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“Maybe we should do it this week. On one of my days off. Maybe we could find you a hot hiker on the trail.”
She sensed he teased, but it sounded great. The hiking part, that was. “Yeah, I’d actually love to.”
“Yeah?”
“If you’re up for it. Do you even like to hike?”
“Love it.” He grinned. “You’ll find me on a trail more often than not on my days off.” He paused. “Would you ever move back here? To the world of gray skies and the rain?”
“I’d seriously consider it. My family’s here.” She paused. “But it’s like I told my brother, I’ll follow the jobs and where I’m happy.”
“I’m sure there’s a demand for social workers everywhere. Especially in today’s climate.”
“There is.” She offered a faint smile.
“Sounds like a hard job, though. Emotionally rough, I bet.”
“Absolutely. I mean, you don’t go into a job like this for the money, but it’s a career that really called to me.” She paused, debating how much to tell him. “Tori grew up in the foster care system. I saw what having a good social worker—and having a bad one—can do to someone.”
“Ah.” He drew out the word, like it explained a few things about Tori’s personality. “That had to be hard on her.”
“More than you know.” She glanced down at her hands, lost in thought. “Anyway, back to what happened at the club.”
“Yeah, sorry about that again.”
“Don’t apologize.” She laughed. “I wasn’t really that attracted to him. So, I suppose I ought to thank you for interrupting this time.”
“I just worried about you. I didn’t want you getting in that guy’s car at the rate he was downing alcohol.”
She turned to face him, pulling a leg under her bottom. “You sure obsess about how much people drink.” She kept her tone light and teasing. “I’ve got to say, it’s kind of hypocritical when you’re throwing them back, too.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Hypocritical?”
“Throwing them back.”
Was he messing with her? “You totally drink.”
“Do I?”
“I’ve seen you.”
“Have you? If I was drinking something, it wasn’t alcohol.”
The red cups.
“But at the party last night—”
“I was drinking soda.”
Shock rendered her speechless for a moment. “You’re saying you don’t drink at all?”
“Not anymore.”
“Anymore. Why did you stop?”
It should’ve been an easy, non-threatening question, but he went quiet in a heavy silence that had her intuition pricking with unease. His expression grew indecipherable, except for the slight clenching of his jaw.
