Torture wrapped up in a handsome package of teasing brown eyes and muscly forearms.
Heavy footsteps sounded behind me. “Alright, I’ll say whatever you want as long as you cut the running. I’m not used to the elevation here yet.”
Instead of pointing out that I was also still adjusting to the elevation, I held my tongue and slowed to a walk. The trail widened, and he fell back into step beside me.
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” I asked. Logan was nearly thirty. I knew he was already grown up, but I couldn’t help nettle him a little.
“Retired.”
“Logan.”
He sighed. “I am grown up. The same thing I’m doing now. I love my job.”
He seemed almost defensive with his answer, which took me by surprise. Silence stretched out before us, so much so that I could hear Logan’s breathing start to rattle as we began our quarter-mile rocky incline.
A minute passed before Logan asked, “What about you?”
“Physical therapist,” I said automatically. So far, this was going great.
“If this is supposed to be a getting-to-know-you game, we both suck at it,” he said.
My foot slipped on an unstable rock, and before I could stop myself, I went down onto my knees. A warm hand gripped underneath my upper arm and pulled me up.
“You alright?”
“Yup.”
A scattering of pine trees and quaking aspens was our view as we kept marching forward on our hike. I was determined to make Logan talk to me, though I wasn’t quite sure what about his answers were so annoying. Maybe it was the fact that we had a line drawn between us. We couldn’t push things very far. Maybe it was the fact that we had been more like acquaintances. Other than a shared love for his sister, I was beginning to realize that we didn’t know each other much at all. But this dry silence? The shallow answers? Hang Jake’s bet. I couldn’t do it.
But then again…cracking him might only make me more vulnerable.
My legs itched to run up the mountain and get rid of the restless energy I felt between us. I had to find a happy medium, where we talked enough to satisfy my need for more, but with no feelings.
“What are your plans for the truck money?” Logan asked. Perfect. The money. That was a great way to keep us on topic.
“I will definitely be taking a trip to Europe. And then, after that, I might try to use it for a down payment on a house—if I don’t feel too bad about taking Jake’s dad’s guilt money.”
Logan nodded. “It’s crazy, isn’t it?”
“What about you? Saving up for a penthouse?”
He wrinkled his nose in my direction, which was not cute at all. “Nah, I’m not sure what I’ll do with it exactly.” He looked like he wanted to say more, so I waited. “I’ve got a list a mile long of house projects I still need to do. I could always use it on that. Or maybe start my own construction business. I don’t know, maybe I’ll join you on your Europe trip.” He raised his eyebrows, and I hated the twinge of pleasure that coursed through me.
“Great. You and your muscles can carry our luggage.”
“Shirtless? You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Skeevy little perv—”
“Stop.” I held my hand up. “New rule. You can’t quoteThe Office, or I will absolutely fall in love with you. Guaranteed.”
For the slightest second, he looked taken aback by my confession before nodding. “Good to know.”
“Beach or mountains?” I asked over my shoulder. The trail had narrowed, and Logan had dropped a pace or two behind me and looked like he was having trouble controlling his breathing. I slowed my stride a tad.
“Couch.”
“You regretting that bowl of cake, Rocky?”
“I think I need to tie my shoe.”
