Kate Hoffmann - The Drifter

Evie had given him that gift and with it came a grave responsibility. Her happiness had become inextricably intertwined with his. They were no longer two separate people. They had a relationship now, a bond that couldn’t easily be broken.

He closed his eyes and nuzzled his face into the hair at her nape. Was he feeling the first stirrings of love? Or was he merely trying to convince himself that he was capable of experiencing that emotion?

In the end, it didn’t matter. Everything would become much clearer with time. And Charlie had more than enough time to invest in the woman lying next to him.

“YOU NEED DECENT FOOTWEAR,” he said, staring into the window of the outdoor equipment store. “If we’re going to do any hiking, you have to have boots. Come on, let’s go inside and get you a pair.”

Charlie grabbed Eve’s hand and she reluctantly followed him inside. He’d become particularly obsessed with taking her hiking and Eve had to wonder what was behind the obsession. She had been quite content to spend the previous week in bed, but Charlie seemed to be growing less interested in marathon sex and more interested in…exercise.

Eve wondered if this was just a prelude to the inevitable, a way to ease her into the notion of him leaving again. Though his first lecture at the university was scheduled for the end of the week, and the second four days later, it was conceivable he could pack his bags and leave the moment he was finished.

Eve had to prepare herself for that eventuality. And though she’d done her best to maintain an indifferent attitude about the future, she knew their parting would come with at least a small amount of pain.

She’d grown used to having him near, to coming home to him each night, to exhausting herself in his arms before she fell asleep. It would be so simple to fall in love with Charlie Templeton, if she’d only allow herself that luxury. But Eve had learned a few things from her failed marriage, the most important being never to depend upon a man for her happiness.

Charlie picked up a hiking boot from a display and handed it to her. “These are the best,” he said. “I have a pair. They’re easy to break in and they’re waterproof.”

“Why would they have to be waterproof? We’re not going hiking if it rains.”

“We may have to walk through streams,” he said. “And if your feet get damp, they get cold and you get blisters. Believe me, dry feet are important.”

“These boots weigh a ton,” she said.

“They’re sturdy. You can’t hike in Birkenstocks,” he said. “Or those silly plastic clogs you wear in the kitchen.”

“Why do we have to hike at all? There are perfectly decent sidewalks all over Boulder. We could just…stroll,” Eve said.

“Nope. We’re going to get some real exercise. You’re feeding me far too much and I have to work it off. Since I want to spend as much time as possible with you, I figure you can come along and get some exercise, too.”

“I hate exercise,” Eve said.

“For someone who is so conscious about what you eat, you don’t do a very good job with the rest of the equation.” He turned to the salesperson, a petite college student with a nose ring. “We’d like to see these in a size…”

“Seven,” Eve said.

“Bring us a seven and a half, too,” Charlie added. “You should wear heavy socks with them.”

Eve sat down on a nearby bench and kicked off her Birkenstocks. “You know, I eat well because I hate to exercise. I’ve had to make compromises.”

Charlie sat down next to her, wrapped his arm around her neck and kissed the top of her head. “You’ll like it. I promise. I’ll make it fun. We’ll go camping. And you can cook over an open fire. Won’t that be a challenge?”

Eve had been so busy at work the past weekend, she and Charlie hadn’t had much time together beyond their time in bed. But carving out hours in the day for recreation seemed a bit strange-and a waste of what little time they had left. But she’d given him a peek into her world at the restaurant. Maybe he was interested in doing the same. His world was the great outdoors.

Since the moment she’d set eyes on him again, Eve felt as though the connection they’d made five years ago had survived their time apart. Everything felt comfortable and easy with Charlie. And there was no denying the sex was good.

But she’d fooled herself once before with Matt, imagining that everything was perfect between them, only to discover that she’d been wrong all along. She’d have to try harder to maintain her objectivity with Charlie, especially when he was doing everything in his power to charm her.

“I thought we could leave tomorrow afternoon,” he said.

“Leave?”

“We’ll drive up into the mountains. I know a beautiful spot to camp, right by a lakeshore. It’s about a two-hour hike in. We’ll spend the night and then hike back out in the morning.”

“I have to work,” Eve said.

“Come on,” he replied. “You know as well as I do that the restaurant can do without you for a night. It’s a Tuesday. No one eats out on a Tuesday.” He leaned closer. “Have you ever had sex in the great outdoors?”

“No,” she said. “Have you?”

“No,” he said.

“You are such a liar.”

“Eve, when I’m with you, everything feels like the first time.”

There wasn’t much she could say to that, Eve mused. She knew exactly how he felt. When they were together, her past experiences with men seemed to fade away until her only memories were of Charlie. “Good answer,” she said.

The salesperson handed Charlie two shoeboxes and he removed the larger pair and strung the laces through the hooks and eyes. Then he retrieved a pair of wool socks from a nearby rack and slipped them on her bare feet.

Eve watched as he tucked her foot inside the right boot and laced it up. This was his world, she mused. She was comfortable with knives and graters and small electric appliances, the smells and sounds of the kitchen. Charlie lived in a different world, a world of skies and streams, fresh air and rocky ground.

“How do they feel?” he asked after he’d laced up the second boot.

“Like I’m wearing cement overshoes,” Eve replied, rising to her feet. “And they’re so attractive.”

He looked up at her and gave her an impatient glare. “You’ll get used to them. Just wear them for the rest of the day to break them in.”

Eve glanced at her watch. She and Charlie had shared a late lunch together, eating at one of Eve’s favorite Chinese restaurants a few blocks from the Garden Gate. “I need to get back,” she said. “My sous-chef took the day off and I’ve got a lot of prep to do for this week. Especially if I’m taking tomorrow off.”

He handed the sales clerk his credit card and Eve reached for it. “You don’t have to pay for these,” she said.

“I want to. I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t be buying them yourself, so they’ll be my treat. And just to make sure you wear them today, I’m keeping your Birkenstocks.” He put her shoes in the empty box, then leaned over and kissed her softly. “I’ll see you later tonight.”

“Why don’t you come in for a late supper?” she suggested.

“I’ll do that,” he said. “I’ll see you later.”

Eve hurried out of the store, nearly tripping over herself in the hiking boots. Though she knew she looked foolish in them, the residents of Boulder were quite forgiving when it came to outlandish outfits. Boulder was a city of wildly diverse individuals. On her way back to the restaurant she saw plenty of tie-dyed T-shirts, Western wear and bicycle shorts.

The dining room was empty when she walked in the front door. She smiled at Sarah, who was stacking glasses behind the bar, then strolled into the kitchen. Lily had the luncheon receipts spread across the worktable.