Saturday 17th August

A D D I E

"Addie?"

I looked up from the page that I had been staring at and saw Zac standing over me.

"It's four."

"What?"

He pointed over his shoulder toward the kitchen. "It's four. Remember, we were supposed to mee-"

"No, I know. I just. . . lost track of time. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You weren't hard to find."

I looked down at my book and realized that I was on the same page that I had been when I opened it. Which had to have been two hours ago, at least. I snapped it shut and stood up, fast, meeting Zac with a smile that wouldn't let him know how rattled I was. Not that he would mind. He was so patient and understanding but I didn't want to dwell on the fact that I was struggling to breathe.

"You free for the rest of the afternoon?" He stood close and slipped his hands into his jean pockets, which were a faded wash and he was wearing a powder blue t-shirt that hugged his arms and chest.

"As you can see, I'm not the most in demand person on the planet. So I'm free. What's the plan?"

He kept his eyes on me but reached out and took the book from me and then, to my surprise, he took my hand in his. It sent a warmth right up my arm and a tingle spread fast.

I trailed along behind him, not protesting when he carefully tossed the book onto the deck and then headed for the paddock gate. He was quiet as we walked but he didn't let go of my hand. I watched it the entire time, fascinated at how it encased mine and felt so warm. I was sure that having my hand held had never felt like this before. Felt so consuming and breathtaking.

"Surprise."

He stopped, it was abrupt and fast but I hadn't been focusing on our surroundings at all. I had been too occupied watching our intertwined hands and his chiseled back, which I tore my gaze from and saw a large, beautiful horse. It chewed on grass as its tail swished at the pestering flies. It was saddled up and the saddle extended over it's backside into a tray like device which had a picnic basket strapped to it.

"What's this?"

Zac shrugged and gestured his head at the horse with a cunning grin. "A different sort of ride. If you're up for it."

My stare fell to the ground while I hid the blush crawling up my neck after I unintentionally heard a different meaning than the one intended. He must have caught on.

"Head out of the gutter, Ads," he laughed and I looked up in time to see him wink at me. It was the nickname that snapped me out of the amusement. It sounded so familiar, yet I'd never heard him call me that before. It sounded right. It fit. It was effortless and I had to inhale a deep breath.

"Is this a birthday present?"

"Nope," he waved me over to where he stood beside the horse. "Just something to do on a Saturday night. This is Nellie. She's our big girl. Better for tandem riding."

I stood beside him and tilted my head so that I could look up at his gorgeous face. Angular and dark but in the most alluring way. His lashes were so full. His eyes were so dark brown that his pupil was almost indistinguishable and his stubble was rugged, perfect.

"A date then?" I had no idea what possessed me to say that but I regretted it the moment it left my mouth. He chuckled and slipped around me so that he could put his large hands around my waist.

"Foot in the stirrup please, ma'am."

My stomach turned over itself but I did what he told me to and suppressed a squeal when he hoisted me in the air, instructing that I throw my leg over and straddle.

Before I knew it, he was behind me and his arms came around on either side, gripping the reins. My body sank back into his, I felt his firm chest behind me and his chin above my head.

"It could be a date," he murmured beside my ear, I felt his breath on my cheek and it made me shiver. Not just shiver as in 'it felt sensual and therefore I was effected.' No, this was a full body, erratic shiver that made him laugh.

"It's cold," I said, filled with humiliation that would last until further notice. He continued his low laughter as he gave the horse a gentle nudge in the side and she started to walk.

"You wanna go back and change into something warmer?"

There was no chance that I would do that. The weather was scolding and he knew it. Which was the reason that I was wearing a pair of loose cotton shorts and a tank top. A thought occurred to me.

"How come you don't have a pool? It's so hot here and the place is enormous."

"We do," he said from behind me. Nellie was moving slow but it was still a jostled ride and I was taking subtle peeps at Zac's forearms on either side of me.

"Wait, what?"

"It's on the other side of the house. It's gated off with a tall fence."

Now that he mentioned it, I did recall seeing a gated area from the downstairs bathroom window, but he was right, it was private and I hadn't seen what was on the other side of it.

"Good to know," I said, knowing that it would be useful later on.

We rode for a while. It was relaxing to be honest. The jostle could have put me to sleep if I'd let it. But my heart was sort of a mess the entire time due to how close Zac and I were. It was so intimate and though neither of us said it out loud, it was romantic. It was something that I've read before. I could have sworn that it was a scene plucked straight from a romance novel. But it was happening to me now. Margo would have been ecstatic.

We remained on a narrow dirt trail the entire time. Sometimes it was bright and open and sometimes it went through the thick of trees and forest. But I noticed that we were on an incline and getting higher. I could see more of the landscape, it stretched on forever.

"So where are we going?" I said, wiping at my damp brow. It was sweet and romantic but it was still hot and I was sweating. Not the cutest.

"We're not far," he said and he meant it. A few moments later we came around a corner made up of shrubs and we were on the top of a large cliff face. Zac asked, "look familiar?"

"Should it?"

"It might soon."

He hopped off Nellie first and I watched him secure her lead to a tree trunk. She was sheltered from the sun and had a lot of greenery to eat. He sauntered over to me and offered a hand down. Which I accepted just to be sure that I didn't land on my face and ruin his sweet gesture. When my feet were on the ground, he took my hand for a second time and I wondered if he was thinking about it just as much as I was. Or if I was over thinking it. Because that was possible too.

"Recognise it now?" He said when we got to the edge of the cliff. Just below and to the side was a running river that fell into a waterfall and below that was the large waterhole that we'd been parked up at this morning.

