15. Day 246 – Max
Day 246 – Max
“M ax.”
“Yeah?” I pause from where I’m stripping off my kit from the last trail. Jim, the owner of the hiking company I work for, taps his fingers on the counter, scrutinizing me.
“You good?” he asks finally.
My brows knot. “Sure. I just finished off with the last group. Today was a good day for it.”
Bright, spring sunshine and cool air. In a few months it’ll change to the sweltering summer heat, bringing a whole new raft of issues for us to deal with on the trails.
“Good.” He pauses. “How’s your mate doing? Kennedy, right?”
I eye him as I turn, pulling out the first aid kit and unzipping it to check for gaps. “She’s… okay. Why do you ask?”
Jim’s a decent boss. Decent enough that I shared Kennedy’s situation with him, the bare bones of it at least. I had to, back when I was distracted enough that I took a group out and nearly got lost in the forest I’ve known my whole life.
“Good.” His head bobs again awkwardly as I eye him. “I heard from your Dad yesterday.”
“Oh.” So that’s what this is. “Yeah, I heard from them too.”
A brief e-mail, a few photographs. “They’re settling in Tanzania for now. Just hiked Kilimanjaro.”
Sighing, I fold my bag over, stashing it in the cubby. “I’m fine, Jim, if that’s what you’re asking.”
When you have parents who vanish for days, weeks, months at a time, you learn not to rely on them. I spent more time in Jake’s house or exploring the forest as a child than I ever did in my own home.
“I know.” Jim doesn’t look at me, picking up the leaflet stand and readjusting it. “You’ve got a good pack. But I’m around, if you need anything.”
Despite myself, I feel a small grin spread. “You worryin’ about me, Jim? That’s cute. I feel like this is a good bonding moment.”
A Jim’s Trail Hikes metal pen smacks me in the middle of my forehead. “Yeah, yeah. Laugh all you want, but the offer’s there. Get out of here. Go see your Kennedy.”
Music to my ears.
“Thanks, Jimmy.” I slap his shoulder on my way past. “I mean it.”
“Welcome,” he says gruffly.
“Maybe we should hug it out—,”
“Don’t push it, kid.”
***
I spot Abrams first. Checking my watch, I note the time. A little after five. “You’re not normally here this late.”
He turns from the window. “She’s been unusually active today.”
My heart thumps, turns over. “Yeah?”
I join him at the window. Theo is inside, his back resting against the wall as he faces off with her. “You sure, Doc? Has she gone near him?”
He gives me a wry look. “No. But her behavioural patterns have shifted back to normal. As if she’s becoming used to you being in there.”
I frown, studying Kenny in her usual spot. “Is that a good thing? Shouldn’t we be… pushing her boundaries or something?”
“Yes and no.” Abrams glances down at his clipboard, pushing his glasses back up so he can see properly. “You need her to feel comfortable around you. This is a good sign. Once she reaches that point, we can try new things.”
My sigh is almost inaudible. “Slow and steady.”
“Exactly.”
I check my watch again. “Is there any sign of us being able to stay overnight in there with her?”
This is better than it was, but it never feels like enough. Any separation from her is too much.
He coughs into his closed palm. “You know, I ran into Julia Holland earlier.”
“Who?”
“She’s a member of the board here.” That phantom fucking board that has full control over Kenny’s activities. I hate the lot of them. “She was telling me how delighted she was with Kennedy’s progress. I may have mentioned some of the issues we’ve been experiencing with accessing board meetings to get sign off. How the schedule is always full.”
“Right.” My forehead dips further. “And what did she say?”
Abrams has a frown on his own face. “She said they haven’t had a full agenda board meeting in months. She’s going to add Kennedy as a standing item for discussion regardless. So we won’t need to go through the main office anymore. I’ve already had an email from her to confirm.”
Turning to him fully, I try to work it through. “What does that mean?”
“It means someone messed up in the office. Or… someone’s been delaying things. But in terms of what happens now, it means that we get a weekly spot with the board to push things through. It’s good, Max. Really good.”
