Dead Running (14 page)

She giggled and stared at him from beneath obviously fake eyelashes, or maybe she just had a better eyelash curler than me.

I rolled my eyes, focusing on a toddler chucking tortilla chips at his mom. I didn’t need to watch Elizabeth drool over my date. The effect this man had on women was incredible.

Damon lifted his hand and settled it on the small of my back. “Enjoy your dinner,” he said.

Elizabeth’s gaze fluttered from Damon to me. Her eyebrows arched. “Oh.”

“Yes, hello,” I said. “Good to see you.”

I turned to walk away. The petite redhead grabbed my arm and whirled me back to face her. I’ve got to give it to her, she was pretty tough for a skinny chick.

“How dare you?”

“How dare I
what
?” I added the raised eyebrow for emphasis, but I knew exactly what she was thinking and in my defense, I felt like a jerk. I’d made fun of her for trying to get Damon to date her by running the St. George Marathon and here I was succeeding in the venture.

Elizabeth glanced at Damon who watched us with interest. She moved closer to my side, opposite of Damon and whispered in my ear, “You told me you weren’t interested in him.”

I turned my head and whispered back, “Hate to break it to you sister, but he came after me.” I grinned and shrugged my shoulders. “What’s a girl to do?”

Her hot glare burned me as she said into my ear, “You’re going to be doing a lot of running in the dark streets of Smithfield. I’ll find you.”

“Get in line,” I muttered.

Backing away, she gave Damon one more dazzling smile. “See you later,” she said in a voice dripping with hope. She didn’t even bother with a glare in my direction before whirling and strutting away from us.

I glanced at Damon. “Whew. That is one angry woman.”

“What did she say to you?” he asked.

I forced a smile. “You’re a very desirable commodity. I came between you and the wrong stalker this time.”

“Cassie?” He tilted his head to the side, studying me. “You’re joking, right?”

I lifted my shoulders. “I hope so.”

The drive home was quiet. Damon tried to get out of me what happened with Elizabeth, but I didn’t know how to explain without looking like a bigger fool. I couldn’t get over that interaction. Something was off about the chick.

By the time we got to my doorstep, I realized I’d ruined the mood thinking about Hot Redhead instead of my date. Damon escorted me up the steps and leaned in expectantly. I gave him a quick hug, burying my face in his shoulder.

“Thanks for dinner,” I said, way too upbeat. I pulled away and grabbed for the doorknob. “And thanks for rescuing me from the dirt this morning.”

“I thought you blocked that out,” he said.

“You reinstated the memory,” I reminded him.

He moved closer. The look in his eyes melted me. “I’d like to see you again.”

“Running or eating?” I asked, clinging to the doorknob for support.

“Both. But maybe not such an intense run next time.” He leaned in again. Oh, this guy was an expert.

“Sounds good. I wouldn’t want to put you to shame two weeks in a row.” He was so close. I melted into the wonderful scent of his cologne. He looked and smelled good enough I almost forgot about Elizabeth’s threats.

Damon shook his head with a laugh. “We wouldn’t want that.”

I opened the door and pantomimed a phone. “Call me,” I said. “Maybe I’d cancel a date or two for you.”

“I would appreciate that.”

I slipped through the door then glanced back at his face. He watched me with an almost sad expression. I closed the door, waited until I heard his footsteps recede, and pounded my head against the grainy wood a few times. “Stupid, stupid, stupid.”

He wanted to kiss me. I knew it. But I wanted our first kiss to be perfect, and after the awkward confrontation with Elizabeth, I just hadn’t been in the right frame of mind. I trudged up to bed, praying he would call again.

I’m a tough chick. I have nothing to fear. I repeated these words to myself as I ran early Monday morning. I couldn’t let Hot Redhead, Muscle Man, Greasy Beanpole, and whoever murdered that poor faceless man, confine me to treadmill running. Outside runs were better for my training, more enjoyable, and there was the possibility of running into Jesse again. Even though Damon pressed upon my mind in a most delicious way, I couldn’t seem to rid my daydreams of Jesse.

I still felt sore from Saturday’s run when I thumped out of bed, but the training schedule said an eight-mile run. I'd be proud to hit six.

I was halfway through my six miles when I heard steady footsteps approaching from behind. I risked a glance, praying for Jesse, Damon, or somebody I didn’t know. A tiny figure was all I could make out. It was still too dark for clarity but the shape of the runner filled me with relief. I didn’t like Hot Redhead, but she was nothing compared to the fear I had of Muscle Man. If Hot Redhead attacked I could sit on her and possibly win the battle.
 

I increased my pace a bit. Keeping my distance was still a better plan than fighting a feisty woman. Mere feet from Sixth South and the approaching footsteps got louder. Half a block down Sixth South and the footsteps thundered. My heart raced. I tried to go faster. I could see the Rec Center now. A hundred more yards and I would be safe amongst my fellow muscle heads.

“Cassidy,” she called out.

Dangit. It was definitely her. I kicked my legs into an all-out sprint. Her pace matched mine. Her sweet breath brushed my cheek. The hairs on my neck stood up. Come on, who has good-smelling breath in the morning?

I flew through the Rec Center’s parking lot with Hot Redhead by my side. The front doors beaconed safety. I knew my friend Bryce would be sitting at the front desk. Well, friend is pushing it, but he did offer a cheery hello every morning. Maybe he would keep her out.

I grabbed the front door, yanked it open, and inhaled the comforting smell of sweaty bodies.

“Cassidy, stop!” Elizabeth’s tiny hand grabbed my arm.

