Rogue's Passion(59)

Conry was sprawled on the cool cement floor by the door, wagging his tail. At least she knew Asher would be back at some point. He obviously had a lot on his mind and needed some time alone.
“Want to go for a walk?” she asked Conry. And just like that, the dog was on his feet. “Guess that’s a yes.”
She headed across the back parking lot, Conry trotting alongside with his tongue lolling out. The dirt bike park wasn’t set to open for another few weeks, so there should be plenty of places to go without worrying about being run over.
Rand had explained that the rainy weather in the winter made the course too dangerous, so the park was shut down to the public from November through May. Opening weekend was a few weeks away and the place would be packed. She’d be checking in the overnight campers as they arrived and assigning them their spaces. Her family had gone camping a lot when she was younger, so she was familiar with the process. One of the items on her father’s bucket list had been to camp in every state. He’d died ten states short of his goal.
As she wound through the dirt trails, she pulled out her phone and punched in a number. Her mom answered on the second ring.
“I was wondering when I’d hear from you. Are you doing okay, honey?”
No matter how often Olivia called, she always got the same guilt trip. Her mom never thought she called enough.
“I got settled into my friend’s place, so I thought I’d see what you’ve been up to.”
“How long are you planning on staying there?” she asked.
“I’m not sure yet.” Olivia didn’t want to give too many details over the phone. They’d never had any indication that someone was listening in, but it was best to remain cautiously vigilant.
“Very good, then,” her mother said, understanding. “Hey, what in the world is going on with that fighter guy?”
Olivia was confused. “David? What are you talking about? We broke up months ago. I told you that.”
“He’s called a few times, looking for you.”
Olivia stopped in her tracks. Her mother continued talking but she didn’t hear what she was saying because the roaring noise in her ears was too loud.
“How did he get your number?”
“I don’t know. I was going to ask you the same thing. You didn’t list it on any employment forms, did you?”
“No. I’d never do that.” She felt as though she might vomit and a bead of sweat ran down her back. It made no sense that he’d been able to track down her mother. “Let me guess. He’s got a paycheck for me, which isn’t true, by the way.”
“Yes, how did you know?”
“He’s left me several messages as well. What did you tell him?”
“Just that I hadn’t heard from you in ages. I lied and said we had a falling out.”
Olivia laughed. “Nice job, Mom.”
“Well, I do have my moments of brilliance.”
She sure did. Now, if only David bought it.
“So what does he really want?” her mother asked.
“I think it’s a ruse to get me to come back. My guess is that he’s in over his head and losing money again, so he thinks if I come back, I could heal the fighters he’s been betting on to win.” Olivia braced herself for another scolding and wasn’t disappointed. The conversation always went something like this, and today was no exception:
Mom: For God’s sake, Olivia, what possessed you to date a man like that in the first place? What were you thinking?
Olivia: Tell me about it. (Agreeing with your mother was always a good way to start out.)
Mom: I could’ve told you he was nothing but trouble with that underground fight club. All the gambling, the alcohol, the drugs.
Olivia: I should’ve known better. (A little self-deprecation never hurt, either.)
Mom: Yes, and you should’ve known better than to have trusted him with the knowledge of you-know-what.
Olivia: Yeah, you’re right. (What her mother never understood was that the impulse to heal an injured person was a hard one to control. Like a non-addict who doesn’t truly understand the pull that drugs have on a junkie. Walking away or ignoring the urge didn’t always work.)
She shuddered to think what her mother would do if she knew Olivia was sleeping with an Iron Guild warrior from Cascadia who knew she was a Healer-Talent. Total freak-out would be high on the list of possibilities.
“If he calls back, tell him you’re going to report him for harassment.” Not that she thought it would work, but it was at least worth a try.
A rabbit darted across the path in front of her, only to hesitate in front of some bushes a few feet away. Conry froze, not moving a muscle, his dark eyes affixed to his prey. Slowly, as if he were tiptoeing, he lifted one paw, set it down, and then another. Suddenly, the rabbit took off down the path, its white tail bobbing like a flag for Conry saying, “You can’t catch me.” Of course the deerhound had to try, and he bolted after it.#p#分页标题#e#