Lucy was surprised when he reached out to touch her and more by the gentle squeeze but, darn it, if she didn't recognize the reason why. It was the touch of someone who truly did understand and that made her heart ache but the soft smile of thanks on her face was genuine.

She was comfortable enough to let the silence stretch out between them as they walked, glancing over her shoulder now and then to see how the town was getting smaller in her view. She didn't know how long they had walked but she slowed after a bit. "How far out do we want to get?"