Sand Angel Page 0,5
you’re running away from me.”
Like you did? she wanted to say, but she left the words unspoken.
He paused for what seemed like forever. “Zoë…” She could hear an excuse festering as her name softened on his tongue. He reached to touch her cheek.
Zoë jerked her head away, stepping back as she released a huff of disbelief. “Oh pu-leeze… Running? From you? You wish.” Her response came out a little too bitter.
Where her bravado came from she had no idea. Her brain felt numb, cloudy, but apparently her mouth didn’t.
Thank God something was working.
His brow furrowed. For what seemed like forever he simply stared at her. The silence was unnerving. Her palms were clammy and any moment she expected her stomach to growl with the frustration building inside her.
“Then what are you doing?”
“Duh.” Her eyes widened as she released a weighted breath. With the brush of a hand she pointed inside the trailer. “Loading my bike and unloading the quad.”
Surprise brightened his eyes. She felt a rush of excitement that she had unsettled him.
“I came here to ride.” Even though her tone was nonchalant, she wondered where that response had come from—there was no way she could stay here. She glanced over his shoulders as if she looked across the Dunes to reinforce her statement.
She swallowed hard, feeling her shoulders droop as her aplomb slipped. With a slight shake, she quickly steeled them once again. She couldn’t lose the ground she had now.
At what point had her conscience decided she wasn’t running away or trying to get as far from Drew as she possibly could? Yeah. She was proud of her newfound courage, but she’d never make it through the night, much less the entire weekend, in Drew’s company. She had to be crazy to even try.
A puzzled expression tightened his features. He frowned. “Do you need some help?” he asked hesitantly.
She threw him one of her best are-you-kidding? looks. “Nope. Been doing this by myself for some time. Good to see you again, Drew.” She spun around and headed back up the ramp, holding her breath, hoping this was the end of their conversation. She didn’t know how much longer she could maintain the false, detached shell.
As she gripped the handlebars of her bike, she heard sand crunch beneath Drew’s boots as he walked away. Her own movements were quick. She always moved quickly, one step away from a memory that could bring her crashing down and destroy her.
Tying down the bike didn’t take long, and neither did unloading her quad. She unscrewed the gas cap, picked up the gas can sitting just inside the trailer and topped off the quad’s tank. A warm breeze slid across her bare skin. She glanced at her shirt still lying across the bike’s seat.
Screw it. She’d ride without a shirt. Her exercise bra hid more than a bathing suit top did.
“Sis?” She refused to acknowledge Josh as he came up from behind her. She gave the gas cap an extra turn. “Zoë…”
Her boot connected hard with the front tire, releasing some of her frustration, before she faced Josh. “You could have at least warned me.”
Josh had the good sense to look abashed. He nervously licked his lips and then grimaced. Sand still coated him. She should have felt remorse, but she didn’t.
“He just showed up on my doorstep as I was leaving. What was I supposed to do?”
She flinched at his bald-faced lie. “Bullshit. Ever heard of that little thing called a cell phone?”
“Ever hear of turning it on?” he threw back at her.
Damn. She wanted to stomp her foot. “Okay. You got me there.” She seldom remembered to turn the stupid thing on. It was only by chance that Josh got a hold of her and found out she was passing through town. They hadn’t seen each other for a while and agreed to meet at Glamis for a long weekend—it was Thursday, which meant it was going to be an even longer weekend than she had anticipated.
Boy, was that a wrong decision.
“But Drew?” Zoë hated the whine that slipped out. She regrouped. “Dammit, Josh.”
He reached for her, surrounding her with loving arms. He worried about her, as did their parents. They didn’t understand her passion or her desire for speed. Hell. Her boss was even worried. Everyone understood Josh’s appetite for toys and pushing the limits. Why it was so hard for them to believe a woman wanted the same thing, she had no idea. There was more to life than