The Finish Line

by Vania Rheault

  “Yeah.”

  It sounded so unlike Dane, but his face was free of wrinkles, his eyes unclouded. He’d found his place after all this time, after fighting all his demons.

  “I’d need to talk to Alyssa about it.”

  Dane kicked at a rock on the sidewalk. “I’m sorry I was a dick. I said those things out of jealousy. I’ve always admired you, respected you. What you made of yourself.”

  “Alyssa helped a lot with that. I’d probably still be living in that crummy studio if it weren’t for her. She made me realize I was worth something. Even if my parents didn’t.”

  “Yeah, but you gave her the chance in the first place.”

  Brett started to run. “I didn’t want to. When she ran off to Florida I tried to live without her. That didn’t work very well.” He shivered. Remembering the way he’d suffered after he’d lost her churned his stomach and desperately he batted the feeling away. “Come on. I’ll race you back.”

  “Can you handle that?”

  “Things are good. I can handle whatever comes my way.”

  Dane hooted, and it echoed across the park. “We’ll see about that.”

  Brett chased Dane down the sidewalk, his heart hammering. Alyssa waited for him, and his little boy. Dane was right. When it came to anything that mattered, his family was what mattered most.

  He picked up speed and shot Dane the bird as he flew past.

  Dane gave chase, and Brett howled in laughter.

  He’d always have his friendship with Dane.

  And that mattered, too.

  Ian

  Ian rolled over, blinking the sun out of his eyes. He wasn’t alone, and he pulled Marta to him, her body heavy in sleep.

  With the race over, she’d allowed herself the luxury of sleeping in. Sleeping in meant barely eight these days, especially with a little devil-child who demanded breakfast before the sun rose for the day, but Shyla’s bed was empty. Sadie was awake and the little girl was probably sitting downstairs watching morning cartoons while she dug into a bowl of cereal or eggs if Sadie decided to cook.

  Ian nibbled along Marta’s jaw. He should let her sleep, but he seldom had her in bed alone without interruptions. He wouldn’t be a man if he didn’t take advantage of it.

  She opened her eyes and smiled sleepily.

  God, she turned him on.

  “Hey, good morning.”

  “Hey, good morning to you, too.” His lips continued their exploration down her neck and over the tops of her breasts.

  “Do we have time for this?” she asked, running her fingers through his hair.

  “No,” he mumbled, making her laugh. “But that won’t stop me.”

  “It will if Shyla comes in wanting to know if she’s going to daycare today.”

  “Is she?”

  “No. I’m keeping her and Hannah while Sadie runs to campus, and Nikki and Alyssa are coming over. Alyssa’s bringing Drew for a playdate. Let’s have everyone over for dinner tonight.”

  “Good plan. The guys can help me put Shyla’s play equipment together.”

  “We can talk while you all play with your power tools. I think they have things to say.”

  He propped himself onto an elbow. “Who? Alyssa and Nikki? To you?”

  “Not me, specifically. And I want to know how things turned out between Nikki and Dane. Holly called me and she said she’s been talking to Dane a lot lately, helping him sort things out.”

  “You knew about that? And you didn’t say anything?”

  “What was there to say? They parted as friends. Why can’t they talk to each other?”

  “You don’t think Dane is cheating on Nikki with her?”

  Marta moved away from him, and he missed her heat. “Of course not. She never said anything about that.”

  He scoffed. “She wouldn’t have told you.”

  “No, I guess not, but I know Dane, and before she moved away, I got to know Holly a little too. They’re only friends.”

  “Like you’re friends with Brett.” He couldn’t help it.

  She could have gotten mad. She could have rolled out of bed and slammed into the bathroom. Instead, she inched toward him, wrapped her arms around his neck.

  He sighed. “I’m sorry. I can’t seem to stop myself from poking at you.”

  “I know, and I understand. Let’s get married this summer.”

  He lowered his head and pressed his lips softly to hers. “I would really like that.”

