by Olivia Burke
He winced. “I should warn you, if I have to cook, we both lose anyway.”
She laughed. “Okay, okay, how about loser buys brunch? There’s a restaurant about a mile ahead. Let’s call that our finish line.”
“Deal!”
She tightened her ponytail as they stepped up to an even line in the pavement. Colt’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he glanced at her and Jill couldn’t help but feel it, too. There were fewer things she liked better than healthy competition; she and Jack had always pushed each other, as they’d grown up in sports for most of their lives. But she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a bit of competition like this - probably not since college - and the thought of beating Mr. Sidekick Superhero made her grin.
Colt counted down. “Three, two, one - GO!”
They both took off and while Jill stayed on Colt’s heels, she also knew to maintain speed so as not to burn it all off too early. Adrenaline rushed through her as she pushed herself. Colt kept his head forward, arms pumping, but as she’d expected, by the time the restaurant came into view, she’d easily caught up with him.
They were side by side and she put her all into it, arms propelling her forward. Her feet pounded the pavement, his own steps right behind hers. She pushed herself into an outright sprint, shouting victoriously as she managed to get past the marker first, if only by an inch.
She flung her arms into the air as if breaking through a marathon winner’s ribbon. “Woo hoo!”
“Aw!” Colt groaned, but she turned to see him smiling.
They came to a halt in the restaurant’s small parking lot, sweat dripping down their faces despite the cooler weather. Jill shook out her legs, hands on hips as she grinned up at him.
“I’m ordering the most expensive thing on the menu. Or French toast, whichever.”
“You earned it, fair and square.” He shook his head, shooting her a look of admiration. “I’ve gotta admit, you’re fast.”
“Only on the race track.”
He laughed and wiped the sweat off his face with the bottom of his shirt, exposing his stomach. Jill forced her eyes off his abs, all six and a half packs of them, though she couldn’t ignore the blush that tinged her ears. Wow.
“C’mon,” he said, ticking his head for them to head inside. “Time for me to pay up.”
“I’m glad you’re a good sport,” she said, elbowing him.
“Either way, I get brunch with a beautiful girl.” He shrugged, but Jill didn’t miss the way the lines around his mouth tightened, as if he’d spoken before thinking.
“I know you’re only saying that because I’m your pseudo-sister on this little vacation, but I’ll take the compliments where I can get them,” she joked, hoping to wave off any awkwardness.
“Right,” he said slowly. He turned his head, but she didn’t miss the way his jaw tightened. “Pseudo-sister.”
The silence that went on between them made Jill grimace. Why did I have to bring it up? Luckily, he changed the subject.
“You must practice a lot of sprints or something.” He seemed genuinely curious about her answer. “How’d you get to be so fast?”
“I have a few marathons under my belt,” she admitted. “And maybe went to college on a track scholarship.”
“Oh man,” Colt groaned. “I got hustled.”
“Not exactly!” Jill laughed at the look on his face. “Okay, maybe a little. But hey, you aren’t the fastest superhero in the movies anyway, so no loss on your reputation there.”
“Man, you really know how to hit a guy when he’s down,” he said, a hand going over his heart. “Or is this just how you talk to your brother all the time?”
Jill’s enthusiasm died a little. It was how she might talked to Jack, teasing him until he eventually got exasperated. But here with Colt, it felt different. It felt like … flirting.
Their conversation was interrupted by the older hostess, who showed them to a table without blinking twice at Colt. She led them to a table, where he kept his back to the crowd just in case, and they quickly ordered coffee.
“I’m going to head to the store when we get back,” Jill said, if for no other reason than to break the silence. “Is there anything I can get you?”
The side of his mouth twitched. “I meant it when I said I’d go with you.”
She imagined grocery shopping with movie star Colton James, and giggled. “Okay, okay, then let’s make a meal plan so we know what we need.”
They spent their brunch comprising a list of ingredients for dinners. Jill suspected she’d end up doing most of the cooking, but that was fine by her. She loved to cook, but didn’t often get to at home because her mother always beat her to it, as her parents were retired. After they finished eating and paid the bill, Colt and Jill popped into the little neighborhood store for their items.
Jill had never had so much fun in a grocery store. All these years, she’d expected Colt to be some serious, smoldering, rebellious type of man out in public. Instead, he was silly and wide open, singing along to the music playing on the overhead speakers, or announcing every item he tossed in their cart as if he was a game show host.
Her stomach ached from all the laughter, and before long, they were out the door; Colt pushed the cart at a fast enough speed to hop on and cruise through the parking lot, one leg in the air and Jill chasing after him like a delighted kid.
Colt helped her unload everything into the refrigerator and pantry before running downstairs to shower and change. Jill was on her own for a little while, and already missed being around him. She sighed, heading upstairs for her own shower.
He isn’t what I thought he was. She grimaced at the next thought. He’s even better. That did not bode well for her brain and this living arrangement.
A week went by, an entire glorious week without Hollywood, the snobberazzo, or fans who waylaid him everywhere he went. Best of all, Colt and Jill spent most of that time together. Even as they ran together on the greenway, cooked together in the master kitchen (well, Colt ate Jill’s excellent cooking), hiked a mountain trail, and caught up on relaxation, Colt managed to keep it platonic.
