Page 34 of Walking Red Flag

Dima and I had always been the closest since we were the middle children that were forgotten about the most.

We’d formed a bond that could never be broken.

“All right,” I said. “But don’t make me keep this secret for too long, okay?”

“Okay,” he sighed. “Love you, Mil.”

“Love you, too,” I replied and shoved my phone into the pocket on the side of my leggings.

A gust of wind had my semi-wet hair blowing into my face, and I turned just in time to see Cutter with his arms raised as he measured from the floor to the ceiling.

His belly was partially exposed, and I saw the ab definition along his side for a split second before he dropped his arms back down to his sides.

Stepping into the shop, I said to myself, “Here goes nothin’.”

I must’ve blacked out, because ten minutes after entering my shop, I was leaving it.

To go on a ride on the back of Cutter’s bike.

My heart was pounding, and I couldn’t decide if it was going haywire because I was about to get on the back of his motorcycle, which I said I was never going to do, or because I was about to be on the back of Cutter’s motorcycle, once again wrapped up in the sexiest man I’d ever encountered.

Likely, it was more of the latter than the former, if I was being honest.

I was so nervous that I started chattering.

“Hey,” I said when he turned and caught me staring at him. “You got a lot done.”

He jerked his chin back toward the shop and said, “Your keys are on the table inside. I made a copy of the door key already. I’ll give it back to you once I’m done.”

He then proceeded to use his own key to lock my shop up.

I smiled, relief hitting me.

All of my earlier worries disappeared when I saw the amount of work he’d gotten done this morning.

“You really have been busy,” I pointed out.

“Yeah, but getting the plastic up is the easy part,” he agreed. “Other than the running on a trail part, how did your body feel when you ran? Running that far is miserable, I’ll bet.”

Just the mention of my run again had my good mood disappearing.

I frowned and stared down at my feet. “Okay, I guess. Not good. Not bad. Just blah.”

He studied me for a long second, then nodded. “Good.”

He jerked his chin toward his truck, and I frowned. “Uh…”

“Gotta go get my bike, babe.” He grinned. “I’m leaving the trailer, though. Already unhooked it.”

I hesitated to follow him to his truck, and I didn’t know why.

Maybe it was my mood.

I maybe should’ve stayed at home.

It would be my only free Saturday for a while.

I’d lied to Hazel when I’d told her that I was working next week.

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