Blood pounded in Andy?s ears as an urgent, internal drumbeat. Faster, it called, faster still. Her lungs ached from the cold and the exertion but as much as she wanted to take deep gulping breaths through her mouth, she forced herself to control the rhythm -- in through her nose, out evenly through pursed lips. Her lungs tried to tell her it wasn?t enough oxygen, she reassured them it was.
Her sneakers pounded across uneven ground, fallen limbs, and underbrush along the hardly visible path. The ground had to be carefully watched and the undercoating of wet dead leaves had to be avoided the best she was able for fear of losing her footing on their slippery surface. Big towering old trees surrounded her for as far as she could see in any direction. The trees were now bare of their leaves with only the occasional pine or holly grove to break up the grays and browns of a barren forest. She spilled out down on an embankment into lower ground into several inches of wet ground.
The water hadn?t been noticed until it was too late to see it. In spring when the snow melted in the mountains, it would be a cheerful creek babbling towards the lake but this time of year it was standing water thick with the heady smell of the decomposing leaves that lay beneath it. Freezing water sopped in through the fabric of her sneakers, soaking her socks and wrapping its icy fingers around her toes. The only thing now she could do was push forward. The mud beneath the layer of water made it more difficult to gain traction. Exhausted, her legs resisted but she funnelled more energy into the muscles of her calves and thighs to power her way through the muddy valley into the gentle rise of the embankment on the other side.
An old wooden structure suddenly loomed before her, hidden by the trees until she was almost on top of it. Decades earlier it had probably been a well-used deer stand. Now, though, it had fallen into such a state of disrepair as to make climbing it a prospect that even Andy would find far too dangerous.
Chase Rhovnik, her pit bull of a cousin with his broad shoulders and dark expressions, stood at its base with a clipboard in one hand and his wrist turned over to keep an eye on the watch counting off every second. Her shoes thudded past a line drawn in the dirt and he called out her time. ?58.54. You?re thirty seconds slower than you were four months ago.?
A defense for herself tried to work its way out of her throat. Seriously? The ground was much softer than it had been in August and there were no fallen leaves to create a slippery overcoat. But she was far too out of breath to gather a sharp retort. Her feet slowed her pace and she came to a stop a handful of feet away while Chase jotted down her time on the little line beside her name before returning his eyes to his watch.
She was first across that line. The fact would thrill her if Chase hadn?t soured it by reminding her that she wasn?t good as she had been previously. He was wrong. She was as good. She was better. The last couple months had made her stronger. Running with Ford as often as she did in the mornings had made her faster. He pushed her, he challenged her.
Great gulps of breath were taken in through her nose and blown out through pursed lips as she raised her arms on top of her head, clasping her hands together as she tried to regain control of her breathing.
Stefan came next, sprinting up the last embankment with long, powerful strides that ate up the ground. Chase frowned over his watch as he read out the numbers. ?59.23. Almost a full two minutes slower than you were four months ago and you got beat by Andy.?
Angry green eyes settled on Andy as Stefan hunched over, setting his hands on his knees as he tried to regain control of his breathing. She turned her back to the look, not interested in his indignation.
?Because she is a ****ing cheater. She took my legs out from under me a mile back,? Stefan accused breathlessly.
Andy forced her voice to sound more gathered than Stefan?s as she turned back towards him. ?Don?t be such a sore loser, Stefan. It makes you even uglier.?
Stefan huffed out a laugh, stalking towards her to eliminate the distance between them. His voice was a low growl as he invaded her space intimidatingly. ?You are ridiculous. Do you know why they made you finish college long distance? Because you?re not worth an education. All you girls are worth is using your cleavage to get dumb men to spill state secrets and making babies to continue the line. You thinking that you?re some sort of field divisional leader is a joke. Get out of my way and stay out of it.?
It was a challenge that she couldn?t back down from even though there was no way it would end well for her. Stefan had more than a half a foot on her and she didn?t even want to consider the weight difference. They were both exhausted from the morning run but that was her specialty. A fist fight would be trampling in on his. She would get in some good blows but he could beat her to a bloody pulp.
