Page 58 of Wish You Were Mine

During the drive to Summer’s cottage, I gave myself a pep talk.

“You’ve got this. It’s just cycling. Talk to her, get to know her better as a person rather than as part of the extended Braddock clan. Take it easy. Keep it light.”

Unfortunately, I didn’t feel any more confident by the time I arrived. I didn’t usually have issues with my confidence, but then, the women I dated weren’t usually as deeply enmeshed in my life as Summer Braddock was. There were so many ways I could screw this up.

I parked on the side of the road and got out, glancing up at the overcast sky. It was a bit chilly, but we’d warm up as soon as we got moving.

Summer stepped through the front door, and for once, I didn’t force myself not to notice how good she looked, or how tightly the cycling shorts clung to her lean thighs and nicely curved ass. She jogged down the stairs, her tank top riding up to reveal a strip of tanned skin above the waistband of her shorts. My mouth went dry.

“Good afternoon,” she called, grabbing hold of her bike, which was leaning against the porch, and wheeling it toward the car.

“Hi.” My heart thumped when she turned her smile on me at full wattage, and I had to swallow before I was able to talk. “You ready to go?”

“I think so.” She patted the bag strap over her shoulder, which I hadn’t previously noticed. “I have a sweater in here if I need it, a raincoat, a puncture repair kit, and snacks. Is there anything I’ve forgotten?”

I glanced at her handlebars, noting the helmet hanging off them. “Water?”

“Got that too.”

“Then I’d say we’re all good.”

She steered her bike to the rear of my car and helped me lift it onto the rack, then moved out of the way so I could secure it in place. Once that was done, I double checked all the ties and locks, and returned to the driver’s seat. Summer got in the other side and dropped her bag on the floor between her feet.

“Where are we going?” she asked, pulling the door shut.

I turned the key in the ignition. “Do you know Castle Hill?”

“Not really.”

“There’s a walking trail down the Castle River Valley, but if you turn off a little before that, there’s an easy mountain biking trail that cuts through the forest on the side of the hill.” It would be safer for her than any of the trails up Destiny Peak.

She frowned. “I’ve walked in Castle River Valley. I just didn’t realize there was anything else there.”

My chest puffed with pride. “I’ll be able to introduce you to somewhere new, then.”

A few kilometers out of town, I turned onto a gravel road. We juddered over potholes, and I knew that if we followed the road to the end, we’d arrive at the start of the walk Summer had mentioned doing before. Instead, I turned off onto a road that was hardly more than a dirt path.

I slowed to a crawl. Branches scraped the sides of the car, and I was grateful I drove an older model and wouldn’t lose any sleep over a couple of new scratches.

“Are you sure it’s all right to drive down here?” Summer asked.

“Yes.” I gritted my teeth as I concentrated on the road. The back tires dropped into a slight dip in the earth and the bottom of the car bumped against the edge of the hollow. I put my foot down and got us out of there before we became stuck. Getting stranded in the forest certainly wasn’t the right way to make a good impression on Summer.

We shot forward, and I exhaled, the band around my chest loosening as the road widened and the trees gradually moved further from the vehicle.

“Did you know Ashley has moved back to town?” Summer asked.

I glanced at her. “What?”

“Ashley.” She looked at me meaningfully. “Your ex.”

“Oh.” I turned back to the road and fought the urge to groan. “No, I didn’t. Where did you hear that?”

“From her. I saw her at Taste of Destiny.” Her voice was strained. She felt some way about Ashley being back in town, but I couldn’t get a read on her without looking, and I couldn’t do that because I needed to focus on getting us to the trail safely.

“Good for her, I guess,” I said distractedly.

Hopefully she’d keep her distance from me. I had absolutely no desire to revisit the past with her, but Ashley had never been good at letting go. It was one of the reasons I was glad when she decided to move away. It meant I didn’t have to ward off her advances every time she got maudlin and decided that she’d been wrong to end our relationship.

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