circ l e agai n . H e ve rifi e d t h e l a s t f e w s y m bo ls t h e n g e s t u r e d at A d am t o c o m e c l o s e r .
" C h e c k it f o r m e? " M a d i s o n as ke d , s m o t h e r i n g a y aw n w i t h a n o t h e r s w ig o f w at e r. H e ' d k ill f o r a b ott l e o f ice c o ld w a t e r, bu t h e d o ub t e d t h e r e we r e a n y c o n ve n i e n c e s t o r e s l u r k i n g in t h e m i dd le o f t h e d e s e r t f o r t h e rare m a g e w h o w a n t e d a c o ld b ott l e o f w a te r.
A d am n o dd e d , a n d M a d i s o n w a nd e r e d o u t o f t h e circ l e , t h e gr o un d h o t a n d gri t t y b e n e a t h h is b a r e f ee t . H e s h o u ld p r o b a b ly pu t h is s ho e s b a c k o n , bu t t h e t h ou g h t o f b a k i n g h is f ee t in t h e c o n fi n e s o f h is s h o e s w as un a pp e ali n g. H e ' d j u s t d e al w i t h t h e h e a t ; in l e ss t h an an h o u r h e s h o u ld b e p a s s e d o u t , a n d h e wo u l dn' t ca r e a b o u t h is fe e t t h e n . D r o pp i n g t h e e m p t y w a te r b o t t le n e x t t o t h e ir b ags, M a d is o n s a t d ow n h e a v ily und e r n e a t h t h e s h a d e d o v e r h a n g A d am h a d rigg e d u p w i t h ca n v as a n d t h in p l a s t i c r o d s .
Gla n ci n g o v e r at t h e s p e ll c ircl e , M a d i s o n w a t c h e d A d am p r o w l t h e s p e ll circ l e , n o dd i n g a n d o ccas i o n a l ly m u m b li n g s o m e t h i n g t o h i m s e lf. It w as c u t e , a n d M a dis o n w a t c h e d A d am f o r a m om e n t l o n g e r d e s p i t e h is i n te n t i o n t o d ig o u t a n o t h e r b o t t le o f w a t e r. A d am h ad s t r i pp e d d ow n t o j u s t j e a n s a n d a p ale ye l lo w t - s h i r t . H e w as b a r e f o o t , f o ll ow i n g M a d i s o n' s ex a m pl e , a n d a fr ow n o f c o n c e n t r a t i o n f u rr o we d h is b r o w as h e s t ud i e d t h e m a r k s M a d is o n h ad ca r ve d .
It w a s a g oo d l o o k f o r h i m , a n d it w as far t o o e a sy f o r M a d is o n t o i m agi n e t h a t l o o k o f c o n c e n t r a t i o n in a m o r e i n t i m a t e s e tt i n g .
S c o w li n g a t h i m s e lf, M a d i s o n j e r ke d h is ga z e a w ay a n d r e ac h e d f o r h is b ag. M a yb e t h e h e a t w as g ett i n g t o h i m , e v e n if h e w as l y i n g if h e t r i e d t o s a y t h a t w a s t h e f i r s t t i m e s u ch a t h o u g h t h ad c r o ss e d h is m i nd .
It d i dn' t m a t t e r h o w a t t ra c t i v e A d a m w as, M a d i s o n t h o u g h t , fi n al l y fi nd i n g an un o p e n e d w a t e r b o t t le a t t h e b ot t o m o f h is b ag. All ev i d e n c e p o i n te d t o A d a m ' s b e i n g i n t e r e s t e d in w om e n , a n d t h a t w as e v e n d i s c o un t i n g t h at M a d i s o n w as o b li g a t e d t o n o t li k e A d am f o r h is t r e a t m e n t o f M a d is o n' s s i s t e r . H e d i d n ' t li k e A d a m at all, a ny w a y .
" L o o k s g o o d t o m e ," A d a m sai d , a pp r o ac h i n g w i t h a s m il e . H e l o o k e d h a pp y , bu t h e u s u al l y d id w h e n e ve r M a d i s o n saw h i m . A d a m d i dn' t s ee m t o h a v e s e tt i n g s ot h e r t h an ' h a pp y ' o r ' d e j e c t e d , ' a n d t h e la t t e r w as u s u ally af t e r s o m e b i t i n g c o m m e n t f r o m M a d i s o n . " T h a n k s f o r l e t t i n g m e l o o k i t o ve r . "
" Y o u ' v e d o n e t h i s m o re t h an I h a ve , " M a d is o n s ai d , s h r u ggi n g d is m issi ve l y . H e gla n c e d u p at t h e s un , fr ow n i n g a n d t il t i n g h is h e a d p e n si ve l y . " H alf an ho u r t o go t il n oo n ? "
" T h e r e a b o u t s , " A d am agr e e d af te r s t ud y i n g t h e s un ' s p o s i t i o n f o r a m o m e n t . H e s e t t l e d o n t h e gr o un d n ex t t o M a d is o n und e r t h e s h a d e o f t h e o v e r h a n