“Who are you?”
He caught me in his arms before I fell again. “I am terribly sorry about that.”
I looked up and then immediately looked back down. The stranger was smiling at me and not looking the least bit concerned, despite his apology. Dark hair framed an angular face of olive complexion. Unfortunately, dark sunglasses prevented me from seeing his eyes. I suddenly felt uncomfortable in my sweat-streaked skin and sticky gym clothes.
“I’m Valcas and new to the area,” he said. “Meet me back here again this evening. Please. We’ll have dinner across the lake. Agreed?”
I wriggled out of Valcas’ arms. The top of my head reached just above his chest. His dark clothes were splashed with water, but they were clean and fitted to his tall and slender body.
“Yeah, sure,” I said. But I was anything but sure and could not imagine why this beautiful stranger would ask me out so suddenly.
Still dizzy, I awkwardly walked away, keeping my eyes to the ground until I got far enough away to glance back at Valcas. He stood there, smiling. My shoulders reflexively hunched forward, trying to make me appear smaller, as I stiffly walked back home.
By the time I reached the cottage, I convinced myself that he just felt bad for what happened to me at the dock.
My bearded Uncle Al stood outside watching me, amused and scruffy in his overly mended overalls. He was propped up against his pitchfork and wore a smirk on his face.
“Good morning,” I called out.
“So, where’ve you been this morning?” He chuckled, looking over my grass-stained clothes with small black eyes that peered through bushy brows.
“I met a guy at the dock,” I replied, “and tonight we’re going on a date.”
Wrapped in the Past Page 7