Page 16 of Secrets at Dawn
“Sports. Okay. I run. For the health and fitness benefits. Or used to. I also read horror novels. But I don’t care much about watching horror movies. I’m not sure why other than the visual scares me more than what I manufacture in my mind.”
“I love Jason Blue’s novels. There’s more about the monsters in a person’s head coming to life, but they make me shudder. They’re great.”
Toby sucked in a breath. “I have his latest. Do you want to borrow it when I finish?”
Griffin grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. “I’ve already read it. Listened to it on audio, actually. I can tell you how it ends.”
Toby’s eyes grew wide. “You’d better not.”
Griffin chuckled. “So tell me why you say you used to run?”
“That’s what I was doing in the park. Well, I had finished and was drinking a cup of coffee on my balcony, but I saw that woman before. Julia. We’ve never spoken to each other, but we’re friendly. Like waving or nodding if we pass each other on the running trail.” Toby shook his head. “I’m pretty sure the running is over for both of us.”
Griffin shook his head. “I’ve agreed to accompany her on the trail at the south end of the college. You should come with us.”
“It wouldn’t freak her out if I came?”
“No way. She thinks of you as her hero, but I’ll ask her if it makes you feel better.”
Toby nodded. “I’d love to run with you, but yeah, if you wouldn’t mind giving her a heads up. After what happened. She doesn’t need any surprises.”
“You’d be a good surprise, but I’ll let her know. I promise, baby.”
Toby blushed. His cheeks turned pretty pink again. “No one has ever called me that.”
“Do you like the endearment?”
“When you say it, I do.”
Griffin grinned. “I don’t think we’re going to keep our mating secret for very long.”
Toby seemed ready to panic, so Griffin rubbed his back. “Riley will understand that we’re mates.”
“It’s not…” Toby frowned and took a deep breath in as if shoring up his courage. “It’s more than just Riley for me.”
“You’re not married or engaged, are you?”
“No, nothing like that.”
“Then whatever it is, we’ll work through it. Together.”
“I just want you to like me. And I want to keep you safe.”
“I already do. And ditto.”
“You might not. You don’t know me all the way yet.”
Griffin could already tell they’d go round in circles with Toby still not telling him what was up, so he just said, “We’ll keep ourselves quiet until you learn to trust me. How about that?”
“It’s not as simple as that.”
Then Griffin would like to know exactly how complicated it really was. But he didn’t ask. They’d get to the truth at some point. It didn’t have to be all at once.
Chapter Eight
Toby yawned so much he thought his face would crack. They’d stayed up too long talking. Not that he regretted a single moment of it. Thinking about Griffin made him smile. No one made him feel the way Griffin did. His face was fighting itself, smiling and yawning all at the same time.
He dressed in his running clothes, grabbed his keys and phone, and headed out the door. That was when he saw Dickwad’s wolf friend sitting in his car across the street.