I yanked my limb away and hurried into the gym’s foyer.

“Morning,” Bryce muttered with a chin lift.

“How’s it going?” I swiped my card through the scanner, not looking at the woman who followed me like a symbiotic life form.

The scanner beeped, “Welcome.” I hurried to the double doors and burst through. Elizabeth stuck to my shadow. I whirled around, sick of this, ready to fight. “You can’t follow me through these doors.” I gestured to the invisible line between the doors. “This is my safe zone. You didn’t check in. Bryce,” I pointed at Hot Redhead like a preschool tattle-tale, “she can’t be in here. She didn’t check in.”

Bryce stood. “Do you have a membership here?”

Elizabeth planted her hands on her hips. “I just want to talk to Cassidy.”

He eased back into his chair and nodded. “Just as long as you don’t use the facility without paying.”

“Oh, I’d never think of it.” Elizabeth smiled sweetly at him. “I just want to talk to my friend.”

Bryce obviously couldn’t resist returning the smile; he ducked behind his computer with red cheeks.

I backed away. I hated girls who used their looks to their advantage. “I’m not your friend.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to hurt you, Cassidy.”

“How do I know that?” I clung to the door, pulling it slightly in front of myself.

Hot Redhead pointed at me. “Look at yourself. You’ve got me by six inches and forty pounds.”

“Hey!” I protested. Then I got curious. “Forty pounds? How much do you weigh?”

She flung her hand at me. “Never mind. I just wanted to say that you don’t want to date Damon.”

Aha. Trying to steal the man, again. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“You’re just not his type.”

“Hold up. The guy recognizes quality,” I clucked my tongue and tilted my chin down and to the side. “Ain’t my fault that Damon thinks I’m hotter than Hot Redhead.”

Elizabeth’s delicate forehead squiggled. “You called me that earlier.”
           
“Yeah. Do you like it?”

Elizabeth fluffed her ponytail and coughed, but not before I saw her smile. She liked it. “Maybe.” Her eyes narrowed. “Wait a minute. Where do you get off claiming Damon thinks you’re hotter than me?”

“Hey.” I shrugged. “The dinner invites tell all.”

She rolled her eyes. “He’s just playing with you. Why would he want someone who can’t run and has more muscle than boobs?”

“Uh!” I looked down, realizing she was right. I stared pointedly at her full chest. “How much did your fakies cost you?”

She turned away. “I was trying to be nice, but I can see that won’t work.”

Making fun of my concave chest was nice? I took a long breath and tried my best. “Thank you, Hot Redhead, for helping me realize that I could kick your trash. I didn’t intend to steal your spot as Damon’s training beauty. I’ll try to
really
enjoy him for you. Maybe I can even give you a call after our first kiss. What’s your cell number?”

Elizabeth gasped. “That’s your idea of an apology?”

“Yep. See you on the road.” I turned away, but called back over my shoulder. “Oh, and my regrets that you didn’t get into The St. George Marathon.”

I smiled in response to her scowl and strolled away. I should’ve felt guilty. Hot Redhead had chased me into the Rec. Center to “try” and work it out. But she didn’t try very hard.
More muscle than boobs
. Who says something like that? Well, I’d probably say it if I had a chest to back it up.

What did I care? Damon was taking me out to dinner, not Elizabeth. I just wondered why she was so obsessed with him.

*
         
*
         
*

Perusing the overstocked aisles of Smithfield Implement, I wondered if Tate was too young for a pocketknife. They had some beauties. I felt eyes on my backside. Spinning around, I saw no one. I poked my head into the main aisle and almost collided with an elderly man. He gazed up at me. “You okay, sweetheart?”

I smiled, placing a hand on my heart. “Yes, thank you.”

He gave me a grin before puttering off to the tools. I looked around one more time before walking down the aisle to look at the bike tubes. I’d almost convinced myself nobody had been watching me when I got that eerie feeling again. I slowly checked over my shoulder when I heard his deep voice, “You’re dating that redhead.”

I whirled to find Jesse within touching distance. I sighed with relief that it was him and not Muscle Man, taking a moment to admire what his body did to a black T-shirt and nicely-fitting jeans. Looking up I saw that a frown marred his exquisite face. I rubbed at the lines in his forehead.

Jesse grinned. Ooh, I liked that smile. “Do I look that upset?”

“Yes.” I licked my bottom lip, pulling my fingers back to my side of the line, though they longed to touch him more. “I don’t like seeing you upset.”

“I feel the same.” The warmth of his smile faded. “I don’t like seeing you with that guy either.”

I blinked several times. “Why do you care who I date?”

He folded brawny arms across his wide chest. I studied the dragon encompassing his left forearm and took long breaths to remind myself this was not the man for me. “You’re a beautiful girl, Cassidy. Please don’t get mixed up with someone who’s not worthy of you.”

My eyes narrowed at the compliment diffused by a warning. “And who would be worthy of me?” I took a step closer and poked him in the chest. “You?”

His face drooped. “No, not me.” He did a quarter-turn. “Please just trust me and stay away from him,” he whispered, looking back at me with tortured brown eyes.

Why not him
? My gut ached. Why did I want a man who obviously wasn’t interested? But I couldn’t give up on Jesse that easily. I pushed a bit harder. “Why would I stay away from him when you’ve given me no good reason?”
Please tell me you want me for yourself.
I hoped my eyes conveyed the message I didn't dare verbalize.

Jesse twirled a curl of my hair between his fingers. Gently, he brushed it back from my face. His fingers caressed my cheek. “I can’t give you a reason, but I wish you’d trust me.”