Shadow Days
Page 8
“Always do,” I said. “I’ll read up on the terrain before I head out.”
“You’ll forgive me if I don’t offer to accompany you,” Logan said.
“Outdoor pursuits have never been able to hold my interest.”
There’s a shocker.
“No worries,” I said. “I’m used to hiking alone.”
“An independent spirit,” Efron said. “How charming.”
Logan’s mouth curved up, but his smile made me feel like he was enjoying a joke at my expense.
“But surely you’d enjoy spending some time at the country club,”
Efron said. “Logan and his friends while away the hours there.”
“It sounds like he’d be better off running with the wolves than joining me at the club,” Logan said with a snicker.
“Logan!” Bosque’s clipped tone froze Logan in his seat. He blanched, shuddering like a rabbit cornered by hounds. Efron gripped the edge of the table, knuckles white with tension.
I forced a laugh. “No, no. He’s right. I wouldn’t fit in at any country club. I can’t swing a golf club to save my life.”
Bosque’s gaze slid my way. “You’re quite forgiving. I do not appreciate rudeness at the expense of my family.”
“My sincerest apologies,” Logan whispered. “I didn’t mean—”
“Seriously.” I appreciated that my uncle wanted to keep me happy, but he was taking things a little far. “Not a big deal.”
“I’m sure Shay will find his niche,” Efron said quietly.
Bosque relaxed back into his chair. “He will indeed.”
Logan stared at his plate. His hands were still shaking.
After that, dessert was tense at best, with conversation limited to Efron updating my uncle about some new real estate development in Vail. I was relieved when Efron declined my uncle’s offer of an after-dinner cigar. I didn’t think I could take any more of their company. Logan hadn’t managed to make eye contact with me or my uncle since Bosque’s outburst. Even if he could, I was pretty convinced Efron’s son and I had nothing to talk about.
But when we said our good-byes at the door, Logan paused beside me and reached into his pocket.
“Please,” he said as he pressed a card into my hand. “If you need anything.”
“Sure,” I said, barely managing to keep a straight face. Who the hell has business cards at age eighteen?
If this guy was what all the students at my new school were like, my senior year was going to blow. Big time.
Four
It turned out I had to use Logan’s card the very next day.
I pulled myself out of bed at 9 a.m. If I’d known that was the last decent night’s sleep I would get at Rowan Estate, I would have slept longer. Uncle Bosque was already gone by the time I wandered into the kitchen with a growling stomach. A note waited for me on the giant island.
Early flight. Be well.
So much for family reunions.
If I was worried about having to hunt down breakfast, it was for nothing. The immense Sub-Zero fridge was stocked with fresh fruit, milk, yogurt, cheeses, and meats. I found bread and an abundance of nonperishables in the pantry. I made a note that at least I was in the best-possible situation should the apocalypse occur. My only disappointment was that I’d been hoping for some leftover pheasant, but apparently leftovers weren’t permissible at Rowan Estate. I could find no evidence of last night’s feast in the fridge, though I knew we’d barely made a dent in the food that had been set before us.
I threw a sandwich together and headed back to my room.
Though I could have eaten in the kitchen or in any other of the hundreds of rooms in the mansion, I felt uneasy outside my bedroom, like an animal that only feels safe in its den.
Before heading to Craigslist to look for wheels, I popped onto facebook.
Whoa. Seriously. How did all these people find me?
I scrolled through the comments, chewing and smiling. I almost choked a couple of times, startled by the appearance of people I hadn’t seen in years. I didn’t know if it was my stomach getting full or the sight of familiar faces and greetings from around the world, but I felt a little better.
Reminded of all my globe-trotting, I decided to go one better and post some of my favorite photos from places I’d lived. Instead of labeling them, I made a game of it, asking my friends to tell me where I’d been. I figured that was more interesting to everyone than if I’d just left a slide show of my moves for all to see.
Satisfied that Ally couldn’t harass me for neglecting her “keep-Shay-socially-involved” project, I moved on to my main goal of the day: transportation. It didn’t take long to find what I was hoping for.
A used truck, not too big but with enough room for my gear if I was heading out for a serious climb. The price was right; plus, it was already beat up and I didn’t want to buy anything that was too pretty to bump around poorly maintained trailheads.
I called the number listed and the gruff-voiced man at the other end of the line said he’d hold the truck for me but only for the day. As I dialed Logan’s number, I tried to forget how much I hadn’t liked him.
“Yes?” He already sounded bored.
“Hey, Logan, it’s Shay,” I said.
“Yes, Shay. How may I help you?”
I bit my tongue so I wouldn’t ask him if he was training to be a concierge. After clearing my throat a couple times to make sure I’d gotten rid of all that brewing sarcasm, I said, “I’m sorry to bother you, but I was hoping you could give me a ride somewhere.”
There was a pause, then he said, “Of course. What time should I pick you up?”
• • •
As much as I didn’t relish the idea of spending any more time with Logan Bane, I had to admire his timeliness. He pulled up in a sleek, silver Mercedes at exactly 11:00 a.m. When I climbed into the pas-senger seat, he half smiled.
“Good morning,” he said. Logan was wearing a crisp white shirt with a black cashmere sweater draped around his shoulders.
I was about to ask when his polo match was and then I realized he’d probably take the question seriously. from the way he smirked at my crumpled jeans and hiking boots, he didn’t think much of my wardrobe either.
