Page 51 of One Small Spark
“No. I go this way with Ian.” He pedals along, nodding his dinosaur-covered helmet. “I want to watch the BMX guys.”
My stomach does a completely unnecessary flip. “Are you sure you don’t want to do the monkey bars? I bet you can get all the way across now.”
“No. I like to watch them go—” He makes a series of hoots and screeches that somehow exactly match the idea of people racing up and down the BMX trail. “I want to do it when I get big.”
“That will be so fun.” I don’t have much enthusiasm, but he doesn’t notice.
We loop around the perimeter until we reach the BMX trail at the rear of the park. Several kids ride the dirt hills, whooping and hollering just like August’s demonstration. They’re also wearing heavier-duty helmets than his, along with knee and elbow pads. If August really wants to do this when he’s bigger, Tess is going to have a stroke.
My eyes are apparently Callahan-seeking missiles. I spot him near the trail as if that was my goal in coming out here all along. I should have known if it was bike-related, he would be here. He’s standing by the gate in the chain-link fence that surrounds the BMX park, talking with another man.
My best hope is to play it cool and pretend I’m not here. I lay out the blanket I brought in the grass beneath a shade tree and sit down to watch August ride the paved paths. With any luck, Callahan will leave in the opposite direction. He probably won’t even turn my way.
August shoots past me, pedaling like he’s trying to reach hyper speed. “Look how fast I can go, Wren!”
This is why I can’t have nice things.
Callahan spins around, and his gaze lands on me, squeezing the breath from my lungs. He’s at least twenty feet away, but I shiver as if I’m close enough to see the flecks of gold in his brown eyes. I swear his beard twitches. Probably a smirk. That seems to be his default around me. He says something to the other man before heading my way.
That’s just perfect. It’s not enough for me to show up at his work whenever I please, I’m dropping by his home unannounced and uninvited, and now—well, whatever this is, there’s a clear correlation here. Bikes lead to Callahan. Don’t mind me, I’m just casually stalking the man.
He stops a few feet from my picnic blanket.
“I didn’t know you’d be here.” Yes. That’s a good and normal thing for me to blurt out.
“I didn’t know you’d be here, either.” He seems to find the coincidence a lot funnier than I do. His mouth slips into a loose smile that unclasps something deep in my chest.
August stops his bike level with us. “Hi, Shepherd! I’m riding my bike today.”
“I see that. You’re doing really well. I can tell you’ve been practicing.”
I’m not sure I’ve ever heard Callahan talk to August before. The fact that August remembers his name at all means they’ve run into him several times. Callahan’s sweet, soft encouragement does bad things to my ovaries.
I was starting to think my ovaries were myths. Aside from the less pleasant monthly reminders of their mostly unremarkable existence.
“Yeah. I’m with my aunt Wren. She says I’m the best bike rider in town.”
“You’re the most enthusiastic pedaler I’ve seen.”
August grins at him, then shifts his attention to me. “Can I ride all the way around the BMX part?”
I look at the section of paved paths where he’s pointing. Because of the hills on the BMX trail, August won’t be visible the whole time as he loops behind it. I’m usually pretty chill with him, but I should probably have a line somewhere. Or so Tess keeps telling me.
“Ian lets me.” His big, pleading eyes prove he knows exactly what he’s doing.
Unfair of him to pit me against his new favorite person in the world. I like being in the top spot.
“Okay, but be careful. If you pass someone, make sure they know you’re there.” He doesn’t get going super fast, but he’s still figuring out how to brake appropriately. I’d hate for him to crash into someone in his eagerness.
“I will.” He turns his bike around on the path before careening away.
Callahan gazes down at me. “Do you want me to follow him and make sure he’s okay?”
I scan August’s route again. It’s not a busy day at the park, and he’ll only be out of sight for seconds at a time. I’m overreacting.
Oh, no. I’m turning into Tess. I can’t let that happen.
“That’s not necessary. Thanks, though.”
