encroaching trees, then turned back toward her. He closed his eyes for a moment. When he inhaled, the memory of the lanky teenager evaporated. He was still lean, but his chest and shoulders had broadened. He’d grown even taller. The last time she had seen him, he’d been an adult to her young eyes. Now he was all man, and the thought stirred her in some inexplicable way.
When he opened his eyes, he looked right at her. She was still certain, despite her hammering heartbeat, that he couldn’t see her. She shrank behind the trunk and waited for him to look elsewhere. Curly green mold that was plastered to the trunk pulled at her hair, but she didn’t even move to disentangle herself. This wasn’t the way she wanted to see him again. She wasn’t sure she wanted to see him at all, wasn’t sure it was wise. She’d wait him out, for as long as necessary, and go home.
“Katie.”
Her eyes widened. It wasn’t a question or unsure guess. Her fingers tightened against the bark. She wasn’t sure what she felt the strongest: trepidation, embarrassment, or something she couldn’t define. She squeezed her eyes closed and hoped she’d misheard, because that made sense. As it was, the pulse in her ears obliterated any sound. A second passed, then two, three.
Something skittered down her bare arm. Not a wayward vine. Her senses pieced together the feel of a finger grazing her arm and then the words, “Katie, you all right?”
She jumped and stumbled backward. The loamy ground cushioned her fall, though a bed of marshmallows couldn’t have cushioned her pride.
“You okay?” he asked, reaching down to her.
“I’m fine.” She couldn’t see his expression in the shadows, which was probably a good thing. She accepted his hand, and he pulled her to her feet. She spent as much time as allowable brushing off the damp leaves clinging to her like leeches. When she looked up at him at last, he was watching her. “Hi, Silas.”
“Hi, Katie.” His smile was laced with question.
“I wasn’t…spying on you exactly. I heard the saw and came over to see what was going on.”
His low laugh vibrated through her. “It’s okay. I was surprised to see you here.” He started walking into the glow of light, turning to see if she was following.
“Me, too. Surprised to see you here, I mean.”
Her insides were as jittery as Jell-o as she stepped up beside him. Closer up, she could see that his chest was sprinkled with sawdust. He smelled like a mixture of pine and man, interesting in a way she shouldn’t have found interesting.
Now she could see that hint of smile he’d surely had when she’d fallen on her butt. She’d forgotten about those deep blue eyes, the way they slanted up complemented by the arch of his eyebrows. She’d forgotten how much his smile had meant to her way back when, like a rare gemstone glittering out of ordinary dust. He reached out, and she readied herself for his touch against her cheek. Instead, he removed a leaf from her hair.
“Good to see you again, Katie.”
“Me, too. I mean, it’s good to see you, too.” She rolled her eyes, mortified at the way he was throwing her off. “How’d you know I was there?”
He shrugged. “Just a feeling.”
All she could do was nod, though she wasn’t sure she bought it. Still, she was the interloper here, so she had no basis to demand more of an answer.
He walked over to a cooler on the steps. “Want a drink?”
“I don’t really drink,” she said, imagining a bottle of beer. Instead he lifted out a bottle of water.
“At all?” he asked, looking so genuinely perplexed that she knew he was pulling her leg.
“I’m fine, thanks.” The way her stomach was dancing, she didn’t trust even water. “What are you doing back here? I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.” Looking at him as she spoke softened her words to the consistency of butter.
He studied her for a moment. “Did you want to see me again?”
“Yes,” she
When he opened his eyes, he looked right at her. She was still certain, despite her hammering heartbeat, that he couldn’t see her. She shrank behind the trunk and waited for him to look elsewhere. Curly green mold that was plastered to the trunk pulled at her hair, but she didn’t even move to disentangle herself. This wasn’t the way she wanted to see him again. She wasn’t sure she wanted to see him at all, wasn’t sure it was wise. She’d wait him out, for as long as necessary, and go home.
“Katie.”
Her eyes widened. It wasn’t a question or unsure guess. Her fingers tightened against the bark. She wasn’t sure what she felt the strongest: trepidation, embarrassment, or something she couldn’t define. She squeezed her eyes closed and hoped she’d misheard, because that made sense. As it was, the pulse in her ears obliterated any sound. A second passed, then two, three.
Something skittered down her bare arm. Not a wayward vine. Her senses pieced together the feel of a finger grazing her arm and then the words, “Katie, you all right?”
She jumped and stumbled backward. The loamy ground cushioned her fall, though a bed of marshmallows couldn’t have cushioned her pride.
“You okay?” he asked, reaching down to her.
“I’m fine.” She couldn’t see his expression in the shadows, which was probably a good thing. She accepted his hand, and he pulled her to her feet. She spent as much time as allowable brushing off the damp leaves clinging to her like leeches. When she looked up at him at last, he was watching her. “Hi, Silas.”
“Hi, Katie.” His smile was laced with question.
“I wasn’t…spying on you exactly. I heard the saw and came over to see what was going on.”
His low laugh vibrated through her. “It’s okay. I was surprised to see you here.” He started walking into the glow of light, turning to see if she was following.
“Me, too. Surprised to see you here, I mean.”
Her insides were as jittery as Jell-o as she stepped up beside him. Closer up, she could see that his chest was sprinkled with sawdust. He smelled like a mixture of pine and man, interesting in a way she shouldn’t have found interesting.
Now she could see that hint of smile he’d surely had when she’d fallen on her butt. She’d forgotten about those deep blue eyes, the way they slanted up complemented by the arch of his eyebrows. She’d forgotten how much his smile had meant to her way back when, like a rare gemstone glittering out of ordinary dust. He reached out, and she readied herself for his touch against her cheek. Instead, he removed a leaf from her hair.
“Good to see you again, Katie.”
“Me, too. I mean, it’s good to see you, too.” She rolled her eyes, mortified at the way he was throwing her off. “How’d you know I was there?”
He shrugged. “Just a feeling.”
All she could do was nod, though she wasn’t sure she bought it. Still, she was the interloper here, so she had no basis to demand more of an answer.
He walked over to a cooler on the steps. “Want a drink?”
“I don’t really drink,” she said, imagining a bottle of beer. Instead he lifted out a bottle of water.
“At all?” he asked, looking so genuinely perplexed that she knew he was pulling her leg.
“I’m fine, thanks.” The way her stomach was dancing, she didn’t trust even water. “What are you doing back here? I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.” Looking at him as she spoke softened her words to the consistency of butter.
He studied her for a moment. “Did you want to see me again?”
“Yes,” she
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