Chapter 27
27
ASHER
I double checked that Cookie had a full bowl of water and locked the cat flap, so she’d have to stay inside while I was away. I was still reluctant to let her out when I wasn’t around.
“Do you think this is a date?” I asked her. “I’m not sure.”
She meowed plaintively and snuffled in her empty food bowl.
“You already had breakfast. So, Cookie, date or not?”
Honestly, I don’t know which I’d intended it to be when I’d asked. The invitation had been out of my mouth before I’d thought it through, partly because of a desire to distract Summer from her theory about someone having poisoned Cookie and partly because I just wanted to spend more time with her.
But this wasn’t a traditionally date-like activity, so I didn’t know what to expect. No doubt she was experiencing the same uncertainty. At least I wouldn’t be alone in it.
Did I want it to be a date?
Kind of.
But we also needed to take things slow and figure out where this was going before we leapt into the deep end. Particularly when we had Liam to think about. My conscience insisted that it would be best if my best friend knew before I officially started dating his sister— if I did—despite the earful he’d no doubt give me about not being the steady, reliable man she deserved.
Cookie wound around my legs, purring. I squatted to pat her, stroking the length of her soft, furry body.
“Thanks for listening,” I told her. “I’ll see you later.”
I locked the back door, checked that the latch was firmly in place, and did the same out front before going to the garage. My cycle was already loaded onto a rack on the back of the car, and I opened the garage door and reversed out.
During the drive to Summer’s cottage, I gave myself a pep talk.
“You’ve got this. It’s just cycling. Talk to her, get to know her better as a person rather than as part of the extended Braddock clan. Take it easy. Keep it light.”
Unfortunately, I didn’t feel any more confident by the time I arrived. I didn’t usually have issues with my confidence, but then, the women I dated weren’t usually as deeply enmeshed in my life as Summer Braddock was. There were so many ways I could screw this up.
I parked on the side of the road and got out, glancing up at the overcast sky. It was a bit chilly, but we’d warm up as soon as we got moving.
Summer stepped through the front door, and for once, I didn’t force myself not to notice how good she looked, or how tightly the cycling shorts clung to her lean thighs and nicely curved ass. She jogged down the stairs, her tank top riding up to reveal a strip of tanned skin above the waistband of her shorts. My mouth went dry.
“Good afternoon,” she called, grabbing hold of her bike, which was leaning against the porch, and wheeling it toward the car.
“Hi.” My heart thumped when she turned her smile on me at full wattage, and I had to swallow before I was able to talk. “You ready to go?”
“I think so.” She patted the bag strap over her shoulder, which I hadn’t previously noticed. “I have a sweater in here if I need it, a raincoat, a puncture repair kit, and snacks. Is there anything I’ve forgotten?”
I glanced at her handlebars, noting the helmet hanging off them. “Water?”
“Got that too.”
“Then I’d say we’re all good.”
She steered her bike to the rear of my car and helped me lift it onto the rack, then moved out of the way so I could secure it in place. Once that was done, I double checked all the ties and locks, and returned to the driver’s seat. Summer got in the other side and dropped her bag on the floor between her feet.
“Where are we going?” she asked, pulling the door shut.
I turned the key in the ignition. “Do you know Castle Hill?”
“Not really.”
“There’s a walking trail down the Castle River Valley, but if you turn off a little before that, there’s an easy mountain biking trail that cuts through the forest on the side of the hill.” It would be safer for her than any of the trails up Destiny Peak.
She frowned. “I’ve walked in Castle River Valley. I just didn’t realize there was anything else there.”
My chest puffed with pride. “I’ll be able to introduce you to somewhere new, then.”
A few kilometers out of town, I turned onto a gravel road. We juddered over potholes, and I knew that if we followed the road to the end, we’d arrive at the start of the walk Summer had mentioned doing before. Instead, I turned off onto a road that was hardly more than a dirt path.
I slowed to a crawl. Branches scraped the sides of the car, and I was grateful I drove an older model and wouldn’t lose any sleep over a couple of new scratches.
“Are you sure it’s all right to drive down here?” Summer asked.
“Yes.” I gritted my teeth as I concentrated on the road. The back tires dropped into a slight dip in the earth and the bottom of the car bumped against the edge of the hollow. I put my foot down and got us out of there before we became stuck. Getting stranded in the forest certainly wasn’t the right way to make a good impression on Summer.
We shot forward, and I exhaled, the band around my chest loosening as the road widened and the trees gradually moved further from the vehicle.
“Did you know Ashley has moved back to town?” Summer asked.
I glanced at her. “What?”
“Ashley.” She looked at me meaningfully. “Your ex.”
“Oh.” I turned back to the road and fought the urge to groan. “No, I didn’t. Where did you hear that?”
“From her. I saw her at Taste of Destiny.” Her voice was strained. She felt some way about Ashley being back in town, but I couldn’t get a read on her without looking, and I couldn’t do that because I needed to focus on getting us to the trail safely.
