Shelter for Sophie: Badge of Honor, Book 8 by Susan Stoker

Author:Susan Stoker [Stoker, Susan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Stoker Aces Production, LLC
Published: 2017-08-14T18:30:00+00:00

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They drove for quite a while. Chief knew it was going to be very late, or early, by the time they made it back to their neighborhood, but he wanted to share this with Sophie. It was as close as he could get to sharing part of his childhood with her without driving all the way to New Mexico and the Navajo reservation.

He saw the sign he’d been watching for and turned onto a dirt road. They bounced along the road for about five minutes before he stopped the truck and turned off the engine.

Sophie hadn’t asked him where they were going, or expressed any concern whatsoever that he’d driven them out of the city and essentially to the middle of nowhere. It was obvious that she did trust him, and her willingness to follow his lead settled into his heart.

He’d never hurt her. Ever.

“Stay there, I’ll come around,” he told her. He waited until she nodded before climbing out and walking around to her side of the vehicle. He opened the door and held out his hand. She immediately grabbed hold and he helped her hop to her feet.

It was dark, really dark, but Chief had no need for a flashlight because they weren’t going far. He led her around to the back of his truck and lowered the tailgate. He put his hands on Sophie’s waist and turned her so her back was to the truck bed. “On the count of three, jump up. I’ll help you,” he told her.

“Okay.”

He got her settled and hopped up next to her and put his weight on his hands behind him. “Look up,” he said softly.

He heard Sophie gasp when she did as he asked. “Oh m-my God,” she said reverently. “It’s beautiful.”

And it was. The night was clear with not a cloud in the sky. The stars over their heads twinkled.

“I’m sorry I don’t have a blanket, but the truck bed is clean. Lay back?”

He felt her shift next to him as they both lay down. Realizing how hard the metal under his back was, he said, “Come here.”

He put his arm out and felt Sophie move until she was touching him. He helped position her so her head was resting on his shoulder and his arm was around her. Chief made a mental note to put a blanket in the back of his truck as soon as he got home, but for the moment, he’d deal with the discomfort, especially if it meant Sophie was in his arms.

They lay silent for a long time, simply enjoying the beauty of the sky above them. After a while, she asked, “Where are we?”

“Hill Country State Natural Area. It’s about forty miles of untouched land. People can camp and hike here, but it’s all primitive. No big RVs are allowed. I imagine this is what it was like thousands of years ago. We’ve helped fight a few wildfires in the area, and that’s how I know about this back road.

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