Well, at least literally. His thoughts, of course, were another matter entirely, but as long as he didn’t allow himself be too close to her, he resisted the temptations. If she lounged on the couch to read a book, he stayed in another chair to watch TV; he’d thought she’d looked disappointed each time. A little piece of him grumbled when he avoided being near her, but he couldn’t risk it. I mean, sure, I want to kiss her all the time, but as long as I don’t act on it, I’m good, right?
Colt had just treated them to dinner after another solid afternoon run, and they were on the way back to the house to do nothing in particular. Colt found himself enjoying, loving, craving these kinds of nights with Jill, where he had no responsibilities or expectations. He and Jill always laughed a lot together, and Colt felt he could talk to her about nearly anything. Including, apparently, the one thing he never wanted to discuss - his ex-girlfriend, Gwen.
“I love this song!” Jill exclaimed as the radio played over his car speakers.
“Yeah, my ex loved that song, too,” Colt said without thinking. The instant the name had left his mouth, his chest tightened. Minus his snap at Jack the other week, it’d been ages since he’d mentioned her. He’d closed that door a long time ago.
“Was she a barista, too?” she asked in a teasing way.
“‘Fraid not,” Colt said. “Gwen’s always been and will always be more famous than me.”
“Gwen,” Jill repeated, her eyebrows furrowing. “No way. Your ex is Gwen Taylor?”
Colt’s jaw tightened, but he nodded. “Yep.”
“Wow, she’s an amazing songwriter, I love her,” Jill said, gazing back out the window.
“I used to,” Colt said bitterly, without thinking.
She didn’t look at him when she asked, “What happened?”
Colt’s stomach tightened as he debated on sharing. Jill’s inq
uiry was perfectly innocent, and he knew she’d never take it outside of their conversation, but even now, so many years later, the memories were painful. What’s the worst that could happen, though?
Jill sensed his hesitation and glanced back at him. “Sorry, it’s none of my business–”
“No, it’s … I don’t mean to snap,” he said apologetically. “Things just didn’t end well. She’s the girlfriend who broke up with me that same week I got the ‘General Justice’ role.”
Jill turned to look at him then, her expression sympathetic. Before she could stop him, however, Colt found the words spilling from his mouth.
“Gwen and I dated before either of us got big, before she was Gwen Taylor. We were together for about a year and pretty serious, actually, had even talked about marriage. But before anything got real, she got picked up by her label and blew up.”
Jill’s eyes narrowed. “She chose a career over you?”
“It’s how I looked at it for a long time,” Colt said, surprised to hear himself say it without a trace of its old bitterness. “But looking back on it, I don’t know … it wasn’t really anyone’s fault, you know? She had to follow her dreams, and I had to follow mine, and they were in opposite directions.”
“Long-distance relationships aren’t your thing, huh?”
Colt stared ahead at the road in front of them. He wondered if she asked more for herself than for him, but shrugged. “She didn’t want to try.”
Jill’s mouth twisted, but Colt couldn’t read her expression. Finally, she cleared her throat and looked at him. “Her loss.”
Colt did smile at her then. “Thanks. But you know, I’ve obviously given it a lot of thought, seeing as it was years ago. Even after everything, Gwen is still an amazing person. She deserves success just as much as the next hardworking woman, you know?”
Jill softened, nodding in understanding. “You want her to do well because you love her.”
“I did,” he said quietly.
He couldn’t explain it, but the tightness in his chest that usually paired with any memories of his ex lessened as he glanced at Jill’s profile. With the windows down to breathe in the fall air, loose strands of her blond ponytail were wild around her face, but she didn’t try to contain it, instead sticking her right arm outside to wave her fingers in the wind.
Even after this short time with her, Colt always had this sort of carefree feeling around Jill. He found he had fewer worries and more lightheartedness than he’d had in years, probably since before his Hollywood days. Perhaps it was the fact he was on vacation, but deep down, he knew she was the driving factor in why he’d done nothing but smile every day since Jack’s wedding. He didn’t like the way he kept thinking about it, often reminding himself, yet again, that he must treat Jill like a little sister; otherwise, he would’ve thrown caution to the wind days ago.
They were only a couple miles from Jack’s house when they heard a terrible crash somewhere ahead of them. Jill craned her neck for a better view, but it wasn’t until Colt went another block that it came into sight.
It was a hit and run, with only one car on the scene. The accident had crushed the front half of the car, along with half of the driver’s side. The left front tire was completely bent off its axle, and they could smell gasoline even from inside their vehicle.
“Oh man.” Colt grimaced at the scene. “Looks bad.”
“Slow down,” Jill commanded.
“What?” Colt asked, dumbfounded. “You can’t just get out and–”
But Jill hadn’t heard him, instead reaching into her pocketbook. He made out a flash of blue in her hands as she opened the car door and rushed outside.
“Seriously?” He cursed under his breath.
Jill raced to the accident, and Colt quickly moved his vehicle out of the way and called for the police and an ambulance. After giving their location, the operator assured him help was on the way. He ran over to the car, grimacing at the shattered glass and twisted metal all over the road. Blood dotted the pavement and his stomach tightened when he saw the driver open his car door and stumble out.