“Good for her, I guess,” I said distractedly.
Hopefully she’d keep her distance from me. I had absolutely no desire to revisit the past with her, but Ashley had never been good at letting go. It was one of the reasons I was glad when she decided to move away. It meant I didn’t have to ward off her advances every time she got maudlin and decided that she’d been wrong to end our relationship.
Finally, we reached the small parking area. I parked on one side, out of the way in case anyone else turned up, although I doubted they would.
Summer laughed. “Well, that was a bit of excitement.”
I grinned. “It’s only just beginning, sweetheart.”
We both froze. Slowly, I turned to face her. Her mouth hung open and her pretty eyes were wide, surprise sparkling in their emerald depths. Tension thrummed between us.
I cleared my throat, cutting the tension, then opened the door, and got out. I moved around to the back of the car and started to unload our bikes.
“Ash.”
I glanced over at Summer, who’d gotten out too and was watching me warily. “Hmm?”
“It’s okay,” she said softly.
“I know.” My voice broke, so I repeated more firmly, “I know. Let’s get these ready to go.”
“Okay.” She let me off the hook, grabbing her helmet from the car and clicking it into place as I finished with the bikes.
I walked over to her and slid my finger beneath the strap, testing its tightness. The silken skin of her neck was smooth against my hand, and I wished I could linger there, but I was trying to be on my best behavior.
“Looks good,” I said huskily. “Have you sunscreened?”
“I did it at home.”
I leaned closer, inhaling the subtle tang of sunscreen on the skin at the back of her neck. If I’d been less flustered, I’d already have noticed. I put my own helmet on and waited while she strapped on the small backpack she’d brought with her.
“We’ll go up that way.” I gestured at a trail that led into the forest, up a slight incline.
“Uphill?” she whined. “Do we have to?”
I laughed. “It’s either uphill on the way there and downhill on the way back, or vice versa. I thought you’d prefer to end with the downhill.”
“No, you’re right.” She straddled her bike. “I’m just not sure my legs are up for this.”
“We’ll take our time. There’s no rush.” Tongue in cheek, I added, “Don’t try to show off. That’s a surefire way to end up on your ass.”
She huffed. “As if I need to show off. I’m brilliant already.”
I gestured toward the trail. “Well, go on then. Lead the way, you big talker.”
She pushed off and cycled toward the trail. I waited for a few seconds to give her space and then followed behind. As she’d said, she was a bit unsteady, but she didn’t push herself too hard and we made our way along the trail, shaded by trees. My legs began to warm, and I breathed in the familiar earthiness of the forest as I studied her slim form ahead of me.
We reached a fork in the trail, she called over her shoulder for directions, and I told her to turn left. We cycled along the dappled earth path, the weak sun filtering through the treetops to light the way.
Eventually, we reached the small, clear stream at the end of the trail. I got off my bike and perched on a rock near the water. My heart was light, and I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face. Spending time with Summer like this, just the two of us having fun, I could imagine our future. A lifetime of weekends spent in the hills with banter and laughter.
I wanted that.
I nodded toward the stream. “You should put your feet in the water.”
She gave me a look. “Do you have any idea how freezing that probably is?”
“Yup.”
She crossed her arms and arched one eyebrow. “I’ll do it if you do it.”
I bent to untie my shoelaces. “You’re on.”
I removed my shoes, set them aside, and tucked my socks inside them, then slowly approached the stream.
“It’s not too late to back out,” I said, anticipating just how icy the water would be on my warm feet.
“Like hell,” she retorted. “It’s all right if you need to though. I understand. Your old heart might not be able to take it.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Put your money where your mouth is, Braddock.” With that, I stepped into the water and immediately gasped, my breath stuttering. “F-fuck, that’s cold.”
Summer stepped in beside me, and somehow managed not to make a sound. “It’s fine,” she said. “Totally fine.”
I playfully shoved her shoulder. “You’re so full of shit.”
She lifted one foot above the surface and flicked me with water. “Hey, catch.”
“Oh, my God.” I lunged for her, and she sprinted out of the stream, shrieking with laughter. I caught her on the stream bank and tickled her sides until she begged for mercy.
We flopped onto the ground side by side, both breathing heavily, and even though the earth was cool and damp, neither of us seemed in a hurry to move.
After a while, we picked ourselves up, dried our feet as best we could, and put on our soggy socks. The ride back was more of a gentle cruise with the occasional peddling than actual exercise. We were both quiet, but the silence between us was comfortable.
We’d nearly reached the parking area when a loud crack startled us both. I stiffened and looked around. A sound like that could have been a branch breaking off a tree, or a distant gunshot, or any number of other things we needed to be wary of.
Unfortunately, while I was distracted, Summer shrieked, and my eyes snapped forward just in time to see her front wheel hit a branch across the trail, throwing her from her bike.