  “Good.” She grabbed his cock through his boxers. “Now shut up and poke me with something else.”

  “We don’t have time.”

  “We have five minutes. Show me whatcha got, hot stuff.”

  And he did.

  Ian stood outside The Finish Line. His stomach twisted, and perspiration beaded on his skin. Though the temperature hadn’t made it to seventy degrees Fahrenheit, sweat dripped down his back.

  It was done.

  It hadn’t seemed real until he signed the papers, shook hands, accepted the congratulations.

  Dane had stood stiff, unwilling to shake Overland’s hand, but he’d done it, made the deal.

  The Finish Line no longer belonged to them.

  The transition had been smooth, and the waitstaff and Bobbi had been sorry to see them go. They’d been fun to work with, she said, and she would miss them. It had taken him a minute to thank her, give her a hug without crying.

  He hadn’t figured it would hurt this much.

  It wasn’t the bar he’d miss, though, it would be the friendships, the camaraderie. The connection he’d had with Brett and Dane during the good times.

  Brett drove across the parking lot in his beat-up car, and Ian slid his sunglasses over his face. Brett didn’t need to see his bloodshot eyes.

  As he leaned against his car, the manager Overland hired unlocked the door for the early lunch crowd.

  This would be the last time he’d be here. He wouldn’t be able to sit and eat a meal without feeling a sense of loss of what his future could have been like had they held onto it.

  Brett climbed out of his car and slammed the door. “You okay?”

  Ian shrugged. “Yeah. I guess so. I’m going to miss this place.”

  “I hear you. But Christ, did she take up a lot of time.”

  “Yeah.”

  Ian hooked his thumbs into his belt loops. There wasn’t a whole lot more to say that hadn’t already been said, and he wondered why Brett followed him down the strip from Overland’s office.

  “You hear Dane and Nikki are moving to Chicago?” Brett asked.

  Ian anchored a foot to his bumper. “Nope. They’re moving closer to Stacy and Jack?”

  “Yeah. And I think Dane wants to put some space between him and his exes.”

  “Don’t blame him.”

  “No, but the thing is, he offered me the manager job at his store.”

  “Nice fit for you.”

  And it just cemented his thoughts that Dane and Brett would always be better friends. He wasn’t hurt Dane hadn’t mentioned anything to him. Hell, the last thing he wanted was to manage a running shoe store. But no one told him Dane and Nikki were moving, either, and that bit him in the ass more than he wanted it to.

  “That’s the thing. I told Dane I would think about it, but Alyssa and I talked and we’re going to stay in Florida for a bit. Not for good, not like Dane and Nikki and Chicago, but for a while. Alyssa’s mom and stepdad want some time with Drew, and after this past year, I would like some stress-free time with her. You know. I’m sure you’re looking forward to a lazy summer with Marta.”

  “Sure.”

  “I haven’t talked to Dane about it, but I was wondering if you wanted to manage it? I think he’d prefer someone he trusted in that position, especially since one of his old employees tried to rob it a couple years ago.”

  Ian was shaking his head before Brett finished talking. “No. That’s not my thing, but thanks.”

  “Shit. I don’t want to tell him I
don’t want to do it. What about Marta?”

  “Marta . . . well, you’d have to ask her. She wants to talk to you, anyway. She’s done with the marathon. She can’t run anymore and she wants to put it behind her.”

  “I figured she would. It’s okay. Before Alyssa and I take off, I’ll help her find a replacement. I know the players better than she does. She doesn’t have to feel bad.”

  “She was worried about disappointing you.”

  “It’s cool. Looks like we’re all going our separate ways.”

  “Looks like it.”

  Brett paused for a moment. “You still hate me, don’t you?”

