Page 97 of Trust

I retreat an inch.

Chris grins and plants one last kiss on my forehead, as if Cash’s presence was nothing more than background noise.

A flicker of heat curls low in my belly. I should be confused or freaked out, but I’m... excited.

◆◆◆

Sunlight pierces through at last, and the cabin walls are too close to bear for another minute. Cabin fever is no longer a threat. It’s a physical ache.

“You ready for an adventure?” Cash asks, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I give him a skeptical look.

“Not that kind of adventure. Get your head out of the gutter.” He stands and reaches for my hand. “Come on.”

Glancing back at Chris, I see his mouth twitch as we leave.

At the door, Cash takes his jacket from the wardrobe and holds it open for me. “You’ll need this.”

It is thick and ridiculously big on me. When I slide into it, anticipation begins creeping in. Cash holds open the door, and I step onto the porch, then stop dead in my tracks.

It stands ready, gleaming in the sunlight, with an edge made for chase scenes. Four thick, knobby tires anchor a frame crafted for action. The design is unmistakably built to cut through forest terrain with ease. I approach it, fingers itching to touch it. Then I glance at Cash.

“Ever been on one?” His grin is all mischief.

“Never,” I admit, my excitement spilling through.

“Well,” he says, pulling two helmets from the cargo box. He hands me one and secures the straps until he’s satisfied, then slips on his own. Swinging onto the seat, he pats the spot behind him. “Today’s your lucky day.”

I climb on clumsily, and Cash briefs me on where to hold, how to sit, and what not to do unless I want to launch us into a tree. My nerves spike, but I wrap my arms around him anyway, fists clenching into his thick hoodie as the motor growls to life beneath us. We roll forward slowly at first, weaving through the clearing before he opens the throttle. The quad eats the dirt trail, the forest rushing by in streaks of red and orange. The stillness shatters beneath the hum of the engine and the startled flutter of wings as birds scatter above. A deer darts off in the distance, its white tail vanishing between the trees.

“This is amazing!” I shout over the wind.

“Told you!” he calls back.

We chase trails through shadow and sunlight, the adrenaline burning bright until we’re deep in the woods.

The machine shudders before powering down. Cash hops off first, signaling for me to follow. “You good?” he asks, tugging off his gloves and stretching.

I take my helmet off and grin. “That was insane in the best way.”

He smirks. “Didn’t crash. I’m calling it a win.”

We leave the machine and wander for a bit, enjoying nature. The trees rise high, their storm-spared leaves tumbling whenever the wind stirs.

For a while, we don’t talk. My jacket rustles softly with every step I take. The silence is comfortable, but my looping thoughts thicken the atmosphere. What if last night made me look weak? What if he thinks I’m too inexperienced, too fragile for what he wants?

“Hey, um, about last night. I’m—”

“You don’t have to do that,” he cuts me off.

“Do what?”

“Feel bad about something that wasn’t wrong.”

He stops walking, so I do too.

“You were overwhelmed,” he says quietly. “That’s allowed.”