everything you’re not.”
“Be careful. You’re starting to sound like a girl in love.”
“Love? If it pisses you off—that’s exactly what it is.” I’d known Zac less than twenty-four hours, but Case didn’t need to know our timeline. This was working. His eyes were frantic despite the coolness in his voice.
“One month damn it. You and I will be together. Now start deciding if you want stations or a sit-down dinner. And pick out some flowers for the Nox to carry.” His laugh grew louder. “This will be my first wedding, not my last, but it should be special. I want to remember all the detail you put into it.”
I was done sparring with him. Done threatening him.
I took off for the sidewalk. I knew he would trail behind me, he had admitted as much. If I ran fast enough I could lock myself in the house before the tears were visible. The tears that said everything. I couldn’t hold the Nox together. I couldn’t stop Case from kidnapping. I couldn’t make him leave town.
I t was hokey. I could tell it right away. However, this was exactly what the museum wanted. The festival kicked off at eight o’clock with a lecture at the museum. There were workshops and seminars set up in every available room.
Lacey reported the tickets for my Ghost of the Forest tour had sold out. Great. I still didn’t know what I was going to talk about. I’d also need to say a prayer that whatever I saw in the woods the other night had moved on. The memory seemed more dreamlike than real.
Part of me hoped they hadn’t.
“You headed over to the park?” Lacey stood in front of my desk.
“Yeah. Thinking about it.”
“Looked like you had a good time last night.”
“Mmmhmm.” I closed out my laptop.
“You never said you were dating someone.”
My eyes shot to hers. “I guess I didn’t.” I had no interest in getting into this right now.
“It’s just…I thought…I mean…I thought you would have said something.”
There wasn’t anything to say. Truth was, if I had had a legitimate girlfriend, I probably wouldn’t have let Lacey flirt so shamelessly, but I didn’t. After one date, I wasn’t going to call Dare that. It was one date.
I pulled together a stack of papers and shoved them in my messenger bag. It had a scratch across the front now from where I had tossed it on the trail. “Look, I’ve got to setup for the tour.”
“Right.” She stepped to the side. “The flashlights have already been delivered.”
“Thanks.” She had taken care of all the mundane tasks for me.
“No problem, boss.” She lingered by my desk.
“Uh…bye.” I didn’t want to play this game again.
The festival events at the park were more upbeat than what I had seen at the museum. It had more of a family flair. Balloons, funnel cake stands, storytellers dressed in costumes.
“Ice cream?” a man with a pirate hat asked.
“No thanks.” I walked past him. He reminded me of the story I told Dare last night. The pirate who gave it all up for love.
The place was filled with kids. It made me wonder who had bought tickets for the tour tonight. The last thing I wanted was a bunch of kids crying on a dark trail.
I stopped at the entrance to the trail. The same one I had taken two days ago.
It was quiet in this part of the park. I retraced my route from the other night. It didn’t look as ominous in the daylight, but I knew when the sun went down it would be a different story.
I looked on either side of the pavement for tracks, footprints, anything. All I saw were weeds.
I continued until the pavement became gravel. I didn’t know where I had broken off and been chased, but there had to be something. A rut on the side, broken limbs. I walked back and forth, but each time I made a pass, it was the same thing. Nothing.
“You look deep in thought.”
She startled me. “Hey, what are you doing here?”
“Running. It’s my route,” she answered.
Dare had on short running shorts and a tank top that hugged all
“Be careful. You’re starting to sound like a girl in love.”
“Love? If it pisses you off—that’s exactly what it is.” I’d known Zac less than twenty-four hours, but Case didn’t need to know our timeline. This was working. His eyes were frantic despite the coolness in his voice.
“One month damn it. You and I will be together. Now start deciding if you want stations or a sit-down dinner. And pick out some flowers for the Nox to carry.” His laugh grew louder. “This will be my first wedding, not my last, but it should be special. I want to remember all the detail you put into it.”
I was done sparring with him. Done threatening him.
I took off for the sidewalk. I knew he would trail behind me, he had admitted as much. If I ran fast enough I could lock myself in the house before the tears were visible. The tears that said everything. I couldn’t hold the Nox together. I couldn’t stop Case from kidnapping. I couldn’t make him leave town.
I t was hokey. I could tell it right away. However, this was exactly what the museum wanted. The festival kicked off at eight o’clock with a lecture at the museum. There were workshops and seminars set up in every available room.
Lacey reported the tickets for my Ghost of the Forest tour had sold out. Great. I still didn’t know what I was going to talk about. I’d also need to say a prayer that whatever I saw in the woods the other night had moved on. The memory seemed more dreamlike than real.
Part of me hoped they hadn’t.
“You headed over to the park?” Lacey stood in front of my desk.
“Yeah. Thinking about it.”
“Looked like you had a good time last night.”
“Mmmhmm.” I closed out my laptop.
“You never said you were dating someone.”
My eyes shot to hers. “I guess I didn’t.” I had no interest in getting into this right now.
“It’s just…I thought…I mean…I thought you would have said something.”
There wasn’t anything to say. Truth was, if I had had a legitimate girlfriend, I probably wouldn’t have let Lacey flirt so shamelessly, but I didn’t. After one date, I wasn’t going to call Dare that. It was one date.
I pulled together a stack of papers and shoved them in my messenger bag. It had a scratch across the front now from where I had tossed it on the trail. “Look, I’ve got to setup for the tour.”
“Right.” She stepped to the side. “The flashlights have already been delivered.”
“Thanks.” She had taken care of all the mundane tasks for me.
“No problem, boss.” She lingered by my desk.
“Uh…bye.” I didn’t want to play this game again.
The festival events at the park were more upbeat than what I had seen at the museum. It had more of a family flair. Balloons, funnel cake stands, storytellers dressed in costumes.
“Ice cream?” a man with a pirate hat asked.
“No thanks.” I walked past him. He reminded me of the story I told Dare last night. The pirate who gave it all up for love.
The place was filled with kids. It made me wonder who had bought tickets for the tour tonight. The last thing I wanted was a bunch of kids crying on a dark trail.
I stopped at the entrance to the trail. The same one I had taken two days ago.
It was quiet in this part of the park. I retraced my route from the other night. It didn’t look as ominous in the daylight, but I knew when the sun went down it would be a different story.
I looked on either side of the pavement for tracks, footprints, anything. All I saw were weeds.
I continued until the pavement became gravel. I didn’t know where I had broken off and been chased, but there had to be something. A rut on the side, broken limbs. I walked back and forth, but each time I made a pass, it was the same thing. Nothing.
“You look deep in thought.”
She startled me. “Hey, what are you doing here?”
“Running. It’s my route,” she answered.
Dare had on short running shorts and a tank top that hugged all
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