Resisting the Hero

by Cindi Madsen

  “I’ll try. That’s the best I can do right now.” Faith rolled her neck from side to side, still stiff and tired from her day. “How long do we have to stay and watch all the cavemen congratulate themselves?”

  Kaleb laughed. “We can go home right now.” He looked at Anna, who nodded, and then they got up and started out of the bar.

  Faith swore she could feel someone looking at her, so she glanced over her shoulder.

  Connor was staring right at her. He raised his beer and winked.

  What a conceited—

  Faith ran right into the open door.

  It was the kind of move that’s impossible to hide, where you grasp for something to keep you up and only get air. She finally got control of her body and focused on stepping around the door this time. Right before it closed, she caught sight of Connor, still staring.

  And judging from the smug grin on his face, he’d definitely enjoyed the show.

  …

  Connor smiled into his beer. That girl put on a good act, but she was attracted to him—so much so, she ran right into the door. A quick swirl of his bottle and then he tipped it up and downed the rest of its contents. Sure, he’d originally thought he should avoid her, but her fiery personality had him wanting another chance to mess with her. Faith was a challenge wrapped in a hot body, and that happened to be his favorite type of challenge.

  “Hey,” a twiggy brunette breathed more than said at him as she settled onto the stool next to him.

  Connor flashed his signature make-the-ladies-crazy half smile. “Hey.”

  She giggled. Then stared at him, blinking her brown, bloodshot eyes. Apparently he was supposed to come up with the conversation. He glanced toward the door, which was stupid, because Kaleb’s little sister had left.

  Ugh. She was his best friend’s sister. Probably a bad idea—no, definitely a bad idea.

  Of course, he specialized in bad ideas. He thought about when she’d stumbled into him and the little gasp noise she’d made. How her curves felt against his body, and the heat that had wound through his veins and was rising up again at the memory.

  “…Sarah. And you are?” The brunette was leaning close. Her hand was on his knee. Did she say her name was Sarah? She was pretty. Maybe a little boring, which hadn’t ever concerned him all that much before, but lately, didn’t even seem worth the minimal effort. It’d been a while, though. Long by his usual standards.

  “Connor,” he said when he realized she was still waiting for his name. More giggling. Her hand slid a little higher.

  Time to make a decision. Which bad idea was he going to go for tonight?

  Chapter Two

  Connor felt the bed shift. He could feel the steady stare, but he didn’t open his own eyes—he barely breathed, not wanting to give away the fact that he was awake. He wondered how long it’d take until she gave up on him and left the bed. He was too hung over to deal with it.

  A wet tongue dragged across his face.

  The bark that followed was so loud it made his ears ring. Then came more licking.

  He shoved his dog’s face away, groaning as the bright light pierced his eyeballs. “Fine, I’m up. I’m up.”

  Connor’s two-year-old German shepherd sat there breathing on him, because she’d figured out if she took off too soon he’d just go back to sleep and she’d have to wake him up all over again. This was one of the reasons he’d turned down the offer from the brunette girl at the bar last night. He already had a needy girl at home.

  Okay, that wasn’t the only reason. He’d thought that after going through training, after accomplishing another step in his desired career path, he’d get back to feeling like himself. But he still felt like something deeper was missing from his life. Hell, he’d even considered letting his friends Wes and Dani set him up a few months back, to see if he could try a serious relationship again. But that’d fallen through, and he’d told himself he was relieved.

  Penny barked again—so damn loud—and nudged him with her wet nose.

  “I drank too much last night, Pen. Does that mean nothing to you?”

  Penny whimpered and he swore she looked at the clock, as if to say, Can’t you see we’re already thirty minutes behind schedule? Get your lazy ass out of bed and take me running already.

  Connor slowly sat up, promised himself he’d never drink that much again, and pulled on warm-ups, a T-shirt, and his sneakers.

