Page 58 of Snowed In on Valentine's Day

“Well … OK, sure.”

What harm would it do? I sensed I’d be somehow hurting his feelings if I said no, it was all a misunderstanding. But that was kind of ridiculous because he wasn’t the type to have hurt feelings over something so trivial. Right? Though I didn’t really know him that well, did I?

Our eyes were still locked, but I offered a small smile and told him I’d be right back. I wasn’t dressed for a cold winter day, though I did notice the sun was shining at least.

A few minutes later, we were setting off in the same direction he always took, past the old, abandoned farm and around a long loop. We were both quiet, which was fine by me.

“You seem very tired,” he remarked after we’d walked a quarter of a mile.

“Oh, do I? Sorry,” I said, flashing an apologetic smile.

“You’ve yawned eight times in four minutes.”

My eyes widened as I stole a glance at him. “Wow, you’re very observant.”

He said nothing to this.

“Sorry, it’s rude. I was actually about to take a nap when you arrived. I didn’t really sleep last night.”

He was silent for a long moment, so I figured he wouldn’t reply. Why would he? It’s not like he cared about my sleep.

But he surprised me. “Out late last night?”

I looked over at him, but he was looking straight ahead. “Uh, no. Just working late. You know, the new business idea we talked about at Mari’s house.”

He glanced over at me then. “I’m relieved.”

What? Why would he be relieved?

He was relieved that I wasn’t out late? I mean, why would he care—

“I’m relieved that the new business idea seems promising and you’re making progress. But you need to take care of yourself,” he said, his tone more authoritative than I’d like.

I gave him a side-eye but said nothing. It was none of his business. It’s not like we were even friends.

Why were we even walking together? He seemed like the sort of person who’d enjoy solitary walks—prefer them, even. I’d given him plenty of outs.

“So, have you always walked at the same time every afternoon?” I asked, keeping my tone light.

“No.” I thought he wasn’t going to say anymore, but finally, he continued, “As CEO, I never had time. Or interest. I usually went to the gym before work to lift weights and run on the treadmill. Higher intensity meant more efficient use of time.”

“We have a couple of gyms here in Shipsvold if you’re into that,” I offered. I wasn’t going to tell him which gym I belonged to though. The last thing I needed when getting my sweat on was to be distracted by him in his gym shorts or—

What the heck? End this line of thought now.

He sighed deeply. “No, thank you.”

I waited for him to say more, but when he didn’t, I probed, “You decided you prefer walking over the gym now?”

“It’s not about what I like or dislike. Exercise is for health.” He sighed again. “The cardiologist said low- to moderate-intensity exercise would be better, at least for the time being as we monitor my health condition. He suggested outdoor walks.”

“Ah.” That made a lot more sense. He wasn’t the type of man who enjoyed taking long walks in nature, and this time ofyear was so cold and miserable. “Is there a reason you walk at the exact same time every day?”

As soon as the words were spoken, I wanted to disappear. Now it would be obvious I’d paid more than a little attention to his walking habits. I looked away, trying to think of a way to change the subject immediately.

But it didn’t seem to faze him. “I like my days to have structure. It’s one of the most difficult things about this … transition. I’m used to having a regimented schedule dictated by critical tasks, responsibilities, and obligations to others.”

I nodded though he wasn’t looking at me. “That’s very obvious about you. So I imagine this, well, this life change hasn’t been easy for you.”

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