“Sir, stay still–” Jill tried, but the man pushed himself too far out of the driver’s seat and hit the ground hard.
Jill practically sprinted to him, slipping on what he now realized were blue latex gloves. She murmured questions to him as she checked over him, his wounds, his unfocused eyes. Calm and collected, she paid no mind to the blood staining her workout clothes. She moved quickly but efficiently, and all Colt could do was stand there.
“Sir, are you all right? What’s your name?” she asked questions over and over again, trying to keep his attention and thus, consciousness.
“Uh, um, what can I do?” Colt asked, practically tripping over himself to help. He kneeled beside her, careful not to disturb the man.
“Is an ambulance on the way?” Her question was low and smooth, with no sign of panic.
He nodded. “Yes, they should be here any minute.”
“Then you’ve done exactly what we needed.”
Jill paused to look up at him, offering him a reassuring smile. Her bright blue eyes pulled him in, and he felt an unfamiliar stirring in his chest, a calmness completely unrelated to the chaos around them. Sirens sounded in the near distance, the moment broken as they turned their heads towards the sound.
“Flag them down,” she said, ticking her head.
He did as she asked, racing to the end of the street to direct help their way. Soon the police and EMTs had arrived. Jill quickly explained her expertise and recalled every detail to them before they took over the scene. Several minutes later, the injured driver was loaded into the back of the ambulance.
Jill and Colt stayed off to the side, watching it all and giving their statements to the police officers. Just before the ambulance took off, an EMT waved goodbye to them.
“You probably saved his life,” he told Jill, offering a thumbs up. “Great job. Do you work in the ER back home?”
Jill chuckled. “No, things are a little slower around there. In any case, I’m glad we were here to help. Please tell him I’ll be by to check on him tomorrow.”
The EMT slammed the ambulance doors shut as Colt turned to her, a little smile on his face. “You will?”
“Of course,” she said. They winced as the ambulance took off with a shrill alarm, the whine ringing in his ears. When they were finally out of earshot, Jill continued as if there had been no distraction. “I know he’s not my patient or anything, but I feel like it’s the right thing to do. It’s not like I have a schedule while I’m on vacation anyway.”
Colt shot her an admiring look, opening his mouth to reply, but a police officer interrupted them for more details. Jill and Colt filled in what little they knew, eventually able to leave. They got into his car, neither of them speaking for a few minutes while he put distance between them and the scene.
Colt finally broke the silence with a chuckle, unable to help himself.
“What?” she demanded.
“And you said my reputation was wild,” Colt said, glancing at her with amusement.
Jill tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, giving him a curious look. “What do you mean?”
“You just … ran in there.” His fingers moved to mimic a running motion. “You practically leapt out of a moving vehicle to help that guy. That’s by far the craziest thing I’ve seen outside of a set.”
She shrugged modestly. “Oh, well, I was doing my job, you know? I can’t not help in a situation like that.”
“That’s some real superhero stuff, you know that?”
Her cheeks reddened, which only made his grin bigger. Lucky for her, he pulled into Jack’s driveway and they headed into the house.
She glanced down at her clothes, starting as if noticing the blood on them for the first time. “Yikes, I better get these in the wash. You need any laundry done?”
Colt snorted. “I don’t need you taking my boxers only to freeze them.”
Jill snickered. “Jack told you that one, huh?”
Colt shook his head. “You are some kind of troublemaker.”
“Admit it, life would be boring without me.” She grinned at him and hurried upstairs to change and take care of her clothes. Colt watched her go, her words ringing in his head.
“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of,” he muttered to himself.
Colt hadn’t given much thought to what happened once he went back to Hollywood. He couldn’t imagine not spending time with Jill, or talking to her everyday. And he wasn’t sure he wanted to try. This had easily been the best vacation of his entire life, and even he couldn’t deny it had everything to do with her.
The rest of their evening had been uneventful, thankfully, as Jill chose a hot shower and bed. Helping that injured man hadn’t been the surprising part of her day – it had, in fact, been one of the most exciting things to happen in her career, and she’d been extremely proud of herself for handling the situation as she had. Nor had the surprise been Colt’s admiration of her actions.
Instead, she’d been shocked for Colt to open up to her about his past. While she hadn’t realized he’d dated Gwen Taylor (and was both jealous and completely intimidated of her by the fact), hearing him share such a private thing made her feel very special indeed. It felt that they’d become friends, true friends, not just two people forced into an odd living situation.
The idea, of course, made her care about Colt even more, and she’d begun worrying about her feelings. It was one thing to joke about having been in love with him since she was a teenager, but this was different. This was real, and she worried about what came next for her when this dream vacation finally ended. As much as he was on her mind, could she really go home and hope to move on?
The thought plagued her all night and well into the next day. When her phone rang for the fourth time that morning, she glanced at the screen to see an unfamiliar number, yet another reporter on the other end. They’d all wanted to interview her about the car accident, how she’d “jumped into action” to save the stranger’s life. The local media loved a feel-good story, and this one was, according to them, the perfect story of the week.
