“I quit.”
I stared at him, those two words ricocheting around my tired brain. He quit? His face was serious. No smile, no furrowed brow. His hand was loose around mine, and his attention stayed on me. “You quit? How?”
That got a reaction. He ran his tongue along his lower lip, and his gaze went to the TV. There was something about that damn thing, and I was too afraid to ask.
“I believe you, and I couldn’t do that and be right about the outcome of the race. You helped me see that I’d been lying to myself—about the race and about the increasing demands of Victa that hurdled my own morals. So, I contacted race officials and then my Victa rep and withdrew my protest. I said I didn’t agree with the final decision, and I resent being forced to act against my best judgment. You’ve been reinstated. You won the race.” His smile was fleeting. “The first thing I did was call Aria and told her what I’d be doing. She was nothing but a pawn in this whole thing, and I told her that she should talk to her agent. Coach Simmons might be open to taking a new athlete.”
“I…” His words weren’t registering.
“Aria has been sick since the race. She started to think she was crazy because she didn’t feel you bump her, but I was saying you did.” He brushed a strand of hair behind my head and trailed his eyes over my face. “I wish I could’ve told you under better circumstances, but you’re the national champ.”
I got my title? With the move and prepping for surgery, I’d stayed far away from the news and ignored calls that weren’t from my parents or the hospital. I had some catching up to do. “How? Can they even do that?”
“I told Victa they’d better make it happen, or it was going to look ugly for their brand.” A wicked smile lifted his lips. “It hit the news anyway, but I guess it wasn’t as juicy as you losing the title, so the press is dying down quickly. The money will be yours too.”
“Poor Aria.” I’d only thought of myself through the whole ordeal, but she’d been on an emotional rollercoaster too.
“She was happy to get rid of it. She said it felt like dirty money—and the second-place prize is more than a few bucks, so…”
“It’s not eight grand.”
“With Coach Simmons’s help, she’ll do well in worlds and get a bigger payday in the near future no matter what.” He pulled out his phone and showed me a message. “She’s already planning a move to Oregon. Apparently, signing on with Nellie Pelton’s coach was too good to pass up. And she’s been approached by new sponsors.”
It all sounded like a contract nightmare that I was glad to be distanced from.
“You spent a week with me, quit your job, and moved to a different state.” I couldn’t wrap my head around it. The national title was mine. If he was here, he wasn’t motivated by guilt.
“I’m old enough to know that what we have isn’t temporary or superficial. I’ve never been so comfortable with anyone. And I’ve never missed anyone so much.”
My smile had to look as groggy as I felt. “We’ve only been apart for six days.”
“Let’s not do it again.”
“We were only together for six days.”
A heavy expression flitted across his face. “Not knowing the future scares you. All I’m asking is that you trust me to be there with you.”
“What do you mean the future scares me?” I was exhausted, but I couldn’t bow out of this conversation yet.
“Nellie,” he said quietly. “I saw that look on your face when I asked you why you chose to go pro after college. It wasn’t just your crazy talent that influenced you. You turned to what you knew before you had to make a go at something new.”
I frowned. He could determine that from one conversation? But then, his career was to get the best of the best past their own inner obstacles.
“And ending your running career because of the surgery and cancer. What your mom went through terrified you, but it’s familiar. You know that fight.” He tightened his grip on my hand. “Now you’re faced with another unknown future. You don’t know how you and I will turn out, and you’d rather turn toward the familiar. Being alone.”
My eyelids drifted shut, and I eased out a long breath. “Holy shit, Coach. No wonder you’re paid so much.”
“If it all brought me to this point and works at talking you into giving us a shot, then I’m glad. “Just give me a chance.”
I cracked an eye open. His face was pale, but his unshakable focus was on me.
I squeezed his hand. “I haven’t kicked you out yet, have I?”
He clutched my fingers and pressed his mouth against each one. “I was afraid your parents would.”
“They’re going to be a little protective.”
“Good,” he said quietly. “You look tired.”
“I am.” My body sank into the mattress like I was made of lead.
He rose and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Rest. We’ll all be around when you wake up. Even if I’m not in the room, I’m here.” The next kiss was a gentle touch to the lips. “I’ll be here, Nellie. For as long as you’ll let me.”