Movement in the room draws my eye. Theo gets to his feet, murmuring something to Kenny as she watches him silently. He waits a few moments before he turns, and I pick up my bag. “That’s my cue, Doc. See you later.”
“Hey.” Theo meets me at the doorway. He looks rumpled. “She’s not in the mood for me today. Maybe you’ll have better luck.”
“We’ll see.” I hesitate. “Did Abrams tell you about the board stuff? What does it mean?”
He runs a hand over his face. “Yeah. Oscar is looking into who’s on the board. Maybe they messed up.”
Or someone messed things up for us. “Anything I need to know before I go in?”
He sighs. “Not really. I think something about the nest is bothering her, but I can’t work out what it is.”
“Maybe because it’s not a proper nest.” Just a pile of shirts that makes my chest ache every time I look at them. “I’ll see you later.”
Kenny stiffens when I walk in. Red eyes examine me closely, assessing my movements as I push the door shut. “Hey, sweetheart.”
She doesn’t growl at me today. I take it as a sign to move a little closer to where she’s curled up on her side. My eyes sweep her shirts before they drop to my bag. “I brought some things. Want to see?”
Kenny doesn’t move, but I can feel her eyes on me, pricking at my skin as I stroll over to the bed and unzip my duffel bag. Slowly, so she can see what I’m doing, I lift out half a dozen sweatshirts one by one, laying them out. Two new blankets. A pillow. A sleeping bag.
That’s not on the list.
I glance up at her, but her eyes flick away from me. The corner of my lip lifts as I run my hand over the clothes. “You don’t want them?”
Her eyes narrow.
Yeah, you know you do.
“I was thinking… Maybe I’ll build a little bed here.” I eye her as I reach for the pillow. “What do you think?”
I don’t look at her as I gather up the first bundle, tugging the covers from the bed and dragging them along the floor. I choose the corner directly across from hers, kneeling down and spreading out the material to make a base before laying out the sleeping bag. “I brought a pillow from home, too.”
I add it to the pile, along with the two from the bed. Layering sweatshirts on top until the little area is a patchwork of color. “Maybe you could use this one sometimes? It’s a bit more comfortable—,”
My words snap off at the brush of air against my back, my lips parting in shock. My hands still on the sweatshirt in my hands.
Kenny shifts into place at my elbow, her movements slow and cautious. She doesn’t reach for the clothes. She stays still as I pull myself together and carry on with what I was doing. “These are all nice and soft, baby. Better for you.”
I’m getting better at interpreting the little noises she makes. Almost like chirps. And this one—
“You like this,” I murmur. “Good. That’s good, Ken. I’ll bring you some more things, okay?”
I glance down at her, unable to help myself. My arm brushes against hers, and she stills.
I wait. Staying completely still, until my knees start to burn from holding myself in place.
Finally, I feel it. A brush against my skin. Another, a little heavier this time.
She’s leaning against me. Resting. And it feels so fucking good that my throat starts to burn. It only lasts a few seconds before she shifts again. Looking up at me.
I search her eyes for any hint of brown.
Nothing.
She looks as if she’s waiting. Cautious, I shift forward, nudging off my sneakers and crawling onto the makeshift bed. I pile the pillows up beside me, pressing my back to the wall.
And my mate watches.
My throat feels bone dry as I lift my arm in silent invite, and we watch each other. “You… you gonna come in here? With me?”
Kenny eyes me, before shuffling forward. I suck in a deep, shuddering breath as she crawls onto the stack of clothes, poking and pulling at the pillows until she’s satisfied.
And then she curls up, under my open arm, her face pressed into my chest. Kenny inhales deeply, as if she’s breathing in my scent.
The burning spreads to my eyes.
Fuck, I’m gonna cry.
I carefully lower my arm until it rests around her shoulders, my fingers curling into the cold skin of her arm. Her eyes are closed when I look down.
Another small noise slips from her when I raise my other hand and slowly brush it over her hair.
Almost… content.