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“It’s nice to see you out and about,” Gabe added. “I was beginning to think you’d never leave your room. I kept looking for you at mealtimes.”
This time I snorted. “That’s because my babysitter wouldn’t let me out. She’s afraid I’ll run off again.”
“Oh.” Gabe looked down at his hands. “I don’t suppose you’ve given up on running?”
I wasn’t sure what to tell him. Staying with the Nephilim was definitely a huge step up from cohabitating with demons, but I was so out of my element here. Surely, I couldn’t stay forever.
“I’m not sure,” I told him. “I mean, I don’t plan on running away again, if that makes you feel better.”
He looked up at me with a piercing gaze that made my stomach flip.
“Yes.”
“But I don’t think I belong here. I can’t just hide out in your gigantic house while my life passes by.”
He pressed his lips into a thin line and looked like he was going to argue with me, but I cut him off.
“I can’t live around people who won’t age for the next one hundred years while I grow old and die. It’s just too weird.”
Gabe opened his mouth to say something, but snapped it shut again in defeat. I thought I saw the faintest bit of pain flicker across his face. The moment was fleeting and soon he had on his usual grim frown, making me think I might have imagined it.
“At least take advantage of the time you have here to meet some people,” he said.
Clint was beginning to grow impatient standing in one place so long and started to prance in front of us. Reba stayed still under my legs, staring at the fidgety black horse.
“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea…”
The more people I got to know, the harder it would be leave. Maybe that’s what Gabe wanted.
“There’s a party next weekend,” he interrupted. “There’ll be games, dancing, and lots of food. It’ll be fun. You can meet people there.”
I grimaced at the idea. Dances had never been my idea of fun in school. Maybe that was because my class was tiny and Granny never would’ve let me go to a dance with a boy anyway.
“I’ll race you for it,” he added. “Down to the manor. If I win, you have to go to the party and save me a dance.”
The idea of dancing in Gabe’s arms, pressed tight against his chest, sent a thrill through me. All my talk about not wanting to be around people who didn’t age was sort of a fib. I wanted to be near Gabe. He still had a magnetic pull that drew me to him.
“And if I win?”
Gabe gave me a rare smile that lit up his face. “What do you want?”
I thought about it for a second. If I planned on leaving, I’d need supplies and an idea of where to go. He could take me to Spearfish, a nearby town, and I’d be able to find everything I needed.
“If I win, you have to take me to Spearfish for an afternoon.”
He lifted his chin and frowned, then nodded solemnly, like he knew why I wanted to go there. With the deal struck, all I had to do was win and I’d be on my way to leaving the Black Hills behind… and with it, all of my awful past.
“Go!”
Gabe kicked Clint into a canter and sped off for the open corral gate. I didn’t have time to protest his unfair advantage. Reba followed my instructions like a perfectly bred racehorse, instantly taking off into a gallop with the touch of my heels. We raced after Clint and Gabe, overtaking them just outside the corral gate.
There was a long stretch of grass between us and the manor. Gabe and I were neck and neck, the wind whipping in our faces. I snuck a glance at my competition. Gabe was bending as low as he could over Clint’s neck, his muscular thighs gripping the horse’s back. The wind was mussing his normally perfect hair and flinging it into his eyes.
I tore my attention away from the sexy image next to me and willed Reba to run faster. Surprisingly, she pulled ahead, stretching out her legs in a smooth gallop that was easy for me to ride. We passed the finish line first and I pulled her into a small circle to slow to a trot.
“You’re an even better rider than I thought,” Gabe panted, leading Clint over to me. “You win, fair and square.”
“Not so fair,” I laughed. “You had a head start.”
