Swiftcurrent Creek [m] I wouldn't front the scene if you paid me

She heard his footsteps before she heard him speak. Her own stride halted; for a moment she hesitated. It wasn't that she didn't trust him. It was only that she didn't want him to blame himself for this, too. And she knew that he would, when he took in the full measure of what had been lost.

You won't like it, She warned in a wavering, gravelly voice. As hard as she tried to maintain her stoicism, it was beginning to fail. Mae took in a breath and turned her face toward him — or a rough approximation of where she knew he was. Only scent and sound guided her now. It was nearly enough. But it would never be the same.