“Just clearing my head.”
“Bad dream?”
Liam’s stride faltered for a split second before he righted himself. “Why do you say that?”
Noah gave him a sidelong glance, his eyes sharp despite the early hour. “I recognize the look. Saw it in the mirror long enough.”
Liam didn’t respond, focusing on the trail as it curved around a cluster of rust-colored boulders. They ran in silence for a stretch, their breaths puffing in the chilly air, the trail winding through towering ponderosa pines that filled the air with their vanilla scent.
“I’ve run these trails at all hours, trying to outpace my own ghosts.” Noah’s rough words finally broke the silence. “Just a word of advice. Time helps, Liam. But it doesn’t erase anything. Eventually you’ll realize you can’t outrun it. Not forever. Certain things only God can heal.”
“Is that what you did?” Why did everyone try to make it sound so simple? “Did you let God heal it?”
He hadn’t been able to keep the sarcasm from his voice, and he winced. Not really how he wanted to talk to his boss.
“Nope. Why do you think I’m out here running this early myself?” They ran a bit before Noah continued. “Don’t be like me, Liam. I’m so angry and bitter I’m not sure there’s hope forme. But you? You have a life ahead of you. Don’t throw that away.”
“You’re only like eight years older than me. I think at thirty-five you have a full life ahead of you too.”
Noah grunted. They rounded a bend, the trail opening to a meadow where morning light touched the grass.
Beautiful. Peaceful. He sort of wanted to stop, just breathe it in.
They ran another half mile, their steps in sync, the trail climbing gently toward a ridge. Liam’s legs burned, but the rhythm pushed him on.Certain things only God can heal.Maybe, but He couldn’t undo the past.
As they neared a fork in the trail, Noah veered right. “See you at breakfast. And think about what I said.”
Maybe.
The trail narrowed as it wound through denser pines before opening again as it neared the village. He slowed his pace as he entered the public campground and drew in several deep breaths.
Weirdly, Nimue’s voice entered his head.The…uh, North Rim, uh, campground.
He’d tried not to let her strange appearance in the office set him on edge, but…something was off about her. Then Teague had interrupted him before he could question her further.
And he could admit to wanting to see her again when she brought in those pictures.
He slowed. Maybe he’d find her somewhere here, in the campsites.
His phone chimed with a text. He must have just reentered service. He pulled it from his pocket. Logan. Looked like he also had two missed calls from him. He opened the text.
Logan
Your phone is moving. Why on earth are you up at this hour? What happened to my sleep-till-noon brother?
Sleep-till-noon Liam didn’t have a job. Or nightmares.
He tapped his brother’s name. Logan answered on the second ring. “So you really are up and a squirrel didn’t just make off with your phone.”
“Hilarious. And good to know you are taking the time to track me.”
“We hadn’t heard from you in a few weeks, so I was just checking to make sure you hadn’t jetted off to Europe without telling any of us…again.”
“It was one time.”
“So what has you up this early? I know you don’t normally run until six.”
He wasn’t going there. Logan had a book deadline—he didn’t need Liam’s problems dumped on top. Time for a redirect. “Some of us work for a living, not just play make-believe on paper all day.”