“Brian.” They agreed Dennis could adopt him, but have Brian hyphenate his last name to remain a Mikaelian, too. That satisfied Garreth’s parents, and Garreth, so he could keep track of his descendants. “Go to sleep. I need to run.”
“You can’t lay off until your shoulder and side finish healing?” She shook her head and pulled the blankets over her head. “I always knew runners have a cog missing.”
The bandages were nothing but props now, the wounds under them just angry scars…soon to disappear altogether.
Sliding out of bed, he dressed in a warm-up suit and packed his bottles. The night outside was clear, the stars and sliver of moon bright as crystal in the icy sky. Garreth drew the air deep in his lungs and blew it out in an incandescent cloud of steam. He ran easily, enjoying his strength and endurance and the vision that turned darkness to twilight. Too bad he could not share it with Maggie, but… nothing is perfect and the solitude had its own pleasure.
The frozen ground streamed beneath his feet. When something moved in his peripheral vision, he smiled. Not exactly solitude. Three coyotes had fallen in behind him, tongues lolling in predatory laughter.
“Hi, gang.”
He lengthened his stride. Far ahead, a herd of cattle lay dozing. With his shadow escort pacing him, he aimed for them. Nothing is perfect, so this was not bad. It was enough.