Pieces Of Us (Angel Sands 6)

“I don’t.” Autumn grimaced. She knew exactly the laugh Lydia was talking about.

“You really do.”

Did she? Autumn tried to think back, but her mind was blank. Whatever, she’d just never laugh again. That would work, right?

“So who is he?”

“Who?” Autumn frowned.

“The guy. The one you’re not hooking up with.”

“Even if there was a guy, which there isn’t, I wouldn’t be hooking up with him. I’m hardly divorced, I’m not looking to make any more mistakes.”

“You got rid of an asshole,” Lydia pointed out. “One you never should have married in the first place. And you probably wouldn’t have if it hadn’t been for Dad telling you how wonderful Josh was and that he’d be the perfect husband and business partner. Not all guys are like that, Autumn. There are good guys, too.”

“Yeah, well they’re like a needle in the haystack in New York. The single ones, anyway.”

“But you’re not in New York, are you?” Lydia said, her voice pointed. “And whoever this non-existent guy is, maybe he’s just what you need right now.”

Autumn finished lacing her boots and sat up. “I just bought a pier without looking at it. Don’t you think I’m way out of my comfort zone already? I’ve made enough bad decisions this year.”

“Maybe you should drink some more tequila and see what happens next?” Lydia suggested.

“And that’s my cue to go,” Autumn told her. “I’m never drinking tequila again.”

“Wait! What shall I tell Dad if he calls again?”

Autumn laughed. “Tell him I’ve slept with half the town and now I’m setting my sights on the other half.”

“It’s a shame he wouldn’t believe me.” Lydia sighed. “Because I’d love to see you go wild.”

* * *

It took just under an hour to reach the foothills in Griff’s old Ford truck. He had the windows rolled down and rock music blasting from the stereo. Autumn leaned back on the brown leather seat and let the warm air wash over her as they made their way along the highway, enjoying the wide open space surrounding them. She rarely got to see the full horizon in New York.

They parked in the lot at the base of the trail, squeezing in between a shiny SUV and a Mustang. Climbing down from the car, Autumn felt the warm sun beating down on her as she took in the rocky trail, edged with verdant trees and thick, dry brush.

Griff pulled out a backpack and slid it over his shoulders. “You want to take the easy route, or the hard one?” he asked, glancing at her.

“How hard is the hard one?” she asked.

“Hard.”

She laughed. “You’re a real mine of information, you know that?”

“Why don’t we take the easier route for today?” Griff suggested. “Especially if you haven’t been hiking for a while. Save the tougher one for another day.”

She liked the sound of another day.

“That’s good with me.” She coiled her hair in her hand, securing it with a tie. “Let’s do it.”

Ten minutes later they were on the trail, heading up into the foothills with the sun beating down on them. Thank god she’d kept up her fitness regime since filing for divorce last year, because Griff’s strides were long and powerful.

A couple of times he asked if she wanted to slow down, but she shook her head.

“I like the pace,” she told him. “I haven’t found a gym yet, and I need the workout.”

“A gym?” He raised an eyebrow.