“Yeah, sure,” I grunted, already preoccupied with what this run was going to entail.
There was no way I was going to outrun him. I’d seen him move, after all, and he was like a human cheetah. Maybe I could lose him on one of the upper trails, but Mom might get pissed at having her first cabin guest after the renovation dying of dehydration while wandering the barren hills of the Cahuilla Mountains in search of an oasis. Maybe I could get away with just pushing him into a cactus patch.
I resigned myself to the fact that I was stuck with him for the run, but that didn’t mean I had to be nice to him.
We set off along the edge of our property into the long shadows of early evening in midsummer. I had a snakebite kit strapped in a fanny pack around my waist and a six-foot, two-hundred-pound shadow clipping closely at my heels. I scooted over to the far right on the trail, hoping he’d go around and ahead. His legs were longer and his stride much bigger than mine so he’d be free to open up if he were in front.
However, having to stare at his muscular back and rear, his gorgeously cut legs in his running shorts was not my first choice either. I just needed him off my heels.
After a few beats, he moved to go around me but then matched his pace with mine. I was going at a good clip, which ended up being an easy jog for him. He wasn’t even breaking a sweat.
As soon as we were out of view of the house, I stopped, bent, and put my hands on my knees. He stopped, too, and of course he wasn’t even winded. Asshole.
“What’s wrong?” he said.
And I straightened, shooting him a death glare. “What’s wrong? How about you being here in the first place?”
He handed me his water bottle, which I waved away and his eyes took on that mischievous, calculated look of his. “I don’t suppose you’d believe it was a coincidence?”
I shook my head. “Why are you here?”
He took a long swig from his water bottle. “Can’t we at least walk while we talk?”
I dramatically swept my arms toward the path in front of us as if to sarcastically say, “After you.”
He started to walk and he again matched his pace to mine so that we walked shoulder to shoulder.
“I talked to Heath last week,” he said in answer to my question.
My fists tightened at my sides. “He needs to mind his own fucking business.”
Adam shot me a look and then focused again on the trail. We were gaining some elevation now, moving to a higher vantage point where we would be able to look down on the little valley that contained my mom’s ranch and the neighboring properties. At sunset, the sky was incomparably beautiful, all magentas and purples against the ruddy desert sand. I came up here often at this time of day to calm myself, to try and ease my troubled thoughts of the day. I’d been doing it for years. And now I was taking Adam to my special spot. The flame of irritation singed me.
“Maybe he was being a good friend. A concerned friend.”
“What has him so concerned? If he told you that I was shriveling into nothingness up here while pining away for you, then he’s a damn liar,” I said with a bit more heat and vehemence than I would have liked.
He walked for a few beats but didn’t look at me. “Not at all.”
“So what did he say to you?”
“He said that you had moved away. That you were thinking of backing out of your exam.”
I bit the inside of my cheek. Fucking Heath. He had forced this confrontation, preying on Adam’s conscience. Adam wouldn’t even have shown up if he didn’t feel responsible. “And why do you care whether or not I take the test? I thought you were through with me.”
He hesitated. “Maybe I feel responsible for your plans not going through.”
I shot him a sharp look. “Well, don’t. It’s my life, my decision.”
“So you are going to take the test?”
I hesitated, bought time by coughing into my fist. “Of course. I already paid for the damn thing and it wasn’t cheap.” It was true, after all. I’d kept pushing it off but finally decided to commit myself by sending in the registration. The date was getting closer and I still didn’t know if I’d make the trip to show up.
“Good,” he said quietly.
My chin came up. “Yeah, so now that your guilt is alleviated, you can get back to your life down there.” He was quiet, but I just couldn’t shut up. Man, I wish I had shut up. “I mean, your show of contrition is touching and all, but I’ve got other things to take care of around here rather than babysit a fake guest and get my mom’s hopes up that people are actually interested in staying here again.”