by Hadley Quinn
Her figure disappeared to the left of him, and he watched as she hung a left for the public stairs and disappeared.
***
Panting and out of breath, Camryn climbed the two flights to her mother’s monstrous house. If it wasn’t the cold Northwest air, it was going to be all these damn stairs that would kill her. Her ass and calves were on fire.
She pulled out a house key that was zipped in the waistband of her running pants and slipped it into the lock. The second she opened the door she heard her mom’s weepy voice call out, “Cami, is that you, sweetie?”
She could hardly sigh with the heaving breaths she was taking, so Camryn just nodded to herself. “Yeah, I’m back,” she replied loudly. “Where are you?”
Lord, this house was ridiculous. It was three levels but it was anything but simple. It sounded like her mom was upstairs, but Camryn was surprised when she came around the corner right in front of her.
“Just in the bedroom.” Serena sniffled and wiped at her eyes with a tissue. “Did you have a nice run?”
Camryn nodded as she pulled off her hat and gloves, and slipped off her shoes at the same time. “Yeah, it was nice. Cold, but the scenery was different.”
“Did you find the public beach access easy enough?”
“You mean the nine stupid flights of stairs?” she scoffed. “Yeah, I made them my bitch.”
Serena frowned at her. “I see being around your Uncle Tim hasn’t changed much.”
Camryn only shrugged as she scooted her shoes under the bench by the entry, and her mom returned to her bedroom.
This was Camryn’s second day at her mom’s and she was already going crazy. Dealing with emotional breakdowns, phone calls from relatives, and doing her best to cook meals the “right” way was going to undo her. Finally she had to get out of the house. Running was Camryn’s only choice, although she wished she could run and not come back. But she coached herself into taking it one day at a time, at least knowing she’d be returning to California in a couple of weeks. She didn’t like spending Christmas and New Year’s in Oregon, but this year she decided to make an exception for a mom she’d never been close to.
The choice was laced with resentment and bitterness, so she hoped it had been the right thing to do…
Every day was the same for the rest of the week. Camryn would wake her mom up around ten in the morning, encourage her to eat some whole wheat toast and drink a cup of herbal tea, and then listen to her sob and tell stories about Lyle for an hour. When Serena would cry herself to sleep again, Camryn would do her best to take care of some housework, sticking with basics like sweeping all the hardwood floors, washing the few dishes that got dirtied, and an occasional basket of laundry.
Most of it was needless busy work to help pass the time.
The afternoon was similar. Serena would wake up, watch a little bit of TV with sporadic bouts of crying, eat something small for lunch, and then feel sleepy enough to go back to bed. This was when Camryn would throw on her running clothes and leave as fast as she could. Her mom knew that four o’clock meant she was out of the house.
She left the house on Friday for her regular run, especially grateful for the chance to leave that day. Her mom’s breakdowns had been intense from the second she woke up, and Camryn couldn’t wait to get away. She broke into a run the second she hit pavement, weaving through the streets until she hit the beachfront street of Anchor Avenue. Once there, she hung a right to the public beach access.
“Well hello, bitch,” she greeted the nine flights of stairs that zigzagged all the way down to the beach. When she hit sand, she took off again, digging her shoes into the softness to give her the push she needed until she hit firmer ground.
Then it was a piece of cake.
But after a few minutes, she noticed that the tide looked like it was coming in. Depending on how quick it changed she’d either have to shorten her run, or just run harder.
Camryn chose the latter. Being a slacker wasn’t in her repertoire.
But on the way back, she noticed that same guy sitting on the bottom step of a long set of private stairs. It was the third time she noticed him in the three days she’d been at Olivia Beach, and he always appeared on her way back—after she passed that particular house the first time.
This time she was already willing to slow her run down a little. She’d pushed herself pretty hard to beat the tide and her lungs were burning, right along with her legs. She knew she was slowing before she saw him, but picking up her speed just to get past him wasn’t an option. She was dragging ass for real and she knew it.
He was puffing on a cigarette, like he was every time she saw him. She only glanced at him from the corner of her eye, noting that he was watching her every second she passed by. He seemed fairly tall, even in a sitting position. He had broad shoulders and dark hair that was short on the sides but stood in messy peaks at the top. He was in a gray henley and a pair of jeans with holes in the knees. His feet were bare on the sand and Camryn thought that to be odd. It was freaking winter on the Oregon Coast, and had she not been running, she’d be freezing her ass off.
Speaking of asses… Once she couldn’t see the guy anymore, she had the undeniable feeling that he was staring at hers. This made her self-conscious, just like the other times she’d assumed the same thing. But no way was she going to glance back to find out.
When she honestly couldn’t run anymore, Camryn slowed until she was eventually walking. The tide was in even further but she didn’t care. Between getting a little wet and dropping dead, she’d choose wet shoes. There was nothing left of her lungs anymore.
A large chunk of driftwood supported her weight as she leaned against it, trying to take steady breaths to manage the fire in her chest and throat. The air was cold and she would keep running as long as she had to be in this town, but she didn’t think the Northwest was something she was going to get used to anytime soon.
Camryn happened to glance down the beach to her right. That guy was now standing up, propped against the stair post, watching her!
