“You aren’t on vacation? You’re on medicalleave?”
“Stress leave, technically. Very short term. Basically a vacation. I have the vacation time to use, Icouldhave.”
“But youdidn’t.”
No, she didn’t. Her boss had suggested a vacation, she’d blown himoff, then the next thing she knew she was being told to leave the building for ten days and not return until she had a doctor’s note saying she’d had a week of naps. Or something. She hadn’t read the whole letter, she’d been too furious. “You say that like being committed to my job is a badthing.”
“Hey, I’m all about unhealthy micro-focus on a job, I promise.” His voice was warm and low,teasing as he gotcloser.
She gave him a wary look. “There’s a ‘but’ there, isn’tthere?”
“Not at all. More of a ‘so’. As in….So, I know a few things aboutstress.”
“I knowyoudo.”
“She says stiffly,” he intoned like a movienarrator.
“Stop making me laugh,” she said as she grinnedathim.
“Laughter is good forthesoul.”
“Mmm.”
“So is exercise.”He gestured to the trail. “And nutrition.” He pulled out an apple and polished it on his shirt before holding it out. “Wantsome?”
“Sure.” She reached for the fruit, but he held it up intheair.
“Say it politely.Yes, please,Grady.”
She rolled her eyes. “Keep your apple,Grady.”
He laughed and took a big bite out of the apple. It sounded crisp, and her mouth watered.Why hadn’t she brought something? Oh right. Because this was just a short pre-breakfast wake-up hike, and she had oatmeal in herfuture.
But still.Cruel.
She lifted her chin and stepped past him, trying to see the group up ahead. The faster she caught up to them, the sooner she’d be back at the lodge. Brown sugar and walnuts were also magical for stress, she was quite certainofit.
“There’s only so much we can keep bottled up inside. Some of it needs to be locked down. But we need some pressure valves. What areyours?”
She didn’t have any. Not really. “I trythings.”
“Any ofthemwork?”
Fucking Grady against the boathouse last year had done wonders for hersoul. “Nope.”
Her watched her mouth for a second, then lifted his gaze to meether eyes. Like he knew her bright single-word response was covering up a sinful packet of fantasy suggestions to try out as pressure valves. “Well if I can be of any help, just letmeknow.”
And then he gestured for her to walk ahead of him onthepath.
Justlikethat.
Like he hadn’t just wrung a confession or two from her, like they didn’t both know that she was a bit ofa mess, and totally stillwantedhim.
Maybe those two things went handinhand.
