Chapter 21
Jared hobbled toward the dock where Trey’s plane was waiting. Ben and Nathan were on either side of him, holding most of his weight. His ankle felt better than he’d expected, but Ben was adamant he keep his weight off of it. His low back was another matter—deep, throbbing pain surrounded the area where the bear had swiped him so casually. He’d slept in fits and starts, Susie occupying his dreams and waking thoughts. He desperately wanted to talk to her, so he could explain he’d just needed some time to accept the fact that he was in love with her.
Facing the reality that he’d managed to avoid a potentially fatal situation had wiped out his confusion about how much Susie meant to him. Through the long night, alone and in pain, he kept thinking about how much time he’d wasted wo
