Page 52 of Adam's Rising

Adam nudged Bolt forward, but stayed beside her and Buttercup. “Speaking of Lala… Is she… just mad? She’s not thinking… You know? Not after two years, right? Plus, you said she’s dating Roger. Clara Mae’s concerned.”

Clairedidknow what Lala was thinking, but that’s because she believed Adam was Thomas. The hussy had even insinuated that she didn’t want Roger if Thomas was back. But Thomas wasn’t back!

“Whoa…” Bolt stopped on Adam’s command. “Claire, you know I’m not interested in Lala, right?”

Pulled from her thoughts, Claire spoke the truth without thinking first. “You better not be interested in Lala.”

He laughed again. “I’m definitely not, but I started to say, Clara Mae’s concerned — for you. Not me.”

“Buttercup!” Claire pulled her back from the brush. “I guess she figures if we’re talking, it’s eating time.” She chuckled softly. “Why would Clara Mae worry about me?”

“Because of Lala,” Adam said as serious as she’d ever heard him.

“Buttercup! No!” Buttercup stilled, then knocked her head toward Bolt. Bolt didn’t return the animosity, but he started backing up, making Adam control him. “Ohh,” Claire said. “You’re feisty today, baby. Come on.” She clucked twice, then squeezed her legs around Buttercup’s sides. “We’ll talk up at the clearing,” she called over her shoulder. “That way my hungry girl can eat. I don’t think Clara Mae’s feed is top quality. Buttercup hates it.”

Buttercup trotted forward, clearly happy to be moving. Her baby knew what was at the end of the trail.

“She’s right!” Adam shouted over the roar of the river.

At least, she assumed that’s what he’d said. Claire didn’t ask whoshewas and what she was right about since it was too loud to hear an answer, and the trail was too narrow to walk side-by-side, especially with the mood Buttercup was in. She must be hungrier than usual; it wasn’t like her to take swings at other horses.

Claire passed the large clearing with a hitching post, the sign that they were at the trail’s end. And even though it was clear this was the end, the many times she and Buttercup had wandered onward were evident by the many broken saplings and trampled weeds.

Buttercup had been the first to venture farther the first time. Maybe she’d smelled the fresh clover.

When their self-made trail opened up, Claire hopped down from her horse, but didn’t bother tying her up. The last thing she wanted was for Buttercup not to be able to flee in the event a predator showed up. Besides, no way would she leave the area — not when there was plenty of clover and fresh greens to mow.

Adam followed behind her. “Nice! This should keep them happy, and hopefully fatten them up.”

“Yeah, Buttercup’s the one who found this spot. Probably one of the reasons she’s always anxious to take me riding in the morning.”

“She’s a good girl, even if a bit sassy.”

Claire turned to him. “Do you not like sassy girls?”

“I do. But just one sassy girl. Well, two if I count Buttercup.” He lifted her hand but didn’t pull her into his arms, despite how often she’d dreamed of that moment.

Was Adam such a gentleman that she would have to demand a kiss?

Adam looked up through the clearing, at the meandering clouds above them. “It’s going to be another beautiful day, but it’s getting late.” He cocked his head at the horses. “She’ll be all right if we walk to the river?”

“Sure! Even a bear would have trouble catching her attention when she has a smorgasbord of greens.”

He offered her hand a soft squeeze. “Let’s go check it out.”

“Okay,” she said softly. Inside, though, she screamed:It’s really happening.Adam’s truly here,holding my hand,leading me to the river.

They passed the hitching post, then walked up on the deck Clara Mae had built on the riverbank.

“Nice!” Adam said. “Can you imagine having a place like this… to yourself? Where you could just lounge all day. No worries of anyone showing up?”

“I can.”

“That’s right. Your family owns a house on the Big Su in Talkeetna.”

Claire leaned on the railing and looked down. “I wasn’t talking about my parents’ house. Besides, Grams sold it. I was talking about your land. It backs up to the creek.”

Adam sighed and leaned next to her. “It does. It’d take a lot of clearing to build a deck back there, though.”

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