by Sandy James
When his cell phone signaled a text message, he was grateful for the reprieve from his troubling thoughts. Then he smiled when he saw it was from Joslynn.
Want to run with me tomorrow? Good for your stress level.
He’d never seen a runner emoji before, and it made him smile a little broader.
Running had never been his thing, but if it gave him a chance to see her…He quickly typed out his response before he could talk himself out of it.
Why not? Sounds like fun.
Her reply was swift.
Modine Park. 6am. Shelter B. See you there.
“Six?” he squeaked.
Oh, yeah, running at six in the morning sounded like loads of fun.
Chapter Five
Good morning,” Joslynn called as she watched Russ walking across the dewy grass, yawning all the way.
He was dressed as if she’d invited him to a touch football game—T-shirt with the sleeves ripped off and long nylon shorts. His shoes were more suited for basketball than running.
Had the man ever run for distance before?
“No such thing,” he grumbled as he sat down next to her on one of the shelter’s picnic tables and retied one of his shoes. Then he let out another exaggerated yawn.
“Not a morning person?” she teased as she double-knotted her Asics.
“Not even close.” He looked at her feet. “Those are the ugliest shoes I’ve ever seen.”
“Ugly?” She glanced down at them. The soles and laces were a neon turquoise, and the fabric was covered in graphic art that resembled comic book action balloons such as “pow” and “bam.” The moment she’d seen them, she’d fallen in love, and they were probably the best running shoes she owned.
Leaning back against the picnic table, he shook his head. “Yeah, ugly. Überugly.”
“I think they’re cute.” She shrugged. “Really doesn’t matter. They’re comfortable and do a great job supporting my arches.”
“By all means, then—wear your ugly shoes.”
She loved his teasing. “I intend to. And they’re not ugly.”
Russ flashed her one of his heart-stopping smiles. “How about we skip the run and grab some coffee and a muffin?”
So that was how it was going to be—he was one of those runners who had to be practically forced into starting. Hopefully, he’d be fine once she got him moving.
Hopping up, Joslynn took his hands and tugged him to his feet. “We’ll just do a light mile to warm up, and then we’ll stretch before we settle in for a good run. Okay?”
His eyes widened. “A mile warm-up? How far do you usually run?”
“It’s a short day,” she replied as she stretched her arm over her head. “Only five miles or so. I like to watch time per mile instead of total distance.” She switched arms.
“What’s your pace?” His voice squeaked.
“For a short day, only ten minutes a mile or so.” After his eyes widened, she said, “We could go eleven. Even twelve if you need a snail’s pace.”
Russ looked utterly panicked. “Ten minutes? Each mile? Are you insane?” The squeak had been replaced with disbelief, and the grin was long gone.
“Just on slow days.”
“How far did you say you run again?”
Evidently, he was finding a schedule she saw as routine as daunting. “Five miles or so. Eight to ten on long days.”
Since those times and distances were pretty average for serious runners, she couldn’t understand why…
Duh, Joslynn.
Russ wasn’t a serious runner. Football players were sprinters. Distance running was seldom on their agenda.
She’d have to taper the workout to his level. She could always supplement their run with one of her own when he was ready to call it a day. Or she’d give in to the fatigue that had been dogging her lately. “We can go slower and not as far until you get in better shape. The most important thing is that you’re here and moving. How about we just jog easy for a while and see how things go?”
With a brisk nod, he got to his feet. “I still think coffee and a muffin would be a helluva lot more fun.”
“They might taste good, but they won’t help your stress level.” Smiling, Joslynn swept her arm in invitation. “After you.”
* * *
Russ’s body was screaming at him the same way it always had the first days of summer training camp. He hadn’t realized how little he’d exercised since his last game. He was sadly out of shape. If he didn’t stop soon, he was going to be sore by evening. But he’d be damned if he’d show Joslynn any weakness. His pride was already smarting from seeing how effortless this pace was for her.
One foot in front of the other.
His heart hammered and his lungs burned, and the stitch in his side was becoming so painful he couldn’t straighten up. He finally acknowledged that no matter how humiliating it might be, surrender was the only option he had left. That, or collapse on the ground and die of cardiac arrest.
“Josie,” he said between gulps of air. “Uncle!”
Glancing over her shoulder, she smiled. “Just a little farther?”
Damn if the woman didn’t even sound winded.
“Not unless…you want me…to die.” The words came out in bursts of air.
Russ gave up, fell to his knees, and then flopped to his back. Sure, it might’ve been a bit melodramatic. At least he made her chuckle. His back was wet, but he couldn’t tell if that was because he was sweating or because the grass was still sticky with dew.
All he wanted was a huge cup of coffee, a handful of ibuprofen, and a couple of blueberry muffins.
He kept gulping air as she stood over him, jogging in place. Then alarm registered on her face and she stopped to stare down at him. “I’m sorry. I pushed too hard.”
While his vanity wanted to tell her he was fine, his heaving chest said otherwise. “Maybe…a…little.”