She didn?t even allow a moment of silence, not a second to make it seem like she was considering her course of action. He was too close to punch but as soon as his growl came to a close, she shoved him violently away from her. A root caused him to stumble back a step with the push and the back of his head hit one of the legs of the deer stand. There was no shock or surprise that she fought back. He was expecting it. He immediately took a swing, landing a punch against her bottom lip.
Chase was quick to drop the clipboard, reaching to grab both of Stefan?s arms and haul him away from Andy. Stefan put up a fight but Chase, having not run the last hour as they had, had much more energy to peel Stefan away from the fray. Even as the pain to her lip registered and Andy lunged forward after Chase and Stefan, Jakob ran up past the line in the dirt and immediately went to grab for Andy. Jakob didn?t need an explanation of what he was running up on. It had happened often enough in the past. He reached out a big mitt, wrapping his hand around the back collar of Andy?s thermal vest and pulling her much smaller form away from the fray.
?The two of you knock it off!? Chase yelled, disrupting what had been a quiet morning further. Stefan ripped free of Chase to straighten his coat with a dark expression.
Andy?s blood boiled red hot. There were more footsteps approaching but they were ignored. She could think of nothing but the cousin standing in front of her. ?How ****ing dare you! My team and I work just as difficult jobs. Probably more difficult. Say it again and I will rip your throat out!?
?You and Kat are worthless as divisional leaders and you should go get married and have babies so the rest of us can concentrate on work. The only missions the two of you accomplish are pulled off by Jim and Rhett,? Stefan accused with a cruel twist of a grin.
?Enough!? Chase interrupted again after bending down to pick his clipboard out of the mud. ?Andy, grow up. Stop caring so much about what Stefan thinks. And, Stefan, shut the **** up or I?m going to have Jakob let her go. Maybe you?ll pound her into the ground but I bet she damages your pretty little face first. That model you?ve been screwing will dump your dumb *** like a hot potato.?
Andy forced the fight free of her posture and Jakob released his hold on her accordingly. She turned on her heels to walk off with a shake of her head as if dismissing the confrontation, sucking on her bottom lip that already felt thick to confirm the metallic hint of blood. The dismissal was an act, though. The confrontation would not be forgotten. Stefan?s words thudded through her head as a new drumbeat for her heart to set its rhythm.
It was a cunning, hateful rhythm and before the year was through she was determined to shove it right up his ***.
Her sneakers pounded across uneven ground, fallen limbs, and underbrush along the hardly visible path. The ground had to be carefully watched and the undercoating of wet dead leaves had to be avoided the best she was able for fear of losing her footing on their slippery surface. Big towering old trees surrounded her for as far as she could see in any direction. The trees were now bare of their leaves with only the occasional pine or holly grove to break up the grays and browns of a barren forest. She spilled out down on an embankment into lower ground into several inches of wet ground.
The water hadn?t been noticed until it was too late to see it. In spring when the snow melted in the mountains, it would be a cheerful creek babbling towards the lake but this time of year it was standing water thick with the heady smell of the decomposing leaves that lay beneath it. Freezing water sopped in through the fabric of her sneakers, soaking her socks and wrapping its icy fingers around her toes. The only thing now she could do was push forward. The mud beneath the layer of water made it more difficult to gain traction. Exhausted, her legs resisted but she funnelled more energy into the muscles of her calves and thighs to power her way through the muddy valley into the gentle rise of the embankment on the other side.
An old wooden structure suddenly loomed before her, hidden by the trees until she was almost on top of it. Decades earlier it had probably been a well-used deer stand. Now, though, it had fallen into such a state of disrepair as to make climbing it a prospect that even Andy would find far too dangerous.
Chase Rhovnik, her pit bull of a cousin with his broad shoulders and dark expressions, stood at its base with a clipboard in one hand and his wrist turned over to keep an eye on the watch counting off every second. Her shoes thudded past a line drawn in the dirt and he called out her time. ?58.54. You?re thirty seconds slower than you were four months ago.?
A defense for herself tried to work its way out of her throat. Seriously? The ground was much softer than it had been in August and there were no fallen leaves to create a slippery overcoat. But she was far too out of breath to gather a sharp retort. Her feet slowed her pace and she came to a stop a handful of feet away while Chase jotted down her time on the little line beside her name before returning his eyes to his watch.
