Page 19 of Return to Me Always

"What?" I asked.

"We need to get you proper clothes. And shoes."

***

Finding me the right clothes didn't take long for Tyler, who almost seemed like an expert at this whole hiking thing. He seemed to know the exact sizes for the layers I needed and even picked out shoes that he said shouldn't be too hard on me.

After I had all the appropriate gear on, Tyler headed toward the back of the shop again where there was a small kitchen area with a freezer and fridge. He paused to add a few more items to his bag.

"Shouldn't we pay them or something?" I asked.

"My wallet's missing too. I must have lost it when I was dodging bullets. It's okay. I'll even up when this is all over."

"Do you know the owner or something?"

"I used to work here," he said, lifting his shoulders in a shrug. "All right. Ready?"

"Um, I guess."

He pulled on his backpack and clicked the front straps together. I attempted to do the same, but the thing was so damn cumbersome. Plus, my back was killing me from my fight with Malcolm. Tyler noticed my struggle and came over to help me, placing the pack on my back and snapping the clasps.

"Let's go."

Before he opened the door, he glanced around to make sure no one was nearby. It was still early, so we were in the clear. I followed Tyler because apparently he knew where he was going.

And before long, we left the town behind and walked along a path next to a quiet, serene lake. At least the trail was somewhat easy, and we didn't encounter anyone else. Maybe for most people, fall wasn't the best time to go on a hike in Scotland.

Several times, I tried to talk with Tyler, but he gave one-word answers or didn't answer at all. His attention was always straight ahead.

I thought back to a conversation I'd had with my mom about how some people weren't so great at multitasking, that they would concentrate on one thing at a time and didn't do well with interruptions, making me wonder if Tyler was one of those people.

He certainly appeared to have a one-track mind right now and seemed laser-focused on wherever we were going. But still, whenever we had a chance to actually sit down, I vowed to grill him with questions. I was convinced he knew more about our current problems than I did, and I was determined to find out.

Every once in a while as I trudged onward, panic and anxiety shot through me as I realized the seriousness of our situation. We were actuallyon the runfrom the police—me, Kathryn Ryder, who had never even had detention or been to the principal's office.

And even scarier, I was putting my faith in a stranger, someone I'd just met. Even though I'd kind of known him forever.

How on earth would this end?

The police would have to find us eventually. We couldn't disappear forever. Our "crime" would catch up to us at some point. Guns drawn. Pointing them at us. Treating us like real criminals. Probably even shooting at us. Hadn't we made it even worse by running?

Terror rose up in my chest, and I tried to calm myself, taking deep breaths, counting, being in the present—all the ways I'd learned to cope with my anxiety. Glancing around, I looked for something to bring me back to the now, something to center me.

I breathed in the distant rolling mountains, the beauty of the calm water, the rust-colored tall grass gently swaying in the cool breeze. At the moment, I was okay. At the moment, I was safe. I could keep on walking. Iwouldkeep on walking.

After what seemed like several hours, Tyler stopped and led me off the path into a small wooded area where he sat on a fallen log. He brought out a bottle of water and a small bag of almonds.

"We'll take a ten-minute break," he said.

"Can I take this thing off?" I struggled with the straps, not waiting to hear his answer. Ihadto get some relief from this back pain.

Tyler helped me remove the pack, and I stretched out my sore muscles.

"Is the bag too heavy for you?" he asked, already unzipping it and taking out some of the contents.

"It's not exactly the bag."

That stopped him, and he looked at me, eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

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