“I’m sorry, Russ.” Joslynn crouched next to him, pressing two fingers to his neck and staring at her watch.
He brushed her hand away and sat up. “I’m fine.”
“You’re sure?”
With a curt nod, he took a look around. “Is there a water fountain close?”
“The fountains here have rusty water.” She tilted her head toward her electric-blue car. “But I keep bottles in my car. Need some help up?” She stood and offered her hand.
Russ let her assist him to his feet and then walked with her back toward their starting point, where her car was waiting next to his SUV. “How about that cup of coffee now?”
“I was going to get some rest. I’ve got a couple days off, but I’m still on ‘night schedule.’”
Since there was a note of hesitation in her voice, he took heart. “If you’re lucky, I’ll throw in a doughnut or two.”
A smile blossomed on her face. “How about we go to a juice bar I know instead? You could use some potassium so you don’t cramp up.”
“Juice bar? Ugh.” The last thing in the world he wanted was some blended fruit or vegetable concoction.
“Don’t sweat it. They’ve got coffee and baked goods, too,” Joslynn said, fishing her car remote from where it had been tucked inside her waistband. The lights on the car responded when she clicked open the door. She grabbed two bottles of water from a small cooler in the trunk.
The water was cold enough Russ had to remind himself not to chug the whole bottle. Despite his need for hydration, he wasn’t about to give himself brain freeze.
“I adore their banana bread. It’s made with Greek yogurt, so loads of protein, too,” she added.
“That sounds a lot more promising than juice,” Russ said. “You win. We’ll head there. Your car or mine?”
“Yours.” She walked around to the passenger side of his Escape. “You can drop me off back here after so I can finish my run.”
“Way to rub it in, Josie.” He popped open the locks as he slid into the driver’s seat.
She was buckling her seat bel
t when she said, “Keep working with me, and we’ll have you running as far as I do in no time.”
* * *
Mackenzie Boles, the owner of Shamballa and a student in one of Joslynn’s yoga classes, smiled at them when she and Russ strolled up to the counter. “The usual, Joslynn?”
Joslynn smiled in return. “Sounds like heaven.”
“What’s your usual?” Russ asked.
Mackenzie was the one to answer him. “Mango, banana, pineapple, some frozen yogurt, with a scoop of whey protein. And for you, sir?”
“Coffee. Black. Large.”
“A man after my heart,” Mackenzie said with a lopsided smile. “Anything to eat?”
“Oh, yeah,” he replied. “What do you have?”
Pointing at the glass case, Joslynn said, “I’m sure there’s something there that’ll look good to you.”
While he busied himself with perusing the bakery items, Mackenzie went about getting Joslynn’s breakfast mixed.
“That looks interesting,” he said.
She went to see what had intrigued him. “The banana bread?”
“No, the zucchini muffins.”
“They’re really good.”
“Want one?”
Although the smoothie was usually filling enough, she nodded. She could nibble at it now, then take the rest home to snack on after she slept.
Mackenzie set the finished smoothie down and picked up a porcelain plate from a tall stack next to the bakery case. “Did you decide?”
“Two of those zucchini muffins,” Russ replied.
While Mackenzie retrieved the food, Joslynn plucked a straw from the dispenser and then stabbed it into the thick liquid.
She brushed Russ’s hand away when he tried to pay. There was no way she was going to let him think that what was happening between them was some kind of stereotypical “relationship.” She wasn’t about to give him the upper hand by establishing himself as the payer every time they ate together when she still had no idea what she wanted from him. “My turn,” she insisted as she handed her debit card to Mackenzie.
“I wish you’d at least let me pay.” He sounded pouty enough to make Jos quirk an eyebrow his direction. “My ego is shot to hell.”
“Why?”
“Because you literally ran circles around me.”
“You did great for a first workout.”
He picked up the plate, swiped a few napkins from the aluminum dispenser, and followed her to a small table in the front of the store, where they made themselves comfortable. After peeling the wrapper off one of the muffins, he took a big bite. A smile formed on his lips as he chewed.
“Told you the stuff here was good,” she said as she stirred her smoothie. The sounds he was making as he enjoyed the treat seemed far too erotic, so she forced herself to glance out the front window of the store and watch people wander past. Her fascination with Russ was unnerving.
Her attraction to him was stronger than she’d ever experienced, making her wonder if there might be more than simple chemistry involved. Everything about him appealed to her—from his looks to his masculine scent. Even his rather offbeat sense of humor. Although they barely knew each other, she found herself thinking about Russ constantly, planning when she could see him again.
And that thoroughly appalled her.
Her whole life had been about independence, about doing what she had to do to make it through whatever fate shoved in her path without needing anyone else. Joslynn had learned early that only she could see herself through any challenge. That lesson had come when her mother had always been too busy to be there when Joslynn needed her. Now Joslynn prided herself on her independence. She’d never even had a roommate. Why would she need to be anchored down by a relationship?
Yet something inside her was already softening toward Russ, making her wonder if he would finally be a person she could cling to when the going got tough.