"I like the view from up here," I said, looking out over the tree tops that surrounded the water below. There was another car there now and I smiled, wondering but not entirely wanting to know what they were doing. The car was low and looked like something a teenage boy would drive.

"Tyler Adler," Zac said from beside me. Raine's arrested him a few times for having pot but only because she had to. She's not really against it. But ssh."

I gave a conspiratorial nod of understanding.

"He's probably down there with his girlfriend. He's not a bad kid. Likes to drive. I've fixed his car a few times for no charge and he's obsessed with his girl. Fiercely protective of her after she was put in hospital by her old man last year."

"You know a lot of people around here. Ya know, for someone who doesn't get out a lot."

He chuckled and spun on his heel, sauntering over to Nellie. "Yeah, well I've lived here forever and it's not so much that I get out a lot but more like Raine comes across a lot of locals through her job and she's the friendliest person ever. So she gets to know people and then I get to know them through her and so on, so on. Plus I'm the go to mechanic when people don't want to pay full price."

"Ahhh," I nodded. "I'm surprised Raine hasn't found a nice woman to set you up with then."

"Oh she's tried," Zac laughed and unstrapped the picnic basket from Nellie. The sun was still up, still warm but the sky was beginning to change colour and I knew it would be dark before long.

"But nothing stuck?" I was digging for information.

"Not so far," he set the basket down and lifted the woven wicker lid, getting a blanket out of it. "But perhaps it will soon."

He stood up straight again after he'd laid the blanket flat and we were standing on either side of it. His gaze swept me over, his jaw twitched and his chest rose and fell with a deep breath.

"I'm—" I stammered and swallowed. "I'm— I think you're really attractive and sweet."

Why did I tell him that?

He slipped his hands into his jean pockets, his eyes didn't stop moving, traveling my frame from top to bottom as his teeth sunk into his bottom lip.

"What I know about you," he said, his voice deep and invasive in the best sense. "I like a lot. You're beautiful. Smart. Strong. Outspoken."

I winced.

"No," his laugh was low as he shook his head and smiled. "I like that. I like that you tell me how it is. Takes out the guess work. Not that you wouldn't be worth figuring out."

"I don't like to pretend. I call it like it is."

His gaze swept over me again. "Good. Don't ever stop."

Even though we were surrounded by vast space and air to breathe, I'd never felt so suffocated with tension. It was as if we were in a box and the air was running out and perhaps if we kissed, we'd be able to share oxygen. But it was too soon for that. I'd have to settle for imagining what his hands would feel like holding me close.

We ate while the sun set, I passed on the wine and eventually, we ended up lying on our backs while we stared up at the star night. We hadn't stopped talking since we began eating and I found myself laughing more and more.

"He did not," I giggled.

"I swear," Zac laughed and rolled onto his side, leaning on his elbow as he stared down at me. I had to focus on what he was saying. "I was seventeen, it was eleven at night and my chem teacher was stuck in the school parking lot because his car wouldn't start. So I had to go and help him out."

"Why not call an actual mechanic?!"

"He knew that I wouldn't charge. But it worked out well. My grades were perfect in that class from then on."

We both laughed and then we stilled at the sound of gravel crunching and footsteps approaching. Zac didn't move but he peered over his shoulder and then a flashlight shone on us and he stood up, fast. I stood up as well but he pushed me behind him.

"Who's that?" He said, shielding his face. The torch lowered and I peered around him to see Raine in her uniform, grinning.

"Your big sister," she sang. "And who is that? Who are you on a cute date with?"

So she hadn't seen me. This might be awkward. I stepped out from behind Zac and gave her a small wave. Her mouth fell open.

"I knew it."

Zac sighed. "Stop."

"Cuuuuuute."

"Cut it out."

She stuck out her tongue.

"What are you doing up here?" Zac asked, folding his arms.

"Got a tip about a car down at the waterhole. The tip was anonymous but I know it was Mrs Kroger. Grouch. Anyway. It was just Tyler and May. But then I heard you laughing. So I thought I would come and see what's going on. Because, you know I have to arrest you for being up here."

"Wait, what?" I stared at her.

She wandered over to a thick bunch of hanging vines and pulled them back to reveal a sign that warned this area was off limits.

"It can't be that serious if there are no gates to keep us out," I said with a curious tone.

"Yes but everyone knows you're not allowed up here. It's dangerous. People fall. People die—"

"People come up here and get drunk and act like idiots," Zac interrupted with boredom. "We were just having something to eat."

"Mhmm," Raine gave an exaggerated nod. "Sure."

"It's my birthday," I said to deflect the sibling banter from becoming about Zac and I and what we may or may not be doing up here.

Raine put her hands on her hips. "What? For real?"

"Yeah. Zac was helping me have a little birthday dinner. Something small because it's not a big deal. I guess we should go though."

"Happy birthday," Raine ran forward and pulled me into a tight hug and I smiled, returning it. "Alright, well, I won't arrest you but move on. I'm not the only cop out tonight."

"Yeah, alright. Thanks Raine," Zac said and I could tell that he was trying to keep the sarcasm out of his tone.

"Yep," she grinned, backing up toward the path. "I'll see you both tomorrow morning for brunch. And I'll have presents!"

Before I could object, she spun around and ran off. We stood still, listening to the sound of her feet getting further and further away.

"I sort of feel like a teenager again," I laughed. Zac faced me, standing close.

He ran his finger down my cheek, tracing the outline of my smile and making it near impossible to breathe. And then, he leaned in and kissed the spot where his touch had just left a chill. "Happy birthday, Addie."