“Noted.But please, you and Tripp’ve had chemistry building for forever.Now he asks you to meet him at the waterfront at a specified time, won’t give any details except you think he’s taking you out on the water, and it’s just going to be the two of you.Ergo, date.All the evidence is there.”
“Whatever, I’m not going to read anything into it.”Lies.She was already reading plenty into it.“I’m just gonna go and enjoy the day with him.”
Bronwyn sighed.“Why do you think he’s off limits again?”
“Because we have a lot of history I don’t want to mess up, and I’m still healing.”But if he made a move, there was zero chance she would be able to stay strong and keep her distance.
“So is he.You’re also both single adults.And given your friendship, I don’t see why you can’t heal together.Scientific research shows a high correlation between being friends and the chance of success if the relationship turns romantic.”
“You are such a nerd.But you know as well as I do that correlation isn’t the same as causation.”
“I hate it when you use irrefutable logic to shoot holes in my arguments.But hey, I’ll send you the papers if you wanna see them.”
“I’m good.And what does the research say about the correlation between maintaining the friendship if said romantic relationships end in breakup?”
“I didn’t read anything on that.”
“Well then, allow me to save you the trouble, because I’m pretty sure they say the people involved are no longer friends.”That’s why she didn’t want to ruin it.He’d just come back into her life.She didn’t want to lose him again.“Anyway, what are you up to today?”
“Researching the prevalence of tertiary syphilis in a poor urban Victorian burial ground in London.”
Wow.So uplifting.“I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks.The majority of individuals found with tertiary syphilitic lesions at this site are young females, and most of them contracted the disease through sexual contact rather than the congenital form of the disease.Given their poor socioeconomic status in this area historically, a lot of them may have been forced to become sex workers to survive.Some at a really young age.”
“That’s so depressing, Bronwyn.”
“Yeah.But fascinating, right?”
“I mean, I guess if you’re into that sort of thing.”
“Which I am.By the way, any news on our tibia?”
“Not that I’ve heard.”
“Darn.Well, say hi to the hot sheriff for me if you see him.I was...maybe...he—” Bronwyn’s voice cut in and out.
Willow stopped walking.“I’m losing you.What was that?”
No response.She checked her phone, saw there was no reception.“Rufus, you’ve taken us off grid.”
He stood next to her, tail and ears up.She would love to let him off leash to run around and explore in here but worried he would never come back.
“Let’s see if we can find our way back to the trail again.”If worst came to worst and she wound up totally lost, she could turn around and head west using the position of the sun high overhead.Sooner or later she would reach her neighborhood.In theory.
Unfazed, Rufus put his nose to the ground, snuffling and wuffling as they walked.He pulled her right and left, seemed extremely put out when she dragged him back into line.
It was so quiet back here, just the sound of birds and the occasional squirrel racing through the branches overhead.It was also deliciously cool in the dappled shadows of the trees and the air smelled gorgeous, of sweet earth and green, growing things.
A thick cushion of cedar and fir needles carpeted the ground, with large clumps of ferns, huckleberry, thimbleberry, blackberry, and salmonberry bushes filling the gaps between the towering evergreens and shorter viny maples.
Near an old fallen log covered in moss, Rufus suddenly veered hard right.
Willow squeaked and stumbled over, barely managing to hold onto the end of the leash.“Rufus!Jeez.You almost pulled my arm out of its socket.”
He was paying zero attention to her, focused on something on the other side of the log.He was so intent she gave him some slack in the leash and stood there watching him.Nose down, he explored something in the dirt, then pawed at it.
“What is it?”