  Ian took his sunglasses off and looked Brett in the eye. “I never hated you. That wouldn’t be fair. What you and Marta had back then was none of my business. But we’re talking straight?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Then I’ll tell you straight. I’ll always resent you for having her first. I know it’s irrational, I know it doesn’t make sense. I have exes she doesn’t give a shit about, but you have always been under my skin. We had a good time working this old girl,” he said, tilting his head toward the bar, “but that part of our lives is over now. No one to blame, and maybe it’s for the best. All I want to do is move on with Marta. We’re getting married this summer, and if you were smart, you’d keep your mouth shut about it.”

  Brett chuckled, smirked, and then let out a long sigh. “I want nothing but the best for her, and she has that with you. The last thing I’m going to do is interfere, and there’s no reason for me to. Alyssa and I are getting married, too. On the beach. Don’t plan yours the same weekend we have ours. I’d like you to be there.”

  “Who the fuck said I wanted to go?” Ian asked, but he laughed.

  “I did, you asshole. Come on, I’ll buy you a drink.”

  “Now?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You don’t want to invite Dane?”

  “Nah. You and me. Let’s bury the hatchet once and for all.”

  “You know what? That sounds good.” He held out his hand, and Brett shook it, long and firm.

  Ian followed Brett into the bar.

  It was a closure of sorts, in a few different ways. He could put Brett’s relationship with Marta behind him, no turning back. He could stop poking at her, and start poking at her the other way, which was a lot more fun, and she’d enjoyed it a lot more, too.

  Maybe he’d feel guilty for being the slightest bit glad Brett and Alyssa were going to spend some time in Florida, but he’d think about it later.

  For now, he’d have a cold one with Brett and count his blessings.

  Having good friends was one of them.

  Marta

  Marta answered the door with Hannah attached to her hip, the baby’s sticky fingers twisted in her hair. After Hannah’s birth, Marta had worried she and Sadie would stop getting along. She tried to keep out of Sadie’s way, let her be Hannah’s mother, but Sadie asked for help, and now the two women co-mothered Hannah in a way that worked for both of them. She thought of the baby as her granddaughter, and she nurtured Sadie as she would her own daughter.

  It took a village, and Marta was more than happy to be a part of it.

  Shyla danced around her legs, eager to play with Drew.

  “Back up so they can come in,” she said, opening the door to Alyssa and Nikki who had driven together.

  Hunter came in behind them, and Shyla buried her face in the dog’s fur.

  “The guys are still out back. They’re almost done with the play equipment.”

  “Thanks for having us over,” Nikki said, holding out a cheesecake from the grocery store.

  “We thought it would be fun to have one last party,” Marta said closing the door behind them.

  Alyssa set Drew to his feet, and Shyla hugged him, giving him a smack on the cheek.

  “She’s going to miss him,” Marta said.

  “It won’t be forever. I contacted a realtor, and she’s going to list my condo for rent. My mother helped us secure an apartment not far from her house and we signed a year lease. She’s so excited.” Alyssa hung her purse on the coat tree near the door.

  “Come into the living room. I made lemonade and there’s coffee. Decaf, too, if you’re in the mood, Nik. I bought some sparkling grape juice, and if you’re hungry, I have a meat and cheese tray I can put out.”

  “You’ve thought of everything,” Nikki said, lowering herself into a recliner.

  “I’m going to put Hunter outside with the guys.” Alyssa nudged the dog into the backyard where they were putting together a huge play structure made up of a fort, swings, and a spiral slide. “That thing is enormous.”

  “Ian bought it for the girls with part of the money from the sale. They’re going to have a lot of fun once it’s all put together. We appreciate the guys helping. Ian would never have been able to do it himself.”

  “It’s good practice,” Nikki said watching Dane help Ian secure the plastic slide to the side of the fort.

  “Nothing like putting together a bike on Christmas Eve.” That’s exactly what Ian had done for Shyla last year and she’d been over the moon when she’d found the trike on Christmas morning, a big red bow attached to the handlebars.

  The kids were on the floor playing with giant puzzles and Marta served her friends coffee and put out a tray of crackers and cheese. She sat on the arm of the sofa with a mug of coffee and said, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you Dane was talking to Holly. Ian kind of read me the riot act, but honestly, I didn’t see anything bad in it. I’ve known Dane for many, many years, and the last thing I thought when Holly told me about their conversations was that he was cheating on you.”

