“He knows that, but the bounty hunters who pursue you don’t know it. And they would most certainly be enticed by the promise of that much water.”
“Thorne must be mad enough to spit right now.”
“Gives you a bit of a kick, doesn’t it?”
“It does. Am I a bad person?”
“You’re human, which I find hugely reassuring.”
“Do you remember ….” My words trail off in a sudden wave of embarrassment.
“What?”
I drop my gaze, finding it easier to look at the water than at him. “Remember when we were in the cave at Bio-19, the day Tuck and Tamara went into the dome and we, um, wrestled?”
Hearing no response, I look up to find his gaze sharp on mine. “I remember everything about that day,” he says softly.
“I think … I think I would like to wrestle with you again.”
Acknowledgements
THE LAST TREE has benefited greatly from the support and generosity of others. Thank you always to Madeline Smoot for the incredible encouragement provided along every step of the publishing journey. Madeline’s love of books, her appreciation for their characters and their writers, makes the CBAY partnership such a pleasure. Also, I want to extend my appreciation to copy editor Rebecca Leach for ensuring that grammar, punctuation and style were given careful review. Errors in the craft of writing, whether accidental or intentional, are entirely mine.
To Patricia, thank you for an early reading which helped redirect the story line. Thank you to Ben and Zachary for ongoing support. And thank you to Jen for introducing DRY SOULS to readers in other parts of the world and continually sharing new channels of exploration.
To the readers of DRY SOULS, I hope the second installment of Kira and J.D.’s adventure does justice to their origins. For those readers who submitted online reviews—whether favorable or unfavorable—thank you for taking the time to read the book and for having a point of view you were willing to share. I appreciate you.
About the Author
Denise Getson has a bachelor’s of arts degree from Duke University and a master’s degree from Southern Methodist University. She is the author of DRY SOULS, the novel that introduces Kira’s extraordinary gift. She currently resides in Texas, but can often be found haunting the hills and hollers of Greenbrier County, West Virginia. THE LAST TREE is her second novel.
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