She was first across that line. The fact would thrill her if Chase hadn?t soured it by reminding her that she wasn?t good as she had been previously. He was wrong. She was as good. She was better. The last couple months had made her stronger. Running with Ford as often as she did in the mornings had made her faster. He pushed her, he challenged her.
Great gulps of breath were taken in through her nose and blown out through pursed lips as she raised her arms on top of her head, clasping her hands together as she tried to regain control of her breathing.
Stefan came next, sprinting up the last embankment with long, powerful strides that ate up the ground. Chase frowned over his watch as he read out the numbers. ?59.23. Almost a full two minutes slower than you were four months ago and you got beat by Andy.?
Angry green eyes settled on Andy as Stefan hunched over, setting his hands on his knees as he tried to regain control of his breathing. She turned her back to the look, not interested in his indignation.
?Because she is a ****ing cheater. She took my legs out from under me a mile back,? Stefan accused breathlessly.
Andy forced her voice to sound more gathered than Stefan?s as she turned back towards him. ?Don?t be such a sore loser, Stefan. It makes you even uglier.?
Stefan huffed out a laugh, stalking towards her to eliminate the distance between them. His voice was a low growl as he invaded her space intimidatingly. ?You are ridiculous. Do you know why they made you finish college long distance? Because you?re not worth an education. All you girls are worth is using your cleavage to get dumb men to spill state secrets and making babies to continue the line. You thinking that you?re some sort of field divisional leader is a joke. Get out of my way and stay out of it.?
It was a challenge that she couldn?t back down from even though there was no way it would end well for her. Stefan had more than a half a foot on her and she didn?t even want to consider the weight difference. They were both exhausted from the morning run but that was her specialty. A fist fight would be trampling in on his. She would get in some good blows but he could beat her to a bloody pulp.
She didn?t even allow a moment of silence, not a second to make it seem like she was considering her course of action. He was too close to punch but as soon as his growl came to a close, she shoved him violently away from her. A root caused him to stumble back a step with the push and the back of his head hit one of the legs of the deer stand. There was no shock or surprise that she fought back. He was expecting it. He immediately took a swing, landing a punch against her bottom lip.
Chase was quick to drop the clipboard, reaching to grab both of Stefan?s arms and haul him away from Andy. Stefan put up a fight but Chase, having not run the last hour as they had, had much more energy to peel Stefan away from the fray. Even as the pain to her lip registered and Andy lunged forward after Chase and Stefan, Jakob ran up past the line in the dirt and immediately went to grab for Andy. Jakob didn?t need an explanation of what he was running up on. It had happened often enough in the past. He reached out a big mitt, wrapping his hand around the back collar of Andy?s thermal vest and pulling her much smaller form away from the fray.
?The two of you knock it off!? Chase yelled, disrupting what had been a quiet morning further. Stefan ripped free of Chase to straighten his coat with a dark expression.
Andy?s blood boiled red hot. There were more footsteps approaching but they were ignored. She could think of nothing but the cousin standing in front of her. ?How ****ing dare you! My team and I work just as difficult jobs. Probably more difficult. Say it again and I will rip your throat out!?
?You and Kat are worthless as divisional leaders and you should go get married and have babies so the rest of us can concentrate on work. The only missions the two of you accomplish are pulled off by Jim and Rhett,? Stefan accused with a cruel twist of a grin.
?Enough!? Chase interrupted again after bending down to pick his clipboard out of the mud. ?Andy, grow up. Stop caring so much about what Stefan thinks. And, Stefan, shut the **** up or I?m going to have Jakob let her go. Maybe you?ll pound her into the ground but I bet she damages your pretty little face first. That model you?ve been screwing will dump your dumb *** like a hot potato.?
Andy forced the fight free of her posture and Jakob released his hold on her accordingly. She turned on her heels to walk off with a shake of her head as if dismissing the confrontation, sucking on her bottom lip that already felt thick to confirm the metallic hint of blood. The dismissal was an act, though. The confrontation would not be forgotten. Stefan?s words thudded through her head as a new drumbeat for her heart to set its rhythm.
It was a cunning, hateful rhythm and before the year was through she was determined to shove it right up his ***.