*I didn't mean I would beat you,* I said, speeding up a bit and started circling his still running body. *I said I would run circles around you*
"Show off!" he told me, and I could hear laughter in his voice. The warm timbre of his laugh sent curls of contentment through me, never before simply making someone laugh felt so good.
I stopped circling him and started investigating the scents around us. I caught the scents of the cars that regularly drove up and down the mountain, the squirrels and chipmunks that regularly cross the road, and the occasional deer that roamed through the area. I picked my head up and noticed that Devon was a ways ahead of me. I caught back up with Devon where he was still as though I had never stopped.
"Having fun?" De asked, his breathing was slightly labored, not enough to keep him from talking.
*Yep, I was just investigating the local scents.*
"Find anything interesting?"
*Meh, lots of cars, squirrels, chipmunks, even a deer. Interesting? Sure, earth shattering? No.*
"Sorry to hear that."
*No big deal. Just thought I’d see what I could pick up. I'm still learning to identify a lot of scents.*
We continued up the mountain in silence for a while. I was seeing his usually slight limp become more pronounced the further we ran up the mountain.
*That leg is really bothering you isn't it?* I asked. He was starting to lose control of his breathing, he was almost gasping for air, but I wasn't able to tell if it was from the exercise or the pain. *Don't try to talk, just think your responses and I'll try to pick them up, I promise not to nose around in there.*
*Ok* I heard his voice in my head, *I'll try. Yeah, it's bothering me more than I thought it would.*
*How long's it been since you went running?* I wanted to know.
*A couple of days, I run all the time, uphill is another story, I haven't run long distance uphill since before the accident.*
*I wouldn't want to suggest that you aren't capable, but I think it's probably best if I go back and bring the truck up to you instead of your trying to run all the way back to it.*
*You're probably right,* He admitted, *But can you drive a standard?*
*Puh-leese, I grew up driving farm equipment and Dad made me learn to drive a standard before I was allowed to drive an automatic. He used to tell us that any monkey could drive an automatic. So yeah, I can drive a standard.*
*Ok, I believe you, it's just that so few people can these days, even men.*
*This is true. Did you lock it?* I asked.
*Yeah, but it's old enough it actually has a key. There's a spare key in a magnetic box attached on the back of the rear license plate. You have to reach under the bumper and around to the top of the plate, it should be resting on a ledge under there.* He explained.
*Great. It shouldn't take me long to get back to the truck and change, and even less time to get back here. I should be back in ten or fifteen minutes.*
*That's fine* he said.
*It'd be best if you kept moving, but not running, until I get back, walk around some, stretch again. I don't want that leg to get too stiff on you before I get back, it's going to be bad enough by the time we get down the mountain.*
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