Read Online Falling Together (All That Remains #2) by S. M. Shade - Free Book Online

small glow is visible through the trees, and a thin trail of smoke
winds upward before it’s swept away in the breeze. “Look! Someone must have a
campfire.” Airen’s face hardens instantly, and he drops the oars into the water,
rowing furiously toward the shore opposite the fire.
    “Don’t
you want to go see?”
    He
glances at me as if I may have been shaken as a baby. “Do I want to walk my
wife, unarmed, into a potentially dangerous group of people? No. I’m taking you
home. I’ll grab the guys and we’ll check it out.”
    “Well,
you don’t have to be so huffy about it.”
    “Sorry,”
he mumbles. We drag the boat onto the shore and head back through the woods
toward home. Airen hauls ass through the woods, moving like a freight train, while
I struggle to keep up.
    “Air,
please slow down,” I pant, my hand massaging the stitch in my side. Damn, I’m
out of shape.
    “What?”
He stares at me as if he just got jerked out of a dead sleep. “Oh, Abby, I’m
sorry.” His pace slows, but his eyes dart nervously.
    “We’re
okay. It’s not like someone is chasing us. Calm down.” His fingers wrap around
mine as he nods. We’re nearly home. “You’re going to give yourself a heart
attack, Mr. Overprotective,” I tease.
    “ You are going to give me a heart attack, Miss
Let’s-Prance-Into-A-Crowd-Of-Strangers-To- Say-Hi.”
    “I
need a little crazy to balance out yours.” I smile at my neurotic man, and he
grins back at me.
    “I’m
sorry our romantic afternoon got interrupted.”
    “It
was fun, but next time I want you naked and on top of me.”
    Heat
flashes through his raven eyes, and his lip curls in a sexy half smile as he
replies, “Until you beg for mercy, or we rock the boat to pieces.”
    Eric,
Troy, and Joseph accompany Airen to investigate the source of the fire, and the
wait for their response is interminable. As much as we want to meet new people,
it’s terrifying. Especially since we haven’t had the best of luck in the past.
Finally, after an hour or so, the radio blares, and Joseph’s voice echoes
through the speaker.
    “Abby?”
    “I’m
here.”
    “Everything
is fine. Two women are camping at the end of Fall Church Road. Do you know
where that is?”
    “Yes.”
I breathe a sigh of relief.
    “Would
you and the kids come down and meet us? They’re understandably reluctant to
follow four men into the woods.” I can hear the grin in his voice.
    “Of
course.” Julie and I gather the kids and we head to meet the new people.
    Two
women glance at us nervously while we climb out of the car, and I smile, hoisting
Lane higher on my hip. “Hi, I’m Abby.”
    A
dark haired girl steps forward, offering her hand with a nervous smile. “My
name’s Lexi, and this is Emma.”
    “Nice
to meet you. Sorry if they scared you.” I gesture to the guys. “They’re
harmless, I promise.”
    “We
were just surprised. It’s been months since we’ve met anyone else,” Emma says
and smiles at Walker, who suddenly becomes shy and clings to Joseph’s hand.
    “Say
hello,” Joseph encourages. After Walker mumbles a greeting in the direction of
his feet, Emma squats and smiles at him.
    “Hi,
I’m Emma. It’s nice to meet you, Walker. Would you like a piece of gum?” she
offers, and holds out a pack of grape flavored bubble gum. Still cautious, Walker
glances at Joseph for permission before accepting the pack.
    “Thank
you,” he replies with a shy smile, and pops the gum in his mouth.
    “He’s
adorable,” she exclaims, rising and regarding Joseph. “He looks just like you.”
    “Thank
you.” Joseph grins, embarrassed. We spend a few minutes finishing the
introductions and getting to know one another.
    I
have to stifle a laugh at the blatant way Eric ogles Emma as she speaks, but I
can’t blame him. She’s a beauty. Deep blue eyes gaze from beneath long feathery
lashes, regarding Joseph with particular interest. Plump, pouty lips stretch
into a coy grin as she flips her dirty