Page 18 of Make Mine Sweet
I guess that’s one benefit to the noise they’re making.
“I never thought about snakes.” My mom’s yard is an oasis of greenery in the middle of town—the worst we ever had were deer coming along to eat their share of her summer plants. This duplex is closer to the forest and landscaped more sparsely.
Looking at it now, those rocks are probably perfect for snakes to burrow under, or whatever they do. Slither into crevices and rattle their tails. Lie in wait for little children.
Another shiver rocks through me, and I keep my eyes stuck on the ground around August’s feet, watching for signs of movement.
Ian tilts his head toward the back gate and the walking trail beyond. “I’d be more concerned about bobcats or coyotes coming down from the canyon.”
“What?” My pulse skyrockets. “Are you serious?”
He takes in my reaction, his eyebrows twitching. “I thought you grew up here.”
“Yeah, but I’ve never seen an actual predator before.” Never once did I think about any kind of threat when I accepted this place. I thought we’d see a few morecuteanimals, not anything dangerous. “We lived in town, not right on the edge of the wilderness.”
His mouth works like he might have something to say about me calling this areawild. I guess to a mountain guide, it’s probably pretty tame. But it’s not to me if he thinks bobcats might show up some day.
“Get some bear spray and you’ll be fine.”
A strangled sound comes out of my throat before I can stop it. “Should I be worried about bears, too?”
I look to the scrub and trees beyond the fenced yard. Yes, we’re on the outskirts of town, but there are still houses everywhere. We’re still safe. I think?
“Just what kind of sheltered life did you live in town?” he asks.
I snap my jaw shut, his off-hand remark pressing against an old bruise. Iwassheltered, coddled by my mom in her protective embrace. I’d grown up naive and trusting to an unhealthy degree. When I finally ventured out into the world, I had a lot of hard lessons in store for me. The biggest one came from a charismatic ski instructor.
I push those memories away. He’s not worth wasting time thinking about. And I don’t entirely regret my mistakes. I never could.
I return my focus to Ian. “Do you always jump to the worst-case scenarios?”
He seems unfazed by my snappish tone. “Might be unlikely, but you don’t want to be reckless out here. It is thewilderness.”
I can’t tell if he’s teasing or trying to scare me, but I’m still going to buy bear spray tomorrow. Just to be on the safe side.
“You know, you’re nothing like I remember you.”
He goes completely still. “And how was that?”
“Recklessness was kind of your whole deal.” Trust me when I say I kept my ear out for gossip about him. He was rumored to do everything from white water rafting to mountain biking to climbing Smith Rock. He would have been the last guy I’d expect to give me a rundown on all the potential dangers in my own back yard.
He watches me for long seconds. “I didn’t realize we knew each other.”
I will not be telling this man I ate up every scrap of information about him like a fangirl, all without ever actually speaking to him. “It was a long time ago.”
Ian swallows hard, his beard wobbling over his throat. “I don’t have the strongest memory of those days.”
I have memories for the both of us. Cringey, cringey memories.
“You weren’t the safety patrol guy. You were…fearless. Bold. Charming.”
I wish I hadn’t thrown in that last part, but I can’t deny its truth. He’d drawn people in, and not just teenage girls with hearts in their eyes. He’d had a following around town, and everybody liked him.
He nods, watching me like he’s suddenly wary of what I’ll say next. Probably because it’s been fifteen years, and I’m still fangirling over him.
“And we dated,” he says.
I stare at him, my lungs refusing to do their job. His comment isn’t quite a question, but there’s a lilt to it like he needs me to confirm his conclusion. Because he doesn’t know. And I can’t help it—I burst into laughter.