  The cool morning air helped wake him up the rest of the way, though he was still foggier than usual. Penny didn’t take it easy on him, tugging him hard toward Lake Norman. Running was a release, a way to get everything off his mind and start the day fresh. But today it just wasn’t doing it for him. When he tried to turn around a mile shorter than usual—today was more of a three- than a five-mile day—Penny didn’t budge, pulling against her leash and whimpering. Finally, with the promise of an extra doggy treat when they got home, he convinced her to turn around. He had about a mile to go when he caught sight of the blonde jogging ahead of him.

  He swore he’d stared at that same ass at the Rusty Anchor. Despite the fogginess, that was one thing he distinctly remembered from last night. He took a couple long strides to close the distance and get a closer look. Yep, it was definitely Kaleb’s little sister. Hair pulled up in a messy bun, cheeks flushed, black yoga pants showing off her shapely butt. Man, he loved yoga pants. He quickened his pace to catch up with her.

  Faith glanced at Penny as she started to pass her up.

  “Nice morning for a jog, isn’t it?” Connor asked, forcing as much cheeriness into his voice as he could manage.

  “Yeah, it i—” Faith nearly tripped over her feet when her gaze landed on him.

  He grabbed her arm to help steady her. “Careful. Or you’ll have skinned knees to go with that mark on your face. You know, from where you ran into the door last night while checking me out.”

  She jerked her arm away from him. “I was not… It was dark and… You’re so cocky, you know that?”

  “It’s part of my charm.”

  “You don’t have any charm.” Faith crouched down to pet Penny as she glared at him, and his dog snuggled right up to her. “A cop with a German shepherd. How cliché of you.” The verbal jab was canceled out by the adoration in her voice. More for the dog than him, probably, but he liked to think it was a little him, too.

  Faith scratched behind Penny’s ears. “Poor doggy. I bet it’s hard living with an ego that big, isn’t it? You ever need a break, you come find me.”

  “You’re staying with Kaleb and Anna, right?” Connor asked.

  Faith glanced up, one of her eyebrows quirking higher than the other.

  “If Penny needs a place to escape, she needs to know where you’ll be.” He reached down and patted his dog, and her dark eyes and muzzle moved back and forth between him and Faith.

  The breeze caught hold of the pale strands coming loose from Faith’s bun. One of the strands stuck to her lip and she quickly swiped it away. But now he was looking at her full bottom lip and how it had a slight indentation in the middle. And since he was crouched down petting Penny, he was close enough to really take in Faith’s features, things he hadn’t noticed in the dim bar last night. She had high cheekbones, startling green eyes, and a cute little beauty mark above one eyebrow.

  He thought about how bored he’d been with women lately. He had a feeling he’d be anything but with this girl. She was feisty, and by all appearances, couldn’t stand him. He wasn’t sure what it said that he found himself intrigued by that, but he was.

  “I’d better get on with my jog,” Faith suddenly said, straightening. And then she was off and running. He wanted to catch up and tease her a little more. See if her cheeks flushed the way he vaguely recalled them doing last night. But then again, the view was nice from back here, and he knew something she probably didn’t…

  He was going over to Kaleb’s later today. And there, it wouldn’t be so easy for her to run away from him.

  …
/>
  Faith wandered the familiar streets of Cornelius, noting everything that had changed in the past six years. Most places were the same, with the exception of an upgrade here and there. Lake Norman glittered in the distance, coming into view between the buildings. She’d spent her childhood on that lake. Boating. Swimming. Fishing.

  Flyers advertising the upcoming Fall Festival hung on the lampposts. They’d close off this section of town and set up booths in the middle of the street, leading all the way to Magnolia Park, where there’d be live music and contests. Faith had already signed up for the Fallen Officer 5K that’d take place early that morning. It was why she’d dragged herself out of bed and forced herself to go run—she wished she were in better shape, but she wanted to contribute however she could, so she’d walk the end of the race if she had to. Afterward, she’d go to the festival and fill up on delicious, artery-clogging food. Anna was going to set up a booth for her pottery, too. She’d been talking for months about how excited she was to have her vases, bowls, and plates on display for such a big event, and how she hoped to make some extra money before the baby arrived.

