. She skimmed a restless hand along her dusty jeans. "What a way to spend Christmas Eve."
"We're both alive. Santa's earned his cookies." The gruff edge to his response made her recall he'd had worse Christmases. His sister's death had to hit him hard this time of year.
Remembering she had a lot to be thankful for in spite of the hideous day, Kathleen nodded. "Good point."
The road stretched out ahead of her, long, narrow, fading into the horizon. Kathleen wished she had an extra pack of Oreos on hand for hitching a ride on Santa's sleigh.
With her luck so far, they wouldn't reach town until the new year. And the last thing she needed was the temptation of a night under the stars with Tanner.
A coyote howled as the sun inched its way into the horizon. Tanner eyed the crumbling adobe mission in the distance and knew they didn't stand a chance of reaching it until at least an hour after sunset.
The temperature already dipped below freezing. Kathleen's pale face had him ready to fling her over his shoulder and double-time it to the highway. She'd insisted she was fine every time he'd asked, but what else would she say?