Page 29 of Adam's Rising

He stepped closer. “It is?”

Claire raked her teeth over her bottom lip as an idea formed. “Yeah. You know… I really want to see the end, but I won’t be seventeen for a few weeks…” He stared at her, so she stepped closer, lifting a hand to his arm, something she’d seen Lala do. “You’re eighteen, aren’t you?”

“Uh… yeah.” He coughed, stepping back and letting her arm fall away.

She tilted her head since the hand on his arm didn’t seem to work. “Would you like to go?”

“Tonight?”

“Yeah,” she said, laughing to ease his shyness. “Not to the first movie, though. It’s some karate flick. I already saw it.”When Boyd wasn’t sucking my face, she thought.

“Not good?”

“I’m not into dubbed films. I end up laughing at inappropriate times — when the audio doesn’t match the mouth movements. I’m pretty good at reading lips” She dropped her head, scrunched up her face, and touched just his hand. “It doesn’t have to be a date or anything. I know you’re dating Lala —”

He jerked his head back. “I’m not dating Lala. She… I haven’t seen her in nearly two years.”

“That’s right,” she feigned ignorance, but wanted to get this information out. “She’s dating Roger.”

He laughed. “Really? Roger Wheelan?”

Claire bristled. “Well, glad that doesn’t upset you. What’s wrong with Roger?”

He shrugged. “Nothing at all. He just… uh… I don’t know, doesn’t seem like her type. I always liked Roger — other than the fact that he hung out with Boyd.”

Claire pursed her lips. “What’s wrong with Boyd?” Even though she was mad at Boyd, she wondered why Roger hanging out with him was a bad thing.

He released a puff of air. “Sorry. Nothing’s wrong with either of them. I just never hung out with them.” He shook his head. “So, should I pick you up?”

Her heart thrummed hard. “Uh… No… I…” She hadn’t expected him to give in — and to suggest picking her up, even. That wouldn’t be good. Lala would make a scene. Claire needed to confirm one hundred percent that he was Adam before getting Lala involved.

He laughed nervously. “You don’t want to go anymore?”

“I do. I just… How ’bout I meet you here? Outside the gate, of course. I don’t want you getting in trouble with Clara Mae.”

“Why would I get in trouble with Clara Mae?”

Claire shrugged. “I’ve heard she doesn’t allow the hands to,” she made air quotes, “fraternizewith owners.” Based on the laughs and swears, the other ranch hands were returning to the barn, so she confirmed their date by saying, “The second movie starts just after nine. I’ll meet you out front the ranch at eight, okay? That should give us enough time.”

He dipped his head and smiled. “As you wish.”

Once again, he said the words from their shared past. Yeah, he’d said he read the book, but the way he’d said the words felt like he was trying to reach her. Like it was code forI’m Adam. I’m in here…

And that’s how she knew — ab… so… lute… ly — that he was Adam. It wasn’t just the words he said, the way he danced, or the songs he liked. It was the way he watched her — like she was someone he’d never stopped thinking about, the way she’d never stopped thinking about him.

Still, she had one final test. Tonight, at the drive-in. Almost exactly one hour into the movie, she would know — beyond a shadow of a doubt — that he washer Stableboy. HerAdam.

8

Adam stood in the barn’s center aisle after Claire had gone, the rhythmic beat of an unfamiliar song barely covering the sound of his thrumming heart.

“Then the son of a bitch tells me —”

Adam stopped cleaning and turned toward George.

The older man paused mid-sentence when he saw him, then waved off Rusty with a stiff hand. “Another time, Rust.” He tossed the rope he’d been carrying into the tack room and hustled toward the doors. “Calling it a day, boys! See ya mañana.”

Frustrated, Adam closed his eyes. He’d just cleaned and reorganized the tack room. He glanced at the clock — not even four. Clara Mae had told him last night they worked until six, seven days a week. Ranch hands were allowed one day off during the week — as long as it didn’t interfere with holidays or ranch events. Neither Brett nor Clara Mae had made an appearance today, though.

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