The idea that she might someday need this man almost made her jump up and run out the door.
A warm hand covered hers. “What’s wrong?”
Pasting a smile on her face, Joslynn faced him again. “Nothing. Just thinking.”
“About?”
“About how we need to get you stretched out so you don’t get too sore.”
“That was an awfully fierce frown for something as simple as stretching.”
She flipped her hand, hoping to dismiss the topic. “You ate that muffin at world-record speed.”
With a skeptical eye, Russ finally took the bait and followed the new topic. “Not bad for a muffin made of vegetables.”
“She uses healthy ingredients. No white sugar. No white flour. Applesauce instead of oil.”
“Hard to believe it tasted as good as it did.” His gaze dropped to her muffin, which he eyed with unmistakable appetite.
Joslynn smiled. “Want mine?”
“You don’t want it?” he asked, sounding hopeful.
Stirring her drink again, she gave him what he clearly wanted. “Take the muffin. This is more than enough for me.”
The dimple was back when he smiled. He picked up the muffin and held it between them. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll make you a deal.”
“Deal?”
“You give me this muffin, and I’ll show you the fun way that I exercise.”
“That sounds…intriguing.”
“I hope so. Are you working Wednesday?”
She shook her head.
“Then how about we meet at Words and Music around seven?”
“In the morning?” She winked.
“As if…”
Chapter Six
Even though Russ had already paid the Uber driver’s fee, Joslynn still tried to give the man a tip.
The driver waved her off. “Already taken care of.”
“Are you sure?” Her gratuities tended to be a little higher than most, and this guy had a clean car and had been very polite.
“Whoever paid already overtipped,” he replied with a smile.
“Okay, then.” She got out of the backseat and shut the door. “Thanks,” she said through the open driver’s window.
The Words & Music parking lot had quite a few cars, a surprise considering it was a Wednesday night. Russ had told her the crowds tended to be smaller in the middle of the week. The delicious aroma reminded her why there were so many people there on a weeknight—the food was always amazing.
She stepped through the front door, which had been held open by one of the two hostesses. When the second twentysomething girl asked how many in her party, Joslynn didn’t even have a chance to answer.
“She’s with me, Amanda,” Russ said, striding up to the hostess station.
Joslynn knew she was staring, but…damn. The man looked as delectable as strawberry cheesecake. His denim shirt hugged his broad shoulders, and he’d rolled the sleeves up to his elbows, showing off strong forearms that were lightly dusted with hair. The top few buttons opened just enough to reveal a bit of chest hair. The tight jeans accentuated his slim hips and firm backside. He’d worn a weathered cowboy hat, and his black boots were scuffed up enough she could see that he really wore them instead of donning them for show.
When he held out his hand and offered her a smile, she swallowed hard, wondering if she was in over her head. Her whole body had already flushed warm. Just seeing him looking so ruggedly handsome was enough to make her want to drag him right out of Words & Music and take him to her cottage. She’d never wanted a man as much as she did Russ at that moment, to the point she could only helplessly follow him as he led her to the dance floor and then took her into his arms.
She found security there, in his embrace. His arms were strong, his manner steady. Simply being held by Russ gave her a comfort she’d never known before.
“You look amazing tonight,” he whispered in her ear, his warm breath brushing against her skin.
“So do you.” Her heart was slamming against her rib cage, and for a moment she was light-headed. Tha
nkfully, the song echoing through the place was slow paced and gave her a chance to catch her breath. She tried to hide her reaction to him, giving him a smile, albeit a weak one, when he stared down at her face.
“You okay, Josie?”
“Of course.”
“You’re a little flushed.”
Probably because I want you so badly.
“I’m fine. Really.” She let the smile become more natural as she teased him. “I’m a nurse practitioner. I should know.”
He surprised her by brushing a quick kiss on her mouth. “Just want to be sure you’re in good enough shape to exercise my way.”
The bantering helped her regain some control. “And what exactly is your way?”
As though on cue, the music ended and the crowd that was already on the dance floor turned to face the stage.
“I thought there wasn’t live entertainment tonight,” she commented.
He gave her an enigmatic smile. “There isn’t. But…” He led her toward the front of the dance floor, closer to the stage, while people filtered from the tables to take different spots. “There’s line dancing. That’s my exercise.”
Whistles and applause rose in response to the Chelsea Wright song that began to echo through Words & Music, and people began to dance in unison.
Now she understood the crowd. Although its heyday might have passed, line dancing was still popular in Nashville, probably always would be. It was no wonder Words & Music was turning a good Wednesday-night profit.
“This one’s the Slipknot Double Slide,” he said. “Ever tried line dancing before?”
She shook her head. “But I’m willing to learn.”
“Then let’s get to it.” He pulled her to stand beside him. “Just do what I do.”
“I’ll try.”
“That’s all I can ask, darlin’.”
After showing her a few steps, he had her try them with him. Then he added a few new steps. And then a few more.
So far, so good. She managed the steps without tripping over her own feet, and she hoped the rest of the Slipknot Double Slide was as easy.