“What a stalker,” she muttered, even though his bold yet casual presence intrigued her. Her body faced the ocean again, but not so she couldn’t see him where he was fifty yards away. He was still standing there, smoking a cigarette.
“Gross,” she scowled, trying to convince herself of a reason to loathe him. She was torn between flipping him off and just staring right back at him to see what he’d do, but eventually she took off in another run to head back to her mom’s.
***
Teague climbed the steps to his house, continuing to glance down the beach after her. She’d seen him this time and did something she hadn’t done before. She stopped running. What did that mean? She was definitely interested. He was positive.
As he marched up the last few steps, Jay came bursting through the back door. “There you are! Where the fuck you been?”
“Where does it look like I’ve been?” Teague replied dryly. When he reached the deck furniture, he propped his cigarette on the ashtray and dropped down into a chair.
“It’s cold as a fucking freezer outside. Why do you sit out here like this?” Jay plopped into a chair anyways. He pulled the sleeves of his sweatshirt to cover his arms and flipped the hood over his short black hair.
“It feels nice,” Teague shrugged.
Jay eyed him suspiciously. “You never go down on the beach. What’s the occasion?”
“A girl,” he answered with a crooked smile.
Jay lifted a pierced eyebrow. “Yeah? What kind of girl?”
“A hot one. Nice ass, nice body—”
“Nice tits?”
“Don’t be crude.”
Jay laughed, his head tipping back at the same time. “Crude. You’re such a fucker. You talk about asses all the time.”
“Not the same thing.”
“Tits are in the same category, bro.”
“Not even close. ‘Ass’ is in the Bible.”
Jay laughe
d out loud again. “Yeah, in the form of an animal.”
Teague smiled with a shrug. “Whatever. I feel okay talking about a girl’s ass but not her chest, okay?”
His cousin rolled his eyes dramatically. “You’ve always been the weirdo in the family, so whatever.”
“Noted,” Teague smiled. “So you get the bike fixed?”
“Nah, man. I’ll do it tomorrow. Wanna help?” Jay didn’t get an eager answer out of Teague so he asked, “You have the day off, right?”
“Yeah, I do. Sure, I’ll help. What’s the matter, no father figure in your life?”
It was a longstanding joke between them and Jay smiled. He pointed to himself and said, “Self-taught in almost everything I do. I’m a fucking genius.”
“Join the club.”
“I know it. We come from the same shitload of siblings. There should be a McCallan family reunion with plenty of shrinks on standby.”
“Probably a little late for that.”
“True.”
They were both quiet for a minute until Jay asked, “So tell me about the girl.” He shivered and rubbed his arms with his hands. Teague knew Jay was willing to risk frostbite to finally hear him converse about a chick. Progress was progress.
“Didn’t talk to her,” Teague shrugged. “Thought about it, but didn’t. She runs by here every so often, around the same time.”
“So you wait for her?” Jay snorted. “She sees you doing that shit she’s gonna call the cops.”
Teague was amused. “Maybe they’ll drop by soon. She saw me today.”
“You just sit down on the beach until she comes by? That’s pathetic, man.”
Teague knew he was giving him a hard time but he didn’t care. It’s not like he had anything positive to say about the female population, but there was something different this time. Or maybe he just wanted there to be something different. Either way, the girl had made an impression on him. Physically she was all that and more.
“When I see her run by the first time,” he motioned, pointing to the beach from left to right, “I make my way down the stairs. She comes back by about ten minutes later. And don’t give me that shit. You know I’m out here at this time after work five days a week.”
“I know. Just fucking with ya. So talk to her next time.”
Teague stared ahead at the waves and took another drag of nicotine. He wasn’t so sure about that, but he’d think about it. There were some ground rules he needed to go over with himself first…
Chapter Three
“Mom, I’m not even kidding. You have got to get out of this house! You left for the funeral, but other than that, you’ve been cooped up inside all six days I’ve been here. At least just go sit on the porch for a little bit!”
“It’s cold outside,” Serena pouted. But it was another excuse, just like Melanie could so easily dish out.
Camryn sighed, trying to rein in some patience. “It’s sunny today and it actually feels pretty nice.”
Serena shook her head. “I still get chilly and my joints are sensitive.”
“Then why don’t you go take a bath for a little bit? If you want, I’ll do your hair and nails when you get out.” She cringed inside. She was trying to channel some of her sister since Melanie was more like their mom than she was. Camryn saw a tiny glint of interest in Serena’s eyes, but it disappeared just as quickly.
“Primping myself is not going to bring Lyle back.”
“No, it’s not,” Camryn growled, feeling the anger beginning to rise. She couldn’t even believe she was here with her mom to begin with. Where was her mother when she needed her the most? Oh yeah, self-absorbed in her own life as usual. Camryn couldn’t muster up any sympathy at the moment so she sighed and said, “Well, if you’re going to mope around and do nothing with your life, I’m just gonna have to call Sally.”
Serena’s eyes narrowed. “You wouldn’t dare call my aunt!”