“Morning,” I said. “I wrote down the address.”
“You’ll forgive me if I don’t offer to accompany you,” Logan said.
“Outdoor pursuits have never been able to hold my interest.”
There’s a shocker.
“No worries,” I said. “I’m used to hiking alone.”
“An independent spirit,” Efron said. “How charming.”
Logan’s mouth curved up, but his smile made me feel like he was enjoying a joke at my expense.
“But surely you’d enjoy spending some time at the country club,”
Efron said. “Logan and his friends while away the hours there.”
“It sounds like he’d be better off running with the wolves than joining me at the club,” Logan said with a snicker.
“Logan!” Bosque’s clipped tone froze Logan in his seat. He blanched, shuddering like a rabbit cornered by hounds. Efron gripped the edge of the table, knuckles white with tension.
I forced a laugh. “No, no. He’s right. I wouldn’t fit in at any country club. I can’t swing a golf club to save my life.”
Bosque’s gaze slid my way. “You’re quite forgiving. I do not appreciate rudeness at the expense of my family.”
“My sincerest apologies,” Logan whispered. “I didn’t mean—”
“Seriously.” I appreciated that my uncle wanted to keep me happy, but he was taking things a little far. “Not a big deal.”
“I’m sure Shay will find his niche,” Efron said quietly.
Bosque relaxed back into his chair. “He will indeed.”
Logan stared at his plate. His hands were still shaking.
After that, dessert was tense at best, with conversation limited to Efron updating my uncle about some new real estate development in Vail. I was relieved when Efron declined my uncle’s offer of an after-dinner cigar. I didn’t think I could take any more of their company. Logan hadn’t managed to make eye contact with me or my uncle since Bosque’s outburst. Even if he could, I was pretty convinced Efron’s son and I had nothing to talk about.
But when we said our good-byes at the door, Logan paused beside me and reached into his pocket.
“Please,” he said as he pressed a card into my hand. “If you need anything.”
“Sure,” I said, barely managing to keep a straight face. Who the hell has business cards at age eighteen?
If this guy was what all the students at my new school were like, my senior year was going to blow. Big time.
Four
It turned out I had to use Logan’s card the very next day.
I pulled myself out of bed at 9 a.m. If I’d known that was the last decent night’s sleep I would get at Rowan Estate, I would have slept longer. Uncle Bosque was already gone by the time I wandered into the kitchen with a growling stomach. A note waited for me on the giant island.
Early flight. Be well.
So much for family reunions.
If I was worried about having to hunt down breakfast, it was for nothing. The immense Sub-Zero fridge was stocked with fresh fruit, milk, yogurt, cheeses, and meats. I found bread and an abundance of nonperishables in the pantry. I made a note that at least I was in the best-possible situation should the apocalypse occur. My only disappointment was that I’d been hoping for some leftover pheasant, but apparently leftovers weren’t permissible at Rowan Estate. I could find no evidence of last night’s feast in the fridge, though I knew we’d barely made a dent in the food that had been set before us.
I threw a sandwich together and headed back to my room.
Though I could have eaten in the kitchen or in any other of the hundreds of rooms in the mansion, I felt uneasy outside my bedroom, like an animal that only feels safe in its den.
Before heading to Craigslist to look for wheels, I popped onto facebook.
Whoa. Seriously. How did all these people find me?
I scrolled through the comments, chewing and smiling. I almost choked a couple of times, startled by the appearance of people I hadn’t seen in years. I didn’t know if it was my stomach getting full or the sight of familiar faces and greetings from around the world, but I felt a little better.
Reminded of all my globe-trotting, I decided to go one better and post some of my favorite photos from places I’d lived. Instead of labeling them, I made a game of it, asking my friends to tell me where I’d been. I figured that was more interesting to everyone than if I’d just left a slide show of my moves for all to see.
Satisfied that Ally couldn’t harass me for neglecting her “keep-Shay-socially-involved” project, I moved on to my main goal of the day: transportation. It didn’t take long to find what I was hoping for.
A used truck, not too big but with enough room for my gear if I was heading out for a serious climb. The price was right; plus, it was already beat up and I didn’t want to buy anything that was too pretty to bump around poorly maintained trailheads.
I called the number listed and the gruff-voiced man at the other end of the line said he’d hold the truck for me but only for the day. As I dialed Logan’s number, I tried to forget how much I hadn’t liked him.
“Yes?” He already sounded bored.
“Hey, Logan, it’s Shay,” I said.
“Yes, Shay. How may I help you?”
I bit my tongue so I wouldn’t ask him if he was training to be a concierge. After clearing my throat a couple times to make sure I’d gotten rid of all that brewing sarcasm, I said, “I’m sorry to bother you, but I was hoping you could give me a ride somewhere.”
There was a pause, then he said, “Of course. What time should I pick you up?”
• • •
As much as I didn’t relish the idea of spending any more time with Logan Bane, I had to admire his timeliness. He pulled up in a sleek, silver Mercedes at exactly 11:00 a.m. When I climbed into the pas-senger seat, he half smiled.
“Good morning,” he said. Logan was wearing a crisp white shirt with a black cashmere sweater draped around his shoulders.
I was about to ask when his polo match was and then I realized he’d probably take the question seriously. from the way he smirked at my crumpled jeans and hiking boots, he didn’t think much of my wardrobe either.
“Morning,” I said. “I wrote down the address.”