  Bigfish Bait and Tackle shop came into view, and Faith quickened her pace. While she was closer to Paul’s age, she and Brynn had suffered through fishing excursions together. The guys used to roll their eyes and complain about the smell when she and Brynn would sit on deck and paint their nails—the guys were covered in fish guts half the time, but apparently nail polish was too stinky to handle. They’d kept in touch through Facebook, but Faith hadn’t seen Paul or Brynn since she’d left six years ago.

  I hope they’re in the shop today. If not, she’d ask Paul Senior how to find them. Her stay here would be much easier with familiar friends to hang out with. As she neared the shop, she spotted a girl with dark hair delivering a grape soda to a guy sitting at a table, laptop out in front of him.

  Faith’s heart dropped. If someone had converted Bigfish into a trendy café, she might cry. Not that she was in a huge need of fishing supplies, but Dad used to love the place. He’d go in to “grab just one thing” and end up talking to Paul Senior for hours. Losing little places he loved felt like losing even more of him.

  “Faith Fitzpatrick?” The girl straightened, and Faith realized it was Brynn. Her hair was dyed dark, but her features were still the same. Though the cut and color highlighted them and fit her more vintage style.

  “I hardly recognized you,” Faith said, meeting Brynn halfway for a hug. “You look great.”

  “Thanks. You too.”

  “For a second, I was afraid someone had turned Bigfish into a café.”

  Brynn grinned at the guy seated at the table. “Someone thinks it’s a café that serves grape soda.” She bounced on the balls of her feet, joy clear on her features. “This is Sawyer. My boyfriend.”

  “Weren’t you on the football team at Hough High?”

  Sawyer pushed out from the green wrought iron table and stood, wrapping an arm around Brynn’s waist like it was second nature. “That was me. Back before I learned to appreciate the arts. And awesome girls who were passionate about them.”

  Brynn’s grin widened and he kissed her cheek.

  Faith couldn’t help but stare for a moment. She could clearly see how in love Brynn and Sawyer were. That was what she wanted: a guy who was serious about settling down. A guy who wouldn’t look around at other girls and see what he was missing. She’d been so stupid in her relationship with Jeff, thinking she’d tamed a player. From now on, she was staying far, far away from those types.

  “I’ll go get Paul,” Brynn said. “He’s engaged now, and I’m sure he’ll tell you all about his bride-to-be. If you need an out, just give me the signal.”

  Faith laughed. “I forgot about the signal.” Back in the day, when her family used to hang out with the McAdamses, she, Brynn, and Paul would rub the side of their nose with one finger and then come up with a reason to escape. They’d sneak out to the lake or just relax in the backyard. The scent of charred meat would still be hanging in the air from Dad barbequing and Mom’s laughter would occasionally ring out—she used to have the loudest laugh.

  But those were the happy years. The before.

  The lake water–scented air that’d smelled so fresh moments before turned sour. She’d thought the years away would’ve made everything easier—that she’d dealt with the past through college level psychology classes and real world experience. But it was different when the past was in every place she looked. It was why she’d run from here as soon as she’d gotten out of high school. When things went bad in Atlanta, she’d fled there, too. So much for facing things like a grown-up.

  Paul McAdams stepped out of the store and grinned. His brown hair was shorter than he used to wear it in high school, and he’d filled out quite a bit. “Why, Shorty Fitzpatrick. Long time no see.”

  He pulled Faith into a hug, and the anxiety that’d been working its way through her eased. Whenever she thought about home, she tended to focus on the bad memories and sorrow. She’d forgotten how friendly people were here. How nice it was to be around others who knew the real her. Everyone who’d known Daddy had come together to try to help her family. They’d done everything they could. Faith appreciated it, and she knew Mom had, too. But it hadn’t changed the fact that they were missing someone who should’ve been with them still.

  “We’ve got to plan a fishing trip,” Paul said, and Faith returned to the present. She forced a smile and nodded. But she couldn’t stop thinking about how this sleepy, innocent-looking town had taken her dad.

  And she couldn’t help thinking it might take Kaleb next.

  …

  Faith could hear deep voices in the living room, Kaleb’s and another. She couldn’t make out the words, but Anna was talking with them. Faith closed her laptop and set it on the nightstand. After several hours searching through pictures of apartments, her eyes burned and the spot between her shoulder blades ached.

  She stepped over the boxes she wasn’t sure whether to put away or leave packed. Anna and Kaleb both said she could stay as long as she wanted, which was nice, but she wouldn’t feel like she was starting over until she had her own place. Preferably close to the UNC School of Medicine, where she’d be doing her internship. Maybe living in Charlotte would be enough to get away from all the memories, but close enough to stay connected to her brother and his family.

  Again she was glad Doctor Schaeffer had reached out to her. He was a long-time friend of the family, had set her, Mom, and Kaleb up with a nice counselor to help deal with Dad’s passing, and had advised her when she told him she was interested in becoming a counselor. Clinical spots were difficult to find, and she couldn’t wait to get started. Having a couple of months off had sounded nice at first, especially after six straight years of studying day and night. But with all the memories rising up, she might need a temporary job to keep herself busy.

  Faith stepped into the hallway and walked toward the scent of food, garlic, and spices—whatever it was, it smelled amazing and made her stomach growl.

  She froze in her tracks when she spotted Connor. He caught her eye and grinned. She hated how her heart fluttered. Hated that all day she’d been thinking about seeing him out running with his dog.

  It should be illegal for guys to be that good-looking. She’d always gone for the wrong kind of guys, and her heart had the scars to prove it. But this last time, she really had learned her lesson. From now on, she was choosing sweet, humble guys. No exceptions. And definitely no guys who looked or acted like Connor.

  “I was just about to call for you,” Anna said, glancing her way. “Dinner’s all but ready. Kaleb, can you grab the plates for me?” They disappeared into the kitchen. Ella was crashed on the couch after a long day of playing hard and loud, her blond curls covering most of her face, somehow able to sleep through the talking and the sound of plates and cupboard doors banging.

  Connor stepped toward Faith, and she had the irrational urge to bolt in the other di
rection. Or maybe it was rational. He could pick her up and break her in half, after all. “You ran off this morning before I could—”

  “Talk about the giant mark on my face?” she asked, crossing her arms.

  He grinned. “No, I believe I covered that. But we could talk about it more if you want.”

  She tilted her head. “Ha ha.” Her shoulders tensed, her guard rising from him being so close. She needed to control this situation. Show she absolutely wasn’t interested.

  “Don’t feel bad. Happens all the time when girls look at me, actually.” He took another step toward her and lowered his voice. “What I’m trying to say is I was pretty drunk last night, and sometimes when I’m drunk I act a little stupid.”

  “So what’s your excuse right now?” She figured the bitchier she was, the sooner he’d see she was more trouble than he wanted. Might as well nip it in the bud now, especially with how inescapable he was apparently going to be.

  His gray, nearly translucent eyes lit up as a smile stretched across his lips. “I guess I’m just so stunned by your beauty.”

  She shook her head. “Back when I was young and naive, I might’ve fallen for a guy like you. But I’m smarter now, so go try your lines on someone else.”

  “But you’re the only one here.”

  She started around him but he held out his arm, blocking her path. “And even if this room were filled with women, I’d still flirt with you. Just so you know.”

  She worked to keep her voice even—bored, almost. “Well, just so you know, I don’t fall for lines, and it takes more than good looks to impress me.”

  “So you think I’m good-looking.” He reached out and flicked the ends of her hair, the same way he had last night. “It’s big of you to finally admit it.”

  Irritation wound through her, tightening the spot between her shoulders. “I think you’re the most frustrating person I’ve ever met. I’m still mad you talked my brother into something stupid, and then you think you can just come in here and hit on me?”

  “I was trying to apologize for last night. But now that you mention the hitting on you thing…” He gave a casual shrug. “I could probably get down with that.”