  “It’s fine. I was mad at Alyssa, really mad, but we worked it out. Dane explained, and I see his point. He’s been working so hard to learn from his mistakes, and that’s why I think moving to Chicago will be good for us. My parents are thinking of moving, too. My mom wants to be close to help Stacy with the twins, and she doesn’t want to miss a second of being a grandma. She’s looked forward to this for a long time.”

  She stared into her coffee cup. She wasn’t as close to Nikki and Alyssa as Ian was to Brett and Dane. They had a history that she didn’t share with the women sitting in her living room, and though she would miss them, for her the summer would be more about moving past running, what the sport had given her, and taken away. “It feels like things aren’t going to be the same. When he got here, Dane asked me if I wanted to manage his store, and I said no. I’m not sure what he’s going to do with it, but I’m not interested in being a part of the running community anymore.”

  “He’s going to sell it. He has an appointment later this week to talk to Jerry about a deal. He knew Brett wouldn’t end up taking the position, and instead of sulking, he did something about it. I’m proud of him. In the past I think he would have stewed over it to the point of blowing up. He’s come a long way.”

  Marta winced. “I’m sorry for my part in that.”

  Nikki smiled. “Don’t be. I would never say so but keeping the store here while trying to live in Chicago would be like straddling a fence, and I’m relieved it worked out this way. Now we have a clean slate, and after these babies are born, and I heal up, we’ll start our own family.”

  “What are you and Ian going to do, then? No marathon, no store, no bar,” Alyssa asked.

  “With the sale and my settlement, we have a little bit of cash and we don’t have to decide right away. We want to get married this summer, and we’ll take a vacation when you and Brett tie the knot. We need the break, and I haven’t said anything to Ian yet but I’m checking into having my tubal ligation reversed. It might not work, but it’s been in the back of my mind to at least go in and have a consultation.”

  Nikki lumbered to her feet and gave her a hug. “That’s fantastic news. I’m happy for you, and I wish you all the luck in the world.”

  “Thanks. Fingers crossed. Let’s sit outside. It looks like the guys are
done, and Shyla can give the equipment her seal of approval.”

  Nikki herded the kids outside, giving Hannah a boost, the baby molding herself around her bump. Taking his hand, Shyla helped Drew through the door and Brett swung him onto the grass.

  Hunter sniffed around the yard for the perfect place to pee.

  Ian lifted the grill cover and turned on the propane.

  Marta lifted her hand in acknowledgement and went into the kitchen to prepare the meat for the grill. She had chicken soaking in barbecue sauce, seasoned steaks, and Shyla’s favorite turkey dogs.

  “Hey,” Alyssa said, following her into the kitchen.

  Marta raised her eyebrows. “Hey?”

  Alyssa laughed. “I know how that sounded. I wanted to say, you know, I’m sorry for the way I treated you when we met. I wanted Brett so badly. I was afraid he was still in love with you and that you were going to ruin everything.”

  “You aren’t the only one who felt that way. Ian had a tough time believing there isn’t anything between Brett and me anymore. Nothing except a painful history and a shaky friendship. The way he plays with Drew . . . I see that and get choked up. He wouldn’t have been a father like that to our baby. The more time he spends with Drew, the more I know I did the right thing. And sometimes doing the right thing hurts.”

  “Like going our separate ways.”

  “When Ian told me you and Brett were moving to Florida for a while, he tried to hide it, but there was relief. Splitting up the group will hurt, but for us as couples, I think we need the space.”

  “I’m glad you don’t resent that.”

  “What is there to resent? Ian wanting me for himself? You and Brett finally getting married, or him being the kind of father to your child that he wouldn’t have been with mine? Dane and Nikki making a life in a different city? Time goes on and things change. It might take a little more work, but the guys have been buddies since high school. They won’t let a little distance keep them from being friends.”