Stubborn Hearts

CHAPTER TWELVE

Marcus’s strides were longer, quicker to get to Kassie. She was sitting, her knees bent toward her chest, clinging to them.

Dropping next to her, she reached out to the small of her back.

“Hey, hey,” his voice was full of worry. “Are you okay?” She was still in shock but managed to nod softly, her eyes still fixed to the quiet lake.

His big hands gently held her face, her gaze locked with his eyes, his blue orbs searching.

“You look pale. Are you sure?”

“Yes,” she uttered and lowered her eyes. Her heartbeat was slowly going back to normal and the numbness of her nerves were also fading out.

“Can you stand? Let’s get you back to the cottage.” He wore a concerned look, but the sound came with urgency.

“Just give a minute.” He gave him some room to breathe for a while.

When she could feel herself getting steadier, she carefully rose to her feet with Marcus holding her arms. She felt a slight tingling in her nerves there but she dismissed it right away, having just recovered from a close encounter with a fox, it was simply untimely.

They walked back to the trail into the woods silently and side by side, but she noticed that Marcus was giving her some glances from time to time, gauging her maybe. But she was already better, feeling secure that he was with her. 

Reaching the cottage, she did not mind when Marcus went in and slumped comfortably on the sofa.

She was on her way upstairs when she heard him speak.

“Do you mind if I stay here for a while?” He asked, both his brows raising, his eyes expecting.

She offered a weak smile, “Sure. I’ll be right back.”

She went to her room, sat on her bed blankly, still trying to process everything. There was still a bit of a shock left in her system, and her mind decided she should take a cold shower to ease it all out.

In her staple comfy clothes, she went back downstairs and was welcomed with the aroma of a freshly brewed coffee. 

She found him in her kitchen, in his black shirt and loose, cotton knee-length shorts she just noticed he was wearing, pouring the hot liquid into two cups. A small smile crept into her face. He looked good in the kitchen.

It was as if he sensed her staring so he flashed her an easy smile.

“I assume you haven’t had coffee yet, so I helped myself” he said, putting back the pot to its holder. “I’m not sure how you like your coffee.” He held the creamer on one hand and a sugar bottle on the other.

“Creamy but not too sweet,” she answered while she busied herself with the toast.

“Cool,” he uttered, then gently stirred the mixture. She noticed he preferred black.

“Peanut butter?” She asked, putting the toast onto a small white plate. 

“I’m fine with just the toast, thanks,” he replied, taking the two cups with him out to the patio.

So, here came another morning and she was, in fact, sharing it with him again. The picture of that sour last one was still not that far back from her memory. She set it aside. 

“Feeling better?” He asked a few moments after they were seated, and after a few sips of her hot, morning dose.

“Yes, better, thanks,” she responded rather shyly. 

She remained perplexed as to how he got there by the lake at the exact moment when she felt so defenseless and getting ready for an attack she never imagined in her wildest dreams could actually happen in real life.

Turning to him on the same seat he was in some mornings past, she expressed her thoughts, “Did you happen to know I was there or it was just a coincidence?”

He was resisting a wide grin. “I knew someone or something was near the lake,” he started. “I had some distance sensors set up on nearest trees by the lakeside.” Seeing her curious look, he continued. “These are electronic devices that determine the proximity of an object without any physical contact involved. It sort of sends a signal to my phone so then I’d know someone or something is close to the lake.”

He opened his phone and pointed to an application which looked like either a tracker or a small visual speaker with colorful sound waves. He was so easy at explaining things and she could tell that he took pride in his work.

“Is that all part of being a ranger?” She asked, recalling her conversation with Kirk about Marcus’ other extra-curricular activities.

He shifted on his seat, more at ease, and took a bite from the toast. “So, you’ve heard,” he said in between his slow chewing.

“Kirk told me. I asked him on who to talk to about camping by the lake. He offered the information.” Her words came out and they sounded a bit defensive to her ears.

“Well, to answer your question, not really. It was more of like an initiative, a free service to the community so the rangers don’t necessarily have to spend longer hours roaming and only get alerted when they receive a distress signal. These sensors are located in many parts of the woods, most especially on the danger zones or highly protected areas. Each of us is assigned with specific spots to  monitor and the lake is one of mine, as I was the closest to it.”

“You’re a philanthropist. I mean, one rich philanthropist,” she managed to say after a lengthy explanation from him. This man was really something.

And he was with someone else.

She did not let that thought affect her. Not today. They were just making a friendly conversation.

He chuckled, his face lightened and her morning just became smoothly soothing again.

He was with someone else. 

Her mind repeated to keep on reminding herself.

“I don’t consider myself as one, but thanks. I’d rather say, I’m practical. With the right tool, technology can come in handy and can make things easier.”

“I wonder if there is anything else you are not interested in,” her tone mocking. She was back in the mood.

“I got you curious, didn’t I?” He shot back, smirking.

“Oh, don’t flatter yourself, Mister,” she teased, sipping her coffee, which seemed to have almost been forgotten.

He was beaming at her, then eventually laughed. It was like a sweet, crunchy sound cutting through the quietness of the day.

“Flattery is not something I am so used at getting, Mademoiselle.”

She laughed softly at his choice of words - a trying hard poet. She liked the sound of it coming from his lips.

“Well, I owe you one today,” she said, and after so much haste, “Thank you for coming right on time...and for saving me,” her voice calm and gentle.

His lips curved into a little smile. “That little red guy was just distracted and does not mean to attack.”

“Still, you were there and it ran away,” she insisted. “Thank you, really.”

“The odds were simply in your favor.” 

She took it as his way of acknowledging her gratitude.

He took the rest of his coffee in one gulp. Then added, “Next time you wanted to stay longer in the forest, please let me know. These strays are sometimes roaming around and may just show up unexpectedly. It is not always safe.”

He turned to her, his eyes were clear and intense at the same time, she could not figure out what was brewing in his mind.

“I don’t intend to keep you in my boring company so early in the day,” she blurted out, thinking of nothing else to say. 

Though she might not be taking that trip back just yet, she would surely be more careful and vigilant next time. And she did not know if she would be able to steer her mind clear and stay in her zone when he would take those morning runs with her.

“Did you just shove me away?” He flashed her a wry smile, brows raising.

Realizing what he meant, she was quick to respond, “Oh, no, not all! I meant..you see, I don’t wish to bother you...l-like if I want to go for a walk..I mean, y-you don’t need to, really.” She was stuttering, her tongue was as unsynchronized as her head.

He grinned. “So, you want me to come with you?”

And just like that, all of the shameful thoughts were washed away and she could feel her face slowly warming up. 

Of course, he just asked her to let him know and her mind missed that point - he did not ask to be her running buddy. 

Too presumptuous, huh?

She was fast to take her cold coffee for cover, and gulp what so little was left.

“Oh, well. I-I’m...I d-don’t m-mean --”

  Her twisting tongue did not help that much.

“You’re cute,” he let out an amused laugh, a short one and as quick as him standing, reaching out to her, his forefinger gently tapped the tip of her nose, then straightened up. “I mean it, let me know. And thanks for the coffee.” He winked at her then made his way back to his cottage.

She was still unsure where her voice had gone but she surely had a lot of thinking to do. After some moments of savoring the bright morning, she took the cups and plate back in, still unable to discern what her agenda for the day would be.