My mouth gaped at his words. “Are you for real?”

He blinked at me. “What do you mean?” he questioned in a low voice.

With a tentative hand, I reached out to cup his cheek. His skin felt so warm under my fingers. “After everything I’ve been through, sometimes it’s hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that a man like you even exists. One who is caring, compassionate, sensitive, but at the same time was willing to risk his life to save me.”

His expression seemed guarded. Whereas I freely spewed my emotions when I probably should have tempered them, Rev seemed to be trying to find just the right words to respond to me. “When it comes to me, I think your sweet nature is far too complimentary,” he replied. “You give me too much credit. I just did what I thought was right. I would do it again, for you or anyone else who needed me.”

“And you’re too modest,” I countered. I knew he had grown up in a rough, masculine world where feelings were squelched for fear of seeming unmanly. But at the same time, he had a wonderful bond with a mother who had taught him compassion and kindness above everything else.

Rev drew in a ragged breath. “I just want you to see the real me. Regardless of what you say, I still think you’re looking at me through rose-colored glasses.”

I shook my head. “The truth is the truth. More than anything, I wish you could see the real you, so you would believe me.” As I swept the wet strands of hair out of his face, I smiled. “Maybe I was meant to save you.”

“Excuse me?”

“I believe in my heart of hearts that you were meant to save me. So maybe in turn, I’m meant to help you by showing you what a wonderful person you are, regardless of what the negative voices in your head tell you.”

Rev smiled. “I’ll happily let you wear the hero hat if it gets you off my back.”

Once again, I splashed water at him. “You’re impossible, Rev Malloy.”

“I would say the same thing about you, Annabel Percy.” He held out his hand. “Come on. We should head back. Breakneck will have my hide for bringing you here when you’re supposed to be recuperating.”

As I slipped my hand into his, I smiled. “Thank you so much for bringing me here.”

“You’re welcome. Anytime you want to come back, I’ll bring you.”

Although it defied reason, my heart did a funny little flip-flop that was usually reserved for my latest crush. Instead of exploring that line of thought any further, I pushed it out of my mind as I walked out of the water.

THIRTEEN

REV

As we started our journey back through the woods, Annabel remained quiet and contemplative. Of course, there was already a noticeable difference in her—a peace that she hadn’t shown before she had gone into the water. I was sure she was trying to sort through her feelings. Even as a kid, I remember being overwhelmed by what I had experienced. Children seemed to be able to appreciate the unexplainable better than adults. I was sure that as a person of science Annabel was struggling very hard to find a rational explanation for what she was feeling.

Out of nowhere, a keening animal’s cry broke through the silence. It came from somewhere to the left of us. “What is that?” Annabel whispered.

“Sounds like a fawn.”

“Why would it cry like that?”

“It’s probably trying to find its mother.”

When the pitiful cry continued, Annabel shook her head and then started tramping through the brush toward the sound.

“Annabel, wait!” I called after her quickly disappearing form. While I wanted to argue with her that she shouldn’t be running, there was also another pressing matter. “The mother won’t come around as long as we’re close to it.”

My decision to follow her was made when she ignored me and kept running. But I soon caught up with her. She stopped so abruptly that I didn’t have time to anticipate her movements, and I ended up running into her. “Sorry.” It was then that a smell invaded my nose—the sickeningly sweet smell of rotting flesh.

My gaze went to the same spot where Annabel’s eyes were drawn. About a foot from us was the badly mauled body of a doe. A coyote or other animal had attacked and killed her. “Poor thing,” Annabel murmured.

The cry came again, louder now that we were closer. “It must be her baby,” Annabel reasoned as she started toward the cries. I fell in step behind her. When Annabel gasped, I knew she had found it.

Like all does are prone to do when they give birth, the mother had concealed her baby in the brush. Annabel turned back to me. “We can’t leave it alone to die out here or get eaten by predators.”

Crossing my arms over my chest, I asked, “You want to take it back with us?”

She nodded. “I’ve taken care of motherless kittens before. It can’t be much different.”

“But this is a wild animal, not a domesticated cat,” I reasoned.

“Just what would you suggest, then?” When I didn’t immediately reply, she snapped, “Why don’t you go get your gun and shoot it? Then at least it’ll be out of its misery quicker than having to starve to death or be mauled.”

I knew then there was no way in hell we were leaving the woods without that deer. “Okay. Let me get it, though. You don’t need to be carrying anything.”

Her eyes, which had been narrowed at me, brightened. “Thank you! I promise I’ll do all the work. You won’t even realize it’s there.”

I snorted. “I think a baby deer living in my house will be hard not to notice.” With slow steps, I approached the bush where the fawn was hidden. I didn’t want to do anything to scare it and make it run away. I reached inside the foliage and gently picked it up, which caused the animal to frantically start kicking its legs. Its screams of panic almost deafened me until out of nowhere it stopped.