Sand Angel Page 0,61

job. Plus I have a little money saved. We’ll travel wherever you want to go. Take one day at a time.”

She glanced up at him. “We’ve never talked about children.” A tear slipped from her eyes. “I’d suck as a mother.”

“Oh, honey.” He gave her a sympathetic chuckle and squeeze. “No you wouldn’t.” He wiped her tear away. “I know that when the time comes you will be a perfect mother. You’re strong and passionate and you love life.”

Zoë gazed up at him in disbelief. Was that really how he felt about her?

“Now, if you’re going to get in one more ride before we leave, you better get going. I’ll pack things up and be ready when you return.” He released her and wedged the kickstand from her bike, kicking it aside as he waited for her to take hold.

Was Drew for real? He seemed to know the right things to say to soothe her. He was the balm to the chaos churning inside her.

Zoë kissed him on the cheek. “I love you.” She took the bike out of his grasp, swung a leg over and kick-started the engine, which made a high-pitched winding sound. He stepped aside. She donned her helmet and goggles, before she popped the clutch and gassed it.

The hum of the bike, the vibration beneath her, had a calming effect. She didn’t seek the tallest mountain, the fastest competitor or the highest jump. Today she rode for pleasure. Strangely, the adrenaline rush she always sought didn’t surface.

There had always been an appreciation for the Dunes, but today she found something surreal about them. Nature had sculptured each hill. The wind caressed, shifting and changing them over time. Almost as life experiences did people—did her.

Bringing the bike to a stop atop a knoll, she looked over the horizon, feeling oddly small compared to the vast expanse. She had only one question in her mind.

Who was Zoë Davis?

As Drew secured Zoë’s quad, he couldn’t help worrying about her. She seemed oddly withdrawn and insecure. He sensed she needed some time alone. As much as he didn’t want to let her out of his sight, trust went both ways. Preoccupied with his thoughts, he released the latch too quickly, pinching the skin between his thumb and forefinger between the metal. “Sonofabitch.” He rapidly shook his hand. “Fuck, that hurts.” Waiting for the pain to subside, his thoughts went back to Zoë. He had to believe that she knew what was best for her. Second-guessing her would only build a wall between them. Disheartened, he looked out the back of the trailer over the terrain and wondered where she was. Sand ground beneath his tennis shoes as he walked down the ramp. They had worked too hard to get where they were today to allow uncertainty to come between them, but still he worried.

“Have you talked her into hanging up her helmet?” Trent asked. There was no sarcasm in his tone, only concern. His eyes were rimmed red. That could have been the blowing sand but Drew was sure it wasn’t. Bottom line, it was obvious this man cared for her.

“Nah. You know Zoë.” Drew tried to keep it light. It was true that he would give anything for her to quit her job, but he had seen the light glow in her as she rode. Zoë was talented and she loved what she did. “Ask and she’ll do just the opposite.”

“You love her?” It appeared that Trent wasn’t into small talk—he went straight to what was bothering him.

“Yes.” Drew steeled himself for an argument that didn’t come.

Trent nodded and extended his hand to Drew. “Take care of her.” They shook hands and parted without another word.

A little awkward, but Drew was glad it ended peacefully.

Now the only thing left was loading Zoë’s bike when she returned, and rolling up the trailer’s awning that had shaded them from the early morning sun. As he flipped the release latch to the awning, he saw Kari watching him. He prayed the woman kept her distance. In Zoë’s odd mood, he didn’t know exactly how she might react. The awning made a zipping sound as it retracted and tucked away. He secured it. An engine winding down caught his attention and made him glance over his shoulder. Zoë drifted into the campsite, not bursting, which was her usual style. She quietly disembarked, pulled her helmet off and started to push her bike up the ramp. He quickly moved to her side and helped