body. She was an active person that ran five to ten miles every weekend even though she no longer competed in races. “Right. It’s about me and if I will live to see another day or my next birthday.”
“You gotta have a positive attitude, Carla. Also, I’ve never lost a person in my custody. You will not ruin my record,” he said sternly, however, with an uneasy look.
There’s that damn look again. Maybe that’s just the way he looks.
Whatever it was, it was the same one he gave her at the bus shelter—the look that set off the round of gunfire that disturbed the quiet neighborhood and threw her life into a terrorizing downward spin.
She kicked her legs out after stretching. “Can we go for a walk or a short run? I really have to get out and get a little exercise.”
He stood up and stretched also. “We can’t go for a run, but a short walk will be okay.”
She smiled, happy to have won a request. “Do you run? It’s obvious you work out and a lot.”
“I do run. It’s not my favorite form of exercise, but I do it as part of my routine. Get dressed and I’ll check out the area before we head out. I don’t want any surprises catching us off-guard.”
Carla jumped up from her seated position on the sofa to head to the bedroom and stopped in her tracks. “Forget it,” she said with a dejected tone. “I don’t have any clothes but what I have on. My uniform was ruined, and the clothes in both closets are too big for me.”
She blushed as he cocked his head to one side to look her over. He rubbed the scruff on his face and said, “That dress looks nice on you. Besides, a walk is a good idea. It will be reinvigorating for the both of us.”
Carla fanned the dress from her hips and grinned. “Well, okay, if you say so. Let me get my shoes and we can go.”
chapter six
Zach was miserable as they walked. The scent of the wet grass filled his nose aggravating his allergies, and his t-shirt stuck to him like a second skin. The thunderstorms that rolled through left it excruciatingly hot and humid. His mind wandered while Carla made small talk. He knew he should pretend to pay attention to her, but he could care less about the birds or the bugs buzzing around them. What he found strange was that she knew this stuff. She didn’t come off as a nature lover to him.
“There aren’t any song birds left around this late in the summer. They migrate south by June. But the woods are home to the pileated woodpecker, that’s what we’re hearing along with the cicada. It’s funny, but the noise we hear the cicada make sounds alike to us when actually these insects use different calls to express alarm or to attract mates.”
His brain gave him a nudge, and he focused on the sound of her voice. “What did you say?” he asked. Zach used his thumb to lift sweat from his brow. “I didn’t catch what you said about a woodpecker or something other.”
Carla shook her head. “I’ve been talking and you haven’t heard a word I’ve said, have you?”
He shrugged his shoulders and dragged his eyes through the trees scanning them. “I gotta be honest, I zoned out a while ago. I’m sorry; I’m just not into birds or nature for that fact. Where’d you learn about this stuff anyhow?”
“I dated a guy that loved the outdoors and was a nature lover. He could identify birds just by their calls and different types of insects and wildlife. I guess mentally I did listen and retained what he was saying.”
“Yeah, you did.” He sneezed again. “We should head back to the cabin; my allergies can’t take much more of the outdoors. Plus, we’ve been out long enough. I don’t want to risk us getting spotted by other people.”
“If this cabin is so secluded, who will see us?”
“There is always a chance of a leak, Carla. My assignment is to protect you, and that’s what I aim to do.” He had to get her to trust him and to strike while her defenses
“You gotta have a positive attitude, Carla. Also, I’ve never lost a person in my custody. You will not ruin my record,” he said sternly, however, with an uneasy look.
There’s that damn look again. Maybe that’s just the way he looks.
Whatever it was, it was the same one he gave her at the bus shelter—the look that set off the round of gunfire that disturbed the quiet neighborhood and threw her life into a terrorizing downward spin.
She kicked her legs out after stretching. “Can we go for a walk or a short run? I really have to get out and get a little exercise.”
He stood up and stretched also. “We can’t go for a run, but a short walk will be okay.”
She smiled, happy to have won a request. “Do you run? It’s obvious you work out and a lot.”
“I do run. It’s not my favorite form of exercise, but I do it as part of my routine. Get dressed and I’ll check out the area before we head out. I don’t want any surprises catching us off-guard.”
Carla jumped up from her seated position on the sofa to head to the bedroom and stopped in her tracks. “Forget it,” she said with a dejected tone. “I don’t have any clothes but what I have on. My uniform was ruined, and the clothes in both closets are too big for me.”
She blushed as he cocked his head to one side to look her over. He rubbed the scruff on his face and said, “That dress looks nice on you. Besides, a walk is a good idea. It will be reinvigorating for the both of us.”
Carla fanned the dress from her hips and grinned. “Well, okay, if you say so. Let me get my shoes and we can go.”
chapter six
Zach was miserable as they walked. The scent of the wet grass filled his nose aggravating his allergies, and his t-shirt stuck to him like a second skin. The thunderstorms that rolled through left it excruciatingly hot and humid. His mind wandered while Carla made small talk. He knew he should pretend to pay attention to her, but he could care less about the birds or the bugs buzzing around them. What he found strange was that she knew this stuff. She didn’t come off as a nature lover to him.
“There aren’t any song birds left around this late in the summer. They migrate south by June. But the woods are home to the pileated woodpecker, that’s what we’re hearing along with the cicada. It’s funny, but the noise we hear the cicada make sounds alike to us when actually these insects use different calls to express alarm or to attract mates.”
His brain gave him a nudge, and he focused on the sound of her voice. “What did you say?” he asked. Zach used his thumb to lift sweat from his brow. “I didn’t catch what you said about a woodpecker or something other.”
Carla shook her head. “I’ve been talking and you haven’t heard a word I’ve said, have you?”
He shrugged his shoulders and dragged his eyes through the trees scanning them. “I gotta be honest, I zoned out a while ago. I’m sorry; I’m just not into birds or nature for that fact. Where’d you learn about this stuff anyhow?”
“I dated a guy that loved the outdoors and was a nature lover. He could identify birds just by their calls and different types of insects and wildlife. I guess mentally I did listen and retained what he was saying.”
“Yeah, you did.” He sneezed again. “We should head back to the cabin; my allergies can’t take much more of the outdoors. Plus, we’ve been out long enough. I don’t want to risk us getting spotted by other people.”
“If this cabin is so secluded, who will see us?”
“There is always a chance of a leak, Carla. My assignment is to protect you, and that’s what I aim to do.” He had to get her to trust him and to strike while her defenses
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