“I would, because I’m sick of this shit. And I don’t even care if she has to fly from Pennsylvania. She told me to call if I needed her, and I’m thinking maybe I do. It’s not like I’m asking you to do something impossible, or to stop mourning or whatever, but at least try to do a damn load of laundry, or go for a walk, or something! I don’t care what, just do something!”
“Why are you being so nasty? I know we’ve never been close, but you have no right to talk to me that way!”
“I’m not trying to be mean,” Camryn sighed, trying to summon her patience again.
Or maybe it was compassion she needed. What do people need when they lose someone they love? Everyone was different, obviously. Camryn had needed a damn punching bag.
“I’m sorry, Mom, but I need to get out of the house for a bit. I’d like it if you took a bath or something. Go lay on the yoga ball and just roll into some stretches. I can join you when I get back. Do something. That’s all I ask.”
Camryn left for the room she’d been staying in—a suite, practically, with a king-sized bed and its own bathroom. She threw on some running clothes and tied her hair into a ponytail. It was pretty sunny out, so she decided to forego a stocking hat and gloves and just stuck with her favorite long-sleeved running shirt.
She left out the side door so she didn’t have to face her mom again.
***
“This is called the gas tank,” Teague informed Jay, giving him his most serious expression.
“Fuck off, man. Let the mechanic preach to you, bro.”
Jay was chuckling, though, and the two continued tinkering with his newest project—an ’86 Nighthawk 450. It was parked in the garage with the door rolled up, and the mid-morning sun warmed the space up just right. They were both in t-shirts and jeans.
“Where’d you put the new battery?” Teague asked, looking around the garage.
“Oh, it’s still in the Jeep,” Jay nodded to the driveway.
Teague made the motions of air drumming to the music playing as he walked along the side of the Jeep. He turned for the back end when a flash of bright pink smacked right into him, sending him flat on his back to the sidewalk with an “Oof!”
“What the fuck!” he heard a female voice exclaim.
It was then that he realized the bright pink assailant was lying right on top of him, front to front.
She used her forearms to hold herself off his chest, and just stared at him until all she said was, “Oh. My. God.”
Teague didn’t know whether to laugh or be shocked, but he was sure he did a little of both. At first he was shocked as he stared into gorgeous green eyes that looked absolutely horrified. And then he might’ve scoffed with utter disbelief. It was her. The girl from the beach!
“Well hello,” he smiled, trying not to sound as out of breath as he actually was. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”
She blinked, seeming dazed, but didn’t budge.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She blinked again, and then quickly peeled herself off of him. Teague stood up after she did and watched her brush herself off.
“I-I’m sorry,” she finally said. “I didn’t even see you.”
He lightly laughed. “Well I kind of jumped out from behind the Jeep to surprise you.” She gave him a blank stare until he added, “I’m kidding. I didn’t see you, either.”
Her face softened a little bit. “Oh,” she exhaled.
She continued to breathe heavily, but Teague assumed it was because she’d been running. He didn’t feel there was an excuse for his stupid shortness of breath, though.
“Again, I’m sorry about that,” she said, stepping to the side like she was going to pass him to continue her run. “Maybe I should stick to the beach.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t,” he countered with a smile. “Everything worked out just fine.”
She paused instead of taking off. “Well it might have been a lot less painful if we’d met on the beach,” she stated casually.
He was amused, picturing the two of them in the sand and what else
he wanted to do with her. The image of that, and the fact that she was right here in front of him, had almost deterred him from the pain radiating across his backside. It was nothing he wasn’t familiar with, but he realized just her presence had easily distracted him from it.
He automatically touched the back of his head. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”
After a few seconds she cringed, like she just realized what he meant. “Oh no, are you okay?” she asked. “Was that sound your head hitting the cement? I thought it was my knee.”
“You hurt your knee?”
“Is your head okay?”
“It’s fine. Is your knee all right?”
“I’ll live. Do you have brain damage?”
He froze before he noticed she was biting back a smile. Then he laughed at how smoothly she threw that in there. “If I do, I think I had it before the fact.”
“Thank God,” she exhaled. “I don’t want to pay medical bills or be sued for brain damage.”
He smiled and shook his head. “Nah, I’m very well insured. And I’m not the type to throw around a lawsuit.”
“Well had the roles been reversed, you may have been thrown in jail for involuntary manslaughter. You would’ve squished me to death.” She was looking him up and down, seeming to note his height and physique to back up her claim. “All six feet of you.”
It was only fair that Teague got to look her over the same way. Just to make a fair assessment for the sake of the discussion, of course. Only his eyes lingered a bit longer as he blatantly checked her out, and she narrowed her emerald eyes at him.
“Six-two,” he smirked. And he looked her up and down again, just for the benefit of her reaction. “Seems like all five-eight of you was meant to be cushioned like that.”
She placed her hands on her hips but didn’t banter back. “Maybe so,” she finally answered, and she turned for the direction she came from.
“Hey,” Teague said, softly grabbing her arm and stepping toward her. He was really close to her; close enough that he could lean down and kiss her if he dared. And he wanted to. He wanted to run his tongue across her pretty lips and then kiss her senseless. But he let go of her as he lowered his voice and said, “I’m Teague. What’s your name?”
