by Tawna Fenske
“Speaking of that, tell me about this dog you rescued.”
Marley smiled, relieved at the subject change. “He’s great. Loving and sweet and happy and active.”
“Sounds like the perfect man.”
“He is. We’re going for a hike early tomorrow morning if you want to come along.”
“I’ll call you,” Kayley said, wrapping Marley in a big hug. “Take care of yourself, okay? I worry about you.”
Marley hugged her hard, then drew back. “I’m fine.” She offered up her best fake smile, the one reserved for contentious donors and disgruntled board members. “Seriously, I’m okay. Thanks so much for taking a look at the figurines.”
Kayley smiled back, her grin so genuine Marley’s spleen hurt. “Call me if you need anything. Or if you get into any trouble. I mean it this time—no keeping quiet out of shame or embarrassment or—”
“Okay,” Marley said, torn between wanting to hug her cousin again and wanting the conversation to be over.
“Promise?”
“I promise,” Marley said, crossing her fingers behind her back.
Chapter 7
Marley left the house at noon on Sunday. By two p.m., she couldn’t remember the last time her butt had been so sore.
“Want to trade, Magoo?” she called to her dog. “How about you ride the mountain bike and I run alongside?”
Her shaggy companion turned and cocked his head, his tongue lolling out to one side. Magoo barked once before turning back to the trail and trotting ahead. Marley sighed and followed after him, doing her best to ease her aching backside off the bike seat. She couldn’t understand it. She’d bought the mountain bike at a secondhand store that morning, deliberately selecting a well-used model so it wouldn’t be obvious she was a relative newbie to the sport. She’d purchased a cushy new gel seat in hopes of thwarting the inevitable saddle soreness, but the seat had done little to cushion her aching sit-bones.
Whoever coined the phrase “it’s just like riding a bike” had never taken a ten-year break from it, Marley decided. This was a lot tougher than she remembered from her early twenties.
Up ahead, Magoo turned and bounded back toward her, impatient for Marley to keep up. His dirty mop fur flopped across his mismatched eyes, and his tongue flopped in front of him like a flattened sausage. His paws were filthy, but his tail had been wagging nonstop since they’d arrived at the head of Phil’s Trail.
Marley hadn’t been sure at first if it was safe to have Magoo off-leash on a mountain bike trail with their relationship still so new. What if he forgot she’d adopted him and took off sprinting for the hills?
But two things were clear within five minutes on the trail: Magoo was devoted to Marley, and Magoo wasn’t much of a sprinter.
“Careful, boy!” Marley yelled as the dog tripped over his own paws and rolled off-trail. He hopped back up, gave himself a cursory shake, gave Marley something that looked curiously like a doggie grin, and took off running again. Ten seconds later, he turned and barked twice.
It sounded a lot like keep up!
“I’m trying,” Marley called, trying not to sound discouraged. “Keep your shorts on.”
“Maybe that’s your problem,” someone called behind her. “You should wear the bike shorts, not the dog.”
Marley turned, clamping her fingers around the hand brake. She spotted Will ten feet behind her and nearly fell off the bike. She slammed her foot into the ground and screeched to a halt, while Will did the same to avoid running over her.
“Will?” Marley said, her voice unexpectedly breathless. “What are you doing out here?”
He adjusted his bike helmet. “Skiing.”
“Very funny. I meant—actually, I don’t know what I meant.” Marley looked down at her dog, who had scampered back at the sound of Will’s voice and was now doing a clumsy dance of joy at his feet. Will bent down and scratched the dog’s ears, and Magoo flopped onto his side and rolled in the dirt with ecstasy.
Marley couldn’t blame him.
“Hey, buddy,” Will said as he scratched the dog’s belly. “Had any new romantic interludes with giant pink rodents?”
Magoo grunted and licked Will’s hand.
“I’m thinking I need to lock the bunny up so Magoo can’t sexually assault her anymore,” Marley said. “As long as she never comes out of the closet, we should be good.”
“That coming out of the closet business can put a damper on a relationship,” Will agreed.
Marley grimaced. “Sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“I know you didn’t. I was just making light of a weird situation. Want me to make a joke about your dad tipping me twenty bucks after I groped you in the doorway, or should I make a wisecrack about your date with Darin Temple?”
Marley blinked. “Wow. You don’t beat around the bush, do you?” She held up her hand. “Stop right there—that wasn’t a lesbian ex-wife joke, for the record.”
“See? You’re getting the hang of my family’s coping mechanism.”
Marley laughed. “Not that it’s any of your business, but Darin and I aren’t compatible. He’s a nice guy and all, but—”
“You checked his wallet and he had more than five dollars cash?”
“I’m going to go back to what I said before about this being none of your business.”
“Fair enough. Your butt, however, is my business. Or at least I’m going to make it my business. Seriously, you need a good pair of bike shorts.”
Marley touched a hand to her left butt cheek and gave it a self-conscious rub. “I’ll get on that. And I’ll get back on the bike in just a minute, as soon as my sit-bones stop throbbing.”
Will laughed. “At least Magoo seems to be having fun.”
“For sure. I had no idea he’d enjoy mountain biking this much.”
“Which is funny, considering he can’t reach the pedals.”
“He’s still probably a more accomplished cyclist than I am.” Marley grimaced. “I’ve fallen off twice in an hour, and my butt cheeks feel like someone’s been beating them with a hammer.”
Will’s eyes dropped to her derrière, and Marley flushed. Then his eyes dropped lower and Will cocked his head, studying her bike.
“Did you just buy that?”
Marley hesitated, worried she’d blown her cover as an avid outdoorswoman with a fondness for mountain biking. But hell, it’s not like she was fooling anyone. It was one thing to exaggerate a little, but Marley didn’t have it in her to lie.
“I got it at the secondhand sporting goods store this morning,” she said. “I used to have a mountain bike years ago, but I needed a new one now that I’ve moved here.”
Will nodded. “I recognized the frame and that sticker right there. The bike used to belong to a friend of mine.” He gave the seat a fond pat, and Marley felt inexplicably embarrassed. “It’s a nice bike; you made a good choice.”
“Thanks,” Marley said. “I’d be a lot happier if I could keep it upright without maiming my tailbone.”
“The rocky terrain on this trail is hell on your sit-bones even if you’re used to it.”
“Are you used to it?”
“I can assure you I have iron-clad testicles and a butt-callus you could bounce a quarter off of.”
“Please don’t feel you need to show me.”
Please do, Marley thought as her mind drifted to the way his hands had roamed over her body last night. The warmth of his lips against her throat, the softness of his breath in her ear.
She couldn’t believe she’d just thrown caution to the wind and forgotten her father was in the next room. What would have happened if she’d been home alone? What would have happened if Will had inched down the zipper on her dress and—
“Come on,” Will said, nodding toward the trail. “Let me get in front of you and I’ll show you a muc
h better section for a beginner.”
“I wouldn’t say I’m a beginner, exactly. It’s just been a while.”
“Understood,” he said. “But think of it like sex. If it’s been more than a couple years, you’re a virgin again.”
“Oh.” Marley fought the blush she felt creeping up her neck and into her cheeks. “In that case, I’m a virgin. At least as far as the bike goes.”
“Glad you clarified.” Will edged past her on the trail, his arm brushing her rib cage as he moved. Marley gave an involuntary shiver as every nerve in her body snapped to attention.
As soon as he was in front, Will turned around. “Ready?”
Marley hesitated, then bit her lip. “I’m sorry about last night, Will.”
“You’re going to have to elaborate a little there. You’re sorry you neglected to inform me your father was in the next room when I started groping you, or you’re sorry about the groping itself?”
“Both, I guess. I mean, we agreed it’s a horrible idea for us to be involved.”
She heard her voice go up a little at the end of the sentence, making it sound more like a question than a statement. She wasn’t sure whether to be annoyed with herself or with Will for her own uncertainty.
“Apology accepted but unnecessary,” he said. “After all, I got twenty bucks out of the deal.”
“I hope you put it to good use.”
“I gave it to the homeless guy I saw pushing a shopping cart full of mannequin parts on my way home.”
“I’m glad. Really, Will, I’m sorry if my dad seemed rude. He doesn’t like the idea of me dating someone who isn’t financially stable. He can be a little judgmental sometimes.”
Will cocked his head to one side. “Your dad is judgmental for choosing your potential suitors based on income, but you’re okay with doing the same thing?”
Marley felt the heat creep into her cheeks. “It’s not the same thing at all.”
“No? Your dad rules out poor guys because he thinks they’re all wrong for you, and you’ve ruled out rich guys for the same reason. Just my opinion, but it seems the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree.”
“You aren’t poor,” Marley said, knowing she was arguing the wrong point. “And anyway, my ex-fiancé was a jerk.”
“A jerk with money,” Will added. “And if I’m reading things right, I get the feeling your father and your ex have a few things in common.”
“My dad has my best interests at heart,” Marley said, wishing it were that simple.
“I’m sure he does. All I’m saying is that two jerks with big bank accounts don’t necessarily mean every guy with a few bucks to his name is a raging dickhead. Now are you ready to ride or what?”
He didn’t wait for a response, but edged around her on the trail, apparently done with the conversation.
But Marley wasn’t quite. She bit her lip. “My father won’t stop talking about me getting back together with Curtis.” Will turned around, frozen in the act of remounting his bike. Marley shrugged and touched the edge of her helmet self-consciously. “He brought it up over breakfast. Said Curtis has been calling him since I won’t answer.”
“That’s your fian—ex-fiancé?”
Marley nodded. “My dad kept offering me his vacation home at the Oregon Coast so Curtis and I can have a romantic beach weekend and work things out.”
“It’s a lovely time of year at the beach.”
“I don’t want to go.”
Will shrugged. “So don’t.”
“Easier said than done.”
Marley realized her tone had turned bitter, and she tried to soften her voice. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to sound bitchy. Tense subject. You know how it can be with exes.”
“Sure.”
She knew she was baiting him, waiting to see if he’d weigh in with his own ex story. But Will wasn’t looking at her anymore. He’d stopped to scratch Magoo’s ears.
Of course, he hadn’t cycled off down the trail yet. Maybe the conversation was still going.
Marley cleared her throat. “Your ex-wife seems nice.”
“She does seem that way, doesn’t she?”
Marley cocked her head, curious. “If I’m not mistaken, that was a slightly bitter tone you used there. Glad I’m not the only one sounding bitchy about an ex.”
Will looked up from petting Magoo and grinned. “Men don’t sound bitchy. We sound tense.”
“Why do you get to sound tense and I’m stuck being bitchy?”
“It’s in the rule book. It’s right after the section on the difference between men’s and women’s magazines.”
“Magazines?”
“Yes. Men’s magazines feature pictures of naked women. Women’s magazines also feature pictures of naked women. This is because the female body is a work of art, and men’s bodies are more like a tractor.”
“A tractor?” Marley blinked, not thinking about tractors at all. She was thinking of what Will’s body had felt like when she’d explored it last night. His chest was hot and coiled with muscle, and his arms were strong and dusted with gingery hair. She recalled the feel of his shoulders beneath her palms, and a tractor was the furthest thing from her mind.
Of course, she’d almost forgotten about the exes. “Nice job diverting my attention from the ex conversation. You almost had me. What did you mean April seems nice? Like you’re implying she’s not really what she seems.”
“Is anyone?”
“I like to think I am.”
Will grinned. “You like to think you’re a seasoned mountain biker too, but I’m not sure that’s working out for you. Come on. Let’s get moving. There’s a section up ahead that’s a lot smoother. I think your backside will be much more comfortable there.”
“Thank you for your concern about the health and well-being of my butt.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” Will said, and headed up the trail.
***
Will liked to think his presence was a salve to Marley’s aching butt. Fortunately, he had the good sense not to say that out loud.
“How’s your butt?” Will called from up ahead.
“Fine, thanks for asking. How’s yours?”
“This is a peculiar line of conversation for two people who’ve known each other a week.”
Marley laughed, and Will glanced over his shoulder to make sure she was doing okay. Beside her, Magoo ran along with his tongue lolling to one side and his oversized paws flailing like hairy toilet plungers. He sure looked happy.
Can you blame the guy? He gets to go home with Marley.
He shook his head, intent on clearing away that line of thought. No way in hell could he consider getting involved with her. Even without the stupid Cheez Whiz corporate policy, dating a chronic people pleaser would be the worst thing he could do. He needed another woman confused about her identity as much as he needed a third nipple.
“Need me to slow down at all?” he called.
“Nope, I’m great. You’re right, this trail is way better.”
“It’s a little flatter and straighter. And there aren’t as many—rock!”
Will swerved to miss the small, sharp stone in the center of the trail. He said a fast, silent prayer Marley heard his warning, but the loud Pop! behind him suggested she wasn’t that lucky.
“Dammit,” she yelled. “I think I wrecked my tire.”
Will turned around and grimaced. He stopped his bike and hopped off, resting it against a large boulder before he trudged back to Marley’s side to survey the damage.
“You wrecked more than your tire,” he said. “Looks like you bent the frame. I’m sorry, I should have yelled louder to warn you.”
“I heard you yell rock,” she admitted. “I just thought you were commanding me to get down and boogie.”
“Remind me to be clea
rer next time.” Will sighed. “I don’t recommend riding it like this. Got a repair kit?”
Marley blinked at him. “Does it make me an idiot if I don’t?”
“No, but it’ll make you pretty tired of pushing your bike. I have a kit for the flat tire, but I’m not sure it’ll do you any good. Even with the tire reinflated, your frame looks too bent for riding. You’ll wreck it if you try.”
“What do I do?” she asked, sounding a little panicked.
“Walk it. Slowly.”
Marley bit her lip. “Isn’t it going to get dark soon? And aren’t there mountain lions out here? The anatomy of their long hind limbs allows them to cover a distance of forty feet in a single leap, and they can jump cliffs up to eighteen feet high.”
“Relax, zoo lady. You’ve got another hour of daylight, and mountain lions don’t like blondes. Only brunettes.”
“You’re making that up.”
“How do you know? By the time you get eaten, it’ll be too late for you to blame me.”
Marley grinned as she turned her bike around and pointed it back down the trail. Will moved back toward his bike and maneuvered it around, falling into step behind her. Magoo whined and switched directions, his floppy ears sliding over his eyes as he turned.
“You don’t have to walk with me, Will,” Marley said. “You came out here to ride, not to walk your bike around like an idiot.”
“Maybe that’s exactly why I came out here. I try to do it at least once a week. I call it my idiot bike walk. It’s kind of like a cakewalk, but without the cake.”
“Highly unsatisfying.”
“Not necessarily.”
His eyes were on Marley’s butt when he said it, and he tried to bring his gaze up before she turned around and caught him.
“Want me to get out my camera phone and snap a photo?”
“What?”
“Of my butt.”
“I’ll have you know, I was merely assessing you for damage. Butt injuries are nothing to trifle with, you know.”
Marley laughed and steered her bike around a large boulder. “I’ll try to remember that.”
“So how are things going with the appraisal of the family figurines?”