My eyelids drifted shut again. Lincoln gave up everything to be by my side, but this wasn’t over. Like he said, I didn’t know what my future entailed, other than reconstruction surgery and doctor’s appointments. Would he miss his old life?
Chapter 13
“So anyway, today is five years cancer-free.” I relished saying those words. While I’d been feeling great for most of those five years, I’d built this moment up. Maybe I did lean into the familiar, but it worked for Mom, and it worked for me.
“And you celebrated by coming to work?” Wellness Escapes employee, Taya, secured the kayak.
“I get to celebrate, and I don’t see this as work. I’m the owner, so it’s different.”
She grinned and adjusted the floppy tan hat on her head. Unlike my black capri leggings and pink technical top, she wore khaki shorts and a navy-blue polo. It was the uniform of my business, unless the employee was leading one of our many fitness retreats: kayaking, hiking, and yes, running. Only it was trail running now.
After my surgeries, I’d needed a lot of time to heal. But I hadn’t been idle. The time had been filled with planning.
Lincoln stopped next to me, his hand on my lower back. “Don’t worry.” That voice still sent shivers through me. “I couldn’t talk her into a day off, but I’m taking her out later. It’s also our third anniversary.”
Taya spun around from the rack of kayaks. “Congrats! Wasn’t this summer Wellness Escapes’ third anniversary?”
“Its official anniversary,” I answered and twined my hand through Lincoln’s. “We bought a couple of kayaks and got proficient first, then let our friends hang out for free until we were ready to charge.”
“And hiked every trail at least ten times,” Lincoln added.
I gazed at the lake sparkling through the trees behind Taya. We’d stayed in Indiana, close to my parents and a short flight to his. His sister and her family came every summer. It was one of my favorite times of the year.
“I think what you do here is great. And Sean is a wonderful guide.”
I grinned and looked toward the first cabin off our main wellness center. Sean had figured out who we were and messaged us after Lincoln stunned the running world. We’d stayed in contact and unofficially coached each other through our life changes.
When we told him our plans to open our own nature wellness center inspired by him, he was almost more into it than we were. He’d continued to hike, then took a rafting lesson, then another. Now he was known as Outdoor Sean and was seriously dating one of my old high school friends that I’d reconnected with.
“Well, I’m glad to be here.” Taya grinned. “Now go and celebrate. I’ve got this covered.”
Lincoln pulled me away before I could argue. Between the two of us, he was my work-life balance. Transitioning out of living and breathing training had been tougher than I thought.
Lincoln waited until we entered our little
cabin behind the main center before he said, “You need to pack. Our date isn’t in town.”
“But the—”
“Sean’s got it covered.” He drifted closer, looking better than the day I glared at him from across the bar. “I’m taking you to Disney World.”
I let out a gasp. Bouncing in place, I clapped my hands. “Disney World? I’ve always wanted to go there.”
“I know. Your dad told me.” He lifted his chin toward the shelf in our living room. The one with snow globes from the places we’d visited. “I need to add to my collection.”
This man that I’d once thought was off-limits, then tried to convince myself I hated, never failed to surprise me in the best way. He’d turned all that intense focus onto me and our life together. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Lincoln Keating. You always make the right call.”
_____
Have you tried the first novella in this series? An amateur baseball team’s athletic trainer gets fired. She thinks the head comes to her office to gloat, but that’s not what happens in Shutout.
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About the Author
Marie Johnston writes paranormal and contemporary romance and has collected several awards in both genres. Before she was a writer, she was a microbiologist. Depending on the situation, she can be oddly unconcerned about germs or weirdly phobic. She’s also a licensed medical technician and has worked as a public health microbiologist and as a lab tech in hospital and clinic labs. Marie’s been a volunteer EMT, a college instructor, a security guard, a phlebotomist, a hotel clerk, and a coffee pourer in a bingo hall. All fodder for a writer!! She has four kids, an old cat, and a puppy that’s bigger than half her kids.
mariejohnstonwriter.com
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Also by Marie Johnston
Playing Hard Novellas
Shutdown
Finish Line
Offsides
Fanboy series—if you like a little quirky pop culture with your millionaires
Unmistaken Identity (Book 1)
Highest Bidder (Book 2)
Based on Principal (Book 3)
Finish Line: A Playing Hard